This made me sit up and take notice. HOLY COW! The average American wedding costs $26,000!!!
One question.
Why?
I was married - and my wedding was shit. It was in my sister-in-law's farm house. We had beer and ham sandwiches and I baked the cake. We played Euker. That would be on the very small side of the scale.
But I use to plan my family's weddings. When my son got married - it was me that they used to pull it together. I catered, I did the flowers, I did the reception. It was for 300 people and, other than the bar, I spent $1,000. And we had a spread. Food galore. Live band. Beautiful flowers, if I do say so myself. And the cake? Oh....that was my masterpiece.
I've been to some blow out weddings. Honest to goodness. That wedding I sang in last November at Disney - WOW. It was something else. And a day they will both always remember. Heck - they watch the video all the time.
But me? It's just not me. I just want a small, quiet, traditional ceremony and then a party to celebrate. That's it. I cannot imagine spending $26,000 on a wedding. Ever. Oh, I want a new dress - but then again, I always want a new dress. ;-) But $26,000?!?!?! But then again - maybe I'm just too simple.
Posted by Tammi at August 9, 2005 07:56 AMRight there with ya.
My brother got married at the courthouse for $50. He's just as married as anyone with a $26,000 wedding.
Posted by: Harvey at August 9, 2005 08:32 AMThat is because of all the weddings that are costing 50-75,000.
My wedding, while 10 years ago, cost $12,000 and that was for everything associated with the wedding and included the week honeymoon in the Bahama's.
We went cheap but still had a big wedding at a catered hall with open bar.
My dress was $475, I know a lot of girls who didn't even blink at spending a couple thousand on their dress.
My SIL and BIL (hubbies brother) who got married in Baltimore spent close to $50,000 on their wedding and it was in the afternoon.
Would rather take that money and put it towards something usefull, like a house.
Posted by: Machelle at August 9, 2005 08:41 AMThat is because of all the weddings that are costing 50-75,000.
My wedding, while 10 years ago, cost $12,000 and that was for everything associated with the wedding and included the week honeymoon in the Bahama's.
We went cheap but still had a big wedding at a catered hall with open bar.
My dress was $475, I know a lot of girls who didn't even blink at spending a couple thousand on their dress.
My SIL and BIL (hubbies brother) who got married in Baltimore spent close to $50,000 on their wedding and it was in the afternoon.
Would rather take that money and put it towards something usefull, like a house.
Posted by: Machelle at August 9, 2005 08:45 AMI just can't imagine doing that! If I spent that much, I would be physically sick. Our wedding was pulled together in 5 weeks (start to finish) and we didn't spend $5,000! (I don't think we topped over $4,000 if that.) And that was everything!
Watch "Bridezilla's" on WE on Sunday nights. It'll make you sick. The money these girls throw away! I agree with Machelle, for that kind of money, I'd rather have my wedding over again and pocket the rest for a house!
One wedding I watched on Bridezilla's, the couple were over their budget. They kept going, didn't scale back AND they took out a second mortgage on their house to pay for it! That's insane! It's a day. A couple of hours. People aren't going to remember what they ate or drank, they'll hopefully remember the love and the joy. What else matters?
Posted by: Lee Ann at August 9, 2005 10:43 AMYou all need to get out and live a little. 50k barely covered the bar tab at my wedding...
Posted by: Mark at August 9, 2005 11:44 AMMinus the dress and Tux I think we might be out $500 for ours
With dress and Tux, maybe $1,600
Bought 2 tents second hand for $50 each, did the whole thing outdoors with catering by Chick Fil A and Subway ;)
Oh yea and a whole bunch of beer ;)
Posted by: BloodSpite at August 9, 2005 03:37 PMMy wedding was under $1000.00. My husband couldn't believe how little I wanted. He tells me all the time how glad he is I am such a tight wad.;)
Posted by: Katy at August 9, 2005 03:52 PM26 g's!!! My wedding was... oh, wait. It wasn't.
Posted by: That 1 Guy at August 9, 2005 05:06 PMDamn, that money can go to such better things. Especially considering money is one of the top things couples fight about.
I want the people I care about there, in comfortable attire. I want it on a beach, lake, park....casual. And I want to celebrate afterward with good food, good music and good alcohol. I don't need anything fancy...I just need the people I love!
Posted by: Sissy at August 9, 2005 06:10 PMThat's obscene... but sweetie, that's not the average here in PBCounty. Oh no, my friend, go higher than that.
I married into an Italian family. Big weddings are a given. I had a nice damn wedding... 200 people, live band, the type that people still talk about years later and not because we pulled out all stops, but because it was nothing but elegance and class. Simple with baroque music until the band started. Heavy h'ordeuvres. We didn't come close to 10K.
I didn't need the big wedding, but it was nice. Very very nice. Hell, my MOM planned it. It's a given it was 1st class. If I had to get married again... If something happened to my soul mate... I'd go to the beach and jump over the stick.
Posted by: Bou at August 9, 2005 07:36 PMIt's kind of funny, but everyone that I have talked to that had a "big" wedding said if they knew then what they know now it would have been an elopement, me included.
That is what I tell newly engaged people. I tell them to truely think about eloping or a very very small wedding some place exotic.
blech, I hated the planning. All the bickering about what others wanted. I told them to pony up the money or shut up. Nobody put their money where there wants were.
Posted by: Machelle at August 10, 2005 06:17 AM