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WE can all agree that we're frugal on this board, but how frugal were you when it came to your wedding? This includes any wedding/engagement rings, invites, wedding planning, etc... I don't need exact numbers but did your wedding put a heavy dent in your frugalness?
I thought we were pretty frugal at the time. Neither of us come from wealth, but everyone was happy to contribute whatever they chose to our wedding. We didn't ask, but all 3 sets parents and one set of grandparents volunteered generous amounts for us to put towards the wedding/honeymoon, plus of course our own contribution. My parents who were local utilized their business contacts/relationships and bartered to get some great deals--I had the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen at a wedding. Didn't pay a dime for them. A fantastic wedding cake from a local "celebrity" baker. Also free! I was willing to spend more, but I found the perfect dress for $400 (still the cheapest of anyone I know!) Kept things cute, simple, and fun. My goal was for everyone to have a great time, not to impress anyone. A dozen years later people still talk about how fun they had at our wedding
We got a lot of bang-for-the-buck, had a great time, didn't take on any debt...BUT, the cash would have been a nice nest egg as were starting out (we were both 24) We had some tight years following our wedding, and we would "what if" we'd kept more cash. However, once we got through those years, I could look back and appreciate that we did a good job of making memories, having a blast, and keeping finances in check.
While I am one of the cheapest people you will meet, we spent quite a bit on our wedding around 15K. I really wished we didn't but given that we only planning on doing this once, we figured it wouldn't hurt to go a bit higher.
One of the benefits of being super frugal everyday is that when you want to spurge, you have the funds to make it happen!
I got married back in the dark ages...you know, the groom gets a new club, steals the bride from her tribe and drags her by the hair off to his cave for the honeymoon. A mastodon or two might be thrown on the fire for a celebration. Someone beats on the rocks with bones and everyone dances.
No, I got married in the 1960's and had what was the typical wedding for my circle of acquaintances. Church, minister and organist were free, my dress cost $72, my mother made the bridesmaid dresses. Flowers were cheap. A friend took the wedding pictures. We got a good deal on the tuxes. We had cake, nuts, mints, and punch in the church Fellowship Hall. Everybody in the church were invited via an invitation posted on the bulletin board. Our wedding rings cost $20 apiece. We had a cheap honeymoon.
I was still in college and he was in the service and being sent overseas in a couple of weeks. And you know what? Even with no $6000 gown, $200-a-plate reception and a band, the marriage somehow managed to last for 37 years until I lost him to a heart attack.
I was 23 and paid cash for my wedding. Paid for the divorce with cash starting when I was 27.
No need to be an established adult to be considered smart with money.
It's much easier to have more in savings when you've been in the working world for 15-20 years, though, than when you're just starting out. Didn't need a "nest egg" for a house, as we already had one, had established longtime careers, investments, retirement accounts, etc.
My wife was an orphan. She grew-up bouncing between various cousins. We were married at the chapel on-base [free] where I was stationed. I wore my dress uniform with a full beard, all the men were in uniforms. My wife made her dress, I think someone made the maids dresses. The VFW donated their hall for the reception, the KofC provided an open bar. Her uncle paid for catering [it was not lavish].
I bought the rings, I think they were around $300.
My wedding and reception cost more than I'd hoped, but much less than it could have. We bought our rings from the discount jeweler, and because my sister-in-law worked there, we got an additional 15% off. My dress came from the discount bridal shop, and my shoes from the equivalent of Pay Less. We each had one attendant and they paid for their clothing. Tit for tat, because we had been their attendant. My husband wore his dress military uniform.
The reception was held in a picnic pavilion adjacent to a hotel pool. They'd never had a reception there, and threw in free stuff like table centerpieces. They also pressure washed and painted it. Dinner was a buffet--not great, but not bad. It looked nice. They used their banquet room tables, and we had linens and music. Oh, and they hired a photographer to take some pictures so they could advertise. We got a copy.
We got quite a few things as gifts. My father's friend was a florist, my husband's uncle was a printer, my friend a church organist. The moms and dads paid for some things. All in all, not bad.
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