I love the questions you asked!! Our wedding cost $3000.00. We only cared that our family was there. Our families came together and made the food and cake. We still have people tell us our wedding was super fun and that was 18 years ago.
My husband and I got married for $300. We eloped. I wore a $20 dress from Ross. We had Mexican food afterwards and that’s it, just the two of us. While family were disappointed they were not a part of our special day it was what WE wanted and to this day was perfect for us.
I got married 9 months ago and have since had lots of friends get engaged and ask me for advice. The number 1 thing I tell them is that the American wedding is no longer a celebration of two becoming one before God. It is a display of wealth. Many of the things that we no longer think twice about planning for are actually optional! If it’s too expensive, too stressful, or doesn’t make it happy. Don’t do it! You’ll be surprised at how many of your guests don’t even notice or care if it’s pinterest worthy.
Wedding videographer here. During ALL my consultations, I respect the couples budget and if they don't have the means to hire me, I don't pressure them into it.
My wife and I got married here in LA in August. We saved money by doing the ceremony and reception at a friends home with a large lawn, doing heavy appetizers instead of a sit down dinner and did lots of homemade decorations. We shopped around for party rental companies to give us the best quote and deliver the items on a Friday with pickup on a Monday to sabe delivery fees. We ended up paying cash for everything and with our gifts, plus the honeymoon basically broke even with our budget and gifts 👰♀️🤵♂️💍
😆 5 years ago, we got married at our church, then had the reception in the upstairs gym decorated BEAUTIFULLY for Christmas because it was in december! Our church family volunteered their hands to make it happen. We invited over 200 people and could have everyon we loved there because everything was so simple and inexpensive (~$4,000 total). We were 22 and 23 :)
The thing I always tell people when planning their wedding is to focus on the element of the wedding that matters most to them. So for my hubby and I, we wanted to have lots of people, so we opted for a large rec center for the reception and a cheaper meal so we could have all our friends and family come. Other people would be ok with less people, but have a beautiful venue! It's all about what's important to you! 😊❤️
I anticipate getting married next year & have been gathering all the ideas on how to have an inexpensive wedding. I refuse to pay an arm and a leg just to throw a wedding celebration. I decided to start saving for my wedding as soon as I started my job and almost have the full amount.
My husband and I got married legally at a DMV in Colorado 2 months later had the wedding. As much as my wedding was beautiful I still look back more of our time in the DMV than the actual wedding. We spent 7k on our wedding. My parents did give us 2k towards the wedding.
Truth on the cake! My daughter had a small beach wedding. Called Publix about a "wedding" cake and it was so expensive. I can't remember the cost now. So she ordered a plain white two tiered cake at a fraction on the cost. It was decorated with flowers from her bouquet! Gorgeous, delicious and inexpensive!!
Weddings used to be simple and the marriages lasted. Now they're lavish and don't last. The focus has gotten way off! Our wedding in 1997 was $600 for EVERYTHING! It can be done, no regrets.
This is just another result of the social media age. Too much focus on impressing others to appear lavish and rich, while in reality jeopardizing their future and racking up a ton of debt.
We told both our children(one boy, one girl) from the time they were little that if they weren't responsible enough to pay for their own wedding they weren't responsible enough to get married. They're now 28 and 21 and pretty much paid for their own weddings. Our daughter especially realized that if she was paying for everything herself she could (and did) tell people when she did or didn't want something they tried to tell her she needed to do. Her wedding was black and white and was beautiful. She wore a black dress and the groom wore a white suit. She had three ring bearers and one flower girl. The flower girl threw little black tulle puff balls down on a white runner when she came up the aisle. The two bridesmaids wore white dresses that she bought off Amazon. The Teo groomsmen wore black pants and a black button up long-sleeved shirt. She had her wedding thus past Christmas Eve.
I’m your father’s age . Never married. No children. Just haven’t found the woman to support me yet 😅 The absolute best weddings ever were the cheapest ones. Of the ones that I attended. Rent the community for $150.00 put a pig on the spit , a keg in the corner and a boom box on the stage . My niece and her husband did this for under $1500.00 ❤your show
We got married at the courthouse. My dress was actually a damaged, way-too-big, floor sample bridesmaids dress. Had it altered and it was perfect. Dinner at a restaurant afterwards. Best day ever.
My daughter was a wedding planner / officiant before covid. It was then we realized that the wedding industry is all about pure and simple greed. She surprisingly got a lot of backlash because she refused to overcharge someone for her time. She included in her packages more than one inexpensive wedding planner would include in their package and she received a lot of backlash for just because she didn't over charge based on pure greed doesn't mean the quality wasn't there. If anything she undercharged because she wasn't in it for the money she was in it for the love of helping a bride out on her special day.
