Wedding planning without parents can be challenging due to illness, distance, strained relationships, or even death. Parents can offer emotional support and guidance to the couple during the wedding planning process, acting as a source of advice, reassurance, and encouragement. They should stay connected with the couple and have open conversations about their wedding expectations.
When the bride’s parents are paying for the wedding, they are typically listed as the hosts on the invitation. Some popular wording options include: Mr. and Mrs. John Smith request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Jane, to John Doe. When writing wedding invitation wording from the bride’s parents, pay attention to first and last names. The groom’s first, middle, and last names should appear on the invitation.
Involving both sets of parents in the wedding helps build excitement for the big day and lets everyone feel a part of it. Traditional roles for the bride’s parents include hosting and hostess of the reception, as they traditionally pay for part, if not all, of the festivities.
If a parent is not present in your life, acknowledge the presence of other people who have empowered you and supported you throughout your journey. Planning your wedding when you have challenging relationships with family members is important, but try to keep your boundaries.
Dance with a family member or friend: If the bride has a brother or uncle who she is close with, she can dance with him instead.
There are many reasons one may find themselves without one or both of their parents on their wedding day, such as having them pass before getting married. Despite these challenges, you can still include your parents or other loved ones in your wedding ceremony while tweaking this dated tradition.
📹 Why These Millennial Brides Say A Wedding Isn’t Worth The Money
The wedding industry often sells couples a fantasy: This is the best, happiest or most important day of your life. It’s how some …
Do the daughters parents pay for the wedding?
The bride’s family. The bride’s family usually paid for most wedding costs, including the invitations, cake, and accommodations for bridesmaids. The wedding dress is usually paid for by the bride’s family, as are other big-ticket items like a wedding planner, photographer, and venue costs. But today, this is rarely the case. Some couples still follow tradition, but we don’t pressure our couples to do so. Fritz says we should discuss what’s best for the couple and their families. Weddings today are different than they were in the past. Budget your expenses in an Excel spreadsheet. Your parents can then look over the spreadsheet and offer feedback. This is also useful if one or both sets of parents are divorced or if there are other parties involved.
Is $1000 a good wedding gift?
The average U.S. wedding guest spends $160 on cash gifts.
You can give anything from $100 to $1,000. “The card box on the gift table is often full of overstuffed envelopes,” Burton says. As a bride, I received one $1,000 check. But this was from an uncle who is well off. “For the rest of us, a range of $100 to $500 per guest is considerate,” she adds. Here are four things to think about when choosing a wedding gift.
Is the bride’s parents responsible for wedding?
Takeaways. In the past, the bride’s family paid for weddings. But that’s changing. More couples are paying for at least half of their wedding themselves. Planning and a budget can help avoid confusion about who pays for what. Who pays for what when planning a wedding? A budget helps you stay on track with spending. This is especially true for those who can’t afford it. CBS News says the average wedding cost $27,000 in 2022, up $3,000 from 2021. Venue, caterer, planner, and entertainment costs vary by location. As you plan your wedding, deciding how to pay for it is important for a happy, stress-free event. How you discuss money can affect future family relationships. Your budget will also be affected in the first years of your marriage. Here’s what to think about and what to do next.
In the past, the bride’s family paid for the wedding. Now, more couples are paying for at least half of the wedding themselves. Planning early and having a budget can help couples avoid confusion about who pays for what. Having a joint account for wedding funds can be a good idea. Different cultures and family traditions affect who pays for a wedding.
Who walks the bride if she doesn’t have a dad?
More couples are choosing non-traditional ways to walk down the aisle. Walking down the aisle with your pet, mom, dad, grandparents, or other loved ones is a special way to incorporate other people into the day, says wedding planner Kristina Kuusik. You might also want to choose other songs to walk down the aisle to, besides just the traditional Wedding March. Kristina Kuusik is a wedding and event planner at Mavinhouse Events. Allison Jackson is the owner and lead event planner at Pineapple Productions. See below for 10 unique ways to walk down the aisle at your wedding.
Who walks mother of the bride down the aisle?
A groomsman traditionally walks the mother of the bride down the aisle. However, the couple getting married can make any changes they want when planning their wedding. Other than a groomsman, couples may have the mother of the bride’s son, grandson, brother, father of the bride, or even the bride herself escort her down the aisle. If none of these options suit you, do whatever works best for you. Who should walk the mother of the bride down the aisle? The mother of the bride’s arrival at the wedding is important. Her entrance should be grand. Picking the right escort for your mother of the bride is easy. We’ve got some great escort ideas for traditional and modern couples.
A groomsman. A groomsman usually walks the bride’s mother down the aisle. This is a good choice if the wedding party is uneven or if you want to give this man more attention. The bride’s mother is usually the last relative to be seated before the wedding party’s entrance.
Do parents of the bride still pay for the wedding?
People have different views on paying for the wedding. Traditionally, the bride’s parents paid for the wedding. Now, many couples ask both sets of parents to contribute. If your parents or your future spouse’s parents are paying for part or all of the wedding, it’s helpful to know who has paid for each aspect of the big day in the past. It is not required that the bride’s family pay for the engagement party and that the groom’s parents pay for the rehearsal dinner. Understanding how a wedding bill typically comes together will help everyone navigate this tricky business.
Jove Meyer owns his wedding planning company, which is based in Brooklyn, N.Y. Christin Gomes and Ida Gibson, PhD, are etiquette experts and co-owners of Common Courtesy.
What should the mother of the bride not do?
Mother of The Bride: How to Avoid Upstaging or Upsetting the…Consult with The Bride. … Avoid Being Too Casual. … Dont Make the Wedding About You. … Dont Be Pushy. … Dont Tell Her Who Should Be Her Bridesmaids. … Dont Compare Her Wedding to Others. … Dont Be Too Critical. … Dont Make Empty Offers. *A child’s wedding is an exciting experience, so of course, you would want this day to go perfectly without upsetting the bride. *The mother-of-the-bride has a vital role in the wedding, helping and supporting the bride through the planning process and on the day of the wedding. *So, here are a few things to avoid doing so that your relationship isnt pulled apart by disagreements and mother-daughter drama.
