Imagine the vacation you and your spouse can have for $28k (or even half that) and not for just 1 day. Now *that* would be memorable.

Spent about $120 on our wedding, and that was mostly the cost of the marriage certificate. Feel great about the money saved.

My bestie got married at the courthouse, they both invited their closest friends (15), we had a fantastic lunch together and the next day she and her husband started their adventure with a 6 week honeymoon!! 🤩😍 #lifegoals.

Recently, one of my coworkers went to buy a wedding ring. When he told the salesman that his budget for a ring was $6000, the salesman's response was "Man, do you even love this girl?" It seems to me there's a lot of pressure to spend more on your wedding than you can actually afford.

Weddings seem rather embarrassing in a way. Not everyone wants such special moments displayed for others to observe.

As a wedding photographer, I TOTALLY stand behind the message of this video. Something that's been lost over time I feel like is the pomp and circumstance of weddings. Having to have everything be perfect and paying so much for your guests generally leaves couples missing out on exactly what they wanted. Just to have a good time. I'm ALL FOR smaller weddings and eloping. I did it myself. It makes more sense depending on your financial situation. Also, as long as you have great photos for memories and your closest friends and family it doesn't really need to be so big. Half the time I'd say 80% of the guest only show up to eat and dance and then leave.

My husband and I got married in our apartment in 2020 mostly due to Covid shutting things down. We took pictures in a nice location. We spent about $1500 total including my dress and photos. We saved a ton of money we were able to buy our first home and went on a honeymoon and spent a week traveling Europe. I think it was the right call considering what we gained in the end. People need to do what is right for them, not because of familial pressure.

My husband and I got married in 2019. Every time we started putting the guest list together or looking at venues we would both get overwhelmed. We got a call in September 2019 that a friend couldn’t use their ocean front time share on Maui and we were welcome to use it. We jumped on it and decided to elope. Had two weeks to plan and it was just the two of us. It was perfect and since we didn’t have a wedding we were able to splurge on excursions and make the most out of our trip.

If I could redo my wedding, my husband and I would elope. To this day I regret spending thousands of dollars on a day that was over in a blink of an eye and caused me unnecessary stress.

Our wedding was definitely for everyone else. If you're considering a traditional wedding, I recommend considering if this is what you really want deep in your soul. You can do a really cute elopement for a fraction of the cost. I was stressed the whole time

Wedding photographer here 🙋🏻‍♀️ I always cringe when I hear couples not feeling comfortable being honest and open about their wedding plans for fear of being taken advantage of. I personally charge the same price for a wedding vs an engagement vs a birthday party vs whatever. Choose vendors who are transparent with you.

My parents went to the courthouse to get married. My mom never regretted it. My mom once was a brides maid at her sisters wedding and she said her sister was so stressed that it looked like she wasn’t enjoying the experience. My mom decided she’d rather just go to the courthouse when she got married. My parents have been together for more than 20 years. One of their friends took their advice and did the same thing, a courthouse wedding and then a small get together at the house afterwards, they loved it and have been together for over 10 years. Honestly i’d rather just go to the courthouse. I’d rather use 30,000 to buy a house or something big to use with my future husband

We eloped. We'll be married 25 years in August. We wanted a marriage, not a wedding. Zero regrets, and I could see at least our oldest daughter and her boyfriend following suit.

Our wedding cost $12k but we had the cash for it. It was an amazing day to start off an amazing marriage. We had about 110 guests and a wonderful time. Did we go into debt? Not at all. My advice do what YOU want and what you can afford.

My wedding WAS one of the happiest days of my life. It was worth it. No regrets. I enjoyed the planning. I felt like a queen. Everyone we love together in one place. It makes me smile every time I think about it. But we stuck to a budget reasonable for us and paid CASH money.

This is my last year as a wedding photographer. I’ve fallen out of love with shooting them. I used to love it but something’s happened and I just see them as silly now. The amount of brides that are so stressed about the dumbest things is just one of many reasons why I’m burnt out. Wedding tax from a photographers point is justified for many reasons. We photograph from 10 am to 11pm. Even if there’s a wedding planner we are planning the day and being asked to do a lot more than just photograph the day. We’re day of psychiatrist for stressful brides/mothers. Ask any videographer, they just document the day and sit in our shadow. We bring 20k worth of gear that’s moved from getting ready to church to reception, we’re shooting detail shots, family, wedding party the list is vast. Thousands of images and at least 8-16 hours of editing. I’m leaving out a ton of other things,having a solid/talented second shooter, having backup photographers in case we get Covid. This list goes on and on and I’m glad to be finished.

