The average cost of weddings in the US is $27,021; honeymoon not included.
The Wedding. Photo from kristineneeley.com
Old people were surveyed on the biggest advice they can give to the younger generation. Majority said that weddings are “the biggest waste of money”. It’s the one day women and some men felt like their life is a fairytale; but now they are told to stop the illusion for prudency’s sake.
Just start with the wedding dress. You spend a deal of your savings for the cloth. A guy speaking here, but it’s not like you could wear that again to party, unless it’s a Halloween party and you’re willing to torn it and blot it with blood. It’s once in a lifetime wear, then you put it in a box or hid it in the closet forever.
The preparations are not only a mentally and physically exhausting, but it hurts financially. I suppose wedding invitations are not yet sent through Facebook. It has to be pretty and appealing. Professional photographers took the images. And every print for every person is at topmost quality, to which the recipient will merely set aside. The more reasonable expenses were the food at reception, the reservations, the decorations (which has got to be a lot of floral) and of course, the after party.
The average cost of weddings in US is $27,021; and of all the states, it was mostly expensive to wed in New York where the average is $65,824.
IHateWeddings.com is a website for the sole purpose of hating weddings altogether. There are interesting comments like weddings are fake, it’s just a day of acting while one believed that the minutes of emotional bliss is worth it. A woman said that she and her boyfriend are at the peak of their relationship, why would a piece of paper change it all?
I think it’ll change everything. The wedding wouldn’t change their lives, but the marriage would. The knot was tied, the vow was said – the couple is ready for the rest of their lives together. It doesn’t matter how grandiose the wedding or how saved up it was. The symbolism of it is supposedly the most important aspect of it. Love is the reason of the celebration in the first place.
What do you think, are weddings waste of money?
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Planning a wedding? Don’t waste your money; The Guardian
Average cost of U.S. wedding hits $27,021; Reuters
Moment Matters 
Ridiculous this money spinner. Just as out of over here.
And I thought only we did this kind of stuff:-)
From Mumbai
I had so much fun at our wedding. It was expensive compared to anything else I’ve ever done, but fairly average for where I was at the time (London, UK). The largest cost was easily the food.
There are plenty of ways you could have had as much fun as we did and spent far less money. The fun and wonderfulness of the day came from the people who were there and from my partner and I sharing a public vow of committment to each other. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the trappings of the aesthetics made it that bit more special for me. The good food, beautiful surroundings, fun swishy dress, pretty flowers, bubbles in the air; it was luxurious and it was fun to revel in that for a bit, and to celebrate our relationship this way.
I’ve been to weddings without all the trappings and they’re still gorgeous. It’s just a matter of personal taste for the couple, what they feel most comfortable with, and of course what can be afforded. A committed couple is the key to a glorious wedding, witnessing them unlock grounded and happy marriage.
A marriage ceremony of Japan also requires the same expenses as the United States.
Definitely not a waste of money.But no reason why we can can’t budget and get more for less.Starting with the dress why not go for something that is reusable?Wearable in different ways etc.etc.?
Unfortunately with the embarrassingly high divorce rate (over 50%), I think this has some merit. $27k is a lot and much of that is over-the-top and not necessary expenses. As keerthikasingaravel points out: budgeting should be the norm and not the exception.
“Waste” may be too harsh of a word, but it really does approach whatever the right adjective should be.
In a former life I was a lawyer who worked in the system to dissolve more marriages than I could possibly count now. In many instances an expensive wedding had taken place three to five years previously. In some cases an expensive wedding had taken place less than a year before one of the parties came to me for help in dissolving that marriage. In some instances the debt incurred for the marriage ceremony had not been paid off yet. I have a skeptical attitude toward the efficacy of a grand ceremony in sealing the deal forever.
Weddings don’t have to be expensive. I was married – after a wedding ceremony at City Hall – for 61 years (would have been 64 this year). The service was solemn – not a lot of guests. Great memories.
It’s obviously up to the couple to decide. I think it’s a huge waste. That money can go toward a dandy holiday or home project or… Being the wife and I have been married before, we were married by the Magistrate. Four years later, it’s all good!