How important is the mother of the bride at the wedding?
The mother of the bride is important on the wedding day. She helps the bride plan the wedding and is there to support her on the wedding day. The mother of the bride is there for the bride emotionally and helps with the ceremony and reception. The mother of the bride deserves to be celebrated for helping her daughter on her wedding day.
Who walks you down the aisle if you don’t have parents?
Many brides don’t have a good relationship with their fathers. Some brides lose their fathers before their weddings. Some brides feel that another family member is better for the walk down the aisle. Some brides want to walk down the aisle alone. A father-daughter walk is traditional, but it’s your wedding. It’s your day. You get to decide what traditions to follow or leave behind.
A Bad Example. The idea of a father walking his daughter down the aisle wasn’t always a heartfelt gesture. The practice goes back to 1549, when it was outlined in the Church of England’s Book of Common Prayer. The text asks, “Who gives this woman to this man?” The minister then takes the woman from her father or friends. It didn’t have to be the father even back then.
What percentage of brides parents pay for wedding?
Today, most couples pay for their weddings. Today, more couples pay for their weddings. Grooms’ families are also willing to split costs. Want statistics? A recent survey by The Knot found that parents contribute about half of the average wedding budget, while couples cover the rest. Zola found that one-third of couples pay for their weddings entirely on their own.
Your wedding costs can be tied to conditions. If your family is paying a lot, they might want to control the wedding. If you can see this happening, you may want to pay for it yourself. “You’ll be calmer having the wedding you want on your terms, even if you end up scaling back,” says Carlson. Think about what kind of wedding you want. Even though big weddings are still popular, more and more people are eloping due to the pandemic and rising costs. Celebrities like David Harbour and Lily Allen, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker have eloped recently. Elopements are very intimate, so don’t worry about wedding invitations, guest lists, or rehearsal dinners. Focus on the essentials, like splitting the costs.
What is the mother’s responsibility for the daughter’s wedding?
The mother of the bride is in charge of welcoming guests at the reception. Other duties may include sitting at the parents’ table and dancing with the father of the bride to help warm up the dance floor. Finally, celebrate with your daughter. You’ll cherish the memories of this special occasion for a lifetime. Who walks with the mother of the bride down the aisle? In a Christian wedding, the mother of the bride is usually escorted by a son or other male family member. In Jewish ceremonies, the mother and father of the bride walk the bride down the aisle together and then sit.
How much should I give my daughter for her wedding?
The bottom line is: There’s no set amount for wedding gifts. Experts say to start at $100. You may want to adjust your gift up to $500 based on your relationship with the couple, your budget, and the cost of attending the wedding.
📹 😭Bride’s father passed away, she writes him a letter on her wedding day 😭Mayo Hotel Wedding Video
We encourage you to watch this film when you have a few minutes to yourself, and you have a tissue handy. Cynthia and Jaremy’s …
My husband and I got married in our apartment in 2020 mostly due to Covid shutting things down. We took pictures in a nice location. We spent about $1500 total including my dress and photos. We saved a ton of money we were able to buy our first home and went on a honeymoon and spent a week traveling Europe. I think it was the right call considering what we gained in the end. People need to do what is right for them, not because of familial pressure.
As a wedding photographer, I TOTALLY stand behind the message of this article. Something that’s been lost over time I feel like is the pomp and circumstance of weddings. Having to have everything be perfect and paying so much for your guests generally leaves couples missing out on exactly what they wanted. Just to have a good time. I’m ALL FOR smaller weddings and eloping. I did it myself. It makes more sense depending on your financial situation. Also, as long as you have great photos for memories and your closest friends and family it doesn’t really need to be so big. Half the time I’d say 80% of the guest only show up to eat and dance and then leave.
My husband and I got married in 2019. Every time we started putting the guest list together or looking at venues we would both get overwhelmed. We got a call in September 2019 that a friend couldn’t use their ocean front time share on Maui and we were welcome to use it. We jumped on it and decided to elope. Had two weeks to plan and it was just the two of us. It was perfect and since we didn’t have a wedding we were able to splurge on excursions and make the most out of our trip.
Wedding photographer here 🙋🏻♀️ I always cringe when I hear couples not feeling comfortable being honest and open about their wedding plans for fear of being taken advantage of. I personally charge the same price for a wedding vs an engagement vs a birthday party vs whatever. Choose vendors who are transparent with you.
My parents went to the courthouse to get married. My mom never regretted it. My mom once was a brides maid at her sisters wedding and she said her sister was so stressed that it looked like she wasn’t enjoying the experience. My mom decided she’d rather just go to the courthouse when she got married. My parents have been together for more than 20 years. One of their friends took their advice and did the same thing, a courthouse wedding and then a small get together at the house afterwards, they loved it and have been together for over 10 years. Honestly i’d rather just go to the courthouse. I’d rather use 30,000 to buy a house or something big to use with my future husband
This is my last year as a wedding photographer. I’ve fallen out of love with shooting them. I used to love it but something’s happened and I just see them as silly now. The amount of brides that are so stressed about the dumbest things is just one of many reasons why I’m burnt out. Wedding tax from a photographers point is justified for many reasons. We photograph from 10 am to 11pm. Even if there’s a wedding planner we are planning the day and being asked to do a lot more than just photograph the day. We’re day of psychiatrist for stressful brides/mothers. Ask any articlegrapher, they just document the day and sit in our shadow. We bring 20k worth of gear that’s moved from getting ready to church to reception, we’re shooting detail shots, family, wedding party the list is vast. Thousands of images and at least 8-16 hours of editing. I’m leaving out a ton of other things,having a solid/talented second shooter, having backup photographers in case we get Covid. This list goes on and on and I’m glad to be finished.
