Wedding Makers, The (ATOM Study Guide)

This study guide to accompany The Wedding Makers (David Batty, 2009), a documentary by Rebel Films, has been written for middle and senior secondary students. It provides information and suggestions for learning activities in English, SOSE/HSIE, VET Hospitality, Media and curriculum projects exploring identity, gender and relationships.

Not so long ago, weddings were often small, romantic, backyard affairs. Todays bride wants lavish, bold and over the top. Guests expect to be entertained and driven to new heights of matrimonial hysteria.
Narrator

In days gone by, a wedding was a relatively straightforward family affair. The style, size and cost were largely dictated by the parents of the bride, after all, they were paying for it. But the Gen X and Y bride of today operates in a very different playing field. Magazines, websites, advertisements, television programs and bridal exhibitions bombard her with images of perfect weddings and perfect brides.

Getting married is now a highly commercialised, expensive exercise organised with almost military precision. The enduring fantasy of the perfect wedding has fuelled an entire industry devoted to making the dream become a reality. There are more options available for the bride-to-be than ever before and each one comes with a price tag.

The Wedding Makers introduces us to the industry professionals that operate in this highly competitive and lucrative arena from the established players to the new business operators desperate to have a piece of the action. And with the average cost of an Australian wedding now $33,000 and an industry worth over $3.5 billion dollars annually, there is plenty at stake.

Wedding planner Angela, wedding rescuer Paul and expo expert Glenn live and breathe weddings. Their business is creating the wow factor for hopeful brides and grooms. These passionate characters and their highly entertaining dramas reveal the less-than-romantic reality behind the ritual of getting married.