I got married under 1000 I think because it was in Ukraine and guests were extremely limited and so were a million of other traditions so I saved! 5 years later we have a great album to remember and no debt
Twenty years ago, I went to a wedding of a friend in downtown Chicago that was over $100k... when they divorced five years later, they were still paying it off!
Certified romantic here: Marriage license 100 bucks, build a BBQ pit out of cinder blocks and get a pig for 125 bucks, keg or two for a couple of 100 bucks, get the boys to get the band together and you are are done. Under 500 on the wedding spend the rest on the prenup
Also, I have Liberian friends who go into INSANE debt for the most enormously extravagant wedding receptions you can think of. We need to address the cultural pressures out there to have these super expensive and lavish affairs when you essentially have to take out a second mortgage's worth of debt on day 1 of marriage just to do it.
Yes, say it louder: “Weddings are OPTIONAL!!!” People are not entitled to a wedding. Only necessity is to sign legal document and pay city or town administration fee.
Getting married in a month in Springfield, IL. $6k for wedding AND honeymoon, excluding dress. Cash flowed and coming in under budget. At church Appetizers and cupcakes, no caterers Photographer in family DIY faux flowers and wedding arch Musician is good friend Hobby lobby 40% off their wedding stuff Used Allegiant, airbnb, Turo for honeymoon in FL, ordering groceries for breakfast and lunch while there Turo car rental takes debit, too!!!
I agree 💯. In 2021, our wedding and honeymoon combined was 7k. We had 13 people including us in front of our favorite mountains, a private cabin to stay in, $40 wood chair rentals, a small church venue, no reception, a medium sized cake, and a two week honeymoon. We decided to spend our money on us relaxing and not a lavish wedding ❤️
I love the questions you asked!! Our wedding cost $3000.00. We only cared that our family was there. Our families came together and made the food and cake. We still have people tell us our wedding was super fun and that was 18 years ago.
My husband and I got married for $300. We eloped. I wore a $20 dress from Ross. We had Mexican food afterwards and that’s it, just the two of us. While family were disappointed they were not a part of our special day it was what WE wanted and to this day was perfect for us.
I got married 9 months ago and have since had lots of friends get engaged and ask me for advice. The number 1 thing I tell them is that the American wedding is no longer a celebration of two becoming one before God. It is a display of wealth. Many of the things that we no longer think twice about planning for are actually optional! If it’s too expensive, too stressful, or doesn’t make it happy. Don’t do it! You’ll be surprised at how many of your guests don’t even notice or care if it’s pinterest worthy.
Wedding videographer here. During ALL my consultations, I respect the couples budget and if they don't have the means to hire me, I don't pressure them into it.
My frugal wedding in 2001: $1,000
Rented dress $250
Tux $100
Cake $300
Vevue $0 (our church)
Food: $0 (my parents covered fellowship hall cooked food by church members)
Decor $500
Be smart.
My wife and I got married here in LA in August. We saved money by doing the ceremony and reception at a friends home with a large lawn, doing heavy appetizers instead of a sit down dinner and did lots of homemade decorations. We shopped around for party rental companies to give us the best quote and deliver the items on a Friday with pickup on a Monday to sabe delivery fees. We ended up paying cash for everything and with our gifts, plus the honeymoon basically broke even with our budget and gifts 👰♀️🤵♂️💍
😆 5 years ago, we got married at our church, then had the reception in the upstairs gym decorated BEAUTIFULLY for Christmas because it was in december! Our church family volunteered their hands to make it happen. We invited over 200 people and could have everyon we loved there because everything was so simple and inexpensive (~$4,000 total). We were 22 and 23 :)
The thing I always tell people when planning their wedding is to focus on the element of the wedding that matters most to them. So for my hubby and I, we wanted to have lots of people, so we opted for a large rec center for the reception and a cheaper meal so we could have all our friends and family come. Other people would be ok with less people, but have a beautiful venue! It's all about what's important to you! 😊❤️
Getting married in July. The whole thing cost $4500 dollars for everything. We paid cash for it. Good tips in this episode
I anticipate getting married next year & have been gathering all the ideas on how to have an inexpensive wedding. I refuse to pay an arm and a leg just to throw a wedding celebration. I decided to start saving for my wedding as soon as I started my job and almost have the full amount.
My husband and I got married legally at a DMV in Colorado 2 months later had the wedding. As much as my wedding was beautiful I still look back more of our time in the DMV than the actual wedding.
We spent 7k on our wedding. My parents did give us 2k towards the wedding.
Truth on the cake! My daughter had a small beach wedding. Called Publix about a "wedding" cake and it was so expensive. I can't remember the cost now. So she ordered a plain white two tiered cake at a fraction on the cost. It was decorated with flowers from her bouquet! Gorgeous, delicious and inexpensive!!
