Fabulously frugal weddings
When I read this story the other day that Australian couples spend an average of $49,000 on their wedding, I was really shocked. After all, that sort of money isn’t far off the average annual wage of an adult Australian and is a pretty sizable deposit on a house. And aren’t we in an economic downturn?
Well there is a lot to pay for. There’s the cost of the diamond ring, the engagement party, invitations, the bridesmaid’s dresses, the wedding dress, buying or hiring the suit, the reception venue, hiring the church or celebrant, the photographer, music, the wedding bands, hair and makeup, flowers, the gifts for the bridal party, the favours, the honeymoon… phew! I’m feeling broke just thinking about it.
But does it really need to be $49,000 or can you get away with it for a lot less? This topic is a hotbed of discussion on Answers. All our experienced brides are on hand to give their tips on organising a fabulously frugal wedding.
- Where can I get Bridesmaid dresses in Australia online for under $250?
- My fiancé & I are planning a wedding for May 09 on a $5000 budget with 50 guests. Is this impossible?
- Should I do my own hair and make up on my wedding day to save money?
- What are some cheap and casual engagement party ideas in Sydney?
- How much is too much to ask people to pay on a Hens night?
Do you think it’s possible to have a nice wedding for under $49,000? How much do you think is reasonable to pay for a wedding in Australia?
Caitlin
Community Manager
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My ex-husband and I had our wedding for a grand total of $50. Yes, $50. I bought a simple plain white dress for $20 and shoes for $30. Our church pastor did the ceremony for free, we held it in a park, and went back to a friend’s place for afternoon tea. Now that we’re divorced, I’m REALLY glad we didn’t spend 1000′s.
Yes of course its possible. I am not married yet (engaged) but plan to have a very small low-key intimate wedding with just close family and friends. We have set a $5000 budget (that includes the honeymoon). I am not wearing a wedding dress (buying a dress off the rack for cheap), not having cars/transport as we will both be at the venue waiting for everyone, making our own decorations/invititations/place cards etc, I am getting my bridesmaids to pay for and choose their own dresses (I am giving them a colour to choose from) the groomesmen will be either wearing suits they already have or hiring them for the day (works out cheaper), there are so many things you can do to cut back on costs for a wedding. You don’t have to spend thousands upon thousands.
dont come crying when you cant afford to pay for your house after spending $49000 on a wedding $8000 would be enough easily
After seeing too many costly weddings (4 daughters), I give all my men friends this advice, “Give him/her 20,000 dollars to elope and you will save 20,000 and loads and loads of time. Cheers
At first I was shocked at the amount, but if you’re calculating the cost of the engagement ring, wedding rings, and the honeymoon, I can see why it’s so high. You can see how spending $15,000-$20,000 on a diamond engagement ring, and $5000-$8000 on a honeymoon, that’s like half that price right there.
I don’t think it needs to be that expensive, of course. I would want a very low-key affair personally. But I can see how it all adds up…
I’m getting married in a month *eeek* and am expecting 250-300 guests at my wedding. Yes it all adds up and you try to direct your funds to the things that are most important to you and save on other things. We’re saving $800-$1000 by choosing not to hire a limo for the day and had our invitations made overseas.
And yes we have had a few people ask my fiance and I if we’re sure that we really want to have such a big wedding. But everyone is different. For us, from the start, we decided that our wedding day is something really important to us that we want to share and celebrate with our family and friends, as they have been important to us as individuals and will be there to support our relationship as a couple.
Also coming from a Chinese background, many of the guests that are from a Chinese background will be giving gifts of money, as is the custom, to help contribute to the cost of the banquet and venue.
An idea would be to ask the guests for cash gifts, instead of the usual choice from the wedding registry. A friend’s son did this and each family/couple gifted at least $100/-.
$15-20,000 on an engagement ring!!!??? FH spent $800 on mine (value of $1700 as he bargained
) and it means more to me than any $15,000 ring because he chose it for ME!
We are getting married in May and we’re looking at about $30,000 for our big day and the honeymoon. That is 100 person 3 course meal in a beautiful ceremony and reception venue, then a 14 night cruise! We’re wanting for nothing, but are not going over board on anything either.
Sit down right at the beginning and each write a list of what is a must have or really important to you, and what you’re willing to compromise on. Compare lists and come up with a master list! Go from there and get at least 3 quotes on EVERYTHING!
Oh, and we already have our house and an investment unit at 25 years old.. So we’re not wasting our money in our opinion..
My husband and I got married 8.5yrs ago for under $250. The wedding cost us nothing, we weren’t interested in a reception, dress cost $80 second-hand, someone borrowed me their daughters headress, the shoes I had bought a couple of mths before for $10 on sale, our rings cost $60 and $70, and hubby just wore his church suit.
I don’t understand spending thousands of dollars, we were just happy to be married.
As I said, we’ve been married 8.5yrs, we have 4 little girls 7, 4, 2, and 5wks… and we didn’t have to spend thousands to be happy.
Of course weddings don’t have to cost that much. It can be as much or as little as you choose.
2 years ago my husband and I got married at home with close family and friends – 40. I bought my dress new for $170 and can wear it again as it isn’t white. My husband bought new clothes but wears them all the time. We made our own decorations, cake, invitations, and bridal bits and pieces, did our own catering with the help of friends.
I haven’t actually sat down and done all the calculations but with the rings ($2200 engagement and $1200 for the wedding rings) and honeymoon ($1800) – a week in Tasmania – it would all have been about $6500 and we couldn’t be happier. Of course the cost was spread out over several months so didn’t make a big dent in the budget in one go.
A credit card bill that you are paying off years after the photos have faded just isn’t worth it.
The important thing is each other.
Ours came to under $10,000 (including honeymoon to Queensland)….covered 100 guest at a nice reception. I did the ringing around to find the cheapest but of great quality for limos, bridesmaids dresses, etc…..on the day i pre booked a hair salon and beautician and pretended to be attending someone else’s wedding and got my hair and make-up for half price…..THE MINUTE U MENTION WEDDING EVERYTHING DUPLICATES IN PRICE!!!!!
It depends on whether it is your first time. My husband and I got married (second time for both of us) for under $1000. I bought a nice dress he got a new suit and we went to the reg office, family and close friends were present. Later we went on a honeymoon to NZ.
My daughter had a fabulous wedding on Valentines Day for under 25,000 it was a huge hit and great memories were made. Anywhing is possible depending on what your budget is and how many guests etc.
my husband and i got married 9yrs ago and we only paid $15,000. it was a beautiful wedding and we have fantastic photo’s. i’d never spend or want to spend $49,000 on a wedding it’s to much money, in my opinion.
It should be what you can afford and thats it.
There is no sense in speaking badly of people who spend alot of money on a wedding. They did what they could afford.
What is over the top for one person is different for what another person believes to be over the top.
Culture has a big part to play also. Many cultures make a huge deal of weddings because it is what they do.
The thing that is most important, is not what you spend, or how you save money, or where you get the fancy cars, or how much you saved on the honeymoon, whats most important is that your wedding day reflects you and is what suits you.
