No joke, the father of one of my groomsmen was the singer in a polka band. He sang during the bridal dance and it was the best bridal dance I’ve ever witnessed.
Way OT ~ Cost of a Wedding
- Thread starter 9nationalchampionships
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Got married in 2018 and it was $50K all in. We had a nice wedding, but by no means was it extravagant. Ceremony and reception were at the same hotel and we had about 135 guests. All of the venues we looked at had food and beverage minimums, the lowest of which was $20K. Add on flowers, photographer, DJ, invitations, clothing, officiant, morning-after brunch…you get the picture.
The missus & I saved a “respectable” amount of money for our children’s weddings. They were told that they were getting a certain amount of money; and it was theirs to use as they wanted - for their wedding…or honeymoon…or a down payment for a house…or whatever.
We left it for them to decide what was most important.
We left it for them to decide what was most important.
The amout of people who have their weddings paid for by parents is probably the reason why they are so expensive. Stop spoiling your grown up kids. My wife and I paid for our own wedding. And our own house.
I’ve had 2 weddings, for my 3 girls so far.
1. SC wedding in an older house and garden setting. Around $15K
2. Destination wedding at a Miami Beach old school boutique hotel. Very intimate. Was in November 2018. . Around $22k
They divorced 4 months later.
3. Daughter #3 is in a long term relationship with a granddaughter. No talk of marriage, and I retired. Wish her well!
1. SC wedding in an older house and garden setting. Around $15K
2. Destination wedding at a Miami Beach old school boutique hotel. Very intimate. Was in November 2018. . Around $22k
They divorced 4 months later.
3. Daughter #3 is in a long term relationship with a granddaughter. No talk of marriage, and I retired. Wish her well!
Question: If they divorce within a year do I get my money back? I kid I kid
Thanks to all for the good advice!
Thanks to all for the good advice!
Every wedding related thread makes me glad I didn’t have a big to do. Immediate family only. Dinner was at a Chicago steakhouse. Everyone enjoyed themselves.
Most of the weddings I’ve been too the bride and groom aren’t actually having fun. They’re stressed and it’s expensive. Also, outside if immediate family nobody actually wants to go to weddings.
Most of the weddings I’ve been too the bride and groom aren’t actually having fun. They’re stressed and it’s expensive. Also, outside if immediate family nobody actually wants to go to weddings.
Daughter #3 is in a long term relationship with a granddaughter...for some reason that phrasing reminds me of how much I am looking forward to the WVU game next year...
Having a destination wedding just cost shifts the financial burden of the event onto your guests and family. Between flights, hotel, rental car, food, and gifts, just attending a wedding normally costs me about $1,000-$1,500. A destination wedding would probably double that and most of my family would not be able to attend due to the financial burden imposed.
A 140 Euro per person wedding is cheaper for you but the total costs for everyone is probably substantially more than a traditional wedding.
This. My father in law insisted on paying for our wedding. Had he not, we probably would have gotten married at the courthouse since we bought/remodeled/furnished a house that same Summer. It just wasn't financially feasible to do both and if we had to choose we would choose the house every time.
We were just happy to get married. The event itself was amazing and I had a lot of people tell me it was the most fun ever. I'll never forget it, but the more important part was just getting married to my best friend, which is something I could have done for free if I had to.
Got married in 2019 and both sets of parents did the same thing. We had a small (27 total guests) wedding. What was cool was at that size was we could look at restaurant event spaces instead of wedding venues. We ended up being able to have our wedding at one of the top restaurants in the country and it was actually much cheaper than a wedding venue. Also allowed us to go home with a nest egg in our pocket. The size also allowed us to spend quality time with our guests and it really was a nice evening.
Wife and I flew to Vegas in May to get married. Whole thing cost less than 5k.
One of the mediators I frequently use told me her daughter is getting married. They are having two weddings. One on the Mediterranean coast line, and then one for local family here in Dallas. That was going to be close to 100k.
One of the mediators I frequently use told me her daughter is getting married. They are having two weddings. One on the Mediterranean coast line, and then one for local family here in Dallas. That was going to be close to 100k.
