American Wedding

Similar to the big, glitzy weddings we've all attended, this entertaining panoply of people and fashion faux pas lasts a bit too long--but darned if it isn't a good time! Filled with gossip, historical trivia and bits of advice from cake decorators, photographers, fashion designers, florists, wedding experts, and event planners (including the irrepressible Colin Cowie of the WE channel), American Wedding is a lively and surprisingly detailed look at the traditions surrounding the big business of American weddings. Take engagement rings, for example: we learn that while the idea originated with the ancient Egyptians, the real prime mover behind the 6.7 billion dollar industry fueled by hopeful grooms-to-be today was the Archduke Maximilian of Austria, who gave his betrothed an impossibly expensive ring in 1477. Over 400 years later, Tiffany's Jewelers added the 6-prong setting, putting the diamond--or what the authors of The Groom's Secret Handbook call "the gallstone of the earth's intestinal tract"--front and center as the most popular engagement ring. Similar attention is paid to the bridal shower, bachelor party, bridesmaid dress, bridal bouquet, wedding cake and honeymoon. Hosted by Joan Lunden and spiked with film clips of celebrity weddings and outlandish styles of past decades, American Wedding will be appreciated by blushing brides, goofy grooms, their nervous parents and amused guests. Recommended. Aud: P. (A. Cantú)