Seriously?!?!?

Anyone mind sharing how much Their weddings cost?

It says online that the average wedding costs 20 something thousand!! I realize this isn't something that's gonna be cheap but I doubt were going to be able to sling that kind of money around... =/

for about 75 bucks you can go down to the town hall and get it all done in about 15 minutes. that is kinda crazy especially now with the U.S circling the drain. i guess this is where having a bride with a rich daddy comes in handy.

To each their own, but personally I think it's crazy to spend that kind of money on a wedding. I wouldn't feel right for the parents to have to foot that kind of bill, and it makes no sense for the couple to drop that kind of cash (or rack up that kind of debt) before they even say "I do"...keep it simple, kinda small, personal...you don't need to invite everyone you've ever met, and then feed them lobster and Kobe beef...:rolleyes: Unless of course you're loaded...then do whatever you please...but in the end, it's not gonna matter...:) Seems like the more people spend on their weddings, the more miserable they are worrying about every little thing not being perfect...just my humble opinion...

My husband and I spent $500 on our wedding. Granted, that was 19 years ago, but I did a lot of the work myself, purchased my dress on clearance, and had a potluck reception. In spite of our "cheap" wedding, I can guarantee you we are still in love 19 years later and have no regrets about the small wedding.

On the other hand, I had a friend spend $5000 on her wedding and 2 years later was divorced.

The size of the wedding doesn't matter. What matters is your love and commitment to each other. I wish you the best of luck!!

If you still want one of those traditional weddings, it's easy to cut costs on certain things if you know people willing to pitch in. My art teacher got married and to help all of her old art students got together and created the decorations. They made fake flowers, gorgeous table decorations, all out of recycled materials but they turned them into incredible pieces of art--And that cut out a TON of money that would have been spent. On each table they had cool origami art, recycled materials turned into cool looking flowers, and fun decorations surrounding the room. She and her family made the invitations themselves and they were adorable and had that unique homemade flair! Same sorta thing goes for food and stuff. For some reason people always think that because it's a wedding they have to get catered food that is over priced, not very good, and not many people even like(Even the bride and groom themselves!)

My mom does photography and I've helped with several weddings. I've seen so many picky eaters suffer through trying to eat fancy foods that cost them SO MUCH MONEY and they hated anyway. :rolleyes: Ridiculous! If you know people who do restaurant things sometimes you can get cheaper foods that will still please the crowd. Honestly the favorite wedding we ever photographed ordered chic fil a and dr. pepper as their food of choice. Awesome! But the point is, there are so many other choices than what they show you in those wedding books!

Honestly there are a lot of things that you can get cheaper, but people choose to overspend on their weddings. It might mean that you have to do some of the stuff yourself, or have family help, but I think that just contributes to the wedding anyway--You're putting all this stuff together for your own wedding and have help from people who love you! Sorta fun :)


There are some things that I personally am willing to spend money on--The dress and the cake(visit cakewrecks.com and look at the bad wedding cakes lol, I've actually gone to weddings with some of those failed wedding cakes! So frustrating!) But other than that I'd like most of the wedding to have that homemade artsy fun feeling. But that's my personal choice honestly. I am an odd shaped woman and honestly..Cheap dresses look like crud on me! I'm willing to spend the bucks to get something that is designed to flatter my body. But when it comes to all the other ridiculous details, I'd like to try to save a little bit!

we spent about $40k on our wedding, and that didn't include the honeymoon. Everything is crazy expensive when it comes to weddings.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by llovelace

Everything is crazy expensive when it comes to weddings.

---

Doesn't have to be...

well I can say I looked at just simple things for when I pop the questiong to my gf and we were comparing rings and such and the one she liked the most was 200+ bucks but the wedding bands were a lot cheaper. I agree the cater food not always the best. having a pot luck type meat would rule cause there bound to be something there everyone likes. I just makes sure that people are not just bringing like soda , cups and napkins (been to one event and it was like 30 2 litters of cola and napkins and only 4 bags of chips for 40 people lol..

I'm getting married next year and the budget is 6000. It's gonna be a small intimate affair with just immediate family and close friends. We plan on a small church ceremony and the reception is going to be at the westchester broadway theatre. 85 dollars a person and it includes flowers on the table and entertainment, I think this way I'm getting the most bang for my buck.

I think we might have had the cheapest wedding here. Less than $200. :D

We got married around 1:00am at the Stained Glass Chapel in Las Vegas in Feb. '09.

