[Ehwnnc]

Well im in the process of planning a wedding. Thank god i am not paying. For a basic wedding at a nice place with nice food the cost we have right now is right at 35k. To me that is insane. I would rather put the money towards a house but whatever i get it, its the one day a girl always dreams about blah blah.

For the married people here, how much were your weddings?

[MrPrena]

I spent $14k and had about 75 guest. I initially invited 100.
It was about 7 years ago.

I rented a church for $300.
Wedding planner did the rest. It was fairly average wedding in terms of fanciness. I really don't like spending $ on wedding. My friends typically spent about 45-50k.
(Ring&wedding band cost sperately)

[Ehwnnc]

Originally Posted by MrPrena

I spent $14k and had about 75 guest. I initially invited 100.
It was about 7 years ago.

I rented a church for $300.
Wedding planner did the rest. It was fairly average wedding in terms of fanciness. I really don't like spending $ on wedding. My friends typically spent about 45-50k.
(Ring&wedding band cost sperately)

Those prices are for 200 guest so that adds to the cost

[MrPrena]

For 200, you can go as conservative as 20-25k , but 35k is about right. Most of women wants a fancy wedding. There are starving wedding planners dying to earn your business at a low cost. If you are using planner, make sure they have a good track record.

[pgviper]

I'm in the process of planning a wedding also. My fiance takes care of most of it, she just asks me my opinion when she can't decide between two things she likes. Lucky for me, she wants a lot of it to be a surprise which limits my involvement.

HOWEVER, the devil is in the details. Once you secure a venue, the flowers, dj, photographer (all three of which are BIG MONEY), stationary (save the dates, invitations, shipping, caligrapher, menus, place cards), dress/shoes, tux, hair/makeup, transportation, fee's, tips, religious fees (if you're doing a religious wedding) etc... The list just goes on

For me, you're going through it once (hopefully), enjoy it, embrace it and remember that memories are priceless.

On a side note you, will get A LOT of nice stuff from the bridal shower, have a sick time on your bachelor party and get tons of gifts along with an epic night on the wedding itself.

Anyway, congrats and best of luck!!!

[Ehwnnc]

Originally Posted by pgviper

I'm in the process of planning a wedding also. My fiance takes care of most of it, she just asks me my opinion when she can't decide between two things she likes. Lucky for me, she wants a lot of it to be a surprise which limits my involvement.

HOWEVER, the devil is in the details. Once you secure a venue, the flowers, dj, photographer (all three of which are BIG MONEY), stationary (save the dates, invitations, shipping, caligrapher, menus, place cards), dress/shoes, tux, hair/makeup, transportation, fee's, tips, religious fees (if you're doing a religious wedding) etc... The list just goes on

For me, you're going through it once (hopefully), enjoy it, embrace it and remember that memories are priceless.

On a side note you, will get A LOT of nice stuff from the bridal shower, have a sick time on your bachelor party and get tons of gifts along with an epic night on the wedding itself.

Anyway, congrats and best of luck!!!

Oh yeah im in the same boat. She has EVERYTHING planned. I just told her to tell me when and where to show up

Congrats to you too

[pgviper]

Originally Posted by Ehwnnc

Oh yeah im in the same boat. She has EVERYTHING planned. I just told her to tell me when and where to show up

Congrats to you too

Yes sir. That's a good spot to be in. My favorite phrase "yes babe, whatever you would like". We are both pretty young to get married and pretty much the first ones out of all our friends. Honestly, it's going to be one hell of a rager. I had the same thoughts about where the money should go, better spent on a house, better spent on an investment etc... But after our engagement night, being that it was the best night of our lives (to date), I have no doubt that the memories from our wedding will be THE best moments of our lives up until the day we have a kid, which is actually freaky to even think about lol.

Ohh and regarding cost. They won't tell me a budget. If I were to guess, it would probably be around the same price of a fully loaded M3 haha. But I really couldn't tell you for sure. I literally know nothing about that. Ignorance is bliss!

[BayMoWe335]

Just budget $100k or so and if it comes in under, you'll be happy.

[KingOfJericho]

Including rings, ours was about $20k with zero guests.

[firstkill]

I had a destination wedding. Its great for weeding out a lot of guests and you can spend more on quality issues.

guest for about 50 including family was around 50k. not including the rings.

fk

[BimmerPod]

65k for wedding in Napa for 100 guests, no rings.
(15k site fee, 35k reception dinner cocktail, 4k photog, 4k florist, rest for dress, makeup, tuxedo, officiant)

[BimmerPod]

Originally Posted by pgviper

Yes sir. That's a good spot to be in. My favorite phrase "yes babe, whatever you would like". We are both pretty young to get married and pretty much the first ones out of all our friends. Honestly, it's going to be one hell of a rager. I had the same thoughts about where the money should go, better spent on a house, better spent on an investment etc... But after our engagement night, being that it was the best night of our lives (to date), I have no doubt that the memories from our wedding will be THE best moments of our lives up until the day we have a kid, which is actually freaky to even think about lol.

Ohh and regarding cost. They won't tell me a budget. If I were to guess, it would probably be around the same price of a fully loaded M3 haha. But I really couldn't tell you for sure. I literally know nothing about that. Ignorance is bliss!

It may very well be the best day of your lives, but it'll feel like the day was all of five minutes, a complete blur

[M_Six]

Wow, Wifey and I got married in her parents' living room by a JP. Her folks, my folks, a couple of her relatives. MIL and FIL took everyone to dinner afterwards. We have plain gold bands as neither of us care about jewelry. Cost to us was for the rings, which weren't much, and travel costs to drive out there and back. We drove back through Niagara Falls just to have some sort of "honeymoon."

