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No way, not worth it. In this economy, who can really justify throwing away money on what is basically a big party? I mean, sure, have a nice wedding...but you can do that for a couple thousand dollars...doesn't have to be $10,000 or more. That's just insane.
No way, not worth it. In this economy, who can really justify throwing away money on what is basically a big party? I mean, sure, have a nice wedding...but you can do that for a couple thousand dollars...doesn't have to be $10,000 or more. That's just insane.
I hear of many couples pressured into a big wedding to satisfy their large families but they don't have the money for such a large event. Personally, I think the money spent on a big wedding would be better used as a downpayment on a home ... especially in an expensive place like NYC.
If your parents aren't footing the bill and you're pinching pennies to pay for a big wedding, is it worth it?
If my wife wanted a big flashy wedding i would not have married her. Some couples get so caught up in the occasion they tend to forget about the future.
Costs are terrible down under, $US 35-40thousand (about 40-45K in our own money) is often the quoted costs of an average wedding and honemoon hear, including reception, ring, dresses etc.
I think the parents paying for the wedding are a thing of the past? Certainly eveyone in my family has paid for it all themselves.
Last edited by danielsa1775; 06-28-2010 at 10:03 PM..
I went to a used surplus store looking for some picture frames.
Amongst them was a bunch of wedding pictures of the young bride and groom...family relatives...friends all seeming to have enjoyed themselves at the reception. Bunch of pictures being thrown out inside their frames...nothing kept. Sad that money was spent for a one day period and then soon after all the memories were discarded.
Via the pictures...style of clothes and the young ages of the couple...very recent.
If you want to have a "wedding", my advice is grab your closest friends (4 to 5 max on each side and their significant others, your parents, and any siblings) and go to Vegas for a weekend. If Vegas isn't your cup of tea, a weekend getaway could be fun. Personally, I always liked the idea of eloping. What's more romantic and personal than a getaway wedding/honeymoon vacation with just the two of you? In a way, I always felt your marriage vowels should be personal. Throw a big, low-key party (BBQ on the grill and coolers of beverages) when you get back.
I never understood why people want big weddings. It's a long day you have mingle with every one (not that is bad, but you should be having fun) and play politics from the planning stage to the post-wedding stage. It doesn't sound very romantic and enjoyable to me.
I hear of many couples pressured into a big wedding to satisfy their large families but they don't have the money for such a large event. Personally, I think the money spent on a big wedding would be better used as a downpayment on a home ... especially in an expensive place like NYC.
If your parents aren't footing the bill and you're pinching pennies to pay for a big wedding, is it worth it?
1. If you are just doing it to satisfy your family, it might not be worth it. However, you might ask for COLD, HARD CASH as a wedding present to defray your costs. I ended up with slightly more than I spent, which is awesome - means that you can have your cake and eat it too! I had 90 guests, half of which was family. You have to draw the line somewhere to limit your guest list. The more family you invite, the more money you are likely to get. Friends don't really contribute much.
2. If you do opt for a big wedding, make sure that you get good prices. In this economy you can bargain things down quite a bit, though I don't know about NYC. You might consider NJ?
3. If you have a big wedding, you better make it memorable. Don't get a gorgeous place and then have horrible food, because people will only remember the nastiness. Spend time finding a great photographer to capture all the details of such a dream wedding. If you do this, you won't regret the money spent.
4. Don't spent that much on your dress (rent, or order similar or replica designs from china on ebay for 300 USD - which saved me 5K) or ring (assuming that you didn't already get one). I personally did not get a diamond ring. A 1.5 carat ring is probably 20K, and a designer dress is 5+K, totaling 25K. No sirree bob. You can easily save 20K if you choose wisely - and use this money for the wedding. Nobody remembers the dress or the ring. The ring is just for showing off, but diamonds are not even rare and they will depreciate quickly. Plus when everyone is showing off their diamond rings, it all looks the same after awhile. An antique ring or gold band of sentimental value is also a good option. But if you must, you must... I was told by so many people that my 300 dollar dress looked like the most beautiful dress ever and it certainly looked much better than 90% of the dresses I saw in wedding shops. You know that all wedding gowns are manufactured in China anyways so the quality won't differ much... True story LOL! But be prepared to spend 200- 400 on alterations.
5. Have it at somebody's large home, with food catered by family.
6. It would be nice to save for downpayment on a home, but nowadays 25-30k won't amount to much in terms of instant gratification. You will just have to decide what is more important for you.
I was literally talking about my darn house. As far as kinds of weddings... tried them all and can attest to the outcome having nothing to do with the type of wedding.
No, spending anything over the bare minimum is stupid for a wedding. Its a legal contract by the government to bind two people that ends in divorce roughly half the time, costing even more money. Lets stop being idiots and start saving for retirement instead so we can golf or fish while getting high, like old people are supposed to be doing. Why spend 30,000 on a wedding when you could pay the cars off, put it down on a house, stack up the savings account for an emergency, or put some for a good cause then go on an awesome vacation. Spending tons on a wedding just for some pictures and a dress is materialistic and superficial now a days. Most important day in your life my ass. Try having a kid instead.
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