Ive worked as a chef in events catering for around 10 years and have seen many rediculous, and many awesome things. Wether I liked it was irrelevant. Its all about it being a reflection of the bride and groom
Also its not fair to gaulf when people say they are having a big wedding as opposed to an ‘intimate’ event. I have a large family. When I got married around 60 people were what I consider as immediate family. (members who I spent almost every day of my life in contact with) With my husbands family and about 30 of our closest friends, our guest list was 150. For my family, that is a small wedding, compared to my brothers who had upwards of 250.
You have to remember whatever you think is a small/large or simple/over the top wedding, is different to someone else circumstances.
You cant judge one wedding to what you want and consider it OTT or simple, its all about what your own personal circumstances are.
To cripple yourself or your parents financially is just rediculous. But to have a wedding that reflects your taste and what you want it to be, that can be done on any budget, regardless of how simple or fancy you want.
My fiance and I are getting married in November. All up, the wedding will probably cost around $10,000 including the engagement party. Fortunately, my parents have been saving for this very occasion. FH got my ring in a half price sale and bought it on a take home layby, so he is paying it off monthly through direct debit. We are about to get our wedding rings on 40% off sale which i will pay off on a take home layby. Mum is making my dress, the bridesmaids dresses (who are paying for their own material) and the flowergirls. Family friends do cakes so they are making the cake, my aunty is a florist so we are getting the flowers from the flower markets (or the supermarket!!), my bro’s friend is a photographer so he is doing it for us, boys got a good deal for suit hire including shoes, friend does mary kay so is doin our makeup and i would suggest to ppl to look at ur local tafe for hair because they have assessments and would b over the moon if you gave them $10 per hairdo!!
We also got a great package for the reception including table decorations, DJ, alcohol, buffet (which most ppl would prefer) and accommodation for the night.
There are ways to do it on the cheap – another cheap option would be a breakfast or lunch wedding!
weddings don’t cost a lot, it’s the brides who inflate the price,
if your a man then marry a man it’s cheaper
You can have a wonderful wedding for $8000 – $15000 depending how much work you want to put into it yourself.
Firstly decide what is really important to you. If you want to have a huge reception with all the friends and rellies you can do that but perhaps other things might not be as important.
Consider hiring a hall and getting one of the mobile roast companies that do buffet style. There is a lot to be said for having food that you know everyone will eat! I’ve been to fancypants weddings where the food is 5 star but not to everyones diet or taste. It can be a disaster!
Don’t feel that you have to keep up with the Joneses! There are some gorgeous dresses in the shops (that don’t have to be ordered from America) if you have a really good look around.
You don’t have to have a ginormous diamond to prove your love. You don’t need the honeymoon suite or penthouse to really enjoy your honeymoon. If you have a friend who does hair/makeup/flower arrangements for the church, they might do it in lieu of a wedding gift. Friends with flash cars might be willing to lend and it is special if friends or family can share things like veils.
You can make you own invitations, guest gifts (a chocolate in tulle is nice), table decorations, room decorations etc. Not creative? The internet is a never ending source if inspiration.
Most importantly spend some time looking around and check prices – don’t accept the first quote! Also when you first get prices just say you are having a party. Sometimes the price goes up when you mention the “W” word.
Weddings are special but your life together is much more important. It is not worth spending all your savings, or even worse, borrowing to pay for, a one day event.
How many people spend $$Thousands$$ then divorce?
Its only a piece of paper. It can seem like more because you have been brought up from a child to think its real important.. Lots of money for one day. You can be as close without marriage. But everyone is different and so, what ever makes you happy.
We got married last September and spent around $15,000. We had a large bridal party, but very generous too, as they volunteered to pay for dresses and hair. We had 80 guests and cut costs by not going over board with minute details which can be costly. For example, chair covers cost about $6 per chair, and a sash, which looks just as effective is only $2 per chair. $480.00 vs $160.00 and really, no one cares what they sit on!! We splashed out on our photography, as we wanted beautiful memories of our day and it payed off for us. While it was expensive, the photos turned out amazing. We sat down and made a list of what we thought was the MOST important details to our wedding. Our decoratons were simple – ballons and confetti along with the bridesmaid flowers completed our look. We saved on cars by having the ceremony and the reception at the same place. We did our own invitations and instead of place cards, we made up a table arrangement to be at the front of the marquee where people were sitting. We got all the dresses from the same place and qualified for a discount and free alterations. When getting dresses from a specialised bridal shop, you can garuntee they will fit you perfectly and the alterations will be minimal, instead of buying of the net and having HUGE alterations done at a high price. We didn’t have an extravagent wedding, but it was beautiful and meaningful just the same, and people STILL compliment me on how nice our wedding was. $49,000 is just too much to spend on a wedding, I don’t know HOW i could spend that much actually!
Well I am truly flabbergasted by the amounts I have seen here. Being older and now wiser I can see the rip off associated with the cost of weddings. Young people are encouraged to make it bigger and better, and therefore more expensive. Commercialism at it’s best I think, only rivalled by the amounts of money people waste on their kids. In life there is a huge gap between need and want, and there are vultures waiting in the wings to relieve the wanters of their hard earned cash. In times past a wedding was a simple affair shared with close family and friends only, with the emphasis being on love and the commitment made on the day. This of course was before it became acceptable to live together out of wedlock, so the big thing that newlyweds looked forward to was a home away from their parents, sex, and the comfort of snuggling up to a loved one. Somewhere those values seem to have been lost, and a great indication of that is the high divorce rate. Marriage does not seem to be forever anymore, and the promise to stick it out for better or worse is so easily broken.
So, how much do I think is appropriate? Not a cent. A religious ceremony should be free, and it is the ancilliaries that cost a bucket, the reception. Holding it at home and making it a celebration catered for by friends and family means minimal outlay for everyone. Rings are a token and the more spent for instance on a huge engagement ring for instance does not mean the love is any stronger, neither does a big amount spent on receptions, special attire etc.. Save the money for a home and keep it simple. I have done it both ways and the simpler way was much more satisfying in the long run.
I just wish some couples would focus on the marriage not the wedding day, that more people had it in them to stand up and say “NO” to the rip off merchants. Alas and alak though, I fear an average cost will become more like $100K as young people compete to be bigger and better.
Remember though, the strength in marraiage is honouring the promise, making it last, not the amount spent in a single day.
My husband and i got married for under $8000 including honeymoon and we’ve been told by guests that our wedding was better than some of the more extravagant one’s they’d been too – and we’ve been to also. $49000 is ridiculous. sure, if you’ve got the money go ahead, but it’s no use getting into debt over. its a magical day and should be remembered for what it is. Not the hoopla associated. I’ve been asked to plan friends weddings because of my ‘thriftness’.
in some cases too, this is not the only wedding the bride or groom may have (sorry to say). iv heard people say, ‘my first wedding cost this, my second one didnt cost anywhere near that’ and they’re divorced again. spend what you want to spend – its ur day, i just dont think you need to go into debt for it, or use what could pay money on your mortgage etc….. There’s nothing wrong with DIY invites and renting suits…..
