How much did your wedding cost?

[mla2177]

I got married in 2002 with 220 guests at an Italian hall in Nj. My wedding was app 18,000 for everything.

My Disneymoon was about 3,000.

 

[Charade]

There was a thread like this a few months ago (or longer) and I'm *still* amazed that there were a few over the $100,000 mark!!

Personally, it seems like such a waste and I would rather do something else with the bulk of that money. If I had it.

But if any of you old time married folks are interested in what your wedding would cost today. Check out this "adjusted for inflation" calculator.

http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

 

[MushyMushy]

I think those must be the wedding where they only give you punch and cake-those are unheard of around here, I never even knew they exsisted until reading about it on here. Even if you have a small wedding here you still always feed the people a meal. We did go to a wedding in Va. once and all they had was appetiziers, we had to drive through a fast food restaurant after leaving that wedding LOL. It so much varies on where you live. The most casual wedding reception I have been to where I live was in their backyard, but they had party tents, a DJ, a dance floor put in, full bar and catered food and it still cost well over 10,000.

Quite a few people are able to feed their guests without paying scads of money. My sister's wedding was less than $1000 and the bulk of that was spent on the gown. The family made most of the food for her 150 guests, and it was as good as you'd get from most caterers around here. Her husband was a volunteer fireman, so they got the hall for free.

And to answer the OP's question, my wedding was in the $3,000 range. It was a small church wedding with a reception at a local club. I saved where I could -- the gown was purchased at cost because my maid of honor managed a bridal shop. The photographer was a high school photography teacher, so I think we paid him something like $300. The best man DJ'd (he's a musician and a DJ), and the meal was $11 a plate buffet.

It didn't feel at all like a "budget" wedding.

 

[SDFgirl]

Our wedding was about $18,000 a little over a year ago. DH has a huge family and we did a really nice reception with lots of good food - that was the main part of the cost. The place where we had our reception cost $2000 but it was just perfect for us. 350 people came to our wedding.

I think what we spent is pretty standard among my friends, and I live in Louisville which is a very urban area.

As I remember, here were some of the prices (since you said it was helpful from another poster):

dress $800
alterations $65
shoes $75
jewelry $115
photography $1000
limos $300
DJ ??
cake $450
wedding rings $425
church rental $400
flowers I think about $750?
hair and makeup $150
invitations: $225

A few places we cut corners:

We did an open bar with just beer and wine, no hard liquor.

I ordered my invitations from www.budgetweddinginvitations.com and they turned out really nice!

We didn't get a videographer, now I wish we had.

Good luck with planning!

 

[slo]

I voted between 10,000 and 20,000

 

[Disney Doll]

15 years ago, about $10K. 200 people, sit down dinner. Preety "normal" wedding for around these parts. No horse drawn carriages, no parade of limos (I got a limo, but not the attendants). Nice banquet hall, good food, good band, good cake.

I still have people tell me that mine was one of the best weddings they were ever at.

 

[Tybug]

Well under $1,000 20 years ago in November. And no... it wasn't just a cake and champange wedding...

I suggest looking within your own circle of family and friends for items/services that you need... that will save you big $$$.

We married the weekend after Thanksgiving so the church was already decorated for the holidays. Gorgeous! Cost - Zero Dollars

Had a friends mom make the cake(retired bakery owner). $50.00

Dress was on clearance $70.00

DH purchases a suit(can you say wear again?) $100.00

My great aunt did the flowers(retired florist - cost only) $100.00

Reception held at my parents' house, food provided by family, full bar. $200.00(maybe!)

Photographer - My uncle(cost of film and developing only)

Car to drive away in - a pristene '32 Ford pickup... owned by my grandfather... different and zero dollars.

My best friend just got married a couple of years ago in our back yard and it was the same way. If she spent $1,000.00 I'd be surprised.

Weddings can be as expensive or inexpensive as you'd like. Just decide if you really want to spend the money and if so... what is most important to you.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

We got married in 2000 and it was around $40,000. We didn't go crazy but that's what it costs for most people around here. We live on Long Island and most catering halls cost over $100 a plate. We had about 135 people, live band, video, photographer etc. We actually were very budget minded but things can get expensive pretty fast. I wasn't a bridezilla at all. We originally wanted to spend $10,000 but that went out the window pretty fast. There aren't alot of places where it costs you that little here. We had people coming in from all over so we needed something centrally located. We are happy with our choice and would do all over again and not change a thing.

 

[mickeyfan2]

WOW 3 people voted over $100K!!!!!