No big wedding. We will have a small gathering, with some cash for them…if they decide to marry.. Sorry, left it too open.
Oops. Her daughter is 3. My granddaughter……Damn. Should have had a better description…..
I think some of the frills get you. Was at a wedding that flew someone in from Miami to hand-roll cigars. And I posted earlier, the photography/videography are crazy, along with the flowers. Stick to the basics, get a nice hall but not a country club, splurge on the food and get a decent bar. Don't hire a Hollywood production crew to film every moment, don't pay for breakfast the next day...it would still be a nice affair and not break the bank.
Destination wedding definitely impacts the guests. Travel expenses (and time commitment) are big factors. Need to know your audience (can your friends and family really afford the time and expense)? All that said, we had 100 people show up for 3 days of events in Italy and it was worth every penny.
Wife went to a destination wedding in FL last year. I thoroughly enjoyed my week at home, alone.
We had 2 daughters who were both level headed and not slaves to Social Media.
They both had high end "Barn Weddings" and they didn't break the bank.
If you decide to have kids then you own the fallout and everything that comes with it.
If your kids are divas then you are probably divas as well...just sayin
They both had high end "Barn Weddings" and they didn't break the bank.
If you decide to have kids then you own the fallout and everything that comes with it.
If your kids are divas then you are probably divas as well...just sayin
My parents helped my wife and I pay for top shelf alcohol because they love us, not because they were trying to spoil us. Let me know if you guys need me to point you in the direction of any clouds to yell at. I can also send some kids to your front yards if you want.
tell them to elope and put the 20k towards a house. weddings are silly pagentry
Helping with booze is a lot different than footing the bill for some overpriced shitshow. I’ll definitely help my kids out, but no way will I foot a large bill for a wedding. It’s a poor investment in their future.
I fully acknowledge that I am reaching the old man yells at cloud phase of my life.
20% of marriages fail in the first 5 years. 32% in the first 10.
$50k is a crapload of money to pay for a party on a bad bet.
says the crotchety old guy.
$50k is a crapload of money to pay for a party on a bad bet.
says the crotchety old guy.
Cost of the divorce is far more than the cost of the wedding. Don't waste your money on either.
Marriage/divorce stats can be extremely misleading. Over 70% of people who marry never get divorced. If you are looking at the number of marriages rather than the number of people who marry, the percentage is going to be higher. Many people who get divorced remarry, some several times.
Same with saying the average marriage lasts 8.4 years. That may be the statistical average, but it is not the length of a typical marriage. Most people that get divorced do so in 1 to 5 years. Most people that marry stay together until one spouse dies.
Divorce rates are declining. When rates were the highest, 11% of couples lived together beforehand. Today 66% of couples do. People getting married today are older, know each other better and are more financially secure.
As far as cost, if you don't go into debt spend whatever you are comfortable with. I'm not at all ostentatious and I didn't spoil my two daughters, but it was the biggest day of their lives so I didn't worry about the cost. They and their husbands appreciated it immensely and they were the best parties any of us ever had.
Got married this summer. About 60 people.
Venue: $6,000
Catering: $4,000
Cake/Dessert: $800
Bar: $1,200
Florist: $2,000
Photographer: $2,000
Wedding Coordinator: $1,500 (worth every penny!!!)
Decorations: $1,000
DJ: $400 (got lucky we knew someone)
There were other expenses: tipping the pastor, dress alterations.
We also had a nice event venue for the rehearsal dinner for about 40 people and that came in at just over $2,000.
Venue: $6,000
Catering: $4,000
Cake/Dessert: $800
Bar: $1,200
Florist: $2,000
Photographer: $2,000
Wedding Coordinator: $1,500 (worth every penny!!!)
Decorations: $1,000
DJ: $400 (got lucky we knew someone)
There were other expenses: tipping the pastor, dress alterations.
We also had a nice event venue for the rehearsal dinner for about 40 people and that came in at just over $2,000.