Wedding planner’s assistant and wedding photographer here!🙋🏼♀ I’ve worked countless weddings with budgets ranging from $75k to $1 million. At the end of the day, it’s just one day and SO many details are overlooked/under appreciated by guests. The wedding goes by so fast! If you can afford it and want it, I say go for it! Otherwise, it’s not worth putting yourself in financial strain for.
I had a DIY backyard wedding. We’re fortunate to have a large yard, nearly an acre that easily accommodated 75 guests. We wholesaled, spent weekends fabricating the arch, painting wood flowers, etc. Out of pocket, we came in just under 10k but was able to resell 4k worth. It all came out beautifully and my only regret is not spending the money for a articlegrapher.
My best friend got married in January 2022 and spent $8,000 for her wedding. However, most of that cost went towards booking a small 15 room motel in the CA desert for a 2 night 3 day stay. This desert was a meaningful part of her relationship with her now husband so naturally the destination wedding location made sense. She also wanted to remove the cost barrier of making her guests pay for the hotel rooms. The total wedding party was about 25-30 people. I knew most of the people who attended so it felt special to me. In other weddings, I usually don’t know most of the people in attendance. Most of the food was contributed by both families. We ate at a local restaurant for the “reception” and their families pitched in to cook the rest of the meals. They also rented a nearby campsite for an alternative location to gather together. We did an easy hike, used the motel pool, had a campfire. It felt like a retreat! Best wedding I’ve ever attended. The wedding industry specifically inflates the cost for every aspect of wedding planning. Huge markups if it’s related to a wedding. I come from a huge extended family. If my mom wants to host a traditional Chinese reception for our 200+ relatives, she is totally welcome to pay for it. Since Chinese people traditionally give money as a wedding gift, she’ll likely get most of her money back for hosting the banquet. Meanwhile, I’ll put my money towards crafting an intimate gathering of my closest friends and relatives for a casual wedding that reflects my relationship with my future husband.
Ngl hearing about the girl who’s dad passed made me bawl my eyes out. I’m not married but as I approach my 30s in a stable relationship with the man I love I often get sad when I think about how my father passed and won’t be there for daughter/dad dance and what not. I’m glad she was able to spend that moment with him.
As a Muslim we’re encouraged to be as modest as possible and honestly that’s what I want to do. People spend so much money trying to outdo previous brides or impress people they don’t know and won’t be able to impress. People will always talk horribly about your wedding. Might as well save your money and spend it as a married couple on a house or future children or whatever makes your life easier as a couple.
Honestly, my ideal wedding is close family and friends at the courthouse (or something similar). Short and sweet ceremony, a nice place to take pics and budget more money for a nice trip. Extravagant weddings really are like putting on a show and I’m more of a private/reserved person. I’ve always imagined having a small/frugal wedding.
I went to a wedding of my cousin. It was extravagant, the most extra I have seen in my 30 plus yrs of my life. But more than the wedding itself, our memories with our family was so memorable! We had games, funny programs and the whole family had fun. To each their own. If they can afford it, if the friends and family are close, who are we to judge? PS Calm down people. Im just an Asian who appreciates a good family wedding😁 Plus weddings give jobs for your friends– from food industry, to creatives and artisans.
I am 33, single, never been married and at this point I can not imagine having a wedding. I would much rather have a nice honeymoon. Mostly as I have gotten older there are only like a handful of people I would truly care if they were there. Now if my future husband wanted one, then I may compromise. But I would rather have a small courthouse wedding and just get a photographer to take nice pictures.
My husband and I are 24 turning 25, we got married on May 7th, 2022 at an big Airbnb house nearby Niagara Falls. We spent around $5800. This includes the 2-night Airbnb house where we had our venue, MC host, buffet catering, friend photographer, wedding cake, and our wedding attire. If we had spent more, we wouldn’t have been able to buy a car. We had no bridesmaids or groomsmen, no bridal shower or bachelor parties, just the wedding and the fun night. The Airbnb hosts provided a wedding arbour (and assembled it for us), 2 tents for the reception, and enough chairs for 40 people. They even helped us by returning our rental chair covers for us. Also, we bought our ceremonial wedding rings on Amazon because we just couldn’t care less about real rings! I feel like we pleased both our parents but at the same time we didn’t let ourselves get consumed by impressing everyone. I have no regrets at all.
Got married in a beautiful white chapel overlooking the sea in Australia just my husband and I. Never regretted eloping. The day was so special, just us two. I wouldn’t like the stress of a big wedding thinking if my guests are having fun. I also wanted to concentrate on a happy marriage rather than just one day. I also wouldn’t get into debt for a wedding. That’s just me though. Still married 7 years later, still happy with the decision and the marriage! 💗
We decided to do the most simple wedding ever, we didn’t spent almost anything and everyone was so surprised about how much fun could they have in a simple wedding. Thanks to the money we didn’t spent doing a big wedding, we were able to go on a 2 month roadtrip as our honeymoon. All of our friends who had done big wedding parties told us that they regret it so much, that they wish they had used that money for something else such as traveling, saving it for a house or an apartment, etc.
There is a happy medium between a blow out, “conventional” wedding and eloping. We had a fancy brunch and ceremonies and a cool dinner party in the city after. Cost half or less of a traditional wedding. The party bus to take us, was the highlight. I got a dress at a mall store. It’s a party, and we have to rethink of this as a party/celebration. No one handed a mandate to do “all things”. People need to break free and be creative. What do YOU really enjoy? Have a BBQ on the beach, have a theme park or Irish pub reception. Our grandparents and great grandparents had weddings in church halls and dining rooms. Tell the wedding industry where to shove it!
My husband and I had a budget of $17,000 and we had a guest list of 170. We both come from big families and have many people we care about and love, so our guest list got big pretty quickly. Nonetheless, we were able to pay for everything out of pocket with diligent budgeting and we had the wedding of our dreams and made so many great memories. ♡♡♡ Everyone..just do you!! 🙂
I think this opened my eyes to what I want for our wedding, and I’m going to talk to my fiancé about it. The part where the brides felt the day was for others rather than the couple, opened my eyes to “I want our actual day to be our day.” Might just elope and celebrate with our family still later on down the line when we have the actual money. One day for us and one day for our family.
