Inspired: how much did your wedding cost?

[JKMastalski]

About $40,000. My parents paid for mostly everything. IL's paid for Rehearsal and a few things for the wedding.
Greatest day of my life, October 19, 2002. Worth every penny.

 

[JenDaveBrendan]

Our wedding was around $20,000, paid for by my parents. My in-laws paid for the rehersal dinner, but refused to pay for alcohol, so my parents picked that up too. My parents also paid for our honeymoon.
Didn't really seem fair.....

 

[WDWAurora]

Total...Probably around $6500 or so. We didn't keep good records. We were shooting for $5000, but missed. This was a little over 6 mos ago. My parents paid for almost everything...Dress and tiara were around 600, I paid for my veil, borrowed my crinoline, and already had the shoes I wanted to wear. DH kicked in some for the DJ, paid the minister, and I think I paid for the license stuff. I tried to pay for other stuff here and there, like the cake topper, guest book, ring pillow, etc. We had the ceremony in a church and the reception in their (HUGE) fellowship hall. It was the type of southern wedding that MrsPete is describing...heavy appetizers (definitely enough to fill you up like a meal) and a fruit table (with chocolate fondue) with punch and cake (which we were given as a gift!). No alcohol was served and we had over 300 guests.

DH's parents paid for the (NICE) rehearsal dinner, probably $2500ish. They also gave us a mid-sized amount of money for a wedding gift because they didn't contribute the traditional amount for flowers (we didn't ask them to) and his mom also gave us really nice gifts at all our showers that helped us out a lot (our quilt for our bed, lots of cool pots and pans and stuff).

I'm cheap on wedding stuff. I just couldn't ask my parents to spend a large amount of money. I know they would have done whatever I wanted, but they've done so much for me that I tried my best to keep it as inexpensive as possible without sacrificing the things that were truly important to me (i.e. I had my dream dress, the flowers I wanted, etc.).

DH and I paid for our rings. OH-A hidden cost? The church allowed us to use their table cloths for free, we just had to have them cleaned. Well, previously one of their church members (we didn't use my church, it's too small) had owned a dry cleaner's, so they had cheap cleaning. NOT ANY MORE! My parents took them to their normal place and it was $10 per table cloth-for over 30 of them!! We could have rented for much cheaper.

We paid for our honeymoon. It was probably $1000, but our hotel only cost $126ish since we used VISA reward points!!

 

[Chicago526]

$14,000 or there abouts, the honeymoon was $3000. This was just last August. One of these days we'll actually get our proofs back to the photographer and I can post some pictures!

I don't regret having a big wedding, I do regret having to put so much of it on the credit card. But things didn't work out quite the way we wanted, money wise (do they ever?) so we are paying for it now.

So my advice is, if you want the big wedding, go for it! But don't put it on the Master Card, save up and pay cash!

 

[Bob Slydell]

I don't know how much exactly -- DW's parent's paid for most of it, my parents paid for their traditional stuff (e.g. rehersal dinner) and DW and I paid for things like our photos and honeymoon.

All told, it probably was like $30-$35K.

 

[pixiemomma]

Vegas ~ $39.99 + Dress
I paid for that bad boy all by myself

Mine was $60. We also paid for our own. (We went to the courthouse. Just us, no family. ) We didn't have a reception either so we didn't get any gifts, not even from our parents. I have never regretted the decision. I'm not into weddings. If my kids want big weddings they are on their own but we will pay for their college education and a downpayment on their first house.

 

[luvmy2sams]

$35...We were married in a small chapel by a JOP. Didn't even know the guy's name until we looked at the marriage license. My entire family was there, and we were in and out in under 15 minutes. It was the perfect wedding for us.

 

[bettyann29]

Im not married yet, but me and my DF are getting married next April.. We are paying for it.. We are getting married on a beach in Jamaica.. The actual cost of the wedding will be approx $1000-- It will be me, him, my 3 children, his 2 children, his daughters soon to be husband and their soon to be baby.. The actual details are still pending.. we are either taking a cruise and while in Jamaica will get married or we will fly and take a week vacation and while there get married.. I cant decide which but will have to make a decision soon.. Of course that price doesnt include the cost of the cruise or trip, but it will be worth it..

 

[leighe]

Ours was about $30,000 (my parents) not including the rehearsal dinner or honeymoon (his parents so I don't know how much that cost). It was so beautiful and so much fun but when I look back now I think

$30,000 !