My frst wedding cost $40k and that was just the wedding date – not an expense was spared. The marriage lasted 2 years. I am married again and the total cost of this wedding was $2,500 and it was the best wedding I have ever been to!! People are still talking 5 years on about it being the best wedding they have ever been too. We had 120 guests and it was the best night of my life. People just go overboard when it comes to weddings.
I think our wedding cost about $4000 twenty years ago and that included the honeymoon. I wish people would focus on their marriage and not the wedding day. Of course you want to enjoy it and celebrate with loved ones, but there is this idea ingrained on our minds that we MUST have such and such. We MUST have an engagement ring… who says? I didn’t bother with an engagement ring, I’m still married 20 years later. It’s just a thing, just a tradition. What you do and how you live your marriage is where the focus should be.
My husband and I got married in a beautiful winery on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. All up the wedding cost us just under $25,000 we only had 80 people so I guess that cut down on a lot of costs. Instead of Bonbeneire I hand made place cards with their names and made each one individual and beautiful. I think sometimes a bag of sugared almonds can just look tacky, and a waste of money. Lots of small things like that, where you can do them yourself will save $$. You can really go overboard, but just weigh up what details are more important. I decided that the venue, photographer and band were the most important details. Everything else I either put together myself or had friends help me out. It is also a good way of getting everyone involved in your wedding.
We had a sweet little ceremony on the beach. $350 celebrant, $50deli platter from woolies at beach park, some beer, wine and water in the esky, bride made cake, normal clothes, flowers from the garden, uber casual. Only 14 guests. Under $600.
I have just looked through and noticed that many people have written that they think that 8k or less is enough.
I suppose it would be if you wanted a backyard BBQ with your friends taking the photos. Considering a good photographer is around $2000 good luck with that.
Ebay is a great place to look for bargain wedding dresses to save on the big day. After all, people who spend $49,000 on their wedding will probably be looking to recoup some of the cost afterwards to pay off their resulting debt, and one way to do this is to sell the wedding dress!
I bought a designer Maggie Sottero wedding dress worth $1800 for $500. It is a stunning dress and had only been worn once.
You need to be careful though. Limit the search to Australia to avoid Asian shams that claim to provide designer dresses for $50, and check the feedback rating of the seller. Ask a lot of questions so you know exactly what you are getting.
My newphew spent 56 thousand on his wedding, well her folks and his folks spent that! He spent 11-thosuand on the engagement ring and goodness knows wot on the wedding ring. They went to Hawaii for their honeymoon. Must have cost about six grand. All in all it was a beautiful day and just was so perfect peak to a seven year courtship. A few weeks after the honeymoon she suddenly said “i don’t want to be married anymore.” and it was over. Just like that. Someone forgot to prepare her for the come down to reality of housework, smelly breath in the morning and people no longer surrounding her with ” it’s gonna be fantastic, it’s gonna be great” and no longer being the centre of attention. Getting married ? show some humility== we aren’t all James Packers.
My wife & I spent around $10,000 on my youngest
daughters wedding last year. We expected some
contribrution from the grooms parents but it was not
offered. My daughter saved some money by having
the ceremony in the hotel [no wedding cars etc]
The couple are both professional people earning
good salaries but they ony paid for the hairdresser,
flowers & bridal suite for the honeymoon nite. Should
they have contributed a little more or at least offered?
i believe the bare minimum why ? do you rather pay your mortgage quicker & spend more time with the one you love or have a huge party for 1 night only.
Of course you can do it way less than $49000. Some things can be done yourselves, do those things yourselves. Right there is where you will save. Pay to get hair done but make your own wedding favours, invites, arrangements. We even made our own cake base but paid to have it iced, only eneded up being $200 for a two tiered cake enough to feed 90 guests and keep the top layer!
My husband and i had our wedding for $5000 we asked our guests to help out instead of gifts eg: my Aunty made the wedding cake, my brother filmed the wedding, a good friend (photographer) took the photos, our pastor did the service my mother in law paid for the marraige licence another friend did makeup ect it was an awsome wedding
$49 000!!! holy crap! i don’t think i’ll be getting married any time soon
We are getting married in a few months our wedding will cost around $200 except for airfares that is $2000
gee some people are just to greedy. if you really love that person you’d spend alot of money on the special day. my sister is getting married and she’s doing it the cheap way of how i’m doing it.
U need at LEAST 10,000 for a good wedding, and that’s cutting back heaps. A photographer and video guy alone is 3,000, the ceremony & reception would be around $6000 at a nice venue. And what about the dress, rings etc, another few $$ thousand. How can anyone wear cheap things on such an important day of celebration, i’m not saying it should be overly expensive, but it definately should be beautiful. It’s the most important day of your life, next to having a baby. It is special to celebrate it in style.
I am doing it for 5K I won my wedding dress in a comp so thats covered, mum and dad are payin for the recption and we are putting about $3000 on it
Wow, some of these comments are fascinating!! I am getting married for the first time next January and it will be partner’s second time. I want the whole fairytale, and he doesn’t, so we have agreed to compromise. We’ll be getting married on a beach in Port Douglas, with only 2 witnesses (but I’ll have my white dress no matter what!!!) and when we get back we’ll have a cocktail style reception where we can celebrate with all those we’re close to. We’re hoping to keep it to around $7 – $8,000 and that’s REALLY cutting back….
why marry , live together and spend the $ on yourself or a deposit on a House ,de facto is just about the same as married in legal terms. Good luck
If you’ve got the money, fine.
If you think money mkes a wedding, you’re mistaken.
Also, be aware that social gatherings aren’t, like, heaven on earth for a lot of people. On the contrary, they can be extremely stressful for people with depression, for example.
There may very well be people who – although they wish you the greatest happiness – would rather give big productions a miss. Understand. Send them a piece of wedding cake.
No one persons wedding day will ever be exactly the same as everyone has different budgets and different ideas of what makes the perfect day. whether that be a huge wedding in a church and the traditional wedding dress and all the extras. Or it be a quiet private ceromony in your Mum and Dad’s back garden it doesnt matter. What i would like to know is why are people so concerned about how much someone elses wedding expenses are wouldn’t it be much nicer if we could all just appreciate each others differences and be happy for the newly wed couple. Personally when the day comes that i get married i wont be worried about how much my rings cost or what flavour the icing on the wedding cake was i will be thinking about the Man i am marrying and the wonderful things we will have to look forward to in our future together.
You can go spend all the money in the world.. but the most important thing is that its about you.. when my fiance and I finally do get married. I dont want to spend anymore then about $6000 -$7000 on a wedding.. I can justify it.. I have found a venue that can be used as the wedding and the reception too.. great area to have photos at and an al-a-cart meal too with entree and main or main and dessert..
about only$1000 on the bar.. which I dont even want to do that but my fiance says he has to at least do that… most people have to drive to the venue so if anyone wants harder stuff to drink that is up to them.. they pay.. we live together and my partner has been married before.. so I would like to be a princess for the day.. we are thinking of tellin everyone to get dressed up for a cocktail party then once everyone gets there, say welcome to the wedding of…. if people want to help or what to give. tell them gift cards for woolworths, bunnings etc as they are more practical and lets face it, it can always help with doing the weekly shopping.. eh? not only that one can make their own table decorations from going to place like the reject shops or $2 shops and find candle holders etc.. balloons are a good way of decorating.. get up early and go to woollies in the morning for your flowers when they first open.. I know of about 7 brides that have done that for their flowers or if ya really want to the flower markets.. save money
there is always people around who can make ya dress for under $1000 even in plus sizes.. I know.. reduce the number of attendees by getting them to read something instead. have a bridal shower and a glass of wine, make your decorations that way people feel like they have helpped with the wedding..
