Recession Hits Buy-A-Bride Agencies

Though prostitution might remain untouched, services that match men with young brides are taking a hit due to the ebbing economy. 

In Singapore, shaky markets and diminished bank accounts have single men looking to save their cash rather than dole out for a bride. Matchmaking services, like these two featured in a Reuters article, can cost thousands of dollars, not including the wedding itself.

"Business has been very badly hit by the crisis. In the past, I would get around 20 calls a day. Now there are hardly any calls," one provider reported.

In New York, an increasing number of couples are asking to back out of expensive wedding plans or negotiate prices down. A friend of this writer's is considering scaling back her mid-size wedding plans to a simple family affair, not so much for lack of funds as a growing discomfort with excess.