What would you spend on a wedding? This question is being bantered around my house right now. Our youngest daughter is scheduled to tie the knot sometime early this summer. The preparations are fun but the budget decisions are killing me. It's becoming easier to see why some people elope. (Note to daughter: Don't you dare.)
We are fortunate to have a nearly free venue. The gown and bridesmaids dresses are purchased. Now, it's time to decide how much to spend on decorations, food, the wedding service and the photographer.
Our efforts to get out of debt don't want to be drowned by the wedding costs. From reading articles it's pretty clear that people spend anywhere from the cost of a license up to many thousands of dollars for a wedding.
I want to keep everything as reasonable as possible, make my daughter happy and still end up with a roof over our heads.
As I type, I'm simultaneously creating a spending plan that will keep us from incurring additional debt. This is going to be more challenging that it sounds. I'm thinking that an additional $2,000 may be more than adequate to spend on the wedding. However, my daughter questions that decision.
Tell me, what would you spend on a wedding? How much do you think is too much? Leave a message in the comment section to tell me what you think about wedding costs and careful spending.
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My wedding could have eliminated the U.S. deficit. Looking back, I didn't need that elaborate wedding. People gave us gift cards but we spent them too fast. A massive car repair like yours came from nowhere. We were unable to go to our parents for help and felt like idiots for managing less wisely. The words of wisdom words for my BFFs is to go cheap and bank the rest.
ReplyDeleteMy mom took money out of her retirement so I spent, spent, spent. Every time we met with the wedding planner we got caught up in the spending mania. If she mentioned something we went for it. Even the honeymoon was go! Go! Go!
ReplyDeleteDon't go for the mini-Kardashian wedding unless you can really afford it. Before the merry-go-round stopped I had migraine headaches and my husband had an ulcer.
Jill
We had a very simple wedding. One basket of flowers in the chapel on UGA campus that was then run over to the fellowship hall as the decorations there. My mom made my dress and she and my dad took care of securing the cake, punch, nuts, and mints. We were given the option of simple wedding and a car or extravagant wedding. We chose simple and the car. Forty-three years ago simple = $500. I should think that you could do a very nice, memorable wedding for $2000.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of ways to cut spending and yet have a very nice "Big Party"! After all, what memories do you want to make?
Sharon
Your blog has been on my bookmark list for months. This is the first time I've been compelled to comment. Why now, you might ask? It's because Jill's comment is too close for comfort.
ReplyDeleteI stupidly thought that my parents owed me a wedding. Everyone said so and I believed them.
Listening to them was the dumbest thing I could have done. Dad wanted me o have it all. He gave but never said a word about paying for my party. That's what it was, MY party.
Every magazine and coordinator tells you to spend and you do. The madness that sucks you in only to drain your bank account. Only later do you realize the insanity of it all.
Ashleigh
I do want to clarify that the $2K we're considering is after the venues, gown, bridesmaids dresses and a couple of wedding items.
ReplyDeleteJill and Ashleigh you both raise some good points. It really looks like weddings have moved away from being a quiet religious service to become a multi-billion dollar industry.
Sharon, simple sounds good to me too.