Lily Aldridge | Victoria’s Secret Bridal Spring 2011 SN Living

The trend not to marry has major momentum worldwide, causing much controversy and concern, usually resulting in ‘blame the liberals’ or ‘blame the feminists’ for what is perceived as a dereliction of duty to marry once and for all.

While America retains one of the highest marriage rates among developed countries, fewer couples are making it to the matrimonial ‘I do’, causing me to reflect on Facebook yesterday that perhaps bridalwear could become a new form of seduction lingerie fantasy.

FB fans agreed, so there you go sexual trend prognosticators. My own view isn’t anti-marriage in any way. We know that children do better in stable, relationships when they function well. The Scandianvian countries challenge the arguments that marriage itself, as opposed to permanent or long-term unions with involved parental support, produce problem children.

I’m pretty stunned reading just now that the cost of the average American wedding has increased robustly from 2005 to 2009. See statistics after graph.

The Bridal Association of America reports that weddings grew from 2.272,935 in 2005 to 2,326.485 in 2009. Recession or no recession, the costs of getting married in America continue to skyrocket.

In 2005 the estimated cost of a wedding was $26,450 with a market value of $62,437, 524, 450. That’s $62.5 billion.

In 2009 the cost was $30,860 or a market value of $71,795,327,100 or $71.8 billion. The cost of getting married in America increased 15% at the height of the economy crashing. I find this fact amazing.

In the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression, the American wedding business has prospered as those who can or desire to marry have ponied up a lot more cash. Anne

Lily Aldridge | Victoria’s Secret Bridal Spring 2011 SN Living