First of all, you should discuss and decide together what kind of wedding you want. You can do this by visualizing what the perfect wedding would look like for you. Can you imagine a small event or dream of a big, lavish wedding? Do you have specific details in mind, such as a location, a specific setting, a special setting, or an outstanding artistic moment? The availability of service providers, the financial aspect, and the time required for the organization often make the future bride and groom set their wedding party at least one year away from the date of the engagement. If you're looking to start a wedding business, at https://www.marco.us/business-blog/how-to-start-a-business-in-the-wedding-industry, you can learn how to start a business in the wedding industry.
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My younger daughter got married last May. Recognize that you have nothing to say in this event as its the bride (and her mother's) day. Your there simply to foot the bill and enjoy so relax and let it flow.
My big advice would be to give them an amount that you'll kick in and let them decide how to spend it. In my case I told them $15K since they were both in their 30s with good jobs. Of course I wound up spending about $18K in the end but they supplemented that as well. They had a nice wedding venue here, DJ, photographer, photo booth and video, sit down dinner with very nice entrees. Open Bar with signature cocktails. His parents sprang for the rehearsal dinner (about 30 people) and brunch the next day. They invited about 150 people. My guess is at the end it ran close to $30K. The one thing that bugged the crap out of the couple was the folks who said they were coming but didn't show after confirming again they planned to be there. I think the dinner was about $50 a plate and about 15 didn't show which means they spent about $750 needlessly.
I will say it was one of the nicest times I've ever had. The weather was perfect, the bride was beautiful, the groom handsome and everyone had just a wonderful time! Sit back and enjoy!
My big advice would be to give them an amount that you'll kick in and let them decide how to spend it. In my case I told them $15K since they were both in their 30s with good jobs. Of course I wound up spending about $18K in the end but they supplemented that as well. They had a nice wedding venue here, DJ, photographer, photo booth and video, sit down dinner with very nice entrees. Open Bar with signature cocktails. His parents sprang for the rehearsal dinner (about 30 people) and brunch the next day. They invited about 150 people. My guess is at the end it ran close to $30K. The one thing that bugged the crap out of the couple was the folks who said they were coming but didn't show after confirming again they planned to be there. I think the dinner was about $50 a plate and about 15 didn't show which means they spent about $750 needlessly.
I will say it was one of the nicest times I've ever had. The weather was perfect, the bride was beautiful, the groom handsome and everyone had just a wonderful time! Sit back and enjoy!
I have three daughters too. Our oldest did all of the planning on her own for her fall wedding. She wanted destination wedding and that got squashed quickly. Now it’s far cheaper and easier. Brewery in Asheville that does weddings and does them well.
Where I have a problem is some of these folks who have a wedding, perhaps they have well off parents or something. Hey, weddings are expensive, and do what you must, you want to serve caviar and have it at Heinz Chapel or Oakmont Country Club, go for it.
But some folks, you decide it would be great to have a beach wedding in Fiji. Yeah. Okay, it is going to be expensive for you, but say you have a wedding party? And especially if you are in your 20's, likely still have student loan debt and starting salaries, it is kind of unfair to expect people to shell out $5000 or so just for a few days to satisfy your indulgences.
But some folks, you decide it would be great to have a beach wedding in Fiji. Yeah. Okay, it is going to be expensive for you, but say you have a wedding party? And especially if you are in your 20's, likely still have student loan debt and starting salaries, it is kind of unfair to expect people to shell out $5000 or so just for a few days to satisfy your indulgences.
I would expect the couple getting married to foot the bill for travel expenses for those in the wedding party for a wedding like that.
If anyone's dumb enough to go as a guest, then that's on him.
I had to go to Las Vegas for a wedding once. Perhaps the worst trip of my life. Bride and groom were in a big hurry to get married and were going to the South Pacific somewhere right after. Figured it would make their trip shorter. My wife's family is cheap so I didn't find out until I got there that I was staying in a room with my wife and a few kids. Couldn't take them to a decent place to eat or call a cab because, again, cheap. Ended up hiking to McDonalds all weekend. Probably one of the reasons why I hate all of them now.
