That's nuts. My fiancee and I are getting married in 2 weeks and our costs are going to be right around $5K.

 

We had a pretty nice wedding a few months ago and total cost wasn't much more than $5K. It would have been a few thousand more, but the reception place screwed us over the week of the wedding and moved us to another location so they knocked a lot of money off of the cost.

 

I, for one, encourage couples to spend lots of money on their weddings. Or, at least, on their wedding receptions. Or, at least, on the entertainment at their wedding receptions. That is, when that entertainment includes a magician. At least, when that magician is yours truly.

 

I will now make your money disappear. *poof*!

 

I think it all depends on what you want for a wedding, you can serve punch and cake for 300 pretty cheap, of course my wife wanted the full sit down dinner, open beer/wine (got married on a college campus, no liquor...that saved about 5K!)...do your research, we did a lot ourselves, flowers from costco, we got locked in at the previous years food costs, that saved about 15 per person, they had to change ball rooms on us for the reception so we got an extra day free for set up. A local nursery let us 'borrow' all the trees we wanted for the hall (20ft ceilings) for free...I figured we spent just under 25k but if we would have paid for everything it would have easily been over 40k...other things, my mother-in-law is a professional cake maker, hired a band I use to book all the time and had made them tons of money...he gave me about 5k off for a 7 peice band...plan well and you can save tons! Hired another friend to take the pictures, save a couple of grand right there...he would have been invited anyway, what the heck!

We also had over 180 people...

 

Foggedaboutit 500 people at the wedding, over 50k in expenses, great food, open bar with premium booze. Families bickering regarding money.

Foggedaboutit. I'd have rather had a simple wedding and family unity.

That being said, whatever my daughter wants, she will get. She's 1 now so I have a little while to save up.


We did net 10k in cash and prizes. Nice little nest egg. So Cal overspending and showoffs FTW!

 

One of the easiest gravy trains I ever got on was putting together a Brass Quintet. While we managed to get on the socialite event rolodex, the money was in weddings.

We'd normally just do the ceremony, so we started doing the, "$$$$ for the first hour, with a 1 hour minimum" bit. . .

$100+ (often under the table) for 15 minutes of playing + reception food = rocked.

 

My gf has lots of "extended" family she said she wanted at a wedding. I asked how many and she said at least 350. I told her to kiss my ass and you're paying for them if we get married. True story.

 

I'm an asshole, and I approve of this message.

 

I am Getting married August 18th and the wedding costs are about 60K. That is for 350+ plus people. However in my culture we don't bring box gifts to the wedding, just cash, so I will recoupe most of it.