DO research.. where there is a way there it is possible to bring it under $6000..
GOOD LUCK!
I’ve read some of the above posts, which were great, but keep in mind that prices have gone up- venues are more expensive, etc…than they were 5 years ago or even 2 years ago….
I am keeping track of all costs from the engagement ring, to beauty treatments, to honeymoon costs ($4500+ spending money).
We are getting married next year. I bought a nice designer wedding dress second hand.It cost $200 dollars, but it’ll prob cost another $200 in alterations. The bridal party is responsible for all their own gear,make-up etc…but my hair and makeup will run $175 +another $175 for a trial. Also factor in bridal underwear,
Spend what you feel is right, however if you are wanting to cut costs back, here’s some ideas:
- Have people pre-pay for their meals or place money in a “wishing well” (some kind of decorated container) to contribute to a new car, the honeymoon etc, instead of buying house gifts (most people have enough house items already, or will be given them as engagement gifts). Most weddings I’ve been to have done this and guests prefer it as it saves them time and sometimes money. If you are worried about asking for this on an invite, one couple I know used a poem to ask.
- Go to Spotlight and choose a pattern and have your dress and bridesmaid dresses made- don’t mention the word wedding, just say it is for a formal affair. Or get a dressmaker to copy a picture in a wedding magazine.
- Alternatively, go to an op-shop and buy a dress (note: some unsightly decorations on the dresses from the 80’s can be picked off- I bought a wedding dress with a train for $30 from the Salvo’s and unpicked top detailing). You can add detailing of your own buy purchasing lace, ribbons, brooches etc. Look through magazines to get inspiration.
- Google “florist sundries” for companies that supply beautiful fabrics/wrappings on rolls that may be so much cheaper than hiring or buying fabrics. Use for pew, chair, centrepiece decorations etc.
- Buy fairy and rope lights etc. after Christmas time when stores have these on sale.
- Do you have any famous family recipes? Have someone make a popular recipe for the cakes or favours (e.g. Chocolates, cakes, slices). Cupcakes are now very popular, too, for wedding cakes.
- Have someone make a cake and decorate with fresh or silk flowers, or other decorations such as lace, ribbon, diamantes, jewellery etc. One cake I have seen has photos of the bride and groom printed on paper, then wrapped around the cake and decorated with ribbon.
- Watch “Whose Wedding is it Anyway?” on Arena on Foxtel/Austar for ideas.
- Look for creative DIY ideas- guests remember something different and creative a LOT more than something expensive.
- Have you and bridesmaids carry something else other than flowers- what about candles? Or a feather arrangement (yes, I’ve seen it and it can look very nice if done correctly!).
- Google “centrepiece ideas.” Consider items such as white or coloured ostrich feathers in a vase (yes, I’ve seen that as well- it looks good lit from below), romantic old-style books bound with ribbon, photos of the bride and groom, mirrors, sea items. Tea light candles look romantic and a really cheap bought in bulk. There are so many creative ideas you could try.
- Have the reception at the same place as the ceremony, such as have the ceremony on a beach, then with finger-food for a meal. Then you can use the decorations for the ceremony with the reception.
- Remember: If you still want a beautiful wedding, but at a cheap place, you can turn just about any place (whether it be your living room, back yard, paddock, beach, park or hall) beautiful with the right decorations. Just look for cheap DIY solutions. And you don’t have to have chairs for people to see the ceremony- they can easily stand). Halls and public outdoor places can be cheaper than restaurants for receptions. Halls are good, too, because they may allow you longer to set up for decorating.Even try a backyard wedding at home- unsightly items could be covered with fabric and use accent decorations to tie the fabric covers in together. You could get it catered if you wanted
- Think about buying garden arches from a discount/two-dollar shop or lattice from a hardware store and draping with fabric and accents (lanterns tied with ribbons (also two-dollar shop), silk flowers, jewellery etc.). Even look for furniture, garden items or lace curtains from an op-shop , paint and decorate (e.g. remove different sizes photo frames from a backing and photo and spray paint).
- Go somewhere local for your honeymoon or find out if you can borrow a friend’s holiday house or campervan etc.
- You can have a very nice finger-food meal that the guests can pre-pay, this will avoid you having to pay for the meal and also means you don’t need centre-piece decorations, place cards etc.
- Go to a wedding planner (look around, as some can be quite cheap whilst others can be very expensive). They have all the right contacts to take stress out of the day and they will know how to make a wedding beautiful, but a lot cheaper (and they will know how to stick to your budget). They can also be there on the day to take the stress out of the running of the day- I’ve seen so many brides worried about the day (which is already emotional) that they don’t enjoy what the day means.
- Google “cheap bonbonniere” or “cheap favour ideas,” because gone are the days when you had to have sugared almonds, there may be cheaper ideas.
- Have a no-alcohol wedding, or only have alcohol for the toasts. You can also get some very nice non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice. Some wine companies also make these so you can get bubbly that tastes just like the real thing.
- Don’t have children at the wedding.
- Have a jeweller copy a more expensive design from a picture of a more expensive ring.
- Have the wedding on a Sunday or Friday, or in winter time, as this can cut costs a LOT.
Hope this helps!!! Good luck and congratulations!!!
I had my wedding in thailand with a ladyboy for only 50 baht, but after our honeymoon she stole my shoe and i dont know where she go now
The price of a wedding depends on what you want. I found some of the above posts to be almost humorous and the truth is you’re going to struggle to get the wedding cost down below 20,000. And that’s if you do your own make-up and hair, buy a second hand or off the rack dress, have a in-Australia honeymoon, etc…
You can have the actual ‘wedding’ ceremony reasonably cheaply- but an ‘average’ celebrant costs around $450-500 dollars. Plus there are fees associated with the marriage license depending on what state you live in. Having the ceremony at home or at a family/friends home will add no extra cost, but consider if you want any flowers etc…if you want a gazebo or arch, if you are going to provide chairs for guests, and whether refreshments will be served. If you are not having the ceremony at home expect to spend from 100-500 on a venue. Local parks even charge around 100 for gathering larger than 30 people.
Then there’s the reception. Expect to pay around 115.00 per person at the minimum (inclusive of alcohol), if you have high expectations of food and wine, expect to pay more like 140-180 per person. This means a reception for 80 people will cost between 9,000 and 15,000. Don’t expect things like a dance floor, an mc or microphone services to be included.
