Wedding Issues (Financial)?

Question

This is a bit of a 'pickle' - But what would do [or have you done] if you and your fiancée wanted to get married, but money was an issue. What is the smartest decision to make? I don't want to go into debt to get married--putting stress on us and what is supposed to be our happiest times, but I don't know if putting things on credit cards, etc. is standard. We're saving but with just that it will take a lot longer than we want to wait. It's not going to be extravagant, or huge, but I do want it to be nice!

Answer 1

No wedding is worth putting on credit cards. It is difficult to pay off credit cards, and a week after the wedding that reality will set in. Honestly, I would elope.

Answer 2

Save, Save, Save! Do NOT go into any debt unnecessarily. Putting things on credit cards probably is standard, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea. It's also standard for people to have no savings and a mountain of credit card debt that comes back to bite them in the butt.

My fiance and I are paying for everything ourselves. Admittedly, it's not too hard for us because we're both engineers in our 30's and have been working for quite some time. We've been saving money for a while, and we're selling some investments that have done well. We're not taking on any debt whatsoever, and we're not draining the investment accounts (i.e. selling $10K of a $50K account). Our wedding will be nice, but not lavish. We're spending more than I originally wanted to (just over $15K), but we can afford it.

I think you should have the nicest wedding you can afford *without* taking on any debt. If you don't have much in savings, don't put any more on credit than you can repay in one year.

Sure, you want your wedding to be nice for you and your guests. But racking up debt for one day just seems like a bad financial decision.

Answer 3

nicely i comprehend your delema yall are already married why have at this factor a huge fuss.. overall i say ask those venues to get your deposits back why not invite anybody to visual show unit you get married on a cruise they ought to pay there own way you pay on your little reception could fee about 2,000.00 bypass to a corridor for dinner and dancing in case you want after like each and every week or so once you've it recorded have those who couldntmake it bypass to you domicile for a mild meal or cake and educate the movie and action pictures there is not any favor to bypass and spend 20,000.00 on a wedding ceremony the position you should use that an purchase a automobile and spend 1/2 of it and performance a wedding ceremony and reception or perhaps sandles motel nicely i wager you're purely going to ought to get some charge playing cards and pay out the wazoo to entertain human beings for no actual reason a wedding ceremony is the affection of two human beings not how a lot you are able to spend in a unmarried day truly I actual have requested others about how a lot they have spent each and every bride has stated i favor i could have finished a miles smaller wedding ceremony we are not declaring you cant have a white gown or something do a trash the gown wedding ceremony images the position you are able to carry out somewhat candid pictures of both of then you a trash the gown after yet 15k for a wedding ceremony for 100 and twenty those who isnt 50 funds a head

Answer 4

Hi and congratulations!

First, I agree with you. DO NOT go into debt over your wedding by putting things on your credit card. You can "have your cake and eat it too!" It is sooooo nice now compared to years ago because there are so many choices for brides and grooms now. You DON'T have to have the standard "typical" wedding. There are options!

Second, DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT get sucked into the bridal industry's way of thinking that you HAVE to have this, and you HAVE to have that because "it's your day." You can do many, many things elegantly and beautifully on a budget.

Here are suggestions/ideas I have given others.

~ Have a small wedding. That, right there, saves HUGE amounts of money. Small in terms of # of guests, and small in terms of # in the bridal party.

The first thing to decide is venue:
~ Do you want to be married in a church?
~ Do you want to be married outside?
If you want to be married outside, check out parks, pavilions, beaches, gardens, etc. If you choose to be married outside, simply call the city where your chosen venue is located to find out fees and policies. Other options for a small wedding include a small inn or bed and breakfast. Many small inns and B&B's do this now. They are very elegant and can usually handle a small reception. Another option is a small hotel.
Some art galleries and museums even allow weddings! Just check things out in your local area.

~ Once the venue for the ceremony has been chosen, then the reception venue needs to be decided upon. I don't know where you live or where your wedding will be, but if you are in a city, and you go with an "off day," like a Friday night, you can usually save. If you live in a rural area, it may not be a problem.

~ If you are having a church ceremony, most churches have a fellowship hall where you could have your reception immediately following.

~ A big savings would be to have your wedding at a time when a full meal is not expected. Have a 2 p.m. wedding, and then at your reception you could serve finger sandwiches, assorted cheeses and crackers, fruit tray, nuts, cake, coffee and punch. OR....you could simply have a dessert reception. Serve a variety of desserts (maybe with some fruit) along with coffee and punch.

