Here Comes the Bride

Last night while on the phone with Chris, the topic of weddings came up. (No, not OUR wedding, : P) And with my wanting to be a wedding planner, I asked Chris how much he thought the average wedding cost in the US. His first guess was $40,000, and although his guess was a bit high, it by no means makes the actual average cost sound cheap. The average cost of getting married in the US is $27,852! And just out of curiosity, I looked up the median household income for 2005 in a report by the Census Bureau. The average household income? $46,326. What the??? You do the math. Never mind, I will. : P What household in its right mind is going to blow 60% of its annual income on cake, champagne, invitations, and fluffy white dresses? It would be far better for the young couple, IF $25,000 was available to spend on the wedding/reception, to spend $3,000 to $10,000 (MAX!) and put the rest into investments for the future, such as a down payment on a new house!

I have had several friends get married on a budget of $3,000 or less, and the whole ordeal was still just as lovely as an "expensive" wedding. There are sooo many ways to cut the cost of weddings. Here are a few ideas…
1. Get married during the "off season," the venue will be much cheaper.
2. Involve friends and family. For instance, have a friend who bakes well make the wedding cake (that could save over a $1,000 right there!) And have friends and family help make pretty home made decorations for the ceremony and reception. Not only is that fun, but then everyone will feel like they've contributed something to the special occasion.
3. Make the invitations yourself. Plain and simple.
4. Don't invite everyone, including your roommate's best friend's aunt, your 3rd cousin who you've never met, and their dog.
5. Hold the wedding and/or reception some where for free! For example, at your Church that you're a member at, or at some one's house, or even in their yard. Parks and gardens are also quite nice!
6. Instead of buying things for the wedding at places like "bridal shops," buy them elsewhere. A set of white candles at a bridal shop will cost twice as much as the same set of white candles you could find at Wal-Mart.
7. Don't serve alcohol at the reception. At least don't do an "open bar."
8. Don't have a sit down catered meal at the reception. Instead, opt for a nice buffet style meal or just serve snack foods and dessert.
9. Get married in the morning or in the late afternoon, as opposed to the "early afternoon" when EVERYONE gets married. Better yet, get married on a Friday or Sunday instead of Saturday, like everyone else.
These are just a few great cost-cutting ideas, and trust me, I have lots more! : P

The marketing industry is soooo responsible for the irresistible dumping of hard-earned dollars on a ceremony that takes months to plan, lasts less than 30 minutes, and produces a marriage that some times doesn't last much longer than the ceremony! It's obvious that marketers want us to spend more money. The more we spend, the more they make. But what's scary is how they've managed to convince many people that the more expensive a wedding is, the better, prettier, more fun, more luxurious, and more memorable it will be. Uhhhh- NOT true!

The point is, after all, that you're married. I'm pretty sure I'd feel just as married if I spent $3,000 instead of $27,000 on my wedding.

Did you know, that back in the "old days," (around 1910-20,) it was considered improper etiquette to spend more on the wedding than you could actually afford? People would be criticized for "inappropriate lavishness."

No there's an idea! Now adays, you're made to feel guilty if you aren't spending more than you can afford. It's rather amusing to think that, less than 100 years ago, people thought it was tacky!