Cab ride: $20
Marriage license: $60
Wedding cost: $75-100 (I forget the exact amount)
Tip for the cabbie who was our witness: $20

Now if you count the honeymoon as well, which included 6 days in Las Vegas, plane tickets, everything: $3,000

Got married in April, we had a small but beautiful destination wedding. Entire thing cost us less than $7k (including our rings, which are gorgeous, tux/dress, photographer/videographer, flowers, ceremony/location and lodging/travel expenses for half of our wedding party), and my husband & I paid for everything except the food for the reception, which my folks hosted.

A wedding doesn't have to be expensive to be lovely & memorable. :)

K~

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sho220

Doesn't have to be...

---

No it doesn't have to be, I have planned a couple weddings for friends since my own for loads cheaper, that were just as nice as my ubber expensive one.

I got married on the beach in San Diego with just my mom and my husband's two sets of parents (his mom and dad divorced and remarried) present. We did the city hall thing for less than $100 in the morning, then did the beach service at sunset. My dress was a white summer beach dress, my husband dressed in shorts, flip-flops, and a white linen shirt, so we probably spent less than $100 on clothes, and maybe $20 on my bouquet (1 large sunflower surrounded by daisies).

Now, my in-laws picked up the bill for their plane tickets, the B&B we all stayed at, and the celebratory dinner in a nice restaurant on the beach, but I'd guess we didn't spend more than $1000 total. And I absolutely loved my wedding, and still get warm fuzzies when I look back at the pics.

Talk to your fiancee and really figure out what's important to both of you. I'm pretty practical, and wanted something as small and intimate and inexpensive as possible while still making it a memorable experience, and my husband felt the same way, so it was pretty easy to put it all together. This is sort of the first big decision you're going to make as a couple, so it's a good test of communication skills and compatible outlooks.

Good luck! And try not to stress too much. Remember, it's supposed to be a fun and happy occasion. :D

Mine in June of 2006 was about $13k. I only sent out about 80 invites, maybe 60 people showed up. I am still paying my parents back for it and I'm divorced lol.

My mom and Step-dad got married for under $100. Mom made all the dresses, my step-dad wore a nice suit, and there was a guy who came and did the vows for free. Because he enjoyed doing weddings.

I frankly think it's absurd to pay thousands upon thousands of dollars on a wedding.

The one I attended this weekend was ~ $30,000. It was super nice but that price didn't include an open bar (dry wedding)

Quote:

---

A wedding doesn't have to be expensive to be lovely & memorable. :)

---

Agree 100%

My first wedding cost just under 3k and lasted just under 3 years...

My second wedding, the actual wedding part, was VERY cheap. We got married on the beach on an island in FL. We got married at my in-law's friend's house on the beach, then had the reception at my in-law's house down the road. Her dress was about $100 and my whole outfit was about the same. Now, plane tickets to get family and friends there wasn't so cheap, but we didn't pay for all of that.

It doesn't matter how much you spend as long as you're happy and you're walking down the aisle with the right person...

Awesome lol my work had been trying to kill me lately and for some reason my sleep deprived brain processed 'average' Into 'omg! Where are we going to get that much money!' ...I feel much better now that we have told everyone and I know we won't have to wait 20 years haha!

Average actually often isn't the best indicator of the actual cost of things.

e.g. If there are 9 weddings that cost $10000 each and one wedding that costs $60k, then the average cost for those weddings was $15k. But 90% of the weddings only cost $10k, that one super expensive wedding brought up the average of the others, when the vast majority were much less. So in this case the median cost of a wedding would have been just $10k and is more accurate.

Median price is a much better indicator, and I remember reading that the median cost of a wedding is more like $15k (maybe even $13k), not $25k (still a lot, but not as much as the industry would have you think).

I'm getting married in less than two months, and we have a budget of $12k, are expecting 150 people, are providing alcohol, passed hors d'oeuvres, cheese/bread appetizers, dessert, DJ, photographer, photo-booth, linens etc etc. This also includes wedding dress, my suit, and all decorations.

We have done stuff to save money. We aren't using real flowers, but are doing paper/origami flowers for everything that we have folded/made ourselves. Instead of wedding cake, we're having a dessert bar with desserts that we are making ourselves that we let each person in our wedding party pick their favorite dessert (plus I'm wicked good in the kitchen and can make anything just as good as any bakery).

Instead of a full course sit-down meal, we're having a cocktail style reception. That was a lot less money and will also encourage people to get up and mingle rather than just sit at their table the whole time - we only have enough tables for half as many people as are coming (so our grandparents can sit down, etc).

