Marriage

The class discussion we held today about the wedding industry was interesting. Since reading this book it was something I was already giving a lot of thought. I was surprised when I discovered the average cost of weddings being around $24,000. I had no idea a wedding could cost that much, I knew they were expensive but I didn't realize the average cost could be so high. I think a lot of people lose sight of the actual value of marriage in their desire just for a wedding. Seems to me, the smarter choice would be to have a simpler, cost efficient wedding and put all major funds towards a house. I can understand the desire for an extravagant wedding but rationally, I don't think spending that much money is a smart decision. This of course, would mostly only apply to the middle class. Obviously, those with wealth could easily afford to splurge that cost or more on a wedding, which is fine, they are financially able to do so. Just the idea of spending more money on a wedding than I make annually, just shocks me. But I have never been married nor do I desire to get married for quite some time, so perhaps I find it harder to understand a couple's strong feelings about this.

In relation to the novel, it is clear that the wedding industry is a big business in America. It is easy to see how much money these businesses make off of weddings. If the annual cost of a wedding is around $24,000-imagine how much these companies are thriving off that expense. In the book, it is easy to see that the women in this business are well off financially. Especially in the case of Mackenzie borrowing her mother $3,000! It shows how successful these women have become with their separate careers, molding them all together to create this business. I think this is a great example of strong female success. These women created this business together and it seems to be their main priority in their lives. I like the feeling of family between the girls, it reminds me of shows like Sex and the City and similar conversations we've held in class. So far, I like this book much better than Bet Me. I find the characters inspiring, engaging and strong willed. I absolutely love the character Carter, he might not have the same appeal Healthcliff had, but he is wonderful in his own dorky way. Dorks are generally sexier than the testaorone fueled macho man, in my general opinion.