832: The Wedding Industry | Skeptical Sunday

The tradition of marriage dates back to Ancient Rome. Our modern traditions however only go back 100 years. Marriage used to be about making a desirable stranger part of the family (ie economic & political reasons) - it had nothing to do with love. Weddings as we know them today are not traditional

The diamond industry (De Buyers) convinced people that diamonds are rare - they’re not. Engagement rings used to signify ownership. Women were purchased and given the ring so that they’d have something of value if widowed, left, etc.

Vendors charge a wedding tax because they know people will pay it. The same services for other events would very likely be cheaper.

Brides and bridesmaids used to wear similar dresses to confuse bandits who would descend upon the wedding to steal the bride.

White weddings were basically a display of wealth (white cloth for the dress and white sugar for white cakes were both expensive).