Examining Expensive Weddings through Three Sociological Theories

1. What is the summary of the article? Briefly summarize in your own words the main points of the article.

2. Do you agree or disagree that a wedding requires spending a certain dollar amount to be seen as valid in our American society? Why or why not?

3. Ask someone older who was married in the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990's how much their wedding cost. Then use this inflation calculator found at to estimate that amount in today's dollars. How far off from the average price tag of $32,641 was their wedding? Make sure you include whom you asked.

4. In the article, the authors highlighted that the Wedding Industrial Complex "seeks to remain a stable, enduring system" Therefore, if weddings stopped being expensive, instability would occur in this institution. What other systems (institutions) would also suffer and become unstable if expensive weddings ceased to be the norm in our American society?

5. In regards to the symbolic interactionism theory, what other meanings, besides those listed in the article, would an expensive wedding display to society?

6. What social factors do you believe have led people to not want to marry?

Cite the article in APA format.

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