ABSTRACT
The wedding ritual represents a major site for the installation and maintenance of the institution of heterosexuality. Although it may seem obvious to most that one is not “born” a bride, many women see themselves as following a “naturalized” path toward heterosexual womanhood, where the expectation to eventually marry and have a white wedding is regarded as normal on the route to adulthood. The heterosexual imaginary describes a way of thinking that relies on romantic and sacred notions of heterosexuality to create and maintain the illusion of well-being and oneness. This imaginary presents a view of heterosexuality as “just the way it is” while creating social practices that reinforce the illusion that, if one complies with this naturalized structure, all will be right in the world. By leaving heterosexuality unexamined as an institution, we fail to explore how it is learned, how it may control us, and contribute to social inequalities. Above all, the heterosexual imaginary naturalizes the regulation of sexuality through the institution of marriage, ritual practices such as weddings, and domestic relations laws.
