"Do Americans usually have wedding parties in 5-star hotels or similarily expensive reception rooms? Do many Americans have their wedding abroad (or in Hawaii)?"

yep. the ones i know do -- i'm always invited to take pictures
but lets also talk about how commitment is perceived within different countries
jobs apartments healthcare/sickness transportation safety/crime

i gave a japanese friend a computer, but he was too embarassed to tell me that he still didn't have roadrunner afterwards -- even though he had been paying the service bill for two months