How much would you spend on a wedding?

[SyntheticShock]

I have a friend who recently got engaged, her father is paying for majority of the wedding and his limit was $10,000, and she thinks she'll go over budget. Is it me, or is this crazy?!? The average price tag for a wedding these days is actually above that, but jesus people.

I know people spend ridiculous amounts for this day cause its so "special", but I think this is an event where people are spending beyond their means, the hopefully hard earned cash going into this event could be better off suited for more reasonable things.

If your married how much did you spend on your wedding? If you're not, what would your budget be?

[Wickedanima]

If I was to get married, the budget would go to tix to get drive-through married in Vegas (Boi's dream), or about 3500 to take the Drac Tour, get married in Transylvania, and party all night in a Halloween Masque.

Personally, I find weddings very gruesome save the free food/cake, and a large one would be unconditionally painful for me.

I'm also an enormous wedding phobe.

Married.

Gah.

[drewblood]

$4.37

[jonny.illuminati]

we eloped... got married in a pair of jeans, t-shirt and ugg boots at the courthouse where we both grew up... total cost $48.68 (including 2 grande soy lattes from starbucks)...

so much easier, much more fun, A LOT LESS STRESS

[mystoo]

back when i thought i wanted to get married the ex and i had planned to have a small ceremony in a field at an old mill down by the river. no fancy dress, no big guest list, and dinner was gonna be pot luck style and bring your own booze. basically just a party. i was never thrilled with the idea of it being 'my day' and being the center of attention.

[One Eyed Cat]

My cousin's came out to 30K. My uncle wasn't too pleased. If I were to bother, I'd just got to the courthouse.

[Ubiquitress]

funny you should ask .I am about to go to my sisters wedding in NY which is costing several 10's of thousands of dollars, whereas donkey and i had a potluck and i made my dress for 70 bucks and altered his suit for 20. We had a full family wedding for around 500 with wine and food and decorations, and another in PGH for damn next to nothing more than a handle of rum. I really dont get the gianormous wedding expenditures that people are willing to make, especially in this economy. Wouldnt it be wiser to put it towards a house ? Or food and gas ?
Oh and p.s. I have to wear a wig to the sisters wedding, blunettes not neutral enough....gah

[Lady Alias]

Zero dollars.

[SyntheticShock]

Yea, pot luck style is the way to go if you have a big wedding, more variety and makes the occassion more personal in my opinion, I don't think people realize they can have a DIY wedding for way cheaper. They just think of the glam side of having a ceremony. I'm personally not a big marriage person to begin with, but I am a very cheap girl, the cheaper the better I say!

[SyntheticShock]

funny you should ask .I am about to go to my sisters wedding in NY which is costing several 10's of thousands of dollars, whereas donkey and i had a potluck and i made my dress for 70 bucks and altered his suit for 20. We had a full family wedding for around 500 with wine and food and decorations, and another in PGH for damn next to nothing more than a handle of rum. I really dont get the gianormous wedding expenditures that people are willing to make, especially in this economy. Wouldnt it be wiser to put it towards a house ? Or food and gas ?
Oh and p.s. I have to wear a wig to the sisters wedding, blunettes not neutral enough....gah

I know, I'd much rather buy a car, or a trailer or something!

A wig? Pfft, they're just jealous of the pretty blue!

[SyntheticShock]

My cousin's came out to 30K. My uncle wasn't too pleased. If I were to bother, I'd just got to the courthouse.

Thats just ridiculous! I'd be pissed too if I was the one paying for it.

[Ajax Knucklebones]

It's because society has teached women, since they were little girls, to dream about a perfect wedding. Have you ever watched, "Bridezillas"? Fuckin' crazy how woman get. Of course, that's not how all woman are, with spending trillions on a lavish wedding, but that is the thinking of a big part of the young female population. THEY MUST HAVE THE PERFECT WEDDING OR LIFE AS WE KNOW IT WILL END. As a man, I couldn't care less how much was spent. If my parents said ,"Hey, you can have a $10,000.00 wedding OR We'll give you $10,000.00 to put a down payment on a house.", I think any guy would pick the house any day of the week.

[Lady Alias]

Oh, man, your poor wig situation reminded me of this wedding where all the brides maids were required to get the same fucking shitty shade of tan at some specific tanning place. Couldn't afford it, you couldn't be a bridesmade. No natural tan allowed because OMG NOT SAME SHADE!!!

[One Eyed Cat]

Thats just ridiculous! I'd be pissed too if I was the one paying for it.

Yeah. I guess they drink tab was well into thousands alone. Wasn't there. They definitely have cash but still ....

