The cheapening of marriage in my opinion has absolutely nothing to do with the wedding itself. It has to do with people who want to throw a big party, but don't think about what that party means. They want a wedding, not a marriage. I had the big wedding, the dress, the cake the whole nine yards. It was a great party, but the reason it meant so much is one simple thing. My husband and I weren't there for the party, we were there to celebrate our relationship with our family and friends. That's what a wedding is supposed to be. A celebration of love and commitment, of family coming together.
And btw, no one ever said keeping any relationship together was easy. the divorce rate is so high because there is several generations now that think as soon as things don't go their way, they can just bale out. If you marry someone and you can't comprimse with them, it isn't going to last.