How Are Weddings Viewed Today By Many Women?

Many women in America grow up playing house and dress-up. These are usually behaviors that are passed on and encouraged by their mothers, aunts and grandmothers. What this can lead to, in the teenage years, is a longing for a new life with a husband. Because of this, for many women, the planning of their marriage ceremony is the apex of their lives. Many women in America put great effort and expense into their weddings, which, in their mind, stand as the culmination of this rite of passage. It is of great importance because weddings are thought to be the start of a new life together.



In a woman's eyes the ceremony focuses around the fact that marriage is the first step in starting a new family with their spouse in addition to having and raising children to complete that family. It is a new day for them. Although the traditional marriage and family appears to be going out of fashion today, to most Americans, the traditional view of marriage, marriage between a man and a woman, still makes up the majority view.

But how did this come about? In western history marriage and weddings were never considered a strictly personal matter as it is today, but rather as a business proposition between two families that brought them together. As a consequence, most marriages of this type were arranged affairs. This type of arranged marriage is a custom that still survives today in many different cultures. Generally speaking, in these arrangements the wife did not share the same number of rights as her husband, she had much fewer. She was also expected to be completely subservient to him. In addition there was usually an economic factor involved in the arrangement. Many times these unions were made solely because of business economies and money. Personal affection had little to do with the marriage, as cooperation and procreation were the main duties of the partners.

From those days things have evolved somewhat. In planning a modern wedding today there are many things a woman will want to consider. These can include the venue, the caterer, the dinner party and the honeymoon destination. The other major details to be thought about are the guest list and seating arrangements. As far as who pays for what, in a first wedding traditionally the bride's parents' pay for the expense of the service. Because you only get married for the first time once, most women are insistent on also hiring a professional photographer to record the whole event for posterity. While this list of considerations is not all-inclusive these are the basic categories that are of the utmost importance.

After the ceremony has been planned, executed and the honeymoon is over, what you will be left with are those moments in time captured on photographs and video that record one of the most important moments in your life, your marriage. You will have them to share with your children, grandchildren and your parents and friends for many years to come.