My mom and dad loved planning it though. They are disappointed because my little sister wants a super-simple, no-frills wedding.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

2 weeks in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. we were married on the beach at sunset. our best man and bridesmaids were people we met on the trip. about $4000.00, we got the wedding and honeymoon all-inclusive. when we got home, my parents and her parents each gave us $1000.00.

 

[Disney Ella]

$100 maybe, including a lunch in a restaurant. We got married at city hall because we couldn't afford a big wedding. If I would have had a bigger wedding, I would have gone for a picnic at the beach reception with activities outside the usual drinking and dancing.

 

[PaulaSue]

Including wedding bands and reception it was less than $3,000. (10 years ago)

I know my Mom gave us $1,000 and took all the pictures as our gift. His parents gave us $1,000 and paid the open bar bill which was almost $1,000 with tip. I can't remember what my Dad gave us but I am thinking it was $500 and another gift. Dh and I paid for the rest and our cruise and it was more than the wedding, not by much. My dress was only $300. Our reception was at the officers club and we got that cheap with DH's family belonging. We had 100 people with a meal, DJ great cake and a blast (open bar) and lots of good stories.

 

[mommyoeo]

Ours was $35,000 also in 1995. That does not include the rehearsal dinner or the honeymoon.

I wish we could have done a smaller wedding now, but my folks went WAY out. Looking back at the video though, it was very special and even now we cry when we see it.

My folks consider it money well spent. We plan on doing a much more affordable wedding for our 2 dds! That AND they will go to cheaper universities as well. Maybe we'll stay in GA and they can go for free.

Christy

 

[F1Julie]

I got married in Jamaice in 1998. The wedding was free and included in our resort stay. My parents paid for the trip. I think it cost about $2400. It was the divorce a few years later that was expensive...

 

[Jen_in_NH]

Ours was about $6000 2 years ago, for about 120 people. We were planning an outdoor reception with a big cookout (which was rained out.... ). My mom made my dress, DHs best friend was the DJ, and my best friend made the cake. Another of our friends does catering, and he did all of the cooking for cost.

It was a blast! I'd have liked it better if we could have been outside, but who knew - there are hurricanes in New England!

Jen

 

[DwarfMaster]

It was the divorce a few years later that was expensive...

I hear ya! Its a shame when the divorce cost more than the wedding

 

[salmoneous]

Total cost was about $6500, including honeymoon. The idea was that we would pay for everything, but it didn't quite work out that way. Both parents wanted to "help".

My parents insisted on paying for the rehersal dinner (held at a Bar-b-q joint for <$200). Then DW and I were having a disagreement over the alcohol (pretty much the only thing we squabbled in all the planning). I asked my parents to step in and insist on taking care of the alcohol just to get the issue out of our hands. So their total was about $1,000.

We were a bit short of cash at the start of planning, and didn't want to put anything on credit cards far in advance, so we asked DW's parents to put down a number of the deposits for us. About $600 in total.

The rest was all us.

 

[huey duey & luey]

Probably around 30,000 not including the honeymoon. My parents paid it, we paid for the honeymoon, my in laws the rehearsal dinner. It will be 10 years in August

 

[Mishetta]

Interesting thread......love reading about everyone's wedding! I've read each post!

Our wedding in 1994 cost about $20,000. We were living in CA at the time & married in MI, so we had travel to pay for too. Had the big traditional Catholic Italian wedding. Historic Cathedral, limo's for entire wedding party (8 couples) fancy banquet hall with DJ & open bar. We paid for all but the Priest's donation (my Aunt), and flowers (my Mom.) My in-laws just threw in their unwelcomed 2 cents. Oh yeah & we rented (paid for) my FIL's tuxedo too. Even with my in-law's there, it was the best day of my life. So much fun & everything was absolutely perfect.

 

[MamaLema]

My entire wedding was $1,000 start to finish, including my dress! My mom paid for it. We got married at our church by ourselves and then celebrated after with a picnic. It was so fun! There was lots of kids running around and we ate fried chicken & Italian beefs. Everybody still mentions how fun it was now, almost 14 years later.

We are sooooo NOT the fancy wedding type. Casual all the way!

Exact same thing with us. It was very low-scale but everybody talks about how much fun it was, even 11 years later