I think it is a wastes of money. Does a wedding makes you love each other more?
love=wedding=money=bank=debt=years to payback=no happiness? That is my opinion.
It is still a choice you take.
Whether a piece of paper makes a difference or not, whether the ceremony is a waste or not, let’s not forget the millions of people for whom this argument is a moot point – the entire LGBT community.
When I got married 16 years ago the average cost was 10 to 15 k in pounds. We had a full church white wedding… Ok cream, for 3k cuts can be cut. Yes weddings are worth it. But they are not a destination but a beginning. The marriage is what’s worth it and more simple is more sincere.
High school proms are also starting to go the way of modern weddings.
Weddings are a time to celebrate, but it seems that we are going to excesses. My old nephrologist said that he told his daughter, she could have x amount of dollars for her wedding, and whatever was left over, he would apply towards a down payment on a house. Sounds like a good idea to me.
We need to ask ourselves, which is more important: The wedding or the marriage?
I did not want a wedding I think it is a waste of money to have a huge wedding. Why start out a marriage putting out that kind of money. It could be used on things that are going to be needed later on. A nice down payment on a house a car something that you are going to have to show for it more than a bunch of pictures. My husband wanted to have a wedding so we did but we kept it very small and didn’t put a lot of money out for it. I would have been just as happy getting married at the court house. heck most people I know who had weddings are divorced including myself. the ones who went to the court house are still married and happy.
To each their own, I say. If an expensive wedding is meaningful to you, then by all means, have one. I think it’s a shame that there are those out there who don’t do what they want for their “wedding day” because they feel the pressure from family and community to do something deemed “appropriate,” however that looks for them.
Looking back, I’d say, I would probably skip the wedding if I could. That day meant a lot to our parents, moreso than us I think. And now I have all this STUFF that’s leftover from it, that I have no idea what to do with. Some is displayed, the rest is packed… I’m saving it… but why? I already donated my wedding dress. I won’t wear it again, and my daughters wouldn’t wear it either. Hopefully someone else saved a few bucks buying it at a thrift store for theirs!
I’m not even sure that marriage is the most appropriate path for us… let alone weddings! haha!
I say its worth it but within your means. If you plan a grandiose wedding out of your budget, thereby putting yourself in debt, its not worth it.
i dont believe that weddings are a waste… only un-due extravagance … celebrate your love and the start of the rest of your lives, but don’t turn it into a circus event either.
I hear U.
Gav.
I think people should spend any money they saved up on a really sweet adventure of a honeymoon. I think that experience would be much more memorable then “the big day.” Ps- you sight your sources, AWESOME!!!!
Weddings are great if you are single and in the wedding party. Otherwise, just a night in uncomfortable clothes and hangover waiting to happen. But, yes, big waste of $.
head on over to the Justice of the Peace…that way you both can start saving for the divorce.
There are multiple reasons that I don’t want to get married but I suppose if when I reach the appropriate age and meet the right guy, I would get married. However, I would skip the wedding and just have a reception so my family and friend could celebrate with me! (: It wouldn’t be too expensive!
True Wakeyup Our trans-Canadian Honeymoon was awesome 🙂
“A woman said that she and her boyfriend are at the peak of their relationship, why would a piece of paper change it all?”
This quote is talking about marriage in general, rather than just the wedding itself. A good relationship is a good relationship, and to me the label of “married” isn’t as big a deal as how the relationship is going on an everyday basis. There are, of course, legal and economic reasons to get married – and are something to consider certainly!
Perhaps the more expensive weddings are the more “show-y” ones, aimed to impress. I would pay money to get some friends together, stuff cake into my loved one’s face, and dance the night away (and perhaps throw more cake at his face – that just sounds like fun!) But not to show off my love to people I’m not close to. I would just want to celebrate it with the ones I don’t need to impress.
(Perhaps that is too idealistic. There’s certain amount of “HA – I’m in an awesome dress with an awesome guy!” that might not be completely unwarranted. But over-the-top? No.)
