How much did YOUR wedding cost?

[b4freedom]

In 2004, 140 guests, $36k total. It rocked. Would do it again in a heart beat.

[Inkstain82]

2003, around 100 guests, roughly $1,300.

My dad was the pastor. He also used to be an associate pastor at the church where most of my family, including my parents had been married (and luckily was roughly centrally located between both sides of the family), so we got the location free.

My bride wore my mother's wedding dress (the resemblance made me very uncomfortable one a Freudian level...).

My new mother-in-law was a florist. One aunt is a seamstress and a caterer, another makes wedding cakes as a hobby. My mother's best friend at the time was a wedding photographer.

[jill8beans2]

I got married for less than $3,000 and it was a destination wedding in the Adirondaks in NY. This included our honemoon and everything. We paid cash for everything; it was awesome.

[sandrark]

We had a wedding for 75 people that cost ~ $9K in 1997. Our budget:

Item Est. Cost Cost to Date

Hall Rental $675 $675 (a weekday rental!)
Minister $300 $300
Food (76 guests) $1,482 $1,482
Servers (Bartender, 3 servers (4@$15/hr x 6 hrs)) $370 $370
Tax $175 $175
Service & Tip $500 $500
Rentals, 76 guests $400 $400
Champagne, Soda, Water $230 $180 (we bought and provided)
Invitations and Postage $280 $293
Flowers and Bouquet holders $80 $87
Decorations & Centerpieces $300 $310
Cake $125 $125 (local cake lady, out of her home)
License $75 $70
DJ and tip $335 $335 (cheap since it was a weekday)
Groom's Tux, Best Man & MOH's apparel $250 $270
Photography $1,700 $1,900 (AMAZING photos!)
Dress $750 $750
Shoes, Veil, Jewelry $95 $83
Nails for women $170 $95
Hotel for Sandi, MOH, 2 nights each $200 $190 (we stayed at the local Motel 6!)
Favors $80 $63 (2 squares of Ghirardelli choc ea)
Parking $90 $82
Rehearsal Dinner (22) & 4 carafes of wine $515 $515

Wedding Total: $9,177 $9,250

Notes to save money: We got married on a Monday - the cost of hall rental, food, DJ and photography were all MUCH less expensive as a result. Our "bridal hotel" - Motel 6. Invitations were mail ordered, at a big savings.

We had a three layer cake, made by a lady out of her home. We did our flowers ourselves, and bought them wholesale. The favors were chocolate squares in lucite boxes, wrapped with curling ribbon - cute but inexpensive. The centerpieces were silk flowers, glue gunned to golden doilies, surrounding pillar candles. The decorations were silk ficus trees with white lights in them, and some plaster columns that I'd painted, and rested plants on - ficus and columns from Michael's, with coupons. We bought our own alcohol - champagne only, no open bar. We had a daytime/lunchtime wedding.

We splurged on the food (fantastic! but the caterer let us provide our own wine!) and on the photographer (unbelievable wedding photos that we still love and display, nearly 11 years later).

To pay for it, we "paid as we went" for many things - the flowers, the invitations and postage, the decorations, the favors. They came from income in the year leading up to the wedding. The wedding became our "hobby", so we spent less on other things as we focused on preparing for the wedding. For example, I bought the invitations ~ 6 months in advance. The silk ficus and pillar candles ~ 8 months in advance. We bought 4-6 bottles of champagne a month, and stashed it in the basement until the wedding. We also set aside $100 each month apiece, and used that as the "wedding fund" to pay for the larger items, such as the hall rental, the photographer, and the caterer.

Realistically, you will probably need to put some of this on a credit card. I would do it just for consumer protection - what if you pay 50% deposits to the photographer or the caterer, and they go out of business before the wedding date? If you write a check, you're up the creek with no paddle. With a Credit Card, you have a hope of a charge-back.

Finally, there may be people who will give you cash. We received ~ $2K in cash gifts, surprisingly. We paid off the last of the wedding and honeymoon costs ($1450 for 6 days in Mexico), and set the rest aside in a "furniture fund." Then, post-wedding we continued the $200 per month into a savings fund, earmarked for furniture.

It was a great way to start saving for joint goals, stretching current income, and MINIMIZING debt. I wanted a wedding too, because we'd spent 16 years together first, and it was a great way to celebrate. But I wasn't gonna take out a loan against the house to have one.

