This article is an excellent primer for the engaged: when I became betrothed, my first thought was the dress, my second was the food. But I don't think, and the author asserts, that this is the norm among brides-to-be.

However, it's possible that the current state of wedding dishes is rooted in an underlying lack of respect for food in general, particularly in the united states.

There are those people who can afford (and afford to appreciate) fresh, organic ingredients in their everyday lives. These people are likely to spend an arm and a leg on their wedding day and be preoccupied with efficiency rather than quality of food. Alternatively, they might pay the caterer and simply, faithfully believe that the food is delicious according to the pricetag.

However, the vast majority of Americans operate daily on pre-fab, drive-thru and slap-together dishes. This contributes to obesity rates and in a lessened emotional investment in what we eat. We aren't going to appreciate the minute rice that we toss in the microwave, and this lack of appreciation becomes a habit. It's almost as if we forget the essence of good food.

This results in two trends: People who are working middle- and upper-classes don't have time to cook, and instead buy food at restaurants (the faith-based knowledge of tasty) and assume that's the best there is, and people who can't afford the ingredients, time or caterers when their weddings come around.

Ultimately, the problem isn't the selfishness of the married couple, or the mediocre culinary skills of budget caterers; More likely it's that Americans have forgotten or rejected the value of food in their everyday lives and this has been translated into the strange microcosm of the nuptual event.