When my fiance and I decided it was time to tie the knot we thought we could do something cheap and fun, but were very mistaking. Even small halls now force you to use their preferred catering services and won’t allow a pot luck because it is a liability to their facility if someone gets sick. I think it’s a load of bull really. We know they would make 15% off of what their list of caterers make, along with another 20% if you have a bar. It’s all a big money scheme and unfortunately everyone is willing to continue pushing people in that direction so they can get in on it and make some of that dough for themselves.
I think it’s important to have some kind of ceremony with friends and family, to make it official so to speak. Of course, this isn’t necessary for everyone. It can be small between two people and a few witnesses who could even be a strangers. But to spend THAT kind of money. Heck, if you have that kind of money, spend it on the honeymoon!!! There will be no regrets then. 🙂
I think that while it might seem a waste to spend so much money on one day, the day is a symbol of something huge – love, commitment and all that jazz – so maybe it’s worth making the symbol as special as possible. Also, everyone you know will be there so heck I know I’d want to look good!
A wedding is not a waste unless you’re doing it to try to mend an already torn relationship. A beautiful dress and a paper cant change the fact that you’re not ment for each other. But to spend so much money is beyond crazy. It cant be worth it even if you’re SO ment to be.
Spent a fortune on mine. Don’t regret a penny of it.
Only a guy would write this lol.(:
A wedding is worth a lot, not for the dress of the reception, but for the memories. So you can have a cheaper wedding and still make it special.
I certainly wouldn’t say weddings are wasted, but yeah, you have to be smart about it. My wife and I got married for about $4,000 for a 200-person event by being smart, using our resources (uncle with a church, mom who can do flowers, cousin who’s a photographer). If you plan carefully and realize that the marriage is more important than the wedding, you can save a lot!
My husband & I have been married 21 years! We loved our wedding day and would not have done it any differently.Viva la weddings!
Thanks for stopping by earlier!
I am in the wasteful camp. Expensive weddings are not only useless but misleading. The focus of a couple embarking on a life’s journey together should be exactly that, the journey. Joy should be derived from entering into a sacred union together rather than the pageantry surrounding such an occasion.
I was married twice – the first one in my twenties was the big bash expected by all with the whole works, dress, catering etc. The day was fun, but it was just a cover for underlying problems within the relationship. My second wedding this year was small and intimate set in a beautiful garden and very personal – just amazing and very meaningful – that is what a wedding should be about. 🙂
I have always thought weddings are a waste of money and excessive stress BUT in saying that, I do look at weddings as a celebration of our love, our relationship, and for Rex and I it will be a way of celebrating, marking us being able to be together and not have to leave each other again! We are keeping it really cheap, we aren’t actually getting legally married, Rex’s best friend is being our “celebrant” as we make our vows, I am wearing a dress that I will be able to wear again at special events, we have handmade our invites quite cheaply, getting married in a garden so don’t need decorations and we are asking people to bring along a plate of food as we are having a very relaxed picnic reception and want everyone involved! I am so excited, it’s going to be such a small but fun wedding, it’s going to be relatively cheap and hopefully it will just be a way to celebrate the love Rex and I have shared these past 3 years! I’ll let you know how it goes 😉
I definately don’t think weddings are a waste. Spending a rediculous amount of money on an over-the-top wedding is a waste. But it’s important to have ceremonies, celebrations, aniversaries, events. All these things that a wedding brings. I think spending with-in your budget is fine. Getting into dept at the beginning of a marriage can add horrible stress.
BJ
So true!!!! I wholeheartedly agree! I just blogged about tips to have a Frugal wedding.
i had a really small cheap ($50-100) wedding..and i hated it.. it was small and intimate but i have a huge family and i wanted them and my friends to be there…so my next wedding (divorced) is going to be more traditional- though not “expensive” parents backyard, friend/cousins who are photographers, a cousin who makes cakes
I think as with anything, spending can get out of control at a wedding…my husband and I spent $200 on our wedding, had 18 people there, no stress and are just as married as anyone else and we loved every minute of it! I think the most important thing is to budget and stick to it!!!! Some people get so consumed with the wedding, they forget that they have a marriage after and so much of that money can help ease the stress of being a newlywed!!!!
