Could the money spent on your wedding have been put to better use?

One reason we haven't gotten married is because we would far prefer to spend the money on other things - travel, home, investment property and, of course, our children.

by lizzi

We purposefully didn't spend a lot on our wedding. We had a wonderful day, about 70 or 80 guests and a wonderful time. My friend is a DJ and he did a wonderful job of DJing and MCing the reception, I got caterers in and had a fabulous pool side party in my brother's awesome house. We loved being able to go to the wee hours without having to worry about closing time at a venue and didn't go overboard on expenses.

by Sarah Bell

I'm not married …. so its safe to say I spent the money on other stuff.

I think a lot of the things that are deemed to be compulsory for weddings are just totally unnecessary and a waste of money. If I were to get married it would be a very quiet, very private, very low fuss event.

by meggf

This is a great question.

I think people do spend a lot! some weddings can cost $30,000 and More!
When you think it is for just say 8 hours that's a great deal of money to spend.

I think a lovely wedding can be done at place where all can get involved.

The Internet now have the most amazing pictures of weddings, that can be reproduced.Pick a theam, and do it yourself.

Wedding dresses do not have to cost thousands of dollars.....Loosing so much money is crazy for that 8 hour day.

You need someone who has a artistic flair, and your half way there.

By looking around, you can find a venue for the reception with kitchen and seating for many many people.Keeping numbers down, is the key too.
Have a group of ladies to do the high tea, for you.Friends and the like.
One can have a great wedding today with dress and just have one bridesmaid...and a high tea for about $5,000....That's everything! cake and flowers too.
The other thousands of dollars will be in your wallet at the end of the night.
But! it is all about getting people involved, and cutting down on a huge wedding.For a wedding gift, you can ask people to contribute to the cost of the wedding dress, cake, and even high tea.Every little bit helps.
May sound strange, but I have seen it happen...and I loved the way we all can put together a most wonderful time for the young couple,and give them a big start to a life together.
That money they have to spend, can be a good start to a deposit for a home in the future.
What a blessing that is for any young married couple.

by jonaja

Took some new Brisbane Greeters on a training run around the city yesterday. Saw a very fashionable wedding at the Catholic cathedral, then onto the old Government printing office which now houses the registry office. Could not see any difference between the joy of the wedding parties milling around this office and that of those folk attending the society wedding.

:) i'M Hearing ya.

So much money! It's just ridiculous!

jonaj, $30, 000 for a wedding is nothing now days. People are paying up to seventy grand.

wow!

I've never been married, but if I did I would make it as inexpensive as possible. I don't see the point in spending loads of money on a one day event. Basically all you need are a few outfits (which are probably going to be worn once), a few decorations, and food, and a pen to sign a piece of paper. I don't see why it should be any more expensive than a birthday bash. Far better to spend the money on creating a future together.

by Bryony Harrison

Nope, we had a fabulous day - it was worth every cent!

by Sandy Ludinski

My wedding cost around $2000 and that included buying my wedding dress! I do think it is a silly to spend a lot of money on a wedding, especially a large amount like $10,000 which most couples would have to get finance for and spend years paying off!

by thriftyfrugalfun

And many of those expensive marriages only last 5 minutes.

$2000! Wow, I am impressed. Our wedding was small but still cost about ten times that. Considering everything we saw during our preparations, ours cost nothing in comparison to some.

No. We had a small wedding and made our money back thanks to our guests.

by Vee

Maybe? I don't really care - we can't get it back and it was a once-in-a-life event so how do you value that? It's not like we'll be undoing the commitment we made, so I'd certainly stop short of saying it was a waste....

by kimp

Loved my Wedding Day, & money spent was well worth it! Wouldn't have had it any other way!

The joyous time my Mother had, seated at her Table, with her lifelong friends' was alone, worth it.
Unfortunately, she succumbed to cancer exactly one month later.

by donjo

A lovely memory tinged with sadness. My Mum lived long enough to witness my daughter's wedding, but passed within a year. My sister went to a great degree of trouble to get her there from the nursing home in her wheel chair, and my daughter and I were most grateful, as was Mum.

Yes, grann, the things' we do for love.....
Mum lived long enough for us to get back from our Honeymoon, so she knew I was going to be 'well taken care of', so she could go peacefully.......

We were married in the Wayside Chapel, Kings Cross. I looked at lots of wedding dresses, but they were just so not me. Then I found a shop in the Strand Arcade, Sydney Au, selling woman cloths, & in the window, was a lovely (real) silk mini dress. Yes they could make it in white. The dress had long sleeves, with tiny covered buttons down the front, (but it opened down the back,) & it was $50, back in '69. The reception (for 30) was at Potts Point, so we were able to walk from the wedding to the reception. We went in my father car. My brother attached white ribbons to the front of it. We bought a square shaped non wedding cake from a Kings Cross/Potts Point cake shop! My father gave us the $250 he hadn't had to spend on the reception!
We had a lovely time. Our 2 children aren't married, for which where glad about! We'd rather give them the cash to put towards buying a house, renovating a house, or towards the mortgage.
You can call us old fashioned if you like!

by Miro