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

A sparkling and keenly observed social history of a ritual, an industry, and a subculture--the American wedding. 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. Wallace's captivating narrative spans the range of weddings, from pioneer ceremonies in the Wild West to Princess Grace's stately nuptials in Monaco, from Old New York to contemporary Las Vegas. At once frivolous and learned, irreverent and sentimental, All Dressed in White is a ravishing read for brides, their friends, and devotees of American traditions.