Every year, The Knot analyzes the cost of a wedding, and in 2014 Americans spent an average of $31,213, according to CNN Money. Wedding costs are on the rise. Additionally, I suspect that the economic recovery is also inspiring a little more confidence in some couples to spend a little more money.
But would you be willing to spend more than $30,000 on your own wedding. When I married a little more than 14 years ago, my wedding cost a little more than $3,000. Even then, though, my wedding was less expensive than the “going rate” ($23,000). One of the reasons was the fact that my religion doesn’t charge for marriage services. The venue for the wedding cost nothing, nor did the venues for both of my receptions. Additionally, marriage officiators don’t accept money. Not even a tip under the table. That fact alone dramatically reduced the cost of my wedding.
My family and my husband’s family also did a lot of DIY planning for the wedding. My husband’s family had a potluck reception with every bringing homemade dishes. The reception put on by my family involved desert and light drinks, and my numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins helped out — much as I helped out at my own cousins’ wedding in previous years. My mom sewed my wedding dress, and my former band teacher brought his jazz trio to provide the music. Because of the great support system I had, and because I really don’t care for things to be fancy and overdone, the whole thing cost a small amount, especially when you consider that the cost included airplane tickets for family members that flew across the country.
Deciding What’s Most Important to You
Of course, a big wedding wasn’t important to my husband and me. We have other priorities. For some people, though, a big wedding is important. If a big wedding is important to you, and you are willing to spend the money, it makes sense to figure out what items are “must haves,” and what items you can live without.
This is especially true if you don’t have the capital on hand to pay for your wedding. You might have to look for ways to cut costs, or attempt to raise money in other ways, such as through loans or with the help of crowdfunding campaigns. Some couples even get sponsors for their weddings. There are a lot of options for paying for weddings without resorting to loans that require you to pay interest for years after you are actually married. Even with the prospect of interest, though, there are some couples who feel that a loan is worth it in order to have the “perfect” wedding day. It’s up to you to decide what you think is worth spending money on, and what you might be willing to give in order to make your dream wedding a reality.
In the end, it really is about your long-term goals, and what’s important to you and your partner. But before you decide to spend a large amount of money on a wedding, carefully consider your options, and what you want your big picture to look like.
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