OEC

[mystoo]

the last wedding i went to was my godmothers daughters and it was absolutely ridiculous. i don't know how much the entire thing cost but just the food alone was close to 40,000!! + open bar!. 500 people there and when the bride herself was up giving her little speech you couldn't even hear her b/c no one would shut up. wtf?

[inox]

I am in favor of people just eloping. Large, expensive weddings just seem gratuitous to me, at least in the US.

If you're going to turn it into a multiple day (drinking) party and/or village festival, have at. Mendhi laga ke rakhna.

[Mr Karl]

I'll ponder stuff like that when I'm back in diapers and only if I happen to have a shitload of extra cash kicking around

but yeah 10000 is a pretty cheap wedding

[Bikerpunk]

$0.

It all ends in tears anyway.

You think marriage is expensive, check out the cost of divorce. Well, to guys.

[helcyon]

I would spend any amount on a "wedding". Of course my idea of a wedding is eloping and not inviting anyone else. You get a lot more more value paying for a luxurious holiday for 2 (not considering multi-polygamous situations here) than a bunch of stupid doilies and flowers and reception centres and photographers and dresses never worn twice and... and...

No - never married myself. Didn't help when it came to break-ups or child support.

$10 000 is way under the average price wasted on a wedding. I think it's closer to $30 000 or $40 000.

In Australia we collectively spend more annually on weddings than we do on beer. That is a hideous "statistic". Something should be done about it.

[Lilly]

My sister and I are our two So's were talking about this the other day actually. Weddings and marriage that is - turns out she and her BF have been planning it for 'fun' - I think she's just too afraid to tell the folks cause she's the golden girl and they HATE him.

The two of them are planning to get married in an old prison chapel (Fremantle prison a local tourism spot) my sister will be wearing black and he's going to wear white / cream (after a joke made by me about the appropriateness of him getting married in white). Apparently I am going to be the maid of honour and be in either navy blue or dark purple. Then they're going to have the reception there as well. Her Bf's family is religious and is apparently quite insistent on a church wedding, for some reason I don't think this is what they had in mind though.

Me and my SO are meanwhile happy with a Registry wedding and then a big party afterwards.

My sis and I even talked about making all the dresses ourselves, we're pretty good at sewing.

[Wickedanima]

Of course... a wedding cake? I'd spend a fortune on... despite my lack of plans to ever get married. ^_^

[SyntheticShock]

Of course... a wedding cake? I'd spend a fortune on... despite my lack of plans to ever get married. ^_^

I made my sisters and my mothers wedding cakes and its WAY cheaper to do it at home, just takes a little time is all.

[SyntheticShock]

It's because society has teached women, since they were little girls, to dream about a perfect wedding. Have you ever watched, "Bridezillas"? Fuckin' crazy how woman get. Of course, that's not how all woman are, with spending trillions on a lavish wedding, but that is the thinking of a big part of the young female population. THEY MUST HAVE THE PERFECT WEDDING OR LIFE AS WE KNOW IT WILL END. As a man, I couldn't care less how much was spent. If my parents said ,"Hey, you can have a $10,000.00 wedding OR We'll give you $10,000.00 to put a down payment on a house.", I think any guy would pick the house any day of the week.

I have to admit, I really like to see the Bridezillas freak out, it makes me laugh.

[Raza]

The limit for a good party is whatever I can get my hands on one way or another, tbh.

Weddings are usually pretty lame though, and with the way most people's minds work throwing more ridiculous sums of money at them isn't going to change that.

[babyswitchblade]

When I get married, don't get me wrong, I want a nice wedding and all, but I don't want to spend all that much. I want to put the majority of the money we could be using on a wedding toward the travel expenses on our honeymoon.
And if there's anything left over, bonus! We'll have some extra cash to help us start our new lives as a married couple.

Celebrities are a fine example of, it doesn't matter if you spend fuckloads of money on your wedding, it all comes down to the simple things. You don't need loads of money to make your marriage last, and you don't need to spend a lot just to have a nice, memorable day.

[Wickedanima]

I made my sisters and my mothers wedding cakes and its WAY cheaper to do it at home, just takes a little time is all.

But... Cake! I mean. Home-made cake is the bomb, don't get me wrong...

But there's something lovely about a frilly cake. Makes me want to put my face in it. And throw it. And eat it with my hands.

[OliX]

The limit for a good party is whatever I can get my hands on one way or another, tbh.

Weddings are usually pretty lame though, and with the way most people's minds work throwing more ridiculous sums of money at them isn't going to change that.

Good party with money spent on music and alcohol is way better

[Raza]

I don't know, alcohol-fueled parties don't generally last very long, and the people at them get rather too annoying and graceless to be charming.

To each their own, of course, but personally I find that parties tend to get good around 6-12 hours in, when the drinkers have properly knocked themselves out of the picture.