Anyways, it can be done. Ours is only so much because there are so many people we had to invite. I wanted a much smaller wedding that would have cost much less, but $12k for 150 people I think is pretty good, considering what others are spending.

My wedding cost around $500, but that was almost 25 years ago. (About $1,000 in today's dollars) We were young and didn't have a lot of money, and the money we did save up went towards a down payment on a house.

If we had to do it over again we wouldn't change anything other than maybe buy a small wedding cake. ;)

They told us to figure 150.00 -300.00 a head when figuring on a wedding

I'm not married or feverishly planning a wedding, but the place that I've been looking at is whats going to be the big price tag, not only for the rental but the fact that they seem to 'require' to get the catering through them. I'd much rather have my own mother do the cooking since she's probably a better cook anyways. From what I can gauge right now, i'm looking at spending 10-15,000 which is why we're not getting married lol. BUT if my man ends up becoming some kind of baller big shot, i can see myself spending more :P

We just got married 1 year ago almost exactly. Here's the breakdown

License $100 (in FL)
Pastor $100 (kinda like a tip...)
His ring $75 (his pick, titianium ....)
Mine $399 (1/2 ct diamond band white gold)
My dress $250
His clothes $150 ish (no tux, nice slacks & button up)
Flowers $175 (used loads of large sunflowers)
Maid of Honor bought her own dress
Best man $100 (we bought not sure why)
Used our church free!
Printed our own invitations $50 + stamps
Hair & makeup $125 (Dillards Spa)
Pictures $200 (didn't buy actual pictures bought copy rights to all on a CD, so we can print as needed)
Cake $125 (served 45 people)

We invited all friends and family to join us for dinner and cake at Bozio's Restuarant at their own expense. EVERYBODY came! Nobody thought it strange or anything. The restaurant gave us our own private room and everything at no cost. They even set up and served my cake! (Its a really cool place, really hard to describe, look up on internet....)

So under $2000 and all done and was absolutely PERFECT!!!

Here a picture!! Sorry love showing off my Husband...LOL

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...s/img_0058.jpg

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/..._0051-Copy.jpg

$9,000

13 years ago, I planned my own wedding - made the invitations, decorations, and bouquets for me and all bridesmaids myself, bought my dress off the clearance rack (mostly because I love old style dresses) for only $99, my 2 bridesmaids and matron of honor made their own dresses (same colors and similar styles - looked really nice), and we were married outdoors at a very nice park by a JotP who was a friend of his family. The tuxes for him, best man and attendants were rented, and the meal was 'catered' by a great BBQ place.

The main expensive things were
the cake (professionally made at his insistence)
our wedding bands (matching gold celtic knotwork)
the photographer (he wanted a professional, and they did turn out nice, but we only have the proof copies cause the guy disappeared before we could get prints)
the rental of the park for the day
the day at the JCPenny Salon for hair, makeup and mani/pedicure for me (his insistence, but it was nice)

Even though I did a lot myself and cut as many corners as I could, I was still shocked that it cost so much. :) He paid for everything out of an inheritance, but still...
And yes, we're divorced now. Still close friends and all, though, and he and my partner are best friends. :D
If I were to ever do that again (and I won't) I know now what to do cheaper. :)

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...ddingDress.jpg

Just got married a month ago yesterday. In total our wedding cost somewhere around 20k. That includes everything from the Hall, DJ, photographer, invitations, favors, wedding dress, tuxedos, limo's, flowers...EVERYTHING.

We had a small wedding in our living room before moving in to our new house. Justice of the Piece showed up which was going to be ($150) but he called and said if he can come an hour early it would be free, we were ready, and all the 20 guest was already there so he didn't charge us. We did nice jeans in a White T-shirt for all guest and wedding party.

We decorated for almost nothing, used candles the family had, and borrowed some accessories like fake trees, vases, and flowers from the furniture store I worked at (with approval of course), and hung white lights on them. My mother in law bought the vale, bouquet, and table decorations (which was for two long tables, and consisted of table cloths, flower petels, and floating candles)

The reception was free at the local FOP since we worked for the PD. It was catered but was purchased as a wedding gift for us by my husbands grandpa, and my father-in-law bought us the local honeymoon sweet at a nice hotel.

Personally I don't like being the center of attention. I am kinda shy, so this wedding was perfect for me. We had been engaged for about 1 1/2 years and I was planning the big wedding, picking out locations, and dresses etc. But decided i would rather be married when we moved into our new house so we did a quick and cheap wedding instead. I loved it. Close family and friends only. Very relaxed and we got enjoy the reception. Best part NO DEBT. :0)

Congrats, and good luck.