Wedding planner's assistant and wedding photographer here!🙋🏼‍♀ I've worked countless weddings with budgets ranging from $75k to $1 million. At the end of the day, it's just one day and SO many details are overlooked/under appreciated by guests. The wedding goes by so fast! If you can afford it and want it, I say go for it! Otherwise, it's not worth putting yourself in financial strain for.

Covid saved our marriage, we used the money my parents gifted me to buy a house before the housing market skyrocketed in 2020/ 2021. Thankful for my home and the husband I have!!!

As a Muslim we're encouraged to be as modest as possible and honestly that's what I want to do. People spend so much money trying to outdo previous brides or impress people they don't know and won't be able to impress. People will always talk horribly about your wedding. Might as well save your money and spend it as a married couple on a house or future children or whatever makes your life easier as a couple.

Did a small wedding about 10 years ago for $5,000. It was one of the happiest days of my life.

I had a micro wedding with 25 guests for about 6 grand and it was amazing! I got to actually enjoy my day and spend time with all the guests. We invited about 50 people to the evening reception and to me that was prefect

Got married in early 2022 in a community hall that we decorated ourselves. Cost about $6000 Australian dollars. I would have been happy having it even smaller. Don’t let the wedding industry pressure you. Let your life with the one you love bring you joy. A wedding is just a party.

My wife and I got married at her place of business with about 20 friends. Total cost was $200, love my wife with all my heart.

Ngl hearing about the girl who’s dad passed made me bawl my eyes out. I’m not married but as I approach my 30s in a stable relationship with the man I love I often get sad when I think about how my father passed and won’t be there for daughter/dad dance and what not. I’m glad she was able to spend that moment with him.

My best friend got married in January 2022 and spent $8,000 for her wedding. However, most of that cost went towards booking a small 15 room motel in the CA desert for a 2 night 3 day stay. This desert was a meaningful part of her relationship with her now husband so naturally the destination wedding location made sense. She also wanted to remove the cost barrier of making her guests pay for the hotel rooms. The total wedding party was about 25-30 people. I knew most of the people who attended so it felt special to me. In other weddings, I usually don't know most of the people in attendance. Most of the food was contributed by both families. We ate at a local restaurant for the "reception" and their families pitched in to cook the rest of the meals. They also rented a nearby campsite for an alternative location to gather together. We did an easy hike, used the motel pool, had a campfire. It felt like a retreat! Best wedding I've ever attended. The wedding industry specifically inflates the cost for every aspect of wedding planning. Huge markups if it's related to a wedding. I come from a huge extended family. If my mom wants to host a traditional Chinese reception for our 200+ relatives, she is totally welcome to pay for it. Since Chinese people traditionally give money as a wedding gift, she'll likely get most of her money back for hosting the banquet. Meanwhile, I'll put my money towards crafting an intimate gathering of my closest friends and relatives for a casual wedding that reflects my relationship with my future husband. But first, need to find a man. Lol

I had a DIY backyard wedding. We’re fortunate to have a large yard, nearly an acre that easily accommodated 75 guests. We wholesaled, spent weekends fabricating the arch, painting wood flowers, etc. Out of pocket, we came in just under 10k but was able to resell 4k worth. It all came out beautifully and my only regret is not spending the money for a videographer.

Some time ago, an article I read stated that people spent around on average 40k on a wedding, which at the time the article was written was about equal to the money spent on a college degree. Dropping 40k on one day is mind blowing.

Spending money on my wedding was worth it to me. Made amazing memories with family and friends that I’ll cherish forever!

We spent ~ $300 on our wedding (backyard wedding) in 2020. And used that $25,000 for a down payment on a house. It was a fun day but most importantly we’re married and we’re able to use that money to build a future together.

You guys should have interviewed people like me who had small, cheap weddings or eloped instead of these women who had 100+ guests at their traditional weddings.

