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.

That's just bonkers but then if you can afford it then why not I guess 😁. How did it reach that amount though? Was it a v experience venue?

£28k 13 years ago. Too much

Not including honeymoon

This first one cost over around 12k was the full works and the Second one cost 3k just a very intimate wedding with with me, my husband and our daughter never told any family members until the day after.

Around 10k, 24 years ago yesterday. My dad paid for it. My DH and I paid for the honeymoon. Traditional church wedding and reception for 120 all day guests. FIL paid for the bar.

Lovely day and lovejy memories.

Then, 7 weeks ago, just after our 21 YO son received news that his cancer was in remission, the fucker left me and the family to find happiness for himself.

I regret every penny my dad laid down for it now.

$175.
2 months ago, we were on holiday in Las Vegas and just decided to do it.
Less than 24 hours later we were married, it was amazing!

A few grand, spent £2k of it on the dress, suit, and shoes! Then £1k each for church and a nice meal for everyone including wine. All the bits like cake, car, hair, flowers were done by family as a gift. It felt very us 🥰 did mean to throw a bigger party later but life then covid got in the way!

About £20k, 10 years ago. For 180. Thought getting it in for a bit over £100 per head was quite good value then, and still do.

30k. 70 guests, entertainment during the ‘boring’ bits (photos etc) and free flowing champagne all day. Free bar after the wedding breakfast. We also laid on a boat party which cost a lot. We didn’t spare any expense but we could afford it. No way would we have got into debt. Other than our son being born, it was the best day of our lives, a day full of happy memories and worth every penny.

And quelle surprise, we are still v happily married five years later despite the expense! My advice to anyone is only spend what you can afford, and then don’t scrimp as you’ll regret it but don’t take on debt to get married. I know a woman who spent 50k on her wedding, she’s from a huge Ghanaian family, loads of guests, etc and is still paying it off 12 years later. How depressing.

@thefirstmrsrochester I'm so sorry, he's a dick

About £20k just under 10 years ago for 90 guests. This includes entertainment for the full day, canapés, drinks on arrival and alcohol flowing during the meal. 3 course meal. Ceremony in a church so cars needed too. honeymoon was in addition to this which was a one off holiday of a lifetime for us. I would do it again in a heart beat and regret none of my spending.

About 5k including honeymoon in Croatia. Also about £3k of it went on rings.

We had a civil ceremony with immediate family, followed by a meal, then a party at home for about 25 guests. We covered all food and drinks for the day. We also had flowers and a professional cake :)

We spent 2.5k on our wedding 4 years ago. It was really simple with an afternoon civil ceremony and a meal at a local restaurant for us and our 10 guests.

Our biggest expenses were the photographer , which was worth every penny , and hiring the nicest room at the registry office.

If people wish to spend more that's fine , I'll never understand the slating of others choices. If you can afford a big one without getting into debt then there's no issue.

About £32,000in 2017 for around 85 people. We got married in the south of Italy.

Around £20-£25k we paid for everything ourselves big white church wedding then marquee at our house amazing amazing day with all our family and friends having a ball and the intensity of the emotion on the day was wild. Second time around for both of us and we were so excited to have the big day for us and for our friends and family, you could feel the love in the room all day. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Mine was (honestly) under £500. The cost of the smallest registration office room, my parents as witnesses and a meal after. Was probably actually under £400! We were so fast the registrar writing up the marriage certificate wasn’t done when we’d finished the ceremony bit!

Im too embarrassed to admit how much we spent on our wedding and really regret it. I’m still happily married to my husband but I just don’t think we needed to spend that much money on one day.

Just over £5k for our wedding (excluding honeymoon which was £3k) 7 years ago.

We didn't have a formal sit down meal, was a late wedding with canapés and evening food. But did include exclusive use of a small hotel with 7 rooms!

2.5k all included. 20 guests buffet. 2 hefty 18k rings, wedding dress, new shoes + seamstress for perfect fit. 3 cakes made by a chef. renting the tables and redecorating the living room (wall paper) because someone stole my venue at the last minute... It can be done. I could be have been been even less. Keep your cash at any and have a beautiful life rather then a beautiful day. Only do what is meaningful to you.

£600 in 2005
Dress £120
Booze cruise £200
Canapés made by MIL
Cake made by by BFF
Registry office £42
My Dad took the bridal party out for dinner afterwards £300

Five years ago 6k for 70 to the day and 100 the night. Seems crazy to spend that sort of money now. But tbh our parents mostly paid. We paid less than a grand of it.

I think the wedding including the marriage certificate and notice was £130.

had a meal after but mil paid so no idea how much that cost.

Btw anyone wanting a big do but cheaper one way to save money is to have a hog roast/hot buffet or bbq. They are often nicer than a sit down meal as they haven't dried out on a plate before being served. And usually half the price.

Our venue alone cost us £12k for an 80 person ceremony and reception.

With everything else - band, photos, video, dress, etc I think we spent about £26k.

DH paid about £20k of it. I paid about £5k and my parents bought my dress.

We did get about £5k in gifts though which we used to pay for the honeymoon so the whole thing actually cost in excess of £30k.

It's a hell of a lot of money but we could afford it and had waited a hell of a long time for it.

It was truly the best day ever and everyone that came raves about it afterwards for how much fun it had been so it was money well spent for us.

I appreciate it's a ridiculous sum of money though.

14/9d (old money). That was the cost of the licence. We got married in a registry office with 6 friends who came back to us for a slice of cake (homemade) and a glass of champagne (provided by sister). I wore a homemade cotton frock.Been married for over 50 years.