Fancy white gowns and multi-tiered cakes. Shiny gold rings and 400 guests. Exactly when did the fantasy of a classic "white wedding" take root?

In the new book "It's Our Day: America's Love Affair with the White Wedding" (University Press of Kansas, March 2008), historian Katherine Jellison traces the elaborate and formal ritual to the rise of consumer culture after World War II. It was driven by "superstar brides," including Grace Kelly, Tricia Nixon, Diana Spencer and Carolyn Bessette.

While few could afford their extravagance, the princess brides pointed the way to a particular style of designer gown or a certain brand of expensive champagne that, taken alone, might well be affordable, writes Jellison, an associate professor of history at Ohio University.

She attributes the endurance of white weddings through decades of cultural tumult -- including the rise of feminism and divorce rates -- to their adaptability; a white gown, no longer a symbol of virginity, was favored just the same as a way for the perfect bride to have her perfect day.

In the latest example of fascination with a high-profile wedding, President Bush's daughter, Jenna, married Henry Hager on her family's Texas ranch in May. The media, which weren't invited, reported details of her dress, ring, wedding party, band and venue as details were released. While the bride wore white, her special day was laid back.

Jellison spoke recently with The Associated Press:

AP: Why are we in love with lavish white weddings?

Jellison: I think it's an escape from the routine of everyday life. It gives us a valid excuse to wear fancy clothes, eat fattening food, spend too much and perhaps drink too much without any guilt. After all, who can begrudge launching a loving, hopefully lifelong relationship with a pull-out-all-the-stops celebration?

AP: The Cinderella complex seems to be in full bloom with these elaborate wedding rituals. What does that say about where the culture has been and where it's going?

Jellison: Women in our society, particularly young women, still often feel they have relatively little control over their own lives. The evidence is all around us: Young women with eating disorders believe they can at least control their food intake, and pregnant teenagers often believe that a baby will give them the unconditional love that they crave. Compared to the eating disorder and teen pregnancy epidemics, the epidemic of elaborate weddings seems relatively harmless. So society in general -- and the wedding industry in particular -- nurtures this phenomenon.

AP: Is there any disconnect between the white wedding and the realities of marriage?

Jellison: Even if a woman can orchestrate a "perfect" wedding day, she will not have a perfect marriage. Such things do not exist. Illness, arguments, financial strain are all but inevitable. In fact, the marriage's first crisis may occur when the wedding bills arrive. Psychologists have noted an increase in the number of brides who report feeling let down and disappointed when the glamour of the long-anticipated wedding day ends and the real marriage begins.