How much should a wedding cost?

[bride2b]

In your opinion, how much should a wedding cost and what are the most important things to have when you do have a wedding?

[lorraineb]

Less than you're planning to budget for it.

Do not go into debt over it. Seriously. It's an important day, but it's only one day of many you'll be living together. Talk and decide what are the most important parts for each of you. Go for quality for the people coming to see the wedding rather than everything has to be overboard. Most of all, enjoy the process. it should be a happy and fun day, not a stressful day.

[bjl584]

A wedding, or anything else in life, should cost what you are able to afford. There is no set number. I wouldn't go into debt over it though.

[disneysteve]

A wedding, or anything else in life, should cost what you are able to afford. There is no set number. I wouldn't go into debt over it though.

I agree. It can cost a few hundred dollars for a license and justice of the peace. It can cost a few thousand for a ceremony in your parents' backyard. It can cost tens of thousands for a fancy catered reception in a professional hall.

It should never cost more than whoever is paying for it can comfortably afford.

[snafu]

For many couples their wedding is a celebration with a legal component plus a religious ceremony overlaid with a party for the people who care about you and are delighted to celebrate your happy occasion. I don't wish to sound cynical but there is a whole wedding industry whose job it is to transfer money from your bank account to theirs! Your wedding can be what every you wish it to be. In our extended family 'whoever pays the piper calls the tune.' If parents are paying they get final say on the details.

If you and intended are paying it's best to remember that this is the 1st of a great many celebrations. It's best to set a budget with the funds you've saved and cash flow your party. Keep in mind you only wear a wedding gown for about 8 hours. It would be horrid to still be paying for a party three years after the drinks were enjoyed, food long gone and friends no longer remember the terrific band or the midnight sweets table.

[humandraydel]

I just got married in June and we spent $5k. Our wedding was perfect, though far from extravagant. In the end it cost more than I had hoped, but it was a conscious decision to spend a little more - though I don't see a need to spend more than we did.

[feh]

I could rant about this topic, but I will censor myself...let's just say I think Americans spend way, way too much on weddings.

It should be a very personal event, when 2 people join their lives for the long haul (hopefully until death). It shouldn't be about extravagance.

[HappySaver]

I just read a study last week (sorry, can't remember the source) that found that couples who had smaller, less expensive weddings were LESS likely to divorce than couples who had more expensive larger weddings.

[rennigade]

I just read a study last week (sorry, can't remember the source) that found that couples who had smaller, less expensive weddings were LESS likely to divorce than couples who had more expensive larger weddings.

These stats are idiotic...and the fact that these studies even exist is more idiotic.

I also saw another brilliant "study" where the more expensive the ring the more likely to get divorced. Its all jibba jabba. These findings are as useless as those celebrity gossip magazines.

[herdjohnson]

My family and her family live about 700 miles apart, so we rented a big cabin in the Smokey Mountains for everyone to stay at for 4 days and get to know each other. We got married at a small rose garden with just family. The whole thing cost less than 2,000 and I wouldn't trade it for any 20k wedding.

It's about what you want it to be about. We wanted it to be about our families.

[Eagle]

In your opinion, how much should a wedding cost and what are the most important things to have when you do have a wedding?

Welcome!

Keep in mind a wedding is one day. I'd be just as concerned with getting away for the honeymoon.

Some questions:

Who is paying for the wedding? You and the groom? Parents? In-laws?

How many guests are you planning on inviting?

The most important things to have are the groom, bride, and family. Everything else to me is secondary. Having good food is probably a good idea. Having a photographer is probably a good idea. And someone to record the wedding to via video...

Congratulations on your upcoming big day!

Also see this post for frugal wedding ideas.

[dawnwes]

As much or as little and you feel comfortable with.

Ours was $5,000 but that was almost 20 years ago. We had a church wedding, flowers, a photographer, and a catered luncheon. No alcohol. That is the way WE wanted it.

Dh's sibling spent $20K and bragged and bragged. Her marriage lasted less than 10 years.

I said at the time and I will say again now.....I was far more concerned with my marriage than my wedding.

[Singuy]

I would also add that you can make a cheap wedding feel expensive. Don't ever overpay for things that are not necessary!

Items that has no ceiling amount: Flowers Flowers Flowers!
You can have a wedding buying 500 dollar worth of flowers, or 50k worth of flowers. At the end of the day, the flowers will end up tossed away anyways.

Also plan your wedding the SMART way. I would say skip the wedding planner! My wife and I planned a wedding with ease without a planner and we were both working full time.

Try to buy out a restaurant that normally doesn't do wedding in a hotel.
This will save you 10k right here. Why go through the trouble of paying Wedding menu pricing with a caterer(which is $100/head) and then spend all this money decorating an empty hall when you can just buy out a restaurant for the night and pay the min expendature at MENU pricing?

Let me tell you, my wife and I had a wonderful DISNEY wedding with Goofy and Pluto as guests throughout the night in a 4 star Disney Hotel(Disney Swan And Dolphin). Everyone had a lobster/seafood/prime ribs buffet with beer and wine. 100 guests, total cost:16.5k(including reception) in Dec 2013. Disney was NOT involved with our planning, so at the end we saved about 20k.

We bought out a character restaurant(so goofy and pluto were FREE), paid menu pricing..my flower person decorated the place..done deal. Everyone had a wonderful time and raved about the food! We had wonderful pictures including fireworks over the lake at boardwalk(also FREE if you sync your timing with epcot's fireworks).

If you can't afford a 30k wedding but really want something like one..do some research and plan it the smart way. All my friend's jaw dropped when I told them what we paid. It was a 40k wedding with 16.5k paid.

[budgetingtech]

The least you can spend is the best you can do. You may not like to remember that day on the basis of how much $$$$$ you have to spend that day. Don't take burden and don't put burden too.

[Stephen51]

Spending just enough to make the missus happy would be a good budget, if she isn't happy with what you can afford, either get a new job or a new wife