In recent decades, a rise in what couples expect to spend on their wedding has boosted the wedding biz to a $120 billion industry, according to David Wood, president of the Association of Bridal Consultants. Today’s nuptials, costing $27,000 on average, tend to be “ grander,” Wood says. And the grander the affair, the more a couple needs help putting it together. Enter the wedding planner, a profession that emerged in the 1950s. Once catering to the wealthy elite, wedding planners have gone mainstream in recent decades, doubling their numbers over the past three years to 20,000. Some 270,000 couples hired planners in 2006, up from 200,000 in 2003. Today, according to industry estimates, roughly 20 to 30 percent of weddings involve the use of a wedding planner.

What accounts for the boom? For one thing, people are waiting longer to marry and are often too busy pursuing careers to plan their big day, says Shane McMurray, founder of research firm The Wedding Report. For another, more couples expect to re-create the lavish affairs seen in movies and tabloids, says Kathleen Murray, deputy editor of the bridal site The Knot.

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