I’m not sure when a Swiss person first melted cheese and booze in a little pot, but once the dish hit America, it became the stuff of wedding registry legend. As the story goes, fondue was first marketed to Americans during the 1964 World’s Fair in New York via the Swiss Pavilion’s Alpine restaurant.
From there, North Americans embraced the caquelon (fondue pot) — especially during the 1970s, when sharing food (and your partner) became more popular. It can be as highbrow or as casual as you want.