Article Title
Abstract
The wedding is one of the only rituals or events that many cultures of the world consistently have in common. Weddings are found in almost every society. A wedding can feed consumer appetites and the industry that supports it. Costs for the average United States wedding can range from $26,000 to $35,530 or more (“Cost of Weddings” 2006). The costs of Indian wedding ceremonies vary from $34,000 up to $2 million (Das 2005). Despite this large range the Indian wedding industry averages only $11billion annually while its American counterpart is a whopping $50 billion each year (“Cost of Weddings” 2006, Das 2005). Remarriages constitute 30% of the American wedding industry (Ingram 1999) while in India, remarriage is relatively uncommon. Given the amount of money spent on this cultural ritual, it is reasonable to assert that it carries a great deal of personal, cultural, and social significance. I’m going to contrast and compare Indian and American weddings through an examination of film. This study is similar to Best’s (2000) study of American proms, another related cultural tradition. Specifically I will examine portrayals of wedding ceremonies as presented by both Hollywood and Bollywood films.