It seems that since the beginning of time, weddings have been occasions of celebration, feasting, and dancing. In Biblical times, the wedding celebration lasted seven days. Throughout the ancient world and for centuries beyond, wedding festivities were designed to impart feelings of happiness and plenty to all who attended, not just the bride and groom.

Somehow along the way, the word "camaraderie" has been displaced by the word "elegance". The happy couple, prince and princess for a day, plan their wedding not around their families and friends but around each other. Having an elegant affair is an obsession. They will go into debt for it; they'll even sacrifice the happiness and comfort of their guests for it. This is why cash bars (guest pay for their own drinks) and dessert receptions (bon-bons and wedding cake are the only items on the menu) have evolved. I say" Let's go back to the good old days! Let's eat, drink, be merry - and married - debt free!" But how do you do it on a budget?

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