All of this is without any of the professionals
-a wedding planner
-a photographer (from around $1000)
-Hair/make up artist
-limo or car rental
- a wedding cake
There is also the grooms wear, shoes, wedding rings,etc…and many hidden costs that some brides fail to take note of like the cost of a manicure to show off the new engagement ring…
My daughter got married on a budget like the old fashioned days
She borrowed a wedding dress and veil her witness bought her own cocktail frock the boys did hire suits, she had a garden wedding with a celebtant who was an ordained Minister.
The wedding was held at her great aunts who has a lovely garden and she did the flowers as a wedding gift
I (her Mum did most of the catering and her older sister and 2 sister inlaws did all finger food, lasange, mornays and stir fries, pies pasties quiches, dims sims spring rolls equivilent of $100 worth of food also as a wedding gift .
My 2 sisters did the sweets and cakes we had a 100
guest and there was plenty of lovely food.
We had a Wishing Well for guests to put their cards in with what ever money they could afford ( as they were living together and had most of what they wanted) and with the money they went to Bali for 2 weeks.
I think the dearest part of the wedding was the hirage of the 2 suits and the $300 for the wedding cake and the celebrants fee
Im getting married in Jan and we are spending 5500. this is for 50 guests, we are having a beautiful ceremony all deco’s and photographer and cars. the reception is a marquee at my mums property decorations i am doing myself, we are having a dj for music (this includes mc) we are having a 3 course meal. it pays to look around to be able to do it so cheap. i will be wearing a proper dress. we asked the bridesmaid and groomsmen to buy their own. Be honest and your friends and family will be happy to help. invitation are either DIY or look on ebay for people (always check rating). use silk flowers this was you can buy in advance, they dont die and can keep them as a keepsake after!
As some of the posts so far have said, each situation is different and different factors will determine how much the cost of a wedding is going to be. For some, cost is irrevelant when we are talking about a special day for a couple and to have everything spot on is the bigger concern. Regardless of how much money you have to spend, as long as you are happy with how the day goes then what does it matter.
When I got married, the in mum in law wanted the whole “extravaganza” as I married her only daughter. Things were going nuts until we (the wife and I) put the handbrake on as it was starting to sprial into the realms of A) more then we really could afford and B) not really what we wanted. We compromised on a lot of things to get a happy medium for everybody (I for instance got to pick the honeymoon, and yes, I did take the wife) and the other stuff the girls sorted out.
It was a lovely day for everbody, really it ended up being a pretty social event with freinds and family with a bit of pomp and tradition thrown in to keep the olds happy.
For the record, 14k all up after splurging on some stuff and taking it easy on others. Would have been easy to spend double or half that making different choices along the way and with possibly the same outcome.
The mega rich either spend millions, or 2 bob on a beach in some far off place with 2 witnesses, i guess money makes no difference when the whole point of day is to celebrate the love the couple share for each other and well, at the end of the day, you’re still married right?
$49,000 on a wedding OMG! .. but seriously absolutely everything is so over priced. Alot of comments are from those that got married years ago. My partner & I thought that we could have a nice wedding for under $10,000. So not going to happen, in fact not sure if it is going to happen at all!. Seriously add it all up, nothing over the top, just the basics, then try doing it under $20,000!
we spent less than 5000 on ours just last sept. dress cost 200 suits 500 bridesmade dress 150 to hire church 450 reception at church hall at18.00 per head and was very nice .i made all my own invitations and menus decorations and flowers wre made by my mother inlaw who is a florest cake was 250 everything was bought on sale or off ebay. it can be done and still be very nice
We are getting married In April. Very small ceremony with only immediate family. We decided to rather save our money for the house and furnishings. The result is a tiny mortgage and low stress. Expensive weddings are an example of why the world is in the state it’s in.
PS, when you go on honeymoon do not mention that word to anyone involved in the booking process, you will be charged extra just because you are on honeymoon. It’s sickening
my wedding was amazing and relaxed and we got away with it for just over $5000 you dont need to spend alot it was everything we wanted and everybody was comfortable and happy my dress was $400 celebrant $450 brides maids dresses $30 each we had caterers 80 people for $1200 our rings $200 each flowers we put together ourselves for $75 drinks $250 and then we had family take care of things for us too the cake and decorations were free and a fun thing to do with friends. My thoughts were Yes it is an important day but is is just that 1 DAY how much you spend dosent make the rest of your life better
My wife and I spent $50K on our wedding incl honeymoon last Oct. For us, we will only do it once. We didnt go into this wedding thinking about getting a divorce. We are in it for the long run. We wanted this day to be as memorable as possible for us, and for our family and friends – and it was. For me, the highlight of the day was seeing how truly happy my wife was. Money comes and money goes. but these happy times are treasured forever. We dont regret one bit spending what we did.
it gets pretty expensive. im 13 and i have family and friends who pay 30-50 grand.the most expensive thing is usually the reception which totals about 10-20 grand these days
i had a cheap wedding and everyone said it was the best oen they had gone to. i also drove myself and a friend made the cake. i didn’t want to go into my marriage with problems already.
Try a Quaker Wedding. You don’t have to dress up (Quaker Simplicity) though you can if you like nor pay the priest because there isn’t one – just a celebrant from the Meeting who you asked for. You can organise a youthful celebration afterwards somewhere else to suit your tastes so all you need to cater for is tea and sandwiches after the Meeting for family and friends.
ok Im teh bride up above who won a wedding dress Im spending 5K reception starts at 27per head,at windyhill n we have weddig dress done already(won a 3K dress) but I was only going 2 go on ebay and pay $200 but on top of that we have people who have vintage cars, Im DIY for invites, Im making cupcakes for the cake with one normal block up on top DIY flowers everything is DIY for me and I want to d that, its more spesh um if u wanna know more DIY tips u should check out BridezUnited prob the best site for planing ur wedding with girls who are planing and who have planed their wedding so lots of advice
i have been married twice and both times my weddings were not that dear i cant remember the cost of my first as it was nearly 30 years ago but my second was 12 months ago we got married on a ferry with only 20 guest i had my dress made but i got the matrial and i hunted for that for the cheapest place
the invites i got them from overseas lot cheaper then australia my flowers were all made of a lady on ebay and they were lovely guys wore suites i made my own wedding cake and i had never done that before but it turned out loverly
my hair pieces i got from overseas were $30 in australia i $10 including postage for the excact same thing i think ours came to about $4000 and we had a great day the dearest part was the wedding rings
Why get married at all. COST NOTHING We have been together for 20 years and have 7 kids
We had a very low key,got married in ballarat,just booked a very nice resturant,reqested that people pay for their food instead of buying a present,the top meals back then was only $15.00 only.Had a nice cake,all up it cost us $800.00 dollars,even now people make a coment that it was the best wedding they have been to.I would rather have my house,then wasting all that money.
Ebay drastically reduced the cost of our wedding in 2007.My dress was a 2nd hand designer that looked stunning, we made our invitations & centre pieces.I get a kick out of being frugal! Our day was magical with ALL the trimmings. Engagement ring to honeymoon in Port Douglas $14 000.Keep it simple and use ebay!