Weddings used to be simple and the marriages lasted. Now they're lavish and don't last. The focus has gotten way off! Our wedding in 1997 was $600 for EVERYTHING! It can be done, no regrets.
This is just another result of the social media age. Too much focus on impressing others to appear lavish and rich, while in reality jeopardizing their future and racking up a ton of debt.
We told both our children(one boy, one girl) from the time they were little that if they weren't responsible enough to pay for their own wedding they weren't responsible enough to get married. They're now 28 and 21 and pretty much paid for their own weddings. Our daughter especially realized that if she was paying for everything herself she could (and did) tell people when she did or didn't want something they tried to tell her she needed to do. Her wedding was black and white and was beautiful. She wore a black dress and the groom wore a white suit. She had three ring bearers and one flower girl. The flower girl threw little black tulle puff balls down on a white runner when she came up the aisle. The two bridesmaids wore white dresses that she bought off Amazon. The Teo groomsmen wore black pants and a black button up long-sleeved shirt. She had her wedding thus past Christmas Eve.
I’m your father’s age . Never married. No children. Just haven’t found the woman to support me yet 😅
The absolute best weddings ever were the cheapest ones.
Of the ones that I attended.
Rent the community for $150.00 put a pig on the spit , a keg in the corner and a boom box on the stage .
My niece and her husband did this for under $1500.00
❤your show
As a part time photographer I can honestly say the more lavish and $$$ the wedding the higher the odds of it not lasting past 5 yrs
Great information!
We got married at the courthouse. My dress was actually a damaged, way-too-big, floor sample bridesmaids dress. Had it altered and it was perfect. Dinner at a restaurant afterwards. Best day ever.
My daughter was a wedding planner / officiant before covid. It was then we realized that the wedding industry is all about pure and simple greed. She surprisingly got a lot of backlash because she refused to overcharge someone for her time. She included in her packages more than one inexpensive wedding planner would include in their package and she received a lot of backlash for just because she didn't over charge based on pure greed doesn't mean the quality wasn't there. If anything she undercharged because she wasn't in it for the money she was in it for the love of helping a bride out on her special day.
I got married under 1000 I think because it was in Ukraine and guests were extremely limited and so were a million of other traditions so I saved! 5 years later we have a great album to remember and no debt
Twenty years ago, I went to a wedding of a friend in downtown Chicago that was over $100k... when they divorced five years later, they were still paying it off!
So true!
The wedding won’t keep you married. Remember that.
Got married 2011 done for around $10,000 total...was a nice wedding of around 100 people. Compared well with weddings 30k range I felt.
Certified romantic here: Marriage license 100 bucks, build a BBQ pit out of cinder blocks and get a pig for 125 bucks, keg or two for a couple of 100 bucks, get the boys to get the band together and you are are done. Under 500 on the wedding spend the rest on the prenup
Remember, no matter what you do or spend on your wedding people will find ways to criticize and complain about it.
my wedding costs were only the courthouse fees lol
Don't forget, what if the marriage don't work out . Stuck paying for a old marriage
What the heck is a doughnut wall? 😂😂
Also, I have Liberian friends who go into INSANE debt for the most enormously extravagant wedding receptions you can think of. We need to address the cultural pressures out there to have these super expensive and lavish affairs when you essentially have to take out a second mortgage's worth of debt on day 1 of marriage just to do it.
Absolutely 💯
Btw your photography fees were on the low side of standard
She is beautiful
$30k for a wedding! You don't need $30k to have a beautiful wedding. You can get married and start building a house with that money!
As a wedding videographer and entrepreneur, keep the high paying brides coming my way. Haha but yes, don't go into debt for a wedding.
My wedding was a couple of pizzas and no wife. I was pretending.
I got married in my church so they didn't charge for the venue! It made a MASSIVE difference!
think about diamonds, and the kind of people behind them who push usury
Yes, say it louder: “Weddings are OPTIONAL!!!” People are not entitled to a wedding. Only necessity is to sign legal document and pay city or town administration fee.
Getting married in a month in Springfield, IL. $6k for wedding AND honeymoon, excluding dress. Cash flowed and coming in under budget.
At church
Appetizers and cupcakes, no caterers
Photographer in family
DIY faux flowers and wedding arch
Musician is good friend
Hobby lobby 40% off their wedding stuff
Used Allegiant, airbnb, Turo for honeymoon in FL, ordering groceries for breakfast and lunch while there
Turo car rental takes debit, too!!!
Women end up choosing to pay more... instead of buying that exact same thing but not branded for women...
Its a choice.
I agree 💯. In 2021, our wedding and honeymoon combined was 7k. We had 13 people including us in front of our favorite mountains, a private cabin to stay in, $40 wood chair rentals, a small church venue, no reception, a medium sized cake, and a two week honeymoon. We decided to spend our money on us relaxing and not a lavish wedding ❤️