I went to a wedding of my cousin. It was extravagant, the most extra I have seen in my 30 plus yrs of my life. But more than the wedding itself, our memories with our family was so memorable! We had games, funny programs and the whole family had fun. To each their own. If they can afford it, if the friends and family are close, who are we to judge? PS Calm down people. Im just an Asian who appreciates a good family wedding😁 Plus weddings give jobs for your friends-- from food industry, to creatives and artisans.

I am 33, single, never been married and at this point I can not imagine having a wedding. I would much rather have a nice honeymoon. Mostly as I have gotten older there are only like a handful of people I would truly care if they were there. Now if my future husband wanted one, then I may compromise. But I would rather have a small courthouse wedding and just get a photographer to take nice pictures.

Honestly, my ideal wedding is close family and friends at the courthouse (or something similar). Short and sweet ceremony, a nice place to take pics and budget more money for a nice trip. Extravagant weddings really are like putting on a show and I’m more of a private/reserved person. I’ve always imagined having a small/frugal wedding.

My fellow Millennials have student loans to pay-off ... and that $35,000 marriage price tag does not help at all.

I’ve definitely seen an anecdotal correlation between the people who did extravagant weddings and the people who end up getting divorced. Also, I know for a fact vendors bump their prices up when they know it’s a wedding.

This is why I eloped for 2k to pay for the venue, photography and dress, etc in total, and I got BOMB photos from it...that's all I really cared about. It was my day, and people got to "see it" on social media. Very happy with my decision.

Loved my wedding! It was smaller to keep me less stressed, but my husband and I never felt more love for us in one room 😍

We spent $5,000 on our wedding (a small ceremony only) and felt great about it 😊

My husband and I are 24 turning 25, we got married on May 7th, 2022 at an big Airbnb house nearby Niagara Falls. We spent around $5800. This includes the 2-night Airbnb house where we had our venue, MC host, buffet catering, friend photographer, wedding cake, and our wedding attire. If we had spent more, we wouldn't have been able to buy a car. We had no bridesmaids or groomsmen, no bridal shower or bachelor parties, just the wedding and the fun night. The Airbnb hosts provided a wedding arbour (and assembled it for us), 2 tents for the reception, and enough chairs for 40 people. They even helped us by returning our rental chair covers for us. Also, we bought our ceremonial wedding rings on Amazon because we just couldn't care less about real rings! I feel like we pleased both our parents but at the same time we didn't let ourselves get consumed by impressing everyone. I have no regrets at all.

There is a happy medium between a blow out, “conventional” wedding and eloping. We had a fancy brunch and ceremonies and a cool dinner party in the city after. Cost half or less of a traditional wedding. The party bus to take us, was the highlight. I got a dress at a mall store. It’s a party, and we have to rethink of this as a party/celebration. No one handed a mandate to do “all things”. People need to break free and be creative. What do YOU really enjoy? Have a BBQ on the beach, have a theme park or Irish pub reception. Our grandparents and great grandparents had weddings in church halls and dining rooms. Tell the wedding industry where to shove it!

Got married in a beautiful white chapel overlooking the sea in Australia just my husband and I. Never regretted eloping. The day was so special, just us two. I wouldn’t like the stress of a big wedding thinking if my guests are having fun. I also wanted to concentrate on a happy marriage rather than just one day. I also wouldn’t get into debt for a wedding. That’s just me though. Still married 7 years later, still happy with the decision and the marriage! 💗

My sister spent around $30k on her wedding and she got all that back in gifts. It’s not about impressing and pleasing people on your wedding. It’s about having fun with your family and friends and sharing the love you have. Just do you!

We decided to do the most simple wedding ever, we didn't spent almost anything and everyone was so surprised about how much fun could they have in a simple wedding. Thanks to the money we didn't spent doing a big wedding, we were able to go on a 2 month roadtrip as our honeymoon. All of our friends who had done big wedding parties told us that they regret it so much, that they wish they had used that money for something else such as traveling, saving it for a house or an apartment, etc.