What comes after a wedding is so much more important than the actual wedding day. Why put yourself into debt so your friends can have a big party on your account? My boyfriend and I are getting married in July and the budget is $800 – $1000. I bought a cocktail dress which cost $100. The church and minister are free. The reception is at a surf lifesaving club and the venue is free, we pay for the food and we are only having 20 guests. Friends and family will help out with photography, hair, makeup and transport.
Please do not ask for money as some people have suggested. Although this has become common and acceptable to many people it is an incredibly rude, bad mannered and un-Australian thing to do.
Most of your loved ones will already go to some expense to attend your wedding and may feel embarassed if they can’t give as much as others. Some say “just give what you can afford” but what if you can’t afford anything?
Regardless of the culture of other countries, Australians do not expect other people to pay for their you-beaut honeymoon.
If you can’t afford it, don’t it. Your loved ones will be more impressed by a home cooked meal on your 5th/10th wedding aniversary if you use a serving bowl or platter they gave you as a present, instead of seeing photos of your overseas honeymoon on their money. (married 19 years and still going after a simple wedding)
I’m getting married in april and so far have only spent around $1000. That is the wedding, dress, honeymoon and everything else. There is just no way that we could get married if we had to pay any more than that.
We spent $350.00 on our wedding it was an awesome time and the guest enjoyed themselves
Spend lots of money if you can afford it; but cutting cost doesn’t change your friends opinion towards you: that’s when you realise who your real friends are! Personnaly, our wedding cost us around $10000(al costs included ski trip to NZ as honeymoon), we didn’t want to celebrate at some function that kicks you out at 11:30 like they all are… we just wanted to party! To be honest, weddings are just like any party. But the day your child born, that’s so much more commitment with your partner than getting married! Happy wedding!
I got married in December on the Gold Coast. My wedding ceremony and reception cost $8,400. Above that, I paid $195 for my flowers, $350 for my dress, $118 for my cake, $20 for my shoes, $175 for hair and makeup and then put a tab on the bridal table’s bar for $200. Everything, from food, venue, celebrant, booze, photos etc, was all included in the package for 8 grand. And we had 65 guests.
Wow, that’s shocking, really shocking. I had no idea it was so high. Who on earth would spend money on a day of celebrations when you could put a deposit on a house? I think that’d be the best way to start your life together! Around 40% of people get divorced anyway.
I come from an Asian background and I must tell all you Asian people out there who want to get married that even though your PARENTS want to INVITE THE WHOLE VILLAGE FROM VIETNAM to your wedding just because you’re the OLDEST SON (and who cares if that’s important to them?) is not gonna help your relationship with your fiancee. You should stick up for yourself and your future wife. It’s YOUR wedding not your parent’s. They’re in a totally different country now. It’s a totally different ball game. Do you really want your parents to show off your new wife to a whole lot of people you don’t know? It’s called “GATECRASHING” if you ask me.
My wife and I were married on Hamilton island and stayed a few days on for the honeymoon. We had a wedding party of 30 people who paid their own way(weeds out the freeloaders!) cost us a total of $30 000.
Could have possibly shaved $10 000 off if we stayed in our hometown but it would not have been as memorable. The reception was held on a boat cuising the islands with full catering.
Well my sister got married only 4 and a half months ago and we had friends driving hire cars around and doing the video of the wedding, which meant that not everybody got to relax and enjoy the day.
The fact that they cut back on a lot of costs means that ultimately they were left regretting some of their choices…with cost cutting comes a certain degree of stress. As if weddings aren’t hard enough to arrange.
It cost our family more emotionally, trying to do everything on a tighter budget than usual and my parents missed out on the excitement of helping out because of the couple being afraid there would be extra costs if they let anybody else in on the action (which does happen). Due to the “cutting of costs” they still haven’t picked up their photos, have missed out on sharing their excitement further becuase of this, and haven’t sent out thank you cards to the guests because of “what it costs”.
The wedding day, although it turned out to be a nice day in the end, has also a lot of heartache attached to it because of all the cost cutting and not letting important people in on helping with the wedding..which ultimately led to lots of arguements, which is not how to spend the most exciting and already stressful, time of your life together.
Quite frankly there were a lot of things they wished they could have had but took the cheaper option which means that the one special day of your whole new life together is left to be remembered that way forever.
I’m not saying it’s wrong not to have a big wedding but you both in the end, will miss out doing the most special day, in the most memorable way by compromising on your wedding day, which is quite popular nowdays given the cost of things.
Yes, you can still do your wedding cheaper by being clever and organised, but just don’t scrimp on the things that really matter like the engagement ring, the flowers, the dress, the accomodation and the food…because ultimately that is what you will remember most and that is what every bride ultimately looks forward to her whole life….wondering about these things. There has to be some degree of romance, rather than just plain old practicality, when you have your lives ahead of you for practicality.
And never don’t forget to make the whole day as fun andas special as possible for yourselves and everybody else there, especially those closest, so it will be remembered for yourselves, your guests and your future family to come…oh and don’t forget some good old fashioned romance.
well each to their own..but seems like some people are just trying to out do eachother…..It is irrelevant how much a wedding costs…..more relevant if you stay together….I know someone who spent clost to the $40,000 and divorced 12 months later….We spent $3,000 and 11 years later are still married and as happy and in love as the day we met…….If someone wants to “have it all” and put themselves in debt doing so just so everyone can talk about how expensive their wedding was….then that is their choice…..My wedding was low key (at a recpetion place but only 60 guests – I kept it to close family and close friends that we see regularly…..my wedding was not used as a reunion for people who I havent seen for ages and then wont see for ages after the wedding)….with a wedding gown my mum made….means more to me than any elaborate wedding that $40,000 would buy me…..
Use the money for you and your man. I had the big wedding and have been married for 13 happy years. I would spend the money on me and my hubby for a great honeymoon. Our wedding cost $7000 at the most including gown and extras. Three kids later we now know how precious that money and time was. But if you feel like you really need that wedding. Go for it. Can’t say its the best day of your life as the day absolutely flies.
Mention the word Wedding, and the price virtually doubles. You see the dollar signs in the eyes of the people involved in the industry. Other than for the obvious things like dress and cake, try not to let on it is for a wedding until you have a written/verbal quote. Photographers are the biggest rip offs. Make sure that they will hand over the negatives/Digital media. If they are un-willing to do so, don’t hire them.
Good luck on your day
My brothers wedding cost about 50K. I’m as Australian as a Holden but my blood is Jordanian, so most of the guests were Jordanian also, all 550 of them. Because they specifically wrote on the invitations, “card only gifts”, which is a nicer way of saying ‘just cash as a gift’, they ended up making about 10K after costs. Gotta love those Jordanians eh! talk about a business!
11 years ago my husband and I spent around $7000 on our wedding and honeymoon. Of course things would be a little more expensive. If I was getting married today, I wouldn’t want to spend any more than $12000, including honeymoon. Of course being older now, and wiser, i would not invite so many people and offer just a few select people a lovely dinner.
These days, businesses are WAY overcharging brides, because they know the brides will still pay, to get their perfect day. It’s not fair, and unfortunately it does inflate the typical wedding budget.
I’m a bride-to-be (September) and almost everything is now booked/bought, so I’ve got a very good idea now of what our wedding is costing. Including the engagement party, our wedding will come to about the $10000 mark (all cash, no credit cards/loans).
