Does planning a wedding make you feel poor?

Question

Planning a wedding makes me feel so poor! I mean, who has $400 to spend on invitations!?! That's insane! And $2,500 for four measly hours of photography! It's like sticker shock at every turn! Is anyone else just SHOCKED by how much all this stuff costs? My budget is about 10 thousand (not including the honeymoon or rehearsal or rings or anything...just ceremony and recepetion) and I feel like I have to cut corners and be cheap to stay on budget (I am making my own invitations and floral arrangements to save $). It's just ridiculous how much weddings cost! I know Im not poor but this industry sure does a good job of making me feel like Im being cheap. Am I the only one?

Answer 1

nah...those things are damn expensive....remember you dont need to invite your cousins aunts husbands dog.....keep it close that will help you save

Answer 2

You're not alone!! I'm about to get married and it shocked my friends and family to see how expensive they are!

We've found a few ways of cutting corners without taking away any of the essentials. For example, I bought my invitations at a craft store and printed them myself. It cost me $35 plus the cost of stamps.

Just a word of warning, it' dangerous to compare your costs to what others are paying without taking into consideration the location of the wedding. I guarantee that $10,000 can get you a lot more in some states than it can in others.

The first place I considered having my wedding would have cost me about $20,000 for an appetizer only, no dinner, very little dancing, very basic wedding. When we changed locations, we were able to go all out and do dinner, drinks, dancing, flowers, cake, rings, honeymoon and everything exactly how we wanted for $15,000. And that was even in the same state!

So make sure you take the "budget guides" with a grain of salt and find out what is appropriate for your area before you feel like you are getting ripped off.

Answer 3

Honey, I feel your pain! I am getting married March 21, 2009 (basically 2 years away) and I have about the same budget! I started early so I could help to cut corners but GEEZ things are so pricey! I am doing my own decor for the reception, my arrangements and bouquets, and some of my great college friends have agreed to bartend and wait tables for the reception...FOR FREE. Its insane how much goes into this. As much as I feel irritated but those price stickers, I know that when its all said and done, it will be amazing! A great tip someone gave to me was to sign up at the Knot.com! They offer brides to be great discounts on favors, decorations, and other bridal items! I got some great table decorations for 200 guests (approx. 25 tables) for only $100.00! They are large,so it takes up most of the table! It really has been a nice relief. They even have great "to-do lists" for all members of the bridal party! Just remember that you aren't alone, so just talk to your 'maids and they can console you! Another way to "cut corners" is have a girls night with margaritas and have the girls help you do some party planning! A few cocktails with your closest friends never made anyone feel bad! Best of Luck and CONGRATS!

Answer 4

No, you aren't the only one. Weddings are very expensive. What I suggest is that determine your budget and stick to it. Let the vendors earn your business, and don't let them guilt you into anything. Look at it as an adventure or project, and see how much you can get for the least amount of money. Other suggestions: keep your bridal party small, your guest count low, do and make as much as you can yourselves. Look for wedding dresses that are on clearance, or look at bridesmaids dresses that come in white. Buy plain white shoes that you'll wear again. Look for items at the dollar store. Accept offers of money or help from anyone who offers. Borrow things you'll only use once. Cut out the thrills that don't matter, and concentrate on the important things. Don't be afraid to negotiate or let vendors know that you're on a budget, and see if they're willing to come down in price--especially that photographer. Don't hire the first vendor, get price comparisons. And avoid the word "wedding". It seems that anything that has that word attached to it, also has a huge mark-up. With some ingenuity and creativity, you can do it. Good luck.

Answer 5

yup!! wedding is a matter of u 2. If u want to do it in grand , it will cost very expensive .

Of course , if u make it simple it will save u a lot . Try to budget it like buffet type as well as hotel invitation . For this u already save a lot.

As the wedding gown , try a more simple and budget type.. dont look for those in the magazine ..