Im getting married in September and so far we are 15k in. We have been together 7 years and I don’t regret it at all. I am Catholic and We are having a traditional wedding through church and all. We don’t have any other debt and we saved all of this money through the pandemic. I love that all my family and friends will be there together and I cant wait 🥰
I had a much beautiful wedding. It was put together in less than A-day. The most expensive thing was my wedding dress I already had for $60. I stopped by the dollar store picked up some purple and blue glow sticks. I put the glow sticks in Mason jars with water and put them along a path away to a hill. I put some little electric tea lights and other jars and put them in a semi circle at the top of the hill. And I got married on top of the hill under a full moon. My brother brought fireworks. And my aunt was a notary married us.
Just got married 3 weeks ago – all in about $2000 – and it was a wonderful time! The majority of our costs were the venue, insurance and food. Guest list was about 30 people. We DIY’ed much of it and we are very thankful to our friends and family who were awesomely helpful. We wore clothes we already owned and the entire day was imperfectly perfect. Best part, I have the most lovely man as my husband. I would have been happy without a wedding, but it was important to him because his grandparents are in their late 80’s/early 90’s so it was incredible to celebrate for them.
I was 20 when I got married. I’m now 34. I really enjoyed my day, we had a very small venue, I made my own very simple center pieces, we paid a friend to take pictures… I had a blast and we kept it super simple… a few things I would have done different would have been a smaller guest list and definitely would have had an after party !!! We started our life’s together debt free and we continue to make smart financial choices. No need to impress anyone or get Into debt to please others!!!
We spent 7k on our wedding with 40 guests and I made most things – my dress, the cake, decorations myself and I miss my wedding almost everyday! If you want to love your wedding have as few guests as possible, only people you know well, and make something for the day yourself, even if you can afford not to!
I’ve never personally known someone that had that much money for a wedding. My most expensive item for our wedding was my wedding dress from David’s Bridal and our rings. It wasn’t the happiest day of my life but I remember the feeling of love while walking down the aisle and seeing friends and family that came to our special day.
We spent around $100 in total 25 years ago ($30 on the documents and the legal signing ritual ; $10 on silver wedding rings; $20 on photos and articletape and the rest was for some food/drinks; we didn’t buy any special outfits for the day). Our article tape got lost and only some photos remained…but we still remember it as if it was yesterday! :))
I got married last week – and it was really great, I’m so glad we had the wedding party (around 130 guests). From the gifts we got we should pretty much be able to cover our expenses as well, so the cost isn’t an issue. I’m glad we didn’t elope, though I do wanna say that it’s indeed stressful so do not underestimate that. plan for rest and maybe vacation (honeymoon) straight after.
My wedding in 1984 cost less than $2000 out of our pocket, including my dress, and both our daughter’s dresses, his tux, minimal flowers, the photographer & pictures, and a cake. We didn’t have an engagement ring. My mother bought beer and soft drinks, and my father and stepmother homecooked a cold buffet that was really good. We had about 75 guests. I didn’t get to eat or drink. We had a good time, but it was a blur. We were grown ups so didn’t register for gifts anywhere. We specifically told people we didn’t need gifts, but we did a lot of very personal things, and enough cash to pay for our week on the beach. In 1984 dollars. I would not have done it any differently, I was in my 20s and think we did a good job of controlling costs.
I can’t say anything about the cost, as it fully depends on the person how much money they think is worth it, but the pressure and stress. THAT is what the wedding party is for. If you are stressed about the schedule and your guests, then your wedding party is not doing their jobs. The bridesmaids are the BRIDES MAIDS. It is their job to make your day as smooth and stress-free as possible. As Maid of Honor at a wedding, I made sure that the bride was reminded every time she got worried that it is her day, to enjoy it with her new husband, and to send me off to fix anything she starts worrying about. Of course, this is for a traditional western/american wedding, so I can’t speak on those of other cultures, but make sure you have people you trust in your wedding party and don’t be afraid to delegate.
Wedding per se is not the issue but the mindset of people. Does a wedding really have to be held in hotels? Can the reception not be held at home to save money? Should guests be in hundreds if there is a budget constraint? Having a wedding is not the issue but people having a materialistic mindset and comparing themselves with friends and peers… that so and so had a great wedding and was held at this and wore this designer dress so mine should be better or at least at par with their wedding celebration. Of course, if people can afford a big and lavish wedding, there is nothing wrong with it as well as it’s just a once in a lifetime experience.
Got married about a month ago in Los Angeles. We gave ourselves 15, 000 budget. Wedding cost about 20, 000, we ended up paying about 12, 000 of that cost with the help of our family. I never thought this would be the best day of my life because I hadn’t thought of getting married. My family is small with plenty of women that don’t have kids and don’t get married. I’m the oldest so part of having a public wedding was changing narrative for our family. I did do a lot of DIY and got all the deals in dtla but omg everything adds up. I do think wedding was worth, planned it in about 6 months and yes it was stressful! I learned that if I’m invited to a wedding be generous, RSVP and come ready to have fun!
I’m an older millennial, my husband and I got married in 2016, my parents spent about $12-15k for the whole wedding. There are definitely ways to cut back on costs. We got our wedding cake from Wal-mart for about $65. One of my husband’s groomsmen was at the time the manager of a fantastic barbecue restaurant, so we got them to do our catering. We purchased our own beer and wine for our guests. My mother is very crafty and did a lot of the decorations. I was active duty at the time, went to the florist at the Navy Exchange and had them do them.
My husband and I are millennials and got married at 22y/o. Our wedding cost us $8k and very little of it was actually up to our doing as our family members repeatedly got carried away with themselves on our bank account. The Lutheran church for our athiest wedding cost $500 alone and was booked for a date we hadn’t agreed on. We basically just chalked it up as, that was other people’s wedding that we got married at. I stayed in bed for the three weeks after it.
