How much did your wedding really cost?

[Blondbombsite]

I’m curious because on here it often seems that if you spent more than £500, you’re looked down on for being stupid and vain but simultaneously your guests are all there under duress so can’t have any inconvenience or expense to attend. Obviously these two things are at odds, so I wondered what the true experience was for most people.

We’re getting married soon and although I don’t know the final costs yet I estimate it will be around 12k in total. That’s for 30 guests, a sit down meal (including canapés first, beef dinner, desert table and cheese table), welcome drinks/ wine with meal and an open bar all night. The biggest expense is food and drink apart and accommodation as we’re paying for all of the bridal party to stay at the venue the night of the wedding and breakfast together the day after.

Actually I missed @DNBU !

I've been to other weddings on a shoestring that have been wonderful and quite frankly the one I went to that cost 150k was dire. Money cant buy class, or love for that matter.

It was so long ago that I don't really remember! But it wasn't a lot. We had the reception at my parents house, we hired my dress and the grooms morning suit, and my mum made the bridesmaid dresses. Biggest expense was a professional photographer, who was worth every penny. No bridal shower.

I just don't get why people spend so much these days!

Including honeymoon to Italy, £20k 15 years ago. No parental input. 100 all day guests. It was lovely.

Since when is a wedding a free day out anyway? Always costs me a bloody fortune to attend! Outfit, gift, travel, sometimes having to stay overnight, childcare. I don't ever begrudge it as I like attending weddings of people I care about but I'd love a free day out!

Of course you can avoid any worries by inviting people you actually like and respect

Abour £1k , but i got married on a friday with.25 guests sit down meal ,no evening reception ,my cake and my dress was made forb

me by a friend 9f my mums i only wanted a simple do .

£23k 11 years ago. Mostly paid for by my parents: 120 guests. I think £15k was the venue and food but it was really amazing food!!

OMG I was so stupid and an absolute bridezilla!! North of £60K - I look back now and realise I should have invested that money, so ridiculous to spend so much on crazy, stupid details (£40 per invitation anyone?) and it all ended up being so stressful. Would have been much more fun to wear trainers (rather than custom shoes covered in the same silk as my dress) and have fish and chips with good friends!

We are getting married next year and I’m doing a lot of it DIY. We are having 80 day and night guests, church wedding then posh village hall. Haven’t scrimped but bargain hunted instead and will be doing most decor and flowers etc myself. I think we will come in about 5/6k all in.

I think about £2k all in. 8 years ago. We did one of those £999 weekday wedding deals at a hotel. 50 daytime with 30 more in the evening. My dress was bought from a place that did seconds for cheap. Shoes from eBay. Suits were hired, flowers minimal and I made all my own invitations and table decorations. SIL did hair. I did my own makeup. Photos were done by a professional photographer but he's a family friend so charged us a minimal fee and gave us the pics unedited on a memory stick.
It was THE most amazing day, I wouldn't change a thing about it.

About £20k all in but never added it up.

That soundd fab ,but how does it work do you have to give notice etc?

£18k and I regret every penny (husbands idea, God love him).

25k not including the honeymoon. We didn't pay though, it mostly came from the parents who'd been saving up. I had the best day but we split up before our first anniversary so definitely not worth the money.

I don't actually know how much ours was as my parents paid for most of it, but it was between 15k and 20k (probably closer to 20) almost 15 years ago. About 110 guests in a marquee and a free bar plus transport for guests from venue to their hotels as we were in the middle of nowhere. It was and still is the best day of my life and I'm very grateful to my parents for providing it for us - it was lovely to have all of our favourite people with us.

£35k (excl honeymoon ) in london.
We had 45 guests (covid) and it was perfect- to the standard we desired.

Most importantly we could easily afford it.

maybe 3-4k last year. 10 people. No regrets.

10k in 2008....my dad paid half and my OH and I paid the rest

About 10/12k. Was a destination wedding.

my parents disproved of the relationship.

Another who's parents didn't approve. They actually liked him but not the age gap. Once we decided to marry I had a major argument with my parents and was basically told to go if I intended to go through with it. I moved in with him but slept in the spare room. We organised a wedding, we'd already started the process with the parish priest. We simply picked a suitable day and arranged it. A Thursday (we could both take flexi for a long weekend). The weekend before the wedding OH went around and saw my parents and persuaded them to come. Mum brought her wedding dress and dad walked me down the Isle. All issues sorted. Few people were there just a few close friends and we went to the pub for a pub lunch. We went to orkney for honeymoon. After we got back mum arranged a party.

Wedding a couple of hundred, honeymoon maybe a thousand, party no idea.

About £4K but I had to fork out for everything including even my mum's outfit (she took me shopping, picked the outfit, chucked in a £50 hat, got new shoes and jewellery then turned to me at the counter and said, "you'll need to get this on your card, I don't have mine".)
MIL kept adding random things on our supposedly very simple wedding and insisting on this, that and the other but we were expected to foot the bill. I put my foot down on a vintage car for the inlaws, especially considering ours was being provided for free by a friend. (Only our car was needed because the whole event took place in a small village mere streets from house to church to venue but I was travelling a few miles)

We provided a 3 course meal, wines on the tables, drinks on arrival, another drink each and an epic, HUGE buffet to feed our 150 guests at least three times over. 😂

I hand made a lot of stuff, made my own fancy invites and bought most things from abroad on the cheap.

Including my (pre-owned/antique) wedding ring...about £520 (ish).
Excluding my wedding ring...about £120 - registry office fees only.

No frock, shoes, hair/makeup/nails, flowers, cars, cake, booze, guests, reception, honeymoon

We had a takeaway that evening, so you could add an extra £12 for the sweet and sour chicken, lemon chicken and egg fried rice.

It was about £22k altogether, plus £5k honeymoon. The day was 80 people, champagne and canape reception, gorgeous three course lunch, plus cheese and deli meat board in the evening. all drinks for the day plus £500 behind the bar in the evening and a local brewery keg for the evening. It was THE BEST and I wouldn't have changed a thing.

We got married in 1989 and my parents paid ( in-laws wanted to chip in for a couple of specifics but it all got a bit complicated ) I think in all it was about 5k excluding the short honeymoon . Worth every penny .

35k, 150 people.