Thus , do more market survey before make decision. Dont too stress to it .. Just relax and enjoy survey the things u need .. Just remember u will get more information or knowledge while u doing market survey .. Mayb , in future these may also help ur friends needs .

Good Luck !!!

Answer 6

Don't let the merchandizers get to you!

It is all hype.

When you look at Vogue or other magazines, do you expect your real-life wardrobe to be made of those expensive items? Do you feel inferior that you don't live that way? Of course not (hopefully)! Wedding magazines are the same. Trying to up-sell the most expensive tier of designer items, even though it is completely unrealistic for 99.99% of the potential audience. And yet we PAY, to be advertised to, when we buy the magazines!

As long as you fulfill your hosting responsibilities properly (get a reliable etiquette book and follow closely!) there is NO SHAME in having a modest wedding, and at $10K, honestly, that is a pretty expensive wedding, on average. I'm surprised you feel you have to cut so many corners.

Only when people start to reject this fake "magazine ideal" will the industry begin to change. Stop buying the (tacky, ostentatious) ideas they are selling, and have better, more real weddings.

Answer 7

Aw sweetie you are definitely not the only one! I'm in the same boat. My budget started off being 5,000 dollars but sheesh everything adds up. I tried to cut my guest list in half and still came up with 100 people! That's 100 mouths to feed! Oi. That's very smart to make your own invitations and flower arrangements, it will add your own unique touch to the wedding as well. It's a win-win. I'm having my wedding in Okinawa and so all my family and my fiance's family is going to fly out. My fiance has 8 siblings plus his parents so now we have to find accomidations for them and play tour guide and driver amongst all the other things we have to do. It will be great memory builders though. The more you employ your friends and wedding party the more memories you will build and more costs you can avoid. Do you have a friend who is good with arts and crafts? Have them help you with the flowers or the center pieces. :-) Good luck. And congratulations.

Answer 8

I do think its insane how much people charge when the word "wedding" comes up. I am not one of those brides who will fork over three times what I would normally pay just because its "my special day and only once" like the vendors keep telling me.

I don't feel poor and am proud of myself when I get an amazing price on something or figure out how to make the 100 centerpieces myself for 30. I just get ticked when people look down on me, treat me like I'm trash, or tell me that I'm not ready to get married just because I WONT be spending the average $30,000. In some ways it has helped build my confidence by showing me how resourceful and crafty I can really be.

Answer 9

I am an Event Planner a.k.a. Wedding Coordinator too, and the average wedding nowdays somehow rates between the $15,000 to $25,000 so yes it a lot of tricky to find what is best to pick in good quality at the good cost.

You go with what you want to look more fascinating in terms of decorations, food, your dress, flowers, etc...and then play with how much of the big bulk of the money you want to place at it high. Then you go with the rest, mostly of the case the 37% of the cost of the Wedding goes to the Reception and Catering.

Look for this book "Bridal Bargains, Secrets of Throwing a fantastic Wedding on a realistic budget" 8th Edition from authors Denise and Alan Fields ( check on Borders) is a GREAT source and I follow lots of their ideas in my plans.......

Good Luck

Answer 10

Yep! I get totally boggled every time I see how much something costs. I just saw how much hair and makeup for the bride would cost... $330!!
That's just a lot of money. I think as soon as the word wedding or bridal is included in anything where money exchanges hands, the price goes way up.

Most people who are getting married for the first time are young and just starting out. It's really awful to make everything so expensive for weddings - making even just a nice simple wedding unattainable for a lot of people without cutting corners and doing a lot of it yourself.

Answer 11

No you are certainly NOT the only one. Your not being cheap or cutting corners you are being sane. My friends did whatever they could to save money and they did it well. Find a photography student or shop around. Make your own stuff...sentimental things look and feel better anyway. As a guest I wasn't there for the dog and pony show...I was there to support my friends and celebrate their marriage. Think about all the things you could do with the money you save...things that could maybe last more than 8 or so hours! I wish you wedding bliss and bliss beyond.