If anyone is debating if they even want a wedding, listen to your gut! My spouse and I weren’t even sure we wanted to have one but succumbed to what our parents wanted. Big regret. We would have much preferred a super small ceremony at the courthouse and saved all the stress, time, and money. Big weddings made sense in our parents’ day when it only cost a couple hundred, you had a “village” who raised you, and it was a potluck with little expectations. But now you gotta make your wedding “cool enough” and meet expectations of your aunts and cousins you’ve seen twice in your life… Screw that. The day is special because of the marriage, not the party!
Having a small backyard ceremony with family and close friends – more of a cookout than anything. Got my wedding dress from a bridal consignment shop, made the decorations, and we’re foregoing the DJ, favors, and photographer/videographer. It’ll be a few thousand at most and we still get a lovely day with everyone important to us.
I work part time as a bus driver Saturdays. Just so you know booking a limo/party bus for your wedding costs more maybe even double in some cases than if you do the booking yourself than using event planner. Take it in consideration if you are debating about hiring event planner or not. I guess she will pay for herself by saving you money with everything else not just limo.
I recall a conversation I had a with a woman who got married in the 1950s; she stated for their wedding it was a small church wedding, and then a reception with just fruit punch and cake served. Weddings didn’t become over the top until Princess Diana and Prince Charles from her observation. They wanted to save money for a down payment on a house. She said that her wedding was typical of the day.
we spent 20k and we don’t regret a single moment from it. We didn’t take out any debt and just saved hard for it. We didn’t spend 20k based on outside influences but it was a collective decision between my wife and I. My point is be intentional with what you’re spending for a wedding. It was our day so it wasn’t about satisfying our guests.
I had a 50 person wedding which costed $20K, we ended up getting $15K from my parents and in-laws. We got married at the Santa Barbara courthouse and rented an Inn that doubled as our stay location for some of our guests and used the backyard as the reception area! I ordered flowers online and did a DIY moment and the booze was BYOB. And we had a small wedding party, only the MOH and BM. It was intimate and sweet! And we really got quality time with all of our guests. Totally recommend a smaller wedding!
It’s not so much to entertain the guests as a chance to gather your community. A chance to allow others to give and help. It creates meaning and makes your union real to those in your circle. They take ownership of your relationship and will be there for you in future. It is important to invite your loved ones, even just to the courthouse.
My daughter and her intended have already let me know that they don’t want a big wedding. They are planning the courthouse; she wants “a nice dress that I can wear for other things” and have a guest list of exactly 8. Plan “a picnic in the park or dinner somewhere afterward, and put whatever money we would have spent on a wedding toward a bigger downpayment on house or a nice honeymoon.” Long before the guy was in the picture, we talked about the importance of spending time and effort preparing for your married life rather than for a one day party.
Spent $5K on my wedding with 150 guests in California. Bought a white prom dress for $50, made my own cake and stashed it in the freezer for the big day, my brother DJ’d our free trial of spotify premium and loved it, and we had the wedding in my grandparents’ pasture. Most of the decorations were handmade/grown by us. It turned out very beautiful and rustic. Most of the cost came from the food we had catered, the alcohol we bought, and the table/chair rentals. We also had a photographer and a string trio during the ceremony. I had a good time, but did feel a little rushed. Not sure if that’s avoidable though.
Here’s what I want: Romantic date and proposal Followed by calling all of my favorite people and telling them the news. And then I’m finding the best photographer who is funny and makes it fun to take our wedding photos and then I’m mailing every picture to my family, visiting the courthouse, and while my family is reading those mails I’m sitting on a beach thinking “Yes, it was a great day”.
Depends on everyone’s financial situation, goals, and even upbringing. The wedding was more for my family and friends and we only get busier as we get older so it was a time to gather and see everyone post “covid.” Our budget was $20k ish for 100 people in downtown Los Angeles. It ended up being closer to $30k and because my husband and I make well over six figures and have no debt – it was worth it. The guests gift amounted to $50k ish so in the end we profited $10k each. But, that’s all going back to our friends and families when they get married too 🤪🥰 Reputation and how you made the guests feel stays forever – and this is that one chance. I didn’t think our wedding was that expensive or even a waste of money because I planned everything on an excel sheet and we budgeted, haggled and took advantage of covid rates before the inflation hit in 2021.
The wedding tax is very real! I worked as a cake decorator for two years at a chain grocery store. We sometimes created wedding cakes. We were trained to immediately quote an additional $200 at the least if the customer even said the word “wedding.” Likewise, if they wanted a white, floral cake, we were instructed to ask nudging questions to get them to say the “W” word and justify exorbitant costs. Guess what? That same cake and frosting used for these wedding cakes was used to make the Shrek-themed kids cakes. All came from the same distributor and was stored in the same freezer. Needless to say, I never added those premium costs– there is just no way to justify this!
I’m looking to get married by the end of the winter 2022, however everything is so expensive. I wish society understood that life is different and we have to modify the way we do things. I told my fiancé maybe the best economical idea is to put that money into buying a house and we could just get a party in the backyard for our family and close friends. No expensive dress or venue just a small nice diner and drinks
I’ve been with my boyfriend for 12 years, no wedding. I’m 100% fine with it! When people ask him why we aren’t married he says “I don’t have the money for it.” I love his response & I love him. We have a beautiful 2 year old daughter & I would rather save our money to invest in our daughters future. Maybe it’s because I’m 26 & don’t value traditional things because I would rather be happy with what I like. Not what others are use to liking Happy wedding day to all who plan to get married in 2022. Your day will be wonderful! 🤍
Great article. you’ve remind me of what someone once said❤The richest people in the world build networks; everyone else is trained to look for work.” “There is a difference between being poor and being broke. I once attended similar and ever since then i been waxing strong financially, and i most tell you the truth.