We made a lot of compromises, which I don’t expect that every bride should do. But from what I’ve seen, anything above about $17000 would be taking it too far. Anything that gets one into debt is definitely a no-no.
My tips for keeping the costs down?
~Cut down your guest list. Every single guest that is added to your list can add a significant amount to your wedding cost.
~Shop around. Florists, dress shops, venues, photographers, DJs……. you’ll be suprised at just how cheap some services are if you look around.
~Consider a venue that doesn’t usually host weddings. Know of a really nice cafe lounge in a great location? Ask them if they’ll do your wedding for you at a competitive rate.
~Have a lunch time wedding. Not only does this mean that a lot more venues and services are available, but they often give a discounted rate.
~Have your wedding on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. See the above point.
~Don’t be afraid to ask for flexibility or deals. While some venues might not be able to discount their charges, they might drop their minimum spend, and/or minimum guests.
~Have your ceremony and reception at the same location. This will cut down transportation costs.
~DIY as much stuff as you can well in advance of the wedding. Things like invitations, (non-floral) table centerpieces, music CDs, etc, can be done far in advance of the wedding. Try not to load yourself up with DIY projects too close to the wedding- you’ll just stress out and probably botch the job up.
~Ask around. A friend of a friend might be great at making cakes. Or maybe there’s a videographer or photographer that someone knows. Or perhaps a family member is a great dressmaker. You could save hundreds of dollars by hiring friends and family to do some of your wedding stuff (but still pay them something!).
~ Your dress doesn’t have to have the most expensive materials to look nice. Quality satins can look as good or better than silks, for a fraction of the cost. Get a smaller train, less layering or fewer embellishments. This can all save money on your dress if you simply must have a designer gown.
~Don’t be afraid to compromise. If your budget is at risk of blowing out, rethink your major spending areas. You always wanted that seafood restaurant overlooking the ocean, but it costs too much. Perhaps a restaurant overlooking a lake or river with seafood in the entree would be more within budget?
~ Take a look at venues/dresses/flowers you didn’t think you would like. You might be suprised at how quickly you fall in love with a place when you see how much money it leaves you for the honeymoon!
Men, when deciding on what to spend, remember this – you’ll be paying for it for the rest of your lives anyway…
In my opinion a wedding should be enjoyable and loving, not just beautiful but hectic and tiring. Keep it simple but lovely and meaningful. If its too big and fancy, even the guests would not enjoy being in your wedding.
Good luck and congratulations!
I think weddings should be budgeted appropriate to one’s wealth. If you can afford $50k well go for it because it stimulates the economy. Most can’t afford that much and friends and family of people on modest incomes don’t expect all the bells and whistles. A beach wedding with a celebrant byo and civies can be quite economical and just as memorable.
my husband and i did it for $18000 including 15 nights in hawaii for our honeymoon.My parents bought my dress as my wedding present and payed for the bridal bouquet & brides maids dresses.The men didint have flowers.Hubby got store vouchers for christmas and used them to buy his suit in mens store that he can use again.A friend let us use his hotrods as a wedding present.A friend whoose hobby is photograghy took our photos for $200 they where great and she took over 2000 photos.A friens videod the whole day and a neighbours brother was a cake maker and gave us a really good deal.My girlfriends do scrap booking so they made my invites place cards and thankyous all for $200..
We had our ceremony and recepition in one place so there was no “ceremony fee” for the gardens.Our celebrant was only $250.We had 80 people for the reception it cost $6000 for food beer wine spirits dj table decorations, mc, get away car, wedding book, dinner rehersal, chair covers, red carpets everything i needed at one price.My bridesmaids paid for there ..outfit hair n makeup the boys wore suits they had.Our honeymoon was paid for by our guest.We had a registry at flight centre and everyone donated we ended up with $7000 which paid for our honey moon. It can be done on a budget you just need to plan it and stick to your plan and talk to other people and get recomendations
I agree with other posts above – you should have the wedding that you can afford and weddings mean different things to different people. For instance, for us we were really happy to pay a lot for our wedding. It cost $70K. This was everything from the reception venue, the ceremony, flowers, beverages (we supplied our own), photographer, cars, wedding dress, suits, bridesmaids dresses, hair make-up, hotel to the honeymoon etc…It looked like a $100,000 plus wedding though.
We had the cash and we did not go into debt for it. We already have the house and an investment property – so we don’t regret spending such a large amount. Before we even started planning we decided that we wanted one amazing day and were prepared to pay for it, not through the nose, but pay for good quality food and wine, entertainment and photography. Everything that would make the day special and memorable for us. We said to ourseleves, we are only going to do this once, so lets make it great!
I guess our wedding was at the expensive end of the scale for some people, however we didn’t put a price on our happiness and that of our close friends and family. Our aim was to create a special day for everyone involved. We wanted our guests to be treated like royalty and enjoy themselves. We enjoyed ourselves too. I wanted my husband to enjoy himself and for us to start our marriage with a bang.
I paid over $5000 for my dress – it was couture made. I paid for my 2 bridesmaids dresses, hair, make-up and accommodation in a 5 star hotel. I paid for my mothers hair and make-up, my parents accommodation and my dad’s suit. They paid for their flights from Perth to Sydney.
Even though I have worked in the events industry for a decade we still contracted an event planner to ensure that the day ran smoothly and the decorations were set up for the ceremony and reception. We chose a reception venue that had it’s own unique character and didn’t require a lot of decoration. The majority of the decorations went into the ceremony which was a outside in beautiful gardens. We had a beautiful ceremony with a string quartet and a bar, as it was going to be quite warm. The celebrant cost $550 and she was worth every cent.
We paid a stack, I’m not going to say how much because you’d probably die, for our photographer, but we got a seriously stunning album, engagement shoot and top class service and prints included in the package. It was the only thing that I was not willing to compromise on. After working in the wedding industry I have seen so many brides that skimped on their photographers, only to be very disapointed with the final outcome. We decided that our photographs we’re so important to us that we wanted the best – and that’s what we got.
My husband bought the diamond for my engagement ring wholesale from the Diamond Exchange and we had the ring custom made by a jeweller. It turned out to be valued at $20,000, but only cost $13,000. He did this off his own back and it was a fantastic surprise as I didn’t expect it at all!
Our invitations were made in Brisbane by the Invitation House for a reasonable price. I could have done DIY but I was working long hours and just did not have the time to painstakingly sit down and make 80 odd invites. The invites looked way more expensive than they actually were. I was chuffed.
We are by no means wealthy or rich. We don’t even have plasma TV’s in our house! But we had the best day of our life and our family and friends who attended the wedding have all said that it was the best wedding they have been to. We didn’t feel it was OTT or excessive at all. It was a classy, elegant wedding and we were very happy with it. I guess that’s what it comes down to. If you’re happy with what your spending or a low key wedding then go for it…who cares if anyone thinks you’re spending to much or not enough. It’s not their wedding – it’s your’s. Have the best day of your life and don’t live the next 20 years regretting that you didn’t do what you wanted for your wedding regardless if you want a low key or more expensive event. Also, BTW I have produced some very inexpensive weddings for clients who had a tight budget. Inexpensive doesn’t have to mean tacky either. You can do a very nice wedding on a budget – just never ask your guests for money (unless you come from a culture where it’s a custom) as it’s terribly rude and is considered extremly bad manners.
