Wedding costs have doubled in 20 years and lavish destination weddings are up five-fold from a decade ago. The bridal media are courting women to consent to fantasy-land spending.
In a kind of rebellion against America's wedding mania, an increasing number of brides are trashing their dresses and having photographers capture these moments of rage.
Pre-World War II, many couples got married in clothes they already owned. Today, they spend thousands. In her new book, One Perfect Day, Rebecca Mead shows how the wedding industry became so powerful and who it has exploited in the process.