I want a small wedding for sure, and I want to save costs wherever possible. The dress I want is about $100, and it isn’t white, it’s a dress I would wear for more than just one day! I’ve always said I would rather spend the money on the honeymoon, and travel. Then on a large stressful wedding! I barely want a ring. I found a ring I like that was literally $25 XD, or I would seriously get a line tattooed to symbolize a ring so I won’t lose or break it. (I’m not a huge jewelry person, and I have lots of hand/ wrist issues so I always feel weighed down by it)
I just got married and for my experience, our traditional wedding was amazing; that said, our parents paid for it and the honeymoon in little chunks over time that added up. I laugh at how my fiance and I originally set a budget of $1500-$2000 for a traditional wedding. We could have made do with $3000 because we got really creative with connections and loving help from our community, but with the help of our parents we splurged to $5000 on the little things that mattered to us. I can’t imagine spending more than that honestly.
I paid way more on the divorce than the marriage…my advice to anyone is marry in haste and you will regret it longterm. Getting to know someone for a long time before getting physical is way to go to ensure you actually got something and someone that wont let you down. Marriage to many nowadays means nothing more than a shiw off party with a messy divorce folliwing later…less empahasis on the wedding more on is the right person needed in my experience..
I grew up poor, raised by my Transylvanian grandpa. I ended up leaving my last partner because I couldn’t deal with his immaturity anymore. He insisted on buying me a +5000€ ring because he loved me soooooo much. Beach if you loved and knew me you’d have used that money to stock up my/our pantry for the winter, but noooooo that’s so frugal and embarrassing, when it could also be a stupid ring that’s basically indistinguishable from a 15€ ring from the shopping centre jewellery 🤦🏻 I can’t eat a 5000€ ring or heat my house with it when it got covered in a thick layer of ice during a blizzard. Pro tip: don’t date rich people or even upper middle class, they’re way too superficial and naive for the real world.
Got married in 2020, spent less than 5k on our “wedding” AND honeymoon. Wedding was with a JP ($50) in a cute outdoor space followed by a bbq dinner with a live band nearby. We have no debt and a paid for house…it’s not rocket science. The marriage is obviously more important than the wedding. I partially blame Instagram, everyone wants the dang photos to keep up with their joneses.
My culture is known for being extravagant or traditional aspects (multiple venues, multiple dresses, etc) that can add up. My culture is really important to me and my family so I don’t mind spending the money to honor my traditions. I’ll have the money saved up for it so I’m not going to debt for it. Tbh I think anyone who think they overspent on their wedding and ended up not liking it either or had some combination of 1) are spending beyond their means 2) had bad relationship with their partner and/or family or 3) just don’t want to be married in the first place
I got married in 2015. We did most of it ourselves (got married at Unitarian church and reception was at my grandmothers neighborhoods club house, so cost for venues was like $600 total). Our family all came together and cooked. Lots of stuff off Etsy and homemade. We spent $3k total and had nearly 100 guests. Tons of people told us it was one of the most fun weddings they went to because it was more laid back. The only thing I wish I could’ve done was buy my own dress (had to use hand me down from my aunt and get it altered) and had a pro photographer (we had a friend with photography degree take pics). Other than that it was perfect!
Spent $68,000 on our wedding. Made back close to $60k back in cash gifts and other endowments. Depends on ur family and culture. If u have a family or part of a freeloader culture then big weddings may not be great. Personally I don’t go to anyones wedding invite without giving them at least $200 in an envelope. How u gonna show up to someone’s wedding empty handed. Unless ur legit poor and they know it that’s diff. But otherwise, be a mensch and be cultured.
I think planning a wedding was very necesesarry and especially the cost of it and since many brides would spend thousands on the event that only for the relationship ended up in separation, i think it would be the best to have a cheap but fit wedding dress since you only wear it once, limited guest probably friends and only family and those who are close to you and forget extended families or whole inviting the workplace you don’t need to brag or pleased them and also when it comes to negotiating the payments for reception event it is very important, and you don’t nees DJ’s in party it only adds to the expenses and also the honeymoon probably somewhere near but has great sceneries .
Ive thrown parties for myself before (BDay parties) of up to 75 people and I get stressed out easily because I feel so much pressure to make sure everyone is having a great time. These parties turn more into a high anxiety and high stress experience. I tend to enjoy other people’s parties or parties where we throw them as a group because there is little to no pressure which allows me to enjoy the moment. I would be a nervous wreck if i ever had to host a wedding for a 100 plus people. Plus, im an introvert who has a short battery of energy to socialize.
It is a personal choice, but we did courthouse steps and saved. Because of that we now have a home in Los Angeles. No help from family either. As a real estate agent, depending on where your at, Los Angeles is being separated to the have and have nots if you don’t have dual income it is nearly impossible to get into home ownership
I am only having my immediate family and my husband’s immediate family at my wedding. Which will be less than 25 people. We will just hire a small restaurant with a garden. I would rather have generational wealth than throw some big a** wedding and be poor or have debt. I will not spend more than $500 for my dress I think in total I want to spend less than $6000
My wedding cost about 400 mostly just because we BBQd and just had a summer time party in our front yard I built an alter had my reverend grandfather marry us under it we had all our friends and family over and we cooked our hearts out im a baker so I baked a 6 tier cake for our celebration but it was all at home and just fun I made my own dress for 20 bucks It was so fun low key and just free feeling
Maybe every wedding invitation should have a cash figure written in discreetly, that divides up the cost of the wedding amongst the number of guests, so the guests can have an idea of the minimum amount of money to give as a “gift” to the vouple on their special day, to offset wedding costs and also a little extra (minimum $100 ) can be given so they have something to start off their life with.
It more like a competition as to who “look” more impressive. Most couples (women)wants to impress others for whatever reasons … Wedding day is not the sum of your marriage. How many of the invited guests do you see consistently or friends with after the wedding? Is that one worth going into debt on, and could that money be better use in other areas? I know couple had not even looked at their wedding article since their wedding. Personally, it best to have intimate wedding with families and close friendsm and unavoidable people /relatives. It comes down to the people that are significant to you that matter the most, the ones that will miss you after you leave this world and cry at your funeral. It may sound crude, but practical. Friends that are worth keeping are the one that seen you at your low and still keep you as friends. Friends come and go at different stages in your life journey that you may outgrown each others, not by anyone false. I think some use the word “friend ” too loosely.