My marriage is more important than any wedding could ever be. We forcused on our relationhship from the beginning, rather than on fairy tale fantasy, and I think we are stronger for it.
My wedding (honeymoon and additional travel to visit non-witnessing family included) cost just over $5,000. We were surrounded by only the most intimate of friends for the ceremony, frequented a rather unusual venue for our reception, and generally had a blast.
Acquaintances of mine (two pair, actually) who got married the same year as I did spent five times that amount and were divorced a year later.
Priorities, anyone?
Just sayin’.
I think weddings say a lot about a couple. Are they planning it together? Can they compromise? Does the wedding reflect their personal styles and preferences? I suspect that many people see a wedding as a single event, rather than the beginning of a marriager. We got married in the middle of a park, and spent about $1,000 for catered food, champagne and beer and great musicians. Wedding attire was simple. All this 32 years ago, and we’re doing well. So wedding are great beginning, not the end product.
I think couples deciding to get married is a wonderful thing, however, I do believe that weddings are a big waste of money. I’ve been with my boyfriend for 3 years and I’m almost terrified for him to pop the question because of the whole wedding part. I’d rather us get married (as affordable as possible), go on a fabulous vacation to celebrate and use that money for a down payment on a house. That would be MY dream wedding 🙂
This is why destination weddings are great! They can cost a lot less money, and you can limit the guest list to those that you really want to be there.
Seventeen years ago this month my wife and I got married. We got a preacher we knew to do it for free and we just went to an overlook at a nearby park with a dozen or so friends and family. I think my wife paid $40 or $50 for a new white dress that she later wore on other occasions. My father in law gave us a decent sized check and said “I figured I’d have spent more than that on a wedding, so here you go.” Still married 17 years later and no regrets over the way we did it.
Personally, I dread the idea of being the center of attention, spending a lot of money on one day, and stressing over little details that don’t matter in life. So I can’t imagine having a wedding. I think it’s important to have your friends and family show their support of your union, and share their love for you. And it’s nice to celebrate the importance of getting married. I do not think people should be casual about getting married.
But I don’t think we are required to fuel the wedding industry’s view on the perfect
($$$$) wedding to have a special day.
To each his own. Personally, if I ever get married and choose to have a wedding I’m giving myself something like a five hundred dollar budget, but to some people a very very nice and lavish day is very important. It creates a wonderful memory with the people they love, celebrating love. Why impose your own values on someone else?
Weddings are all about Women. Period. Little girls grow up dreaming about the day they marry, the one day in their life they get to be the star attraction. They get to dress up in an expensive dress, and conquer their prince charming. They don’t care how much it costs, or even that the money could be put to better use as a down payment on a home or to completely pay off their college tuition,or pay for an automobile for the family. All they care about is having a wedding that will out-do any of their friends weddings.
These are the very same people that start their romances with heavy coats of makeup, padded bras, butt shapers, and a dream of a guy that will bow to their every whim and mood change to keep them forever happy, only to work all his life to tirelessly provide all of the cash they can spend on more useless novelties such as Coach handbags.
From someone who has been married 37 years… been there, done that.
I think weddings are fine for people who want to be married, but why not keep it simple? Seems so much nicer, and better…just my opinion, of course. Thanks for visiting my blog!
yes, my first wedding we planned in 14 days and it cost 1000.00 (shot gun style). my second one cost about 15.00 in gas and wha ever the fee was for the lic. 🙂
Not a waste of money, but can easily be less expensive than most people make it.
Wow, $27,000?! Indian weddings are EVEN more on average. A $27K one would be on the lower end since they invite everyone and their mom (no joke, seriously, even the mom). I think it also depends on the culture because it is still considered such a sacred promise to one another. Indian weddings are incredibly long processes, filled with rituals, etc. usually lasting up to a week. Personally, I wouldn’t want to have an extravagant one with all this insanity…but I would still make it special. Perhaps, my uncle’s saying is true; they make it such a huge deal to make sure you only do it once…consequently explaining why divorce is such taboo in Indian culture and marriage of your child is the goal in life for Indian parents!