Wow this is NEEDED these outside expectations have to stop thank you

I had a much beautiful wedding. It was put together in less than A-day. The most expensive thing was my wedding dress I already had for $60. I stopped by the dollar store picked up some purple and blue glow sticks. I put the glow sticks in Mason jars with water and put them along a path away to a hill. I put some little electric tea lights and other jars and put them in a semi circle at the top of the hill. And I got married on top of the hill under a full moon. My brother brought fireworks. And my aunt was a notary married us.

My husband and I had a budget of $17,000 and we had a guest list of 170. We both come from big families and have many people we care about and love, so our guest list got big pretty quickly. Nonetheless, we were able to pay for everything out of pocket with diligent budgeting and we had the wedding of our dreams and made so many great memories. ♡♡♡ Everyone..just do you!! :)

My wedding was amazing in 2021 but we had a smaller destination wedding with 65 guests and overall it was $18k with a honeymoon suite included 😊. It was one of the best days ever with people I love and danced so much. Simply loved it! 💛

I couldn’t imagine inviting/spending money on people I barely know to attend my wedding or attending a wedding of someone I barely know 🤷🏽‍♀️

My brother took the wedding money and started a business for his wife, she's A LOT happier now with realizing her dream than a waste of money for a single day. Also, friends and family' happiness doesn't always equate to your own.

I think this opened my eyes to what I want for our wedding, and I’m going to talk to my fiancé about it. The part where the brides felt the day was for others rather than the couple, opened my eyes to “I want our actual day to be our day.” Might just elope and celebrate with our family still later on down the line when we have the actual money. One day for us and one day for our family.

I was 20 when I got married. I’m now 34. I really enjoyed my day, we had a very small venue, I made my own very simple center pieces, we paid a friend to take pictures… I had a blast and we kept it super simple… a few things I would have done different would have been a smaller guest list and definitely would have had an after party !!! We started our life’s together debt free and we continue to make smart financial choices. No need to impress anyone or get Into debt to please others!!!

Im getting married in September and so far we are 15k in. We have been together 7 years and I don’t regret it at all. I am Catholic and We are having a traditional wedding through church and all. We don’t have any other debt and we saved all of this money through the pandemic. I love that all my family and friends will be there together and I cant wait 🥰

We spent 7k on our wedding with 40 guests and I made most things - my dress, the cake, decorations myself and I miss my wedding almost everyday! If you want to love your wedding have as few guests as possible, only people you know well, and make something for the day yourself, even if you can afford not to!

My wedding in 1984 cost less than $2000 out of our pocket, including my dress, and both our daughter's dresses, his tux, minimal flowers, the photographer & pictures, and a cake. We didn't have an engagement ring. My mother bought beer and soft drinks, and my father and stepmother homecooked a cold buffet that was really good. We had about 75 guests. I didn't get to eat or drink. We had a good time, but it was a blur. We were grown ups so didn't register for gifts anywhere. We specifically told people we didn't need gifts, but we did a lot of very personal things, and enough cash to pay for our week on the beach. In 1984 dollars. I would not have done it any differently, I was in my 20s and think we did a good job of controlling costs.

I've never personally known someone that had that much money for a wedding. My most expensive item for our wedding was my wedding dress from David's Bridal and our rings. It wasn't the happiest day of my life but I remember the feeling of love while walking down the aisle and seeing friends and family that came to our special day.

I think the best wedding planing advice I ever received- and that I constantly tell others- just make sure you just enjoy the day. Screw your guest- are you and your partner happy? That’s it. Nothing else matters.

Just got married 3 weeks ago - all in about $2000 - and it was a wonderful time! The majority of our costs were the venue, insurance and food. Guest list was about 30 people. We DIY’ed much of it and we are very thankful to our friends and family who were awesomely helpful. We wore clothes we already owned and the entire day was imperfectly perfect. Best part, I have the most lovely man as my husband. I would have been happy without a wedding, but it was important to him because his grandparents are in their late 80’s/early 90’s so it was incredible to celebrate for them.

