I just came across this fascinating article coming out of Korea.  I would think America would never go this route but it shows how important cultural expectations are of weddings and it does address some issues Americans have, including distance from where you grew up or have most of your friends, if you don’t work with a lot of people and are out of school for a while you may not have a lot of friends, and then if you are marrying a huge family and yours is small, there is going to be an uneven balance.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/04/117_22416.html

A brief summary:

Spring wedding season has come.

But it is not only would-be brides and bridegrooms who are busy preparing for their big day. Fake wedding guests are on the look out for part-time jobs.

….

Part-time guests usually arrive at wedding parlors about 40 minutes before the ceremony. They memorize the personal information of the bride at the wedding, such as her name, age, school career, and family relations. Someone in charge of guests checks their attire and gives them envelops of money, prepared by the bride in advance so that they can submit them as congratulatory money to the bride at the parlor entrance.

The fake friends, however, do not have themselves photographed after the ceremony in order not to remain forever in the couple’s wedding album. They gather at the rear of the wedding parlor, and the leader distributes envelops to them again ― this time containing their payment. Saying goodbye, they part.