In the realm of weddings, the most important thing for the event is to recognize that this is spectacle. It’s not simply spectacle in the sense that the close family members will have images in their hearts and minds for the rest of their lives, but spectacle in the much broader sense. Spectacle is theater , and it’s something that holds sides of reality as well as illusion, and it’s not always necessary to distinguish between the two with any clarity.
In fact, there are moments when substitutions work better than the real thing. The best example of this might very well be the multi-tiered wedding cake. Although there are those who complain when the top layers turn out to be material covered with frosting rather than food, they do tend to hold up better, and make for an ambiance that is much more inviting. Preowned wedding dresses are likewise an item that can easily demonstrate its usefulness through offering the possibility of another use at a great savings.
There is nothing lost in the illusion or the reality when one enters into the wedding planning with a sense of the theatrical. Those who attend will be privy to a private ritual made into a public display, and the nature of the experience is one that needs to have both imaginative elements as well as those grounded in every day reality.