What would you be willing to spend on a wedding . . .?

Question

. . . and for a wedding dress? Is it worth it? Should I elope?

Answer 1

It depends on what you want. If a big wedding or big church affair is not your thing, then maybe the beach or a smaller gathering? If that is still too much, then go elope. No matter what you are going to get two sides to this and people who feel very strongly on both. You have "SAVE THE MONEY" people who are either 1)bitter from a bad marriage or too much single-hood or 2) people who has seen friends go into debt for a party that lasted 4 hours. The there are those that want the big wedding and to show their love for one another to themselves and with all their nearest and dearest. There is no price for memories. 10 years down the road you can't go buy the memory of the dance with your father or the look on the groom's face as you came down the aisle in your big white dress. You can pretend, but you could never buy these. With that, I think what everyone decides to do for a wedding is a very personal choice. I chose the memories since we already have the house, the cars, the savings account, etc. We dont have any huge purchases coming up and we having enough savings (beyond the wedding budget) to cover anything unforseen that may happen. I don't suggest going into debt over a wedding, it's not worth it and it will make your marriage harder. (But then again there are some people I know who have charged their whole wedding *credit cards*) and are still paying it off. Again, that was their decision, and if you are comfortable having a huge credit card balance and paying it off as you can, then you can have the best of both!
With that being said, lol, I paid $6,000 for my dress which includes alterations. (there are also very nice dresses for $100). My wedding budget is a bit out there, but it's at 200k. I am not spoiled, my FI and I have hard jobs that we went to school for many years to obtain and after quite a few years, we have the money to spend, plus a little help from the parents. I could have made this wedding (with almost all the same things) work for about 20,000 though too...But that woudl involve moving it out of Manhattan.

Good luck. As much as you are thinking about the money, think about the memories as well.

Answer 2

You can get all sorts of deals if you know where to look and how to shop. check out birdal magazines for money saving tips also check out bridal sites like www.theknot.com or www.brides.com also check out sites that are made specifiacally for your area (you'll have to find out what these are but usually can be found with q quick google search) for example- i would go to seattlebride.com because i'm around that area.
if you have lots of friends and/or family let them help you out. each person has a sepcial gift so why not let them put it towards your wedding. I got extremely lucky! my dad is a graphic designer so he'll make the invites, 4 cousins play in an orchestra so they'll play the music at the ceremony, my grandma did cake making/decorating professionally so she'll make the cake, my uncle is a photographer so there's pics! etc.
plus many people would be thrilled to help you out and be a part of the wedding. just make sure you are very thankful to them since they'll probably not charge you much (maybe you have to buy the film or some cake ingredients etc...)
i got my dress for 100$ all you have to do is look in the right places. ask to buy the sample that's in the bridal salon, or check out consignment shops, or if your mother has her gown see if you can use that but alter it a bit and add/take away some things to make it modern and more you!
i'm going to spend about 4000$ for the wedding.
don't elope unless you really really want to. It'll be so special to have your family be there to support you. you don't need a big giant wedding - you can pay a few hundred for the officiant and church and maybe a few flowers and the bouquets/bouteniers and your dress and his tux then get the marriage liscence and rings. that's really all you need. as far as reception- there's nothing wrong with having just punch and cake and wedding mints and nuts. you should have fun and shouldn't go in debt for one day - even though it'll be your most important day of your life (until you have kids)!!
good luck God Bless!

Answer 3

In a word - not much. I would rather have a fabulous honeymoon. My first wedding was very small, I eloped second time I got married, and my third wedding was inexpensive and very informal. Dumping a huge amount of cash in one day has never seemed attractive to me. But it is up to the person; if you don't feel it's important to you to have your wedding a certain way, just do what you want to do and what you can afford. Eloping is as good as anything else.

Answer 4

I had a very small, immediate family wedding and used my sister's prom dress! It was white so I got away with it. Even if I had the chance to have a bigger wedding, I don't think I would have wanted it. It's nice to see the bridesmaids and the groomsmen all dressed up, but the most important thing that day is your ceremony. I'd much rather use the money to buy things for your home. One person said her wedding is going to cost $40,000. That's only $12,000 less than the price I paid for my first townhouse! I wouldn't elope though unless you have no relationship with your family. It's your day.. do what you can afford.

Answer 5

OMG - elope! I spent $4000 and that was for a SMALL wedding with a dress I got off of eBay! I even made my own flowers! You can go to someplace like Gatlinburg, TN and get married in one of their wedding chapels (or even up in the mountains) and stay in a snug little cabin for your honeymoon for a week for less than $1000!

My brother and SIL spent $10000 on their more traditional wedding! Take that money and use it for more important things! You can have a small wedding and still have a wonderful marriage and fond memories. :) Have a reception when you get back home and you'll still get all the wedding gifts (have it at 2 on a Saturday so people only expect finger foods and you don't have to serve a meal or have a bar).

Good luck! :)

Answer 6

You can go to David's Bridal and spend anywhere from $99 to $3000 on a dress. I was very comfortable with my $700. Its really about your and your family's finances.

As attractive as eloping might seem, there will probably be a time farther down the road where you regret not having celebrated your union with your friends and family.

And for the record, many people who get married in vegas still wear a wedding dress! Running away for the weekend won't completely erase your costs!

Answer 7

You don't need to elope if by that you mean run away. But yes, it is great to have a civil wedding. The large fortunes spent on weddings these days is WAY out of control. It is just such a waste. To me, a wedding, including whatever reception you have afterwards and including any clothing, shouldn't be over $1000. Your money can be better spent on other things after you are married, or even on your honeymoon.

Answer 8

I struggle with this question myself. I wouldnt elope. We have been talking about having a small wedding at a restaurant with only are immediate family and closest friends ( 40 max). I hope to spend no more than $2000 for all of this. We hope to renew our vows and have a great big party in a few years. Focus on what you really want and try to include your loved ones dont put yourself thur the stress and debt right now.

Answer 9

I actually paid I believe 10 dollars for my dress, at a Sally-Ann type place, though it wasn't a "wedding" dress. (It was a blue sheath dress.) I'm glad I did because I can and do still wear it rather often and remember the day.

Whole wedding was probably about three thousand, including rings and husband's suit (new), plus the marriage license. We had the ceremony at the courthouse, drinks at a nearby bar, then a nice dinner at a restaurant and a party the next day. It was a going-away wedding--we'd been together for years and had two kids together but "had to" get married to move to Switzerland. My in-laws and parents paid 1500 or so, my sister made the cake.

Answer 10

Not much, because I believe that these days people spend way too much time and money on something that lasts less than one day and not enough time on what is supposed to last the rest of your life. You should sit down with your fiancee and make a budget and stick with it no matter what. If you decide that you are going to spend only $250.00 on a wedding cake and $1,000.00 on your dress, then don't spend a penny more. I think it is absolutely ridiculous that these wedding shows on TV show brides and grooms going into debt or maxing out their credit cards for the biggest or the best, when that isn't even what matters.