~ Another easy and stress free solution is to keep your wedding party small - 1 or 2 attendants each.

~ Everything is cheaper if you are willing to look around and go "outside the box" so to speak.....

~ Your dress: look at consignment shops, second hand stores, or, even buy one off the rack. Most bridal stores have "clearance dresses" - go to that rack! Ebay is another option with beautiful "vintage" dresses -- i just love those ones!

~ Invites: Save by printing them yourself. Go to Target, Michael's, or Walmart and buy a boxed set. You can get a box of 50 for about $30 - maybe even cheaper.

~ Cake: Get your cake from your local grocery store - NOT a bakery. If you live by a Walmart or Costco - they have nice ones! And they are good too!!! Yum...

~ Have a beautiful, simple and elegant bouquet for you and your attendants. I think simplicity is elegant. A few well chosen flowers (roses?) wrapped in a silk ribbon are much more elegant (and cheaper) than a big huge bouquet.

~ I would definitely hire a professional photographer! You will probably only need him/her for a few hours, so the price should not be too expensive.

~ Table centerpieces: A small bowl or vase with a floating candle is ALWAYS elegant and never goes out of style. OR, a small bud vase with a few flowers and greens -- simple and elegant whatever the season is.

~ Say NO to favors -- a waste!

~ Say NO to table cameras -- another waste. People just take goofy pictures with those.

There are soooo many ways to save. Look on other sites for low cost wedding ideas. And remember, a "budget" wedding is NOT a "cheap" wedding. There is a difference! You CAN have an elegant wedding on a budget!

Good luck and I hope you have a beautiful wedding!

Answer 5

The debt habit is an easy one to start.

Twenty years ago I went to a wedding where directly after the ceromony everyone was invited to the hall (which was attached to the church) for wedding cake, coffee, and a champagne toast. The bride and groom departed to the traditional thrown rice, etc...

Everyone later met at a local picnic pavilion (at the local Elks Club) for a barbecue.

All in all, it cost the bride and groom, two kegs of beer, a couple cases of wine and some basic cookout supplies. So many guest volunteered to bring stuff that the food was insane and delicious.

Try that...it works. You also get the chance to have a bit of formality and then the guests can let their hair down and get comfortable.

Answer 6

The rule of thumb for financial freedom is very simple: If you can't afford it, don't buy it.

Either get yoruself in a better financial situation so you can save enough for an elaborate wedding or down scale big time. A marriage license costs about $50 dollars and you can wear sunday's best. Have cake and a toast at home for a hand full of friends and inmediate family only at home.

Good luck

Answer 7

My husband and I decided to elope.... we werent sure how to work out the financial situation and he was also military (better safe than sorry)... but we both still knew that we wanted a wedding... we wanted the memories... so a little over a year later we had a wedding and reception (about 120 people)... it was like we had never been married, flower girls and all.... being married for those months before the wedding helped out a lot and gave us time to work out the wedding/celebration details... we couldnt be more happy with our decision.


On the other hand, others just stay engaged until they can pay for the wedding... its really a choice that the both of you need ot make together.

Good luck!

Answer 8

I personally have no problem just signing the papers, but it's different for everyone. I don't know what I would have done if I absolutely wanted to have a "real" wedding. When my husband and I got married, it was a very informal and inexpensive affair (with a backyard BBQ in place of a reception), and my ex-husband and I eloped in Vegas. It was fun both times, and I could go with either option all over again.

Answer 9

Go read the budget brides bio at theknot.com:
http://community.theknot.com/cs/ks/user/page.aspx?username=BudgetBridesBio

It says:
The following are the only things that are necessary in order to get married:
* You and your significant other.
* The proper paperwork.
* Someone to marry you (priest, rabbi, Justice of the Peace, Elvis impersonator).
* A witness or two.
That's it.

Remember that everything else is an extra. You can still have a pretty wedding without going into debt for it. Just concentrate on one or two aspects that are important to you and one or two aspects that are important to your groom. Work from there. Good luck to you.

Answer 10

The major causes of bankruptcy (USA) are medical bills and credit card debt. Credit cards are for convenience, not for credit. If you're not paying off your credit cards in full each month, then cut them up and get a debit card. Take the service charges and finance fees you are no longer paying (once you pay off any existing CC debt) and put them in your wedding piggy bank.