When I was young, almost all my friends had equally simple ceremonies and receptions ( except most brides did pick out the dresses and the men dressed more formally.) Now it seems the young people get married later and can afford to pay for their own wedding extravaganza. Of course, many parents of the bride use the wedding as a way to outdo whatever their friends did for their children. I think my own parents were secretly relieved I wasn’t dreaming of an extravagant wedding.