ABSTRACT
Expanding parameters of what constitutes “family” and the evolving expectations of each member therein have led to considerable political and legal upheaval. The past five decades have evidenced an extraordinary shift in cultural norms concerning education, marriage and child bearing. Factors such as the availability of effective birth control, the entry of more women into the workforce and the increasing acceptability of cohabitation, divorce and childbearing out of wedlock have resulted in decreasing social pressure to get and stay married. Six trends that will be reviewed in this chapter, each with underlying implications for weddings and wedding planning include: 1) female workforce dynamics; 2) the missing male; 3) cohabitation; 4) divorce; 5) same-sex marriage; and 6) intercultural and interfaith marriages.