COVID really screwed up my wedding and I ended up losing $7k in nonrefundable deposits because I had to cancel due to my venue not opening up due to COVID. I wish we could have used that money on other things like replacing our HVAC!!!! Neither my husband and I are super social people and were happy to just have a large dinner with 25 guests, which is what we ended up doing because of COVID.
I believe that the >fear and greed index with a new low value of 6 reflects how the crypto market reacts to a full blown recession. Yes, there were crypto bear markets in the past, either caused by regular cycles or extraordinary events such as COVID, but we never experienced a true economical recession in the crypto market. Keep in mind that crypto market is just another financial market (meaning that is 100% dependent on major macro economic events) and is more volatile than other markets (which is a good thing, cause that offers long term opportunity to get rich in an extended timeframe meaning buying like crazy during these times and selling at the peak of the next bull market – whenever that may be). but the biggest, most “boring” coins right now (BTC, ETH, BNB) with big utility and market cap that will not go to 0 until the end of this bear market. I buy and just trade long term more than ever, I have made over 19btc from day trading with Jim Brin Crypto in few weeks this is one of the best medium to backup your assets incase it goes bearish.
From India here and I don’t need to say how exaggerate we are!! and as we have big families and keep the relations kind of connected, We had to invite hundreds of people, some cases thousands and the most annoying thing is guests in the past at least used to give gifts which are helpful for new houses at that times (not needed in today’s time) but nowadays actually giving money would be better, but 90% of the guests don’t even give $30 let alone contribute something and they are the ones who will gossip if the wedding is too simple. These days the wedding celebration is like anywhere from 2 days to 5 days, depends on the financial capacity, with different background settings and different dress. And it costs at least $30K, it some cases triple it. Majority of the time parents pay for it, and it’s still very uncomfortable because most of the people are strangers to bride and groom, and for example if we invite a family, they bring their other relatives as well, even if they aren’t close to bride and groom. And in today’s economy it feels like a big burden to me, we could rather travel around or invest. I just want to have a small wedding with close people, and even that would easily cross at least 250-300 people. and I know that is not gonna happen if I ever get married. And honestly half of it is tradition (long days, different dresses) which is fine and I enjoy it as well but in today’s time, the wedding arrangement industry is rising prices like crazy so I’m not a fan of it.
My unpopular opinion (or maybe not so unpopular, Idk) is that part of the reason expensive weddings can be foolish is because there’s no guarantee that the marriage will last forever (and a relatively high probability that it will not). I feel like if that kind of money is going to be spent on a celebration, it should be celebrating something with a guaranteed (or high chance) outcome (i.e., passing the bar, graduating from medical school, a successful first year as a small business owner, etc.) Plus, if you don’t go overboard paying for the wedding, that money can be spent on something that can more positively on the future— retirement savings, a child’s education, etc.
In Vietnam most Wedding would expect guests to bring “congratulation money” /wedding gifts/lucky money to celebrate with the family. In that way most wedding would results in a gain, not a lose. However making a new place, wedding gift for young couple would always be a lose for the parents (buying new stuffs, gifts…). Wedding was never the happiest day. It always a custom to follow that tires out every participants tbh.
Due to pandemic we had to plan our wedding in a week and in total including outfits for bride and groom, hall, food, decorating, cake, photography, car, the register of marriage was between 1200 – 1500 pounds abroad though may I add. This gave us the money to make sure that we was united back again by living in the same country.
We spent 300 for our wedding at the courthouse. He bought my dress which was about 100, and my mom bought me a bouquet and bought us dinner at a restaurant. My dad didn’t want to pay for anything so he didn’t. But he did come. Looking back I am sad we didn’t get actually nice pictures of us. Just unflattering candids from people’s cellphones. That’s the only thing I regret. It would be nice to just have one nice photo of us on our wedding day. Other than that I’m glad we saved the money. We were early twenties with a brand new baby and recently on one income. I just wish I had one good picture of us on our wedding day. I appreciate the candid photos everyone took, but none of them were flattering to either of us. Cringey to see on the wall.
My husband and I were not trying to go into debt to get married. We paid cash for the majority of it and set a limit of how much we were going to spend. My engagement ring was a recently loved ring which I love so much and we got our wedding bands from Amazon. I got my dress on sale and we had a venue that catered so we can get a discount on the food. We wanted to have a good time, which we did, but not go outside of our means.
I got hitched right after finishing my doctorate. We drove to Circus Circus and did the deed. I had always heard about Circus Circus when I was a kid and it was new and everybody in LA was going there. It cost about $250 because I sprung for article footage. Then, I returned home, sold all my personal possessions, and traveled the world for 3 years with my wife. This was 22 years ago. We are still together. We’ve not had many conflicts about money or debt. Best decision ever! So many great adventures!
My cousin just got married this weekend. On a country property, in an older barn with homemade comfort food, where everyone camped on the property the rest of the weekend. It was better then some of the huge events I have been to, simple and sweet to be honest. Millennials & Gen Z’s live in a more expensive time, our goals and spending habits have to change that’s all 🙂
We’re going to end up spending between $3000-$3500. Done at home, and serving picnic food. Simple. That’s still more than I wanted to spend. But we’re mostly doing it for his elderly parents to get to have the experience. The only thing I care about is saying our vows and I Do’s. I feel like we have been pretty balanced in our spending but the stress still isn’t worth it for me. I’d rather elope and spend the money on our life goals. But it is what it is and we’re just going to let it unfold. I can’t believe people go into debt for it.