 

[shep]

12 years ago..about $2000

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

I am in the middle of planning my wedding and it looks like it will cost no more than $10,000. Catering for 150 people will be either $26/person if we do it on Friday or $33/person if we do it on Saturday. Photography is about $1500, I plan on arranging my own flowers, do my own decorating, etc.

 

[rhanditresmom]

Mine was definitely under $1000. I had no desire to have a big blow-out wedding, just something small. After all, this was my day...not my guests' day! hee hee!

Anyway, my mother (who is a fairly talented seamstress) made my dress. The fabric was very inexpensive, purchased in Hong Kong (parents were missionaries to Macau). The dress probably cost $30-40 total.

My flowers were very simple and probably cost around $100. I made most of the decorations...bows, etc. Made the rice bags myself. Invitations were super cheap, but very pretty. I think they cost $50 total.

DH took care of the church, but we were both members and the cost was minimal. Pictures were around $100, we did not go all out on those but they are still very pretty.

As far as food, we were some of those "appetizer only" people. Our wedding took place at 2:00 on a Saturday afternoon. We had cake, finger sandwiches, etc. VERY simple and cost around $200. I did not have a fancy-schmancy cake, we were getting married in a very small town and people did not expect a work of culinary art. My cake cost about $50 from the local bakery.

So, we managed to pull a wedding off for around $600. This was 17 years ago.

And, outside of Chinese weddings (which are a HUGE deal), I have never been to a wedding with a sit-down dinner....only light refreshments. Maybe I don't know the right people!

i have a feeling my dd will break the bank when she gets married! thank goodness she's only 11!

 

[MushyMushy]

Car to drive away in - a pristene '32 Ford pickup... owned by my grandfather... different and zero dollars.

Sweet! We had an antique care to drive away in as well. It was my dad's 1946 Ford. He was tickled to death to see it decorated, and we got so many stares and attention driving around town in it after the wedding.

Speaking of which, that's something we don't really see nowadays. People used to drive around town after a wedding in their cars, beeping their horns, but I haven't seen anyone do that in years.

 

[SamRoc]

I will be married 25 years this October and our wedding cost a little over $10,000. I wore my Moms dress. We had it at the beautiful Skylands Manor in Ringwood New Jersey. My dh and I both have huge families so this was a great place for a wedding. The fall colors in the pictures looked so nice. We are doing a vow renewal at the Disney Wedding pavillion in October. Cant wait!

 

[antmaril]

1974 - My parents spent about $2,500 for a sit down dinner for 215 people, open bar, flowers, live band, photographer -- everything -- except my dress which I paid for myself ($325).

Times have changed, that's for sure.

 

[elizke]

My wedding, 21 years ago in the Chicagoland area, was around $4000. I had an $80 dress (used and "vintage") and we used a wanna-be professional photographer, which helped. We had the reception for about 110 people at a very nice restaurant on the river, but had "heavy hors d'oeuvres" for dinner. It was cheaper and very good food, and planty enough for supper.

My stepdaughter's wedding, a year and a half ago, also in the Chicagoland area, was I think about $12,000, for about 200 people. She shopped around for places and I kept telling her I thought she could do better. She wasn't too happy with me, but then found a wonderful place that was more reasonable and loved me again. It was one of those white tents behind a nice Holiday Inn. It was heated-air conditioned, with a hard floor and all. It was strung with lights and greenery and flowers and was really beautiful and romantic. It was much more charming and warm than the big fancy rooms receptions are more normally held in. Everyone loved it.

Good luck with your planning. It's overwhelming!

 

[jjj444]

5 years ago we were married in Michigan and it cost us about $10,000. This is cheap for around these parts! Most of my friends were well over 25,000! Granted they are still paying it off now while we are scott free! We received about $9000 in wedding gifts.

 

[FormrCastMbr]

I voted for $10k - $20k for a 2nd marriage...we were trying to spend less (about 9k) but it is not going to happen. It will probably be about $10k - 12k for about 60 people. I slacked off a little and really need to sit down and figure out what I am spending...

We are in NJ and getting married at our church and having the reception at a local country club...buffet, DJ, photographer...the whole shebang!!!

OT: My Mom calls me Lulu Belle also.

 

[Tazicket]

DH and I got married in July of 2003. We live in FL and the wedding cost around 10k. (We actually thought it was cheaper than that, since we bought stuff a little at a time, but my Mom added up the costs on a whim and got the actual total).

 

[storzo]

Got married 9 years ago this October in Northern New Jersey and easily spent about $35,000 - $40,000 if you count everything from gown to favors to cars, etc.