Every couple who goes to the altar（圣坛）believes that they will make that trip only once in their lives. They want the day to be perfect, and they are asking for much more than good weather. They want the most beautiful clothes, the freshest flowers. Moreover, her family who will foot the bill is not in any mood to economize.

A quick look at any bride magazine will find that plenty of attractive goods and services compete for a share of the wedding budget. Besides the obvious choices of rings, dresses, flowers, and photos, there are the less obvious expenses: a large cake, a prepared and big dinner, a reception, music for both the ceremony and reception, tips, and even napkins and matchbooks printed with the couple’s names and wedding date.

As the arrangements are generally complicated, there are plenty of services that can be hired to help with the planning carrying out every aspect of the wedding: planning the photos, selecting the wedding rings, choosing the flowers, picking the honeymoon spot, and so on. One magazine lists over 350 such pamphlets published of course by businesses that have something to offer. Considering that weddings do more than 12 billion dollars worth of business annually in the US alone, such activity isn’t surprising.

What is surprising is that no one company dominates（主导）the industry. It seems that when people plan for a day as special to them as a wedding, they resist standardization. They turn instead to the small local suppliers known to them and their friends. Family members or friends often serve as photographers, and musicians. This not only helps bring the wedding cost down, but makes it more personal.

What about the couple that doesn’t want to take in this billion-dollar industry? They can go to the city hall and get married for less than the price of a hamburger.