We had our wedding last May. I am not sure of the final cost, but I think it would have been around $30,000. $12,000 was the reception (my parents paid for this) which included chair covers, DJ, MC, hotel stay, cake etc and we had about 400 guests. I shopped around for flowers and stuff and got lots of quotes for things before making final decisions. eBay was awesome, we found a wonderful woman in Perth who made beautiful personalised glasses as thank you presents for our bridal party. Photography/video cost a bit but it was worth it. No credit card debts, dont even have a credit card.
We started looking for stuff a year before and paid deposits all up. Then we paid things off little by little, so when it came time to 6 weeks before, there were only small amounts to pay. Bridesmaids paid for their own dresses. And there were discount bins at one of the wedding favour places we went to and got the ring pillow for $2!
Keep a record of everything in a book and confirm prices from the start! If you want some more tips, let me know
We didn’t tell anyone we were getting married! We made a website invitation to a party on one of the free hosts, sent the link out…
Ended up having about 50 guests in my MIL’s backyard… best BBQ ever… and I swear it’s the ONLY Aussie BBQ in history to run out of sausages!!!!! (trust me, there were HEAPS of sausages – we still can’t figure out how we ran out!)… BYO drinks… all food… had my dress made, hubby’s clothes, celebrant, accommodation that night… everything for less than $800. Ask our guests now, and it’s still the best wedding they’ve been to – including the ones that splashed out on their own! “oh how I wish we’d done it like you….”
LOL
just as many other posters have said, it’s what comes after the wedding that counts… if you can afford it, go for it! I’d love to win the lotto and splash out on a second wedding – but the point is I’d have to win the lotto to do it! Whatever makes you happy – and whatever you’re not going to regret if things do eventually turn sour. Do it for YOU, not your parents, not your friends, not because you want to “do it better” than someone else.
I think that’s just stupid. Even the people who say ‘I only spent $5000 woohoo’ are wasting their money. It’s one really enjoyable day that you pay for over the next few months. I would rather have $49k worth of food vouchers or that much less on a house mortgage than blow it all on an elaborate ceremony.
Whoever it was that said every guest needs a minimum of $115 for food and drink is stupid. Don’t waste that much money on your guests, it’s your day not theirs. They should feel glad to be getting a free meal.
Anyone who demands a $49000.00 wedding is just plain greedy and have no thought for the family who pay for it. Any wedding can be done for a reasonable price by being smart and carefull, but some brides must have their fashion statement and ignore the cost. My daughter is getting married in18 months – 2 years and I offered $20,000.00 and she was horrified and said $6000.00 -$8000.00 will suffice. $49000.00 is plain snobbery and if the marraige fails, what a waste.
We were married in 1999 when the average wedding cost $25,000. I was flabbergasted at that, let alone $45,000 only 10 years later. We spent $6,000 on our wedding and that was more than what I wanted to spend. Sure get nice rings (you need to wear it for (hopefully) many years to come), enjoy your honeymoon & make sure you get good photos as when the day is over you will have only memories left. Enjoy the day but spend your money on something tangible. Marriage is important to me, not the wedding.
what a grotesque waste of money.
I think the $49000 average is bumped up considerably by those cultures who compete for the biggest and most expansive wedding, hundreds on the invitation list.
Mine cost the cost of the licence. Invited friends to a theme party at home (famous couples), they came in fancy dress, brought their own booze and a plate.
We entered in bridal gear (rented) – it took a good half hour and the wedding certificate to convince them we’d actually got married! Classic. Party went to 4pm the following day and a great time was had by all.
How many other people can say that Di and Charles; Loni and Bert and Snow White and Prince Charming were at their wedding?
why is everybody thinking “if the marriage fails” the money spent on the wedding is wasted?? What ever happened to marriage vows being taken as being forever? I’m sure God does’t expect a marriage to fail once you take those vows. You have to make it work.
It doesn’t matter how much is spent, it depends on the people, circumstances and how much you love those around you and eachother and how much you are wanting to celebrate your day.
Weddings are meant to be a real celebration, not a time to be stingy thinking about how selfish a person can be in spending as little as possible because in the end we all would like to be blessed and we reap what we sow.
If you’re generous with your guests and make them feel special too, they will remember this. They are the ones who will be likely to be there for when you need support during your marriage.
It’s not just about 2 people but a celebration with their loved ones, to share the day with and to be remembered for the way you intended the day to be remembered. So start your lives together as beautifully as possible becuase these are moments you can never get back once it’s over, but just remember that you’re celebrating your marriage, not just the wedding and whichever way a couple decides to do that is their choice but don’t forget to include those who are special to you.
our wedding cost around 33K which does not include some important DIY on my part because I simply just love to do crafty things and to try to be creative. i didn’t have to do so but i insisted on doing some DIY because i had always felt that where you can save (even if you don’t have to save), it is your RESPONSIBILITY to save. that’s my upbringing kicking in. i enjoyed doing the preps, specially putting the final touches to the reception venue, such as installing the chair covers and laying out the DIY centrepieces. my auntie who was visiting from overseas insisted we have chair covers. flowers are so overdone we thought. even though both sets of parents were offering to pay for whatever specialist decor we could have opted to have had, we decided to save them from the expense. my usually thrifty mother kept insisting we have wedding cars because she believed that’s what you do at weddings. we courteously declined. you don’t have to have things just because that’s the way it’s always been done. what was important was to have guests be comfy (good food and copious drinks at a 5-star rated reception venue) and that we actually got married (!) on the day (hehe) in a place of community (we live right next door to the church). everything else we considered extraneous. we paid for the entire wedding in cash. no loans, no credit or funding from third parties. breakdown: 28k for the wedding in entirety including rings. 5k for one week’s local honeymoon in an exclusive retreat (because a week of bonding is more important than a day of showing off…and yes, in some cases, we do believe it’s just a case of showing off). visual: reception for 110 guests in an good 5-star hotel, church ceremony, no cars or large entourages (the ceremony and the reception were within 50-60 metres walk). oh the flowers: the church provided the two altar pillar flowers and all we opted for in addition (to the shock of some and relief of others) were the bride’s bouquet, the maid of honour and the buttonnieres for the groom, best man and the 2 mothers. it was valentine’s day. :_)
oops… i really needed add that i sincerely, sincerely believe that it’s not the cost of the wedding that makes a wedding great or, it goes without saying, portend to a marriage lasting forever. we all know that some of the world’s most expensive, fantastic, fairy-tale like weddings have had sad endings. i know in my heart of hearts that if i had had the wedding i initially really wished for (an “elopement” with just our very closest friends), even if it would definitely have less costly than the wedding i eventually had, it would have been just as special. and if i had had the wedding my mother and my mother in law would envisioned, though it would have cost much more, it would have felt less like our wedding, but theirs.