Wedding Biz a Pricey Sham

From Elizabeth Taylor to Ivanka Trump, the finest wedding finery

(NEWSER) - June is the traditional month for weddings, but a gorgeous bridal ensemble is timeless. From Elizabeth Taylor (in 1950 ... and 1964, and 1975) to Ivanka Trump (in 2009), InStyle picks the best-dressed celebrity brides. To see more selections, including Marilyn Monroe in a brown suit, click here . More»

Potential brides' families worry about recession

(NEWSER) - Indian guys who return home from the US to scout for brides are being met with skepticism instead of open arms, reports the Wall Street Journal. Eying the recession abroad, would-be brides and their parents are giving preference to local matches and even demanding to see tax returns from US-based suitors, says one bachelor whose potential in-laws took his "consultant" title to mean "unemployed." More»

Women going to unhealthy extremes in bid to look perfect

(NEWSER) - Wedding dress? $1,500. Ceremony? $30,000. Rapid weight loss, whitened teeth, artificial tan, laser surgery and a shot of Botox? Apparently, priceless—but they may come at a health cost as brides-to-be try to look picture-perfect with "red carpet-worthy good looks" on their wedding day. Such extremes can launch a life-time of unhealthy habits, writes Sarah Elkins in Newsweek. More»

It's your day, so do your own thing

(NEWSER) - Get engaged, and within days the world is your wedding planner. Ignore the world, ignore your mom, even ignore the actual wedding planner, Wendy Atterbury writes for The Frisky . Some "rules" that don't have to apply—unless you really want to apply them:

• Invite distant relatives: Whether the distance is literal or figurative. "Your grandmother’s second cousin who lives in Boca will get over it if she’s not invited."

That $2,000 dress may actually cost you $20,000

(NEWSER) - The cost of a typical wedding fell to $17,500 last year, down 8% from 2008 thanks to the recession. But that's not even the half of it, writes Brett Arends. If couples did the math, they'd "probably get married in flip-flops," he says. "Your $18,000 wedding? It may really end up costing you between $90,000 and $200,000. That $2,000 dress? Think: $10,000 to $22,000. The $10,000 food bill for your guests? Try $50,000 to $110,000." More»