Here is a picture. Sorry it was before my digital camera days and the scan didn't do such a great job.
[IMG]http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/..._8204932_n.jpg[/IMG]


I know my cousin is getting married next month at the Gazeboo in the local rose Garden. They got the place for free and it is outrageously beautiful, already covered with beautiful red roses. I am going to do their pictures for free with my new DSLR. I am even doing engagement photos for them like these ones I did for my sister.
http://photobucket.com/AlyssaandDerik

My point is Check with your family and friends and see if they have a hidden talent, but is sounds like you are already doing that with your art friends.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Scubaf250

Anyone mind sharing how much Their weddings cost?

It says online that the average wedding costs 20 something thousand!! I realize this isn't something that's gonna be cheap but I doubt were going to be able to sling that kind of money around... =/

---

The thing about averages is that ridiculously proportioned individual data points can swing the total average. On top of that, it's in the wedding business' best interest to hype how expensive weddings can be, so that people don't try to be even more frugal when they look at the numbers.

Take out your top 5% and bottom 5% outliers, and you'll probably find that the average wedding costs more like $10,000.

The two best ways to keep wedding costs down:

-Small venue
-Fewer guests

There's nothing wrong with small weddings, or even getting married at the courthouse and having a celebratory party/reception at a restaurant, or in your back yard! It's not worth throwing yourselves into bankruptcy just for a single night that conforms to the standards that are portrayed in the media.

If you HAVE to have lots of people and don't have the money for it, DEFINITELY try for some kind of backyard venue in the country. The guests will understand.

I'm only 22. Not planning on getting married for a LONG time. But I have attended at least 10 weddings so far and more planned in the future. (Large Asian family)
Each wedding was around the average you stated. Give or take a few Ks.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sho220

To each their own, but personally I think it's crazy to spend that kind of money on a wedding. I wouldn't feel right for the parents to have to foot that kind of bill, and it makes no sense for the couple to drop that kind of cash (or rack up that kind of debt) before they even say "I do"...keep it simple, kinda small, personal...you don't need to invite everyone you've ever met, and then feed them lobster and Kobe beef...:rolleyes: Unless of course you're loaded...then do whatever you please...but in the end, it's not gonna matter...:) Seems like the more people spend on their weddings, the more miserable they are worrying about every little thing not being perfect...just my humble opinion...

---

i agree, the first wedding should be simple, i can see having a big bowout if your happily married and renewing your vows though

Ohhhh weddings. You'll be lucky to see me spend more then $150 on my wedding. :P

My wife and I were married on the beach in Oregon. 0 dollars. The suit and her dress together was 2,000. My father-in-law is a minister. 0 dollars. The wedding license was like 30. We used dollar store tiki torches for the isle and another friend owned a flower shop so her services were our wedding gift. I was a military photographer, so the pictures and videos were taken by friends and we had a big bbq on the beach for the reception. It really depends on what you are looking for, where you live and who you know. I think 5,000-8,000 is average. My cousin spent 26,000 on his wedding, but that is too much if you don't have a trust fund, or want to start your marriage in serious debt. IMO

I got married at a court and did nothing fancy, but when my mom got married about 5/6 years ago she only spent about 6,000. She did things like, invite only 50 people, bought her dress in Mexico so it was WAY cheaper, had her ceremony and reception in the same place, etc.

I know it's still kind of a lot but it's A LOT cheaper than some of the amounts I've heard of...

our wedding was very low budget. we had the wedding at our house on our property, built a 10x14 gazebo to get married in ( then have the gazebo for grilling in afterwards or whatnot) spent maybe 2k tops on building the gazebo rented a big party tent her cuz gave us a ok deal on dj services tons of beer everyone kinda brought a dish maybe 100 people 125 people... good time low budget !!!!

Hmm, we spent about $5k, maybe a little more, on our wedding. Got married in my parents' backyrd with only a dozen or so people there, and then had a reception for the extended family at a local place that does wedding packages...I don't remember their exact fee, but it included decor (they had a selection of colors/styles I could choose from), food, drinks, the cake, the DJ, cleanup, everything!

My mom was so thrilled with the place...her best friend's daughter got married around the same time...Mom, hubby and I went to three meetings for our place...food tasting, decor trial, and cake tasting. Her friend was running around with her daughter renting china, arranging catering, trying to find a DJ, hiring a bartender, renting chairs, blah blah blah blah blah. What a mess! They spent a lot more than we did too.