We are in a new gilded age, though this is not a good time to remind us how the first one ended, and the weddings have blossomed to match. There was no better place to witness that phenomenon than at the Wedding Salon, a luxury bridezilla convention that was founded by Tatiana Byron and held at Gotham Hall on Monday.
The entrance fee was $75, but women (almost all were women) lined up around the block in Manhattan. By the end of the day, about 2,800 people had marched through to talk with florists, caterers and honeymoon specialists.
In New York, luxury weddings are taken to another level: more personalized, more indulgent. A New York wedding could easily run in excess of $100,000, compared to $28,000 for the nationwide average, Ms. Byron said.
The chocolate vendors ranged from those who offered M&Ms with the couple's names to a custom chocolate profile for the special day.
Ms. Byron also pointed out specialized monograms with the bride's and groom's names intertwined. That monogram could in turn be beamed on a wall through a spotlight (lighting for weddings can run from $7,500 to upward of $30,000) or dance across the glowing L.E.D. dance floor (about $15,000, depending on how large).
Then there were the edible wedding invitations and chocolate-covered rose petals for $8 to $10 apiece.
Not content with ice sculptures anymore, weddings are having martini bars made entirely of ice. And lest you not forget the pet, Ms. Byron said she has seen doggie wedding veils and dresses for animals that are incorporated into the wedding.
On the clothing side, apart from the $100,000 wedding gowns, there was also stringless G-string underwear (using adhesive, with a promise that it does not hurt).
And if you are not satisfied with a wedding planner, you can also get a wedding personal assistant starting at $40 an hour.
The opulent scene at Gotham Hall had strains of MTV's ''My Super Sweet 16,'' except those in the crowd were adult women, mostly professionals themselves.
Thomas Noel, who did Sarah Jessica Parker's wedding to Matthew Broderick 11 years ago, says his entry-level wedding is about $75,000 and can run several million dollars. He even cited the figure $10 million, to be precise. Goodness, $10 million?
Having Mary J. Blige perform at your wedding could easily run $500,000, he said. Even a band that was hot 15 years ago could be $15,000 to $30,000. A customized designer wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses, with the designer on hand to help fit the women, could be $500,000 and up.
There are people who do not hesitate in spending this kind of money for their daughter's special day, from hedge fund managers to Russian oil billionaires.
''If you can afford it, you do it,'' Mr. Noel said simply.
Ms. Byron, who is not married, was asked what she dreamed her wedding would be like. She surveyed the bustling scene underneath the dome and said, ''Thirty people, rose petals on a beach -- the complete opposite of this.''
PHOTOS: The event showcased exotic wedding tables and amenities; Brides gathered at Gotham Hall for a show of dresses, food and decorations at the fifth annual Wedding Salon. (PHOTOGRAPHS BY G. PAUL BURNETT/THE NEW YORK TIMES)