As a result, ALMOST all of this was paid without debt. And it was a wonderful, beautiful day that I am happy to remember, because we didn't bury ourselves with debt.

Good luck! You can do this sensibly, and get what you both want.

Sandi

[alexxa252001]

Our wedding was really cheap:

Marriage license: $72.00
Outfits: $50.00
Rings: $150.00
Food: got paid by a friend
Reception: We had a poolparty over at a friend's house, everybody pitched in and brought food and drinks

That was in August 2007!

[pikey412]

We did a weddingmoon at Sandals in Jamaica. It came in just under $12k which included our and both our parents' all-inclusive* suites for a week, ceremony, photographer/videographer and small reception. It turned out great and we are both happy with it.

*BUYER BEWARE - Sandals is surprisingly not as "all-inclusive" as you'd think. They tout themselves as a "no tipping needed" establishment, but every employee practically begs for tips. And if you don't, you get ignored next time. I ended up spending close to $500 in tips alone for the week. Plus the drinks aren't "Premium". Your choice of rum in Appleton and you choice of beer is Red Stripe. That's pretty much it. They also don't do anything to curb the local "merchants" from harassing you trying to sell you beads, shells, and drugs.

[money blogger]

I got married in Cuba. The wedding cost was $750 US and the trip cost $1600.

[atorrin]

We got married in our backyard... 90 guests, a tent, a pig roast, alcohol for everyone... $3000. All wedding gifts were cash that covered the cost

[elessar78]

Around 20K for 125 guests. Including honeymoon.

[graceful]

Too much to think about.

Actually, DH's parents paid for the banquet. Over 600 people and could you imagine that to this day, some people are still upset at my parents and me for not inviting them? I mean get over it already. What made it worse was that it seemed "everyone else" was invited. LOL. My parents would have paid for extra tables beyond the 60 but the restaurant was at capacity - it booked another wedding in the smaller annex room.

I am an only child. DH is the oldest SON. His parents and my parents had businesses in the past where the employees were like "family" and we went to a large multi-generational church. Families were offended that not all the siblings were invited. Knowing what we know now - we should have eloped.

In any case, DH and I saved up and paid for everything else - church, limo, photographer, video, honeymoon, etc. My parents paid for my wedding dress. We did get a lot of cash at the wedding that DH's parents let us have so we did ok.

DH parents paid for 3 wedding banquets in 18 months. DH's brother got married the same year we did and had banquet/receptions in the UK, NYC, and Pittsburgh. We went to the wedding and reception in the UK and the banquet in NYC and skipped the Pittsburgh one and his parents got upset at us. DH's sister got married in TX and since her spouse was not Asian, DH's parents paid for the banquet in TX and NYC too.

God Bless DH's parents!

[MomEsq]

In October 2004, our wedding in Central Massachusetts (U.S.) for 100 cost approximately $10,000. The hotel/reception facility handled the cake, dinner, linens, and centerpieces (beautiful candles -no flowers) for $8,000. Included a suite for the night of the wedding. I got a dress (and all the essentials) for $350 on sale at David's Bridal, husband's tux was $160/180. The flowers for me, the groom and groomsman, the parents, the bridesmaids and church were $350. I think the photographer was $400 and the DJ was $300. We gave a donatation to the Jimmy Fund (a cancer charity) in lieu of favors. There were tips for all of our vendors. We gave small gifts to our wedding party of 6. I remember a small donation to the church as well.

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen paid for their own attire.

I don't remember the cost of the invites and response cards, but I think it was about $120. They looked fantastic, and I had ordered them on-line from a discount printer.

Wedding rings: $300.00

No videographer and no limo (the ride to the reception with the best man is a favorite memory of mine!)

The wedding album was extra - I think $350, but we got all the negatives, all the proofs, 3 mini albums for the parents and a large album for us.

Honeymoon cruise to the Carribean -not included (but well worth it)!

[ACS228]

We got married on the beach in Key West in 2007.
6 guests.
dinner at a local resteraunt including champagne.
cake from a local french bakery
wedding officiant's husband was the photographer, she brought the bouquet as part of their package.
marriage license
dress from davids bridal and husbands tux rental
1 week hotel etc in Key West and airfare and car rental

about $3500. The whole thing was paid for before we left.

