Weddings in America have shifted from small community gatherings that relied on local resources to events that often showcase consumer spending and prosperity, according to wedding historian Karen Dunak. White wedding gowns became popular in the 1920s, and after World War II the ceremony took on a more consumer-focused shape [1].
"It was very much a community kind of thing, even sometimes just your immediate family," Dunak said. "People would have traditional celebrations relying on the local landscape or flowers available in the yard or the community." She said weddings later came to reflect "consumer expenditure" and "prosperity and plenty" in America, with the wedding serving as a place to display that wealth [1].
Vogue's online wedding coverage often runs as photo essays with about 40 to 80 photos, alongside stories about the couple's love story, the planning process and how they felt on the day, editor Shelby Wax said. The magazine looks for weddings with clear emotion and narrative, not just expensive details [1].
"They’re a big feature with an edit of maybe about 40 to 80 photos from the wedding," Wax said. "Then we also have a wonderful feature where we talk about your love story, the entire process of planning the wedding, your experience, and how you felt on the day." [1]
Wax said some of the weddings she likes best cost under $50,000 and can be intimate, such as a couple marrying at New York City Hall and having lunch with family. She said lavish weddings are not always the most compelling if they look like money was simply thrown at the event without meaning [1].
"Some of the favorite weddings I’ve written up have been under $50,000," Wax said. "I just got one up this week where it was just a couple and they went to New York City Hall and they did a lunch along the way with their families, and it’s so cute and emotional and great." [1]
Wax added that high-cost weddings do not always make the cut if they lack emotional force. "Sometimes the ones I see that spend a lot of money are really not of the certain caliber I want to feature because it seems like they’re just throwing money at something and it doesn’t feel" she said [1].
