The cost of marriage....

[chris-uk04]

Well I’m in Houston and I think it’s going to be pushing 15K, for about 75 guests. It’s so shockingly expensive. The reception might be only 5K, but by the time you get done with all the gifts for candle lighters, the hotel rooms, the centrepieces, the photographers, rehearsal dinner…add another 10K. There are so many little things you apparently “have to do.”

The other thing about women and weddings (no offence ladies) is that have to invite EVERYONE they know for fear of offending someone, but hope they don’t come. Guys’ attitude if they haven’t talked to someone in a few years, there is no need to necessarily invite them.

 

[Momoftwo]

My one and only wedding in July 1981 (yes 23 years ago) cost a whopping $1500 including my dress. The cost, location, and food have nothing to do with what marriage is about. We had the wedding in my church (no cost), reception in my parents backyard (some catering, mostly food made by family and friends, and a keg of beer) and my dress cost like $200. My husband wore his Navy uniform and our attendants wore uniforms (men) and dresses(women) sewn by my mom. Everyone said what a good time they had. In the end, the wedding and reception are for the family and guests. What counts, is the marriage, not the wedding/party. We love each other more today than we did then. Also, my engagement ring (1/2 ct), wedding ring and his wedding ring cost less than $1,000 total. We have since gotten newer rings and my stone is 1 ct now, but that's a function of being able to afford it, not expectations. There are lots of ways to save money and still have a very nice wedding and reception.

 

[Momoftwo]

Have you ever heard of TLC's "For Better or for Worse"? They do a wedding for $5000 and in one week. They do everything from booking a location on a weekday or holiday to sometimes cooking the food themselves. There's alot of ways to save, you just have to be creative. There's lots of ideas on the TLC website. Stop sweating the small stuff, because in the grand scheme of things, the wedding is the small stuff. I just sent my second (and last) son off to college. We're paying for 2 right now. Believe me, a wedding is cheaper.

 

[goldengirl]

If I had to make a guess, I'd say I'm going to pull off my wedding for less than $1500.

 

[LGail]

Our wedding budget is $10,000. We are planning on about 100 guests and the ceremony and reception will be at a Southern California Winery. The budget does not include rings or HM.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I think I'm about to sign up for TLC's For Better or For Worse.

 

[Momoftwo]

Before you jump into TLC. Be aware it's a reality show. Your family and friends do the work. As far as I know they only film in California at this point. The point is, you can get good ideas from the show and their website and it's hysterical to watch.

I still maintain, the cost of the wedding and the "show" you put on is for everyone else. Do what you want to do and spend what you want, but, personally I'd rather spend the money on a down payment for a house. We bought our first house less than a year after we married (I was 22 and he was 24) and have owned 3 more since then. After 23 years, you know that the wedding and reception are just for show. The biggest and most expensive weddings I've been to have ended in divorce. The smaller ones all lasted.

There are a lot of ways to save money and still have a good time.

 

[esalyi]

Our June wedding cost us a little over 40,000 and we got some great deals on it too like a friend of the family is a pro photographer so we got photography and all 200 prints for free as a wedding gift. So I was surprised that it cost that much in the end. But we didnt touch our savings to pay for it or anything and had no debt over it so all is well.

We had a cocktail hour, 4 course sitdown dinner and night buffet and dessert table for 200 people plus an open bar from 5pm-1am. The catering cost the most money.

We also went to Greece for two weeks for our honeymoon on top of that... it was pretty pricey but the day was so fun that we dont regret it!

 

[quaeritur]

Our wedding, seven years ago, cost us just shy of $7000, for ceremony and reception for about 75 people in the DC metro area. We paid for it ourselves, and I was really glad not to be deeply in debt from it afterwards -I was more interested in having money to spend on our Australian honeymoon!

I just couldn't see spending more than that, and I would have loved to spend less. We saved a lot by making our own invites and brewing our own beer for the reception!

 

[z78gml]

ME AND MY FIANCE SPENT OUR MONEY ON OUR RINGS. WERE JUST GOING TO CITY HALL AND HAVE A SMALL DINNER WITH FAMILY. A RINGS FOREVER. WE'LL STILL HAVE THE MEMORY OF THE GREAT OCCASION WITH THE ONES WE LOVE.