Life — November 22, 1906 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a domestic satire about post-wedding regret. A couple, apparently newlyweds, discusses their expensive wedding ceremony. The husband expresses doubt about the extravagant cost, and the wife agrees—but adds they'll "know better next time," implying she anticipates a future divorce and remarriage. The joke reflects early 20th-century anxieties about rising divorce rates and consumer spending. By having the wife casually reference a "next time," the cartoonist satirizes both marital instability among the wealthy and the cultural assumption that expensive weddings are wasteful. The opulent bedroom setting and formal attire reinforce that this couple has money but questionable priorities—a common target of *Life* magazine's satirical humor about upper-class excess.