My wedding was $15,000 in 2016. My dad paid $10,000 of it. And we got about $2000 in our honeymoon fund. We picked a venue that was for the ceremony and reception together and they offered everything like a Dj , cake and set up with an open bar! My day was great!! I’m happy I didn’t spend too much

So the reporter used video of her own wedding to write it of as a business expense? xD

Got engaged in 2020, got overwhelmed with planning a wedding during the pandemic, bought a house in 2021, had a destination elopment wedding with 2 guests in Puerto Rico in 2022. Wouldn't change a thing

We spent around $100 in total 25 years ago ($30 on the documents and the legal signing ritual ; $10 on silver wedding rings; $20 on photos and videotape and the rest was for some food/drinks; we didn’t buy any special outfits for the day). Our video tape got lost and only some photos remained…but we still remember it as if it was yesterday! :))

I lied to my makeup artist and said i am the sister of the bride. I got my makeup in 1/4th the price

I got married last week - and it was really great, I'm so glad we had the wedding party (around 130 guests). From the gifts we got we should pretty much be able to cover our expenses as well, so the cost isn't an issue. I'm glad we didn't elope, though I do wanna say that it's indeed stressful so do not underestimate that. plan for rest and maybe vacation (honeymoon) straight after.

If only couples had spent the time and money to truly get to know each other and work on their differences instead of spending it on their weddings, this world would have been a much better place to live in.

Yup! Couldn't agree more. Me and my husband eloped where we met (Grand Canyon). Took an awesome honeymoon!!

I'm so happy my girlfriend and I spent our twenties in a relationship so we can do it right in our 30s with a wedding because I would have invited 500 people when I was 25 just myself

Not with these divorce rates. Only been married five years but absolutely happy we didn’t spend tuition on our wedding.

I agree with the wedding being about perspective, personality and your own personal needs. For me, I wouldn’t want to elope but I want to have a small, intimate wedding for friends and family

I love this video so much. Please do a part 2 to feature creative micro weddings , elopement’s, etc!

If you and your family have the luxury to afford a wedding and everything that’s comes with it without being in debt…go ahead and plan that special moment in your life but you better not file for a divorce a few years later 💯💵🤷🏻‍♂️

I’m an older millennial, my husband and I got married in 2016, my parents spent about $12-15k for the whole wedding. There are definitely ways to cut back on costs. We got our wedding cake from Wal-mart for about $65. One of my husband’s groomsmen was at the time the manager of a fantastic barbecue restaurant, so we got them to do our catering. We purchased our own beer and wine for our guests. My mother is very crafty and did a lot of the decorations. I was active duty at the time, went to the florist at the Navy Exchange and had them do them.

If anyone is debating if they even want a wedding, listen to your gut! My spouse and I weren't even sure we wanted to have one but succumbed to what our parents wanted. Big regret. We would have much preferred a super small ceremony at the courthouse and saved all the stress, time, and money. Big weddings made sense in our parents' day when it only cost a couple hundred, you had a "village" who raised you, and it was a potluck with little expectations. But now you gotta make your wedding "cool enough" and meet expectations of your aunts and cousins you've seen twice in your life... Screw that. The day is special because of the marriage, not the party!

Im getting married to my SO next year. We have a $600 wedding budget and a $14000 honeymoon budget. We feel like the honeymoon will have waayy better memories than a $30K wedding.

I can't say anything about the cost, as it fully depends on the person how much money they think is worth it, but the pressure and stress. THAT is what the wedding party is for. If you are stressed about the schedule and your guests, then your wedding party is not doing their jobs. The bridesmaids are the BRIDES MAIDS. It is their job to make your day as smooth and stress-free as possible. As Maid of Honor at a wedding, I made sure that the bride was reminded every time she got worried that it is her day, to enjoy it with her new husband, and to send me off to fix anything she starts worrying about. Of course, this is for a traditional western/american wedding, so I can't speak on those of other cultures, but make sure you have people you trust in your wedding party and don't be afraid to delegate.

As a Wedding Photographer I always tell brides that NOTHING is a must in your wedding. I emphasize true emotional connection, since that's what truly matters. Bring the people you really love, do the things are relevant to you. You can see my work at wedding media mexico :)

I would not count on making the money back in gifts - to the best of my knowledge that is not the norm, especially for people who don't have a lot of wealthy friends and relatives. Many couples go into debt from wedding expenses.

Thank you for being honest.

Have weddings you can truly afford. Whether that’s $100 or $100,000.

