Cinderella Dreams: The Allure of the Lavish Wedding
by Cele C. Otnes and Elizabeth H. Pleck
From the back cover:
"The fabulous gown, the multitiered cake, abundant flowers, attendants and guests in their finery. The white wedding does more than mark a life passage. It marries two of the most sacred tenets of American culture--romantic love and excessive consumption. For anyone who has ever wondered about the meanings behind a white dress, a diamond ring, rice, and traditions such as cake cutting, bouquet tossing, and honeymooning, this book offers an entertaining and enlightening look at the historical, social, and psychological strains that come together to make the lavish wedding the most important cultural ritual in contemporary consumer culture."
Casey's review:
The authors, Cele C. Otnes and Elizabeth H. Pleck, do a great job of exposing the consumer underpinnings of the white wedding and supporting industry, and will make even the staunchest feminist think hard about whether it is ever possible to completely escape the strong cultural impulse to have that magical experience called a wedding. There is a wealth of material provided in an engaging way that makes it a fast read for anyone interested in the topic. Their thesis in the first chapter sums it up appropriately: “Our purpose in this book is not to evaluate the rights and wrongs of the lavish wedding, but to understand how this magical moment (or monster, depending on one’s point of view) came to occupy so much of the consciousness of contemporary consumer cultures around the world” (23).
