Reading this book totally made me think about my wedding, and I had this surprising feeling of vindication about not having been taken in by the “wedding industrial complex.” My husband and I had a small, thoughtful ceremony, officiated by my dad and attended by our immediate families. I wore a nice blue silk/cotton dress I got on clearance at Ann Taylor for $20; he found this excellent mid-50s sharkskin jacket. We spent about $900 on a kick-ass catered dinner for the fourteen of us (with desserts that were worth every penny). I loved every moment of it. A wedding professional would have gasped in horror.

It was mostly about how weddings became a $161 billion industry (annually) and the different ways consumerist culture has evolved to fleece people who are getting married, whether in a big three-day event or in a small drive-through Vegas wedding. A little bit was discussed about the small sum people used to spend on weddings (just a few hundred dollars, less than a hundred years ago—these days the average cost is $30,000!), the recent invention of the diamond engagement ring, and the way couples used to spend their honeymoons. Also a lot of interest placed upon the way the wedding is now about the individual desires and tastes of the couple rather than the commitment of a couple within their community.

I want my boyfriend to read it, but I don’t think he will. In the final chapter, the author discusses the non-traditional wedding she chose for herself.