My literature review for this dissertation was handed in before Christmas. Slightly over the word count, my work consisted of 5,500 words, and these were split into five main sections, each with it’s main author. Part 1 is explained below.

1. The Sociology of the Nature of Weddings as Events

Key Author: Andrews and Leopold (2013)

The first section of my literature review discusses the link between event management, sociology and, to some extent, anthropology. Weddings are a special event that are purposefully organised to offer a display of ritual and mark a special occasion. Andrews and Leopold (2013) state the following:

• events are linked to cultural importance, and have changed over time as a result of changing politics.
• the wedding signifies “the passage of people from one status to another” (p36).
• the wedding is a rite of passage that marks a passage of time and celebrates a change in social status.
• individuals and social groups come to understand their identities when experiencing a rite of passage such as a wedding.

Other key points include:

• The 1994 Marriage Act contributed to the decline in religious wedding ceremonies (Marriage Act 1994).
• Many English couples now cohabit before getting married. Couples stated that they felt more secure and stable once they were married (Baker and Elizabeth, 2013).
• Weddings create a conjugal unit, establish a new relationship between relatives, and act as a rite of passage which sees adolescents become adults. Wedding planning is likely to be the first large project organised by the engaged couple together, therefore placing a significant importance on getting the planning process correct. However it is usually brides that plan the wedding whilst choosing which tasks can be delegated to the groom (Sniezek, 2005).
• Reasons why women plan a wedding rather than men: the historical importance placed upon a woman to move up the social class hierarchy, and therefore raised to believe in marriage; it may not be viewed as socially acceptable for men to arrange a wedding as the work is seen as domestic and emotional labour (typically carried out by women); the groom’s aim is commonly to keep the bride happy, therefore giving her control of the big day (Lowrey and Otnes, 1994).
• People now seek to be an individual amongst society which has led to a decline in the religious domain. The engaged couple look to portray their personality throughout their wedding day, therefore leading to a decline in some traditional aspects of the wedding (Robinson et al, 2007).

References:

Andrews, H. and Leopold, T. (2013) Events and the Social Sciences. Oxon: Routledge.

Baker, M. and Elizabeth, V. (2013) Tying the Knot: The Impact of Formalization After Long-Term Cohabitation. Journal of Family Studies, 19 (3) 254-266.

Lowrey, T. M. and Otnes, C. (1994) Construction of a Meaningful Wedding: Differences in Bride and Grooms. In: Janeen Arnold Costa (ed). Gender Issues and Consumer Behaviour. California: Sage Punlications Ltd, 164-183.

Marriage Act 1994 (c.34). London: HMSO.

Robinson, R., Hermans, C., Scheepers, P. and Schilderman, H. (2007) Affected by Ritual. Predictors of Agreement with Church Marriage Rites in the Netherlands. Journal of Empirical Technology, 20 (2) 200-231.

Sniezek, T. (2005) Is It Our Day or the Bride’s Day? The Division of Wedding Labor and Its Meaning for Couples. Qualitative Sociology, 28 (3) 215-234.