All Dressed in White : The Irresistible Rise of the American Wedding

by Wallace, Carol (Author)

• ISBN13: 9780142002162
• ISBN10: 014200216X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-03-01
• Publisher: Penguin Group USA

Summary

Everybody loves a wedding, and in All Dressed in White, Carol McD. Wallace celebrates the delicious history and the eternal allure of our favorite rite of passage. In the past 150 years the wedding has gone from discreet private ceremony to elaborate public event, yet the fundamentals remain the same - weddings are the only social events in America where matters of money, sex, and class are brought to the fore. The growth of the middle class and the development of the popular media play a role in Wallace's tale, as does the eternal vision of The White Dress in its metamorphosis from gown to costume.

Table of Contents

Introduction : ritual is dynamic and creative	p. 1
This getting married is no trifle!	p. 9
Dear fanny must be married in white	p. 30
The etiquette at a grand wedding is always the same	p. 64
The last gown of virginity	p. 94
Her big moment	p. 122
Tra-La-Tra-La... we've got our men!	p. 147
All eyes are on her	p. 167
An immense and highly organized industry	p. 190
Do your own thing	p. 218
The bride is a symbol	p. 250
This is not real life	p. 283
Selected sources	p. 313
Acknowledgments	p. 321
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.