[msi56]

6 years ago (both where did the time go) our wedding cost about $12,000 with about 70 guests. Everyone had a great time by all account, but we did manage to save a lot of money on certain areas of the wedding.

[1milliondollarchallenge]

I got married 5 yrs ago and it cost about $10,000 for 120.
This included reception, cake, flowers, dresses for me and 3 bridesmaids, suits for husband and 3 groomsmen, rings, church, everything.

We had lots of friends and family help so things were much cheaper.
My parents paid for 2/3 fo the reception. It was going to be 1/3 us, 1/3 them, 1/3 husbands parents, but husbands parents ended up never giving the money.

I got my dress cheap, bridesmaids dresses were made and they have all been worn again.

It could've been doen much cheaper but it was awesome and everyone still talks abotu ours being the best on both sides of the family.

[april10]

i honestly dont like those reality shows about weddings, media keep pushing the idea that you can act so frantic and crazy about your wedding and spend and spend,
just me being humble, i dont want to have wedding, i would just have gathering with friends and family in a nice not expensive place for a dinner and drinks and save that wedding money for my IRA or downpayment for a new house, i dont like those expensive rings which will clean up your savings.I would rather invest that money somewhere for a future. May be i am wrong but i cannot imagine to pay for that one day of wedding for years to come. I have already so much on my plate and i posted here for advice as well. I hope to learn more.
thanks

[rob62521]

We will be celebrating our 20th anniversary 6/15. My parents didn't have a lot of money so we decided to go very small and simple and use our money to put 20% down on a house. We married in the backyard of my husband's mom's house under oak trees that were over 100 years old. We then had a small reception at the library. My parents paid for the rental ($15), the cakes ($50), and a bouquet ($40). I paid for the tablecloths, paper plates, cups, punch, mints, and the party mix ingredients. We spent about $100 on corsages and such. Our honeymoon was to Las Vegas and we had saved up for it and paid it off beforehand. My husband wore a suit he had and I wore a dress I had -- everyone wore dress clothes they already owned. It was done on the cheap, but I'm still married and almost 20 years later, live in a house that is paid for. Do I wish I had a big wedding...sometimes, but then I realize our relationship is more than a big fancy wedding and a white dress. Our wedding itself was attended by just family, and then the reception was open to everyone. We married on a Friday night. What is funny is we attended a wedding a month before ours that was the big church wedding and huge reception at the in spot in our town. The couple came to our reception and the groom said, "I wish we had done this -- I think I would have enjoyed it more." This guy is a financial guru.

[maat55]

We were married in 1983, no dinners or receptions, just an put together church wedding and night at an hotel. Probably around 1k or less.

[FHA Loan]

ROFL Great topic...

1st marraige: Got married in my wife's parents' backyard in the mountain. Ordered a cake, case of champagne, some finger food, wedding dress, and tux rental... had my guitar player from an old band play classical music... and had about 25 guests. Tipped minister and guitar player. Mother-in-law and father-in-law gave us a fat check to start our marraige with for saving them so much on the wedding. Much better use of their $$$ IMO. Free honeymoon at Fernadina Beach in FL at my great aunt/uncle's house on the beach there.


2nd marraige: Got a banquet room at a nice hotel for free in Charlotte because future father-in-law owned a piano store and had loaned the hotel free pianos for years. They also gave us a free room that night and furnished all of the food for our 30 guests. Had a friend of my wife play piano... only had about 30 close friends and relatives. Paid for cake, champagne, wedding dress, tux rental, tipped minister and piano player.

Both marraiges were frugal, but very beautiful events. Everyone there said how they wished they had done something similar. Seems a big waste to pay tens of thousands on a few minutes.

[cptacek]

I don't understand why people equate "church wedding" with "expensive". My church was free because I am a parish member, I tipped the priest $50, the alter boys $10 and the organ player $10, though she gave me $10 as a gift, so that washed out. The church was so beautiful that I didn't even need to decorate it.

The meal was the most expensive part of my wedding.

[tdls17]

My sister-in-law got married in Vegas saving a ton of cash ie: reception costs. After they got back, we had a big outdoor barbecue with horseshoes and volleyball - very cost effective.