One of the many things I love about my wife is her willingness to spend money when it counts (like staying in nice places on vacation, adding mods to the house, etc) and not spend it on things that have no value to her.

That said, I'm not dissing those who go large on weddings. I've been to some pretty cool weddings in my time and they can be fun and full of good memories, which are often priceless.

[leJUNd]

Sorry to steer the thread off topic but I am struggling with this.
I personally don't want to do a wedding. I hate going to weddings and don't want to have one. GF shares the same view but our parents thinks its blasphemous to get married and not have a wedding. Is wedding an event that is as much about the parents as actual people getting married? My parents thinks so. What do you think?

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by leJUNd

Sorry to steer the thread off topic but I am struggling with this.
I personally don't want to do a wedding. I hate going to weddings and don't want to have one. GF shares the same view but our parents thinks its blasphemous to get married and not have a wedding. Is wedding an event that is as much about the parents as actual people getting married? My parents thinks so. What do you think?

This was our frustration too. We didn't care about the big ceremony or the huge party. Weddings are more fun as a guest and we've seen the stress that organizing a wedding put on our friends when they did it. We wanted to do what would make the experience special for us and since we paid for it ourselves, we were not beholden to the wishes of anyone else. We got married on the beach in Hanalei on Kauai and the experience was amazing.

Sure, our parents would love to have come along but after the wedding we would want to do our own thing so it didn't make much sense for them all to schlep all the way there to see us for maybe four hours. They didn't hold a grudge and really how could they? It is our special day, we paid for the entire thing ourselves, and we did exactly what we wanted to do. Anyone who would get upset is missing the point and has lost focus of whose day it really is.

[Lups]

100 euros for a name change. I win!

[jlstyle]

Whatever you plan, it will cost about double.

I budgeted mine for $35k~40k and we ended up spending around $55k. But this includes EVERYTHING including honeymoon.

Things add up quickly:

-$150 pp usually for a nice reception place: 200 people you are at $30k
-$3k~5k for DJ
-$3k~4k for flower
-$4k~6k for photos
-$1k~2k for dress
-$500 for tux
-$1k~2k for groomsmen and bridesmades
-$5k~8k for honeymoon

This is the core of the wedding and we are already over $50k, and there will be a LOT more small things you will have to pay such as limo/favor/things around table/after party/shoes/ etc...

[Lups]

Originally Posted by jlstyle

Whatever you plan, it will cost about double.

I budgeted mine for $35k~40k and we ended up spending around $55k. But this includes EVERYTHING including honeymoon.

Things add up quickly:

-$150 pp usually for a nice reception place: 200 people you are at $30k
-$3k~5k for DJ
-$3k~4k for flower
-$4k~6k for photos
-$1k~2k for dress
-$500 for tux
-$1k~2k for groomsmen and bridesmades
-$5k~8k for honeymoon

This is the core of the wedding and we are already over $50k, and there will be a LOT more small things you will have to pay such as limo/favor/things around table/after party/shoes/ etc...

You guys really need to let the wife decide these things, that's why I got off so cheap.

In an other life there was a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong conversation about a wedding, and the almost future spouse wanted everything, and the cost was up to 65k (euros) before I finally got the nerve to say, that I'm just too damn young, and no flipping way will I put a dress like that on.

the figure is from early 21st century, so that puts it to perspective.

[nmehta211]

indian weddings are a complete waste of money.

Let's just say a M6 Gran coupe could have been purchased by avoiding my upcoming wedding!

[Nkc]

I profited from my wedding. I paid for everything and in return, I got back a lot more in cash at the reception. I guess its a Chinese thing.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by nmehta211

indian weddings are a complete waste of money.

Let's just say a M6 Gran coupe could have been purchased by avoiding my upcoming wedding!

you just should have married me. I still can't believe why anyone would go trough it all.

[John 070]

Originally Posted by Ehwnnc

Well im in the process of planning a wedding. Thank god i am not paying. For a basic wedding at a nice place with nice food the cost we have right now is right at 35k. To me that is insane. I would rather put the money towards a house but whatever i get it, its the one day a girl always dreams about blah blah.

For the married people here, how much were your weddings?

I got married in 2008, and probably lived on another planet because I thought a wedding was 10k. My female friend laughed, and said yeah, maybe when my mom got married in 1984 it was 10k.

The thing about it is EVERY ASPECT OF THE WEDDING IS A RIP-OFF.

Never in my life did I open up my wallet and peel off hundred dollar bills.

Anyhow, we got married in Manhattan, the king of high cost, and got by with 27k.

If you don't do your homework, you get ripped off and yes it would have topped probably 55k.

For example, in Manhattan, venues were telling me they could do the rehearsal dinner for $105/plate, and when I tried to negotiate, it came down to $90. WHAT???!!

Then I tried NJ, and that was about $75. F that.

Finally settled on Midtown East at $23/plate. The guy built in some profit for himself and said mandatory free soda at $5/plate. OK, so out the door $28/plate before tax and tip. How? I found a steakhouse that caters to the theater crowd, and booked them before they got busy. That's a free $28/plate times 45 people in a time they would have been idle.

Limo? Negotiate for 1/2 of what they advertise.

Flowers? Ditto.

It's no different than buying a car. If you don't negotiate, yep, you pay some inflated price. Actually, my wife handled all of it except the rehearsal dinner. Imagine how I felt facing $105/plate times 45 people, just for a rehearsal dinner?