I'm in my 30s and having a wedding in December. I did not want a wedding. HOWEVER, I agreed after we turned it into a themed wedding. This made it more fun. We are paying for our own wedding. I'm excited now.

we spent 20k and we don’t regret a single moment from it. We didn’t take out any debt and just saved hard for it. We didn’t spend 20k based on outside influences but it was a collective decision between my wife and I. My point is be intentional with what you’re spending for a wedding. It was our day so it wasn’t about satisfying our guests.

It was the best day of my life because it was simple and above everything it was about being present in the ceremony and enjoying the first moments of the rest of our life’s. I can’t comprehend these feelings too please others

My husband and I spent under 10k, and I loved our wedding! Did a lot of DIY, etc… we spent the majority of the budget on the photographer, food, and venue.

People spend 20k on weddings then only to get divorced several years later. Not sound Investment. Me and my wife got a certificate for some fees. 10 years later still married with two kids.

Wedding per se is not the issue but the mindset of people. Does a wedding really have to be held in hotels? Can the reception not be held at home to save money? Should guests be in hundreds if there is a budget constraint? Having a wedding is not the issue but people having a materialistic mindset and comparing themselves with friends and peers... that so and so had a great wedding and was held at this and wore this designer dress so mine should be better or at least at par with their wedding celebration. Of course, if people can afford a big and lavish wedding, there is nothing wrong with it as well as it's just a once in a lifetime experience.

WOW, your wedding looks amazing and that dress!! I hope you had a great time. Thanks for sharing those useful thoughts. xo

If I ever get married, I’m going to Vegas to a wedding chapel..lol. I’m not wasting money for one day!😂🤣

Where I’m from, weddings aren’t popular, a lot of couples are unmarried. I’m in a relationship since 21 years, we have children and we are not married and not planning to do so. We did write an agreement in cas of a separation though.

$2,000 with my flight to my wedding included. We enjoyed our wedding completely!

I work part time as a bus driver Saturdays. Just so you know booking a limo/party bus for your wedding costs more maybe even double in some cases than if you do the booking yourself than using event planner. Take it in consideration if you are debating about hiring event planner or not. I guess she will pay for herself by saving you money with everything else not just limo.

My wedding cost $28. We went to Justice for the Peace. We saved the money for the house 20% down. Best decision!!

We used the money for house down payment, the best choice in my life!

Best advice--have your wedding exactly how YOU want. However you and your fiancé want it. Spend all the money If you want. Or don’t. As long as u do it how you want it that’s all that truly matters really

It’s not so much to entertain the guests as a chance to gather your community. A chance to allow others to give and help. It creates meaning and makes your union real to those in your circle. They take ownership of your relationship and will be there for you in future. It is important to invite your loved ones, even just to the courthouse.

My husband and I are millennials and got married at 22y/o. Our wedding cost us $8k and very little of it was actually up to our doing as our family members repeatedly got carried away with themselves on our bank account. The Lutheran church for our athiest wedding cost $500 alone and was booked for a date we hadn't agreed on. We basically just chalked it up as, that was other people's wedding that we got married at. I stayed in bed for the three weeks after it.

Finally people are realizing weddings are complete BS!!! Look up the history of weddings and your suspicions will be confirmed. I spent $300 on mine and yes granted I married my dog in my moms basement but just goes to show.

My husband and I spent 3k on our wedding. Ceremony at town hall, a fun party with tons of alcohol, best party ever.

I recall a conversation I had a with a woman who got married in the 1950s; she stated for their wedding it was a small church wedding, and then a reception with just fruit punch and cake served. Weddings didn't become over the top until Princess Diana and Prince Charles from her observation. They wanted to save money for a down payment on a house. She said that her wedding was typical of the day.

I had a 50 person wedding which costed $20K, we ended up getting $15K from my parents and in-laws. We got married at the Santa Barbara courthouse and rented an Inn that doubled as our stay location for some of our guests and used the backyard as the reception area! I ordered flowers online and did a DIY moment and the booze was BYOB. And we had a small wedding party, only the MOH and BM. It was intimate and sweet! And we really got quality time with all of our guests. Totally recommend a smaller wedding!

I've never had a significant other, and I don't even get invited to weddings. This video made me feel bad 😔

Especially when couples are already living together, sharing bills and even kids… the wedding is only a party not even a personal milestone.