I’m all for people who spend less on weddings or even not having one at all. But pls don’t be lifting your nose at others who do feel it is worth it for them. Looking snooty at someone who find it important is basically you saying others don’t get the right to do what they want. I’m def having a big wedding and it’s bc I want to be surrounded by family and memories bc when I die, that memory will always be there and not how much I saved towards a house or more vacation. Everyone should do what they care about.
me and my wife got married 7 years ago. instead of spending $50k to have a wedding, we used the money as the down payment of our 1st house. Fast forward, 7 years later, we don’t have wedding photos hang in our living room or bedroom or dinning room, but the house that we bought 6 years ago now is worth $110k more than what we paid. If we sell the house now, we can get about $200k in cash. One of the best decisions we ever made in our lives.
No one ever said you had to have a big expensive wedding. Lots of ppl have wedding on a smaller scale, or nowadays there’s beautiful elopement. Get a nice dress and a nice suit and get married in the park or on the court house steps, there are so many low cost ways to have a beautiful wedding. It’s way too much pressure on that one day. Just relax and pick the most important aspects for you.
These aren’t “traditional” weddings. These over top expense weddings began in the 1980’s. Before that the average couple had a cake and punch reception. And before that, you choose your best dress and got married in you living room. Large weddings with elaborate dinners were reserved for royalty and the wealthy. Ive been in the wedding business for 40 years and have watched weddings evolve to what they are today.
The grass always looks greener on the other side, just saying. I had a court house wedding and I wouldn’t say I regret it but if I could have afforded something better I would have. It was what we could afford at the time. As a young couple we didn’t save properly to prepare for a wedding and what we wanted, we didn’t know any better either. We’re married 16yrs now and I do hope to have an intimate ceremony (only persons who have contributed to or have our Union in our best interest 🤏🏾) either at 20yr or 25yr. I believe some people are too excessive and stretch their hand wayyy further than they can afford and that’s the problem imo.
I got married at city hall. We are mixed culture, not religious and not really attached to the tradition of a wedding. Plus, I’ve worked in industry before and I’m not looking to shell out for a single day. We instead spent a much smaller sum of money on a trip to Paris. And we’re both happier for it. The marriage is about the people in it, not the wedding.
A colleague of mine did not even bother with a ring and they are still going strong with his wife 20+ yrs now – they’ve been together since college. No elaborate proposal or wedding spectacle they just woke up one day wanting to get married. Went to the City Hall in the morning, sign some papers to get license, ate in a sort-off restaurant for lunch and still went to work. They did get a few days of vacation for honeymoon later on. The money that’s suppose to be for their wedding went to their now growing construction business – they are both architects. They are basically like a meme when we get together with friends since we knew people who went out all fancy and elaborate for such event only to break up months or few yrs later. Ridiculous. GF : good morning babe. Its a nice day. I want to get married. BF : Ok. Lets get married. Literally get married hrs later 😂😂😂
Had a court wedding in September with 10 people, had a great lunch after and planned a big destination wedding next year July …. Send out the save the date to everyone in august and then Changed the plans – 2 weeks ago 😂 I didn’t want to go through the whole stress BS and we really did not feel like spending all that money just for 1 day so we decided to go on a luxurious honeymoon and put a down payment on a holiday house in Jamaica instead of giving a party.. while some family members are upset ( and we really don’t care) we are FREAKING HAPPY about our decision 🥳❤️🙌🏽
I just want to get married by going to the authority and sign the document. Then luncheon or dinner at the restaurant or catering at home for my parents and siblings, his parents and siblings if any ❤ Recent years I’ve experienced many up and down with my extended family and myself as a person, and even though I do enjoy having their company, but It didn’t feel worth it, and I am courageous enough now to voice out what I want and what I need. My sisters both had a large traditional wedding approximately 500-1000 guest, I think I can pull off private intimate wedding now since my parents has experienced it, and they know big wedding is draining physically and financially. 🥂 cheers
Got married a week ago, we had a courthouse- outdoor ceremony, hired a photographer at a great price to capture the ceremony followed with pictures with our family. We made reservations at this beautiful seaside restaurant that offered dinner packages right within our budget. Our guests were our most immediate family. It was a beautiful inexpensive experience !
Honestly, weddings are a fancy contract signing event. As a photographer I prefer smaller intimate weddings to shoot where people know everyone and the two stars of the day can let loose and have fun. Big lavish weddings are for the rich that don’t care about budgets and just want what they want. Some have weddings to do what they believe social norms say they should do, especially young couples that have family plan everything, they go with the flow and it can be hit or miss. Older established couples tend to be more focused on what they want and it usually shows in the quality and choice of locations. It’s hard to say exactly that there’s a wedding tax as for some maybe, but when couples are in “dream-mode” they are more likely to be disappointed when things don’t go perfect and are ready to sue or not pay later from what lots of vendors complain about. For photographers often there’s a lot more involved with post wedding products such as albums that may go through a couple revisions to added crew needed compared to a simple party. Plus photographers tend to shoot long hours, often over 12hrs in a day, with little rest, so you can think some goes to the chiropractor or masseuse the next day.
I remember when I was calling around and all of sudden the prices was hike up, My wedding was this year and we spend about 7000ish for the vendor, my dress was free, photographer and articlegrapher was gifted to us. We did enjoy ourselves but if I could’ve done it over I would do a destination wedding which would’ve been less than that. I hope more and more people spend less on their wedding day because it’s not worth putting yourself in debt.
I’m in the wedding industry and I can emphatically say that this is not true! At least not everywhere. I have never been more booked up, I’m still getting inquiries for full day traditional weddings for 2022 that I have to turn away, and I’ve never had so many couples ask to add on additional hours of coverage. I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m still photographing 2-3 massive weddings every single weekend. I don’t personally see any evidence that this is a widesweeping thing.
When I got married in 1986 I spend about $300.00. It was a simple ceremony with got married at the courthouse and the ceremony was at the grooms apartment. We invited his family and my family we had about 40+ people in that apartment. We got $3,000.00 from the guest which we saved and added to it for a down payment on a house. The expense of a wedding is not worth it and I always felt that way even back then.