Traditionally, weddings were considered to be religious rituals, symbolizing the love that existed between two people. Celebrations were trivial and symbolic representations constituted the presence of close family and friends, laughter, love and happiness.

Today, more couples are planning their own weddings or paying someone else to do it. Couples are ensuring that their wedding comprises of everything that they have envisaged and more, guaranteeing the extravaganza they desire, rather than being restricted by social tradition.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the average cost of a wedding is $28 000, and further trends indicate that men and women are choosing to get married later, thus it is more common to distinguish the all-expenses paid festivity. As you embark upon the wedding planning, the need to be financially aware becomes more apparent. The cost of the wedding dress, venue hire, transport hire, bouquets, cakes and honeymoon expenses all need to fit within the wedding budget, and in addition with the music, videographer and photographer. The more we think about our wedding, the more we want. The wedding industry has evolved into a mass-produced industry, surrounding us in endless supplies of dresses, cakes, cars, venues, decorator and much more. So why all the hype? What happened to our traditional ceremony followed by a small celebration in the family home?

We live in a society where mass advertising encourages mass consumption. Mass advertising glorifies lifestyles and images, encouraging the consumption of large quantities of goods. The ideologies surrounding the need to consume can be traced back to the twentieth century during the Fordism era, which inaugurated the need of mass production and mass consumption. As workers gained more security within their working conditions, and incomes increased, mass advertising promoted the consumption of goods being produced. Media advertising portrayed images affiliated with high status, power and 'normality' through the consumption of products.

Today, the modern media forms part of one of the elements of a modern capitalist market, operating as a business in a mass market where most people are consumers. The wedding industry has been embraced by this market, and the ability to increase wealth, business and the number of consumers is continually being nourished by mass media and advertising. Traditional weddings are a thing of the past, now couples perceive weddings to be a social event which represents success, power and status. Weddings have become ostentatious events whereby the parties involved adopts personas allied with the high status class. Diamonds sparkle, champagne classes clink and the shrill laughter of carefree individuals fill the room, however once the event ceases, all parties return to the 'normality' of life and the status temporarily acquired by the consumption of goods fades away.

Contemporary media advertising has emerged to allow consumers to interact with those distributing produce. Historically, previous forms of media advertising incorporated a one way process whereby consumers would receive information from suppliers. Whether it was through the use of print or audio visual advertising, images and information were distributed from suppliers to consumers without further interaction. Today, information technology allows for an interactive process whilst disseminating an equal capacity of information. Telecommunications such as faxes and mobile phones, the internet and optical fibre networks carrying large amounts of digital information allow couples to plan their wedding effectively and efficiently.

With the continual evolvement of information technology and mass advertising, it is easy to become immersed in the images and products. The wedding industry has evolved into an industry whereby business owners are continually incorporating innovative methods of advertising in order to convey images associated with high status, class and power; and couples are pressured to conform. Consumers access these advertising images for free, further increasing the threat of being consumed by mass production. Whilst having the perfect wedding day is desired, it is important to understand that the ideal wedding day is not compromised by eliminating the extras.