How much did your wedding cost? And poll!

Right!? My dad's philosophy is 1 car, 1 degree, 1 wedding. That's what we each got. Anything above and beyond we paid for. 

LOL!  This was the same for my sister and I! (Though they reneged on the degree, and got my sister two! )

Sometimes you can have both. 

Absolutely!!!

Sometimes you can have both. 

 

See, that right there sounds to me like someone who desperately wanted to have a wedding, as opposed to someone who actually wants to be married.  Which is basically the opposite of what I want.

Yeah, possibly. The bride's father died just after the wedding and she was very close to him, so to be honest, I think her grief tore them apart somehow. Very sad.  It's a long story, really. Her dad was dying in the hospital at the time of the wedding (a sudden stroke before the wedding left him completely and utterly disabled) and instead of postponing it, he begged them to go ahead with it, and so they did. They also went to his hospital room and said their vows in front of him after the ceremony of the church and before the reception. I'm sure it was a very emotional time for her. I guess the stress of it all was just too much for them. 

Geez - sorry to be such a downer! Back to topic - I bet being a guest at a huge, extravagent wedding is probably far more fun than to have to put one together yourself! I think planning a huge wedding like that would've stressed me out far too much. I also never really thought I would want to get married, so I wasn't one of those girls who had the big visions of grandeur all my life like some other girls I know. Not that I would hold that against anyone - I love weddings! 

I have to admit that I never understood the appeal of a big wedding.  It seems... silly?  to start a new life horribly in debt from throwing a big party that the celebrants don't even seem to enjoy.  Y'know, the stress of the planning, the stress of the day, etc; it's like they've spent 20k or whatever to get drunk and pass out to cope with it all. :/  But then, I'm not a party person, and I'm naturally frugal, unlike my sister - she insists she's going to have the party of the millennium if she ever gets married! *laughs*

I have to admit that I never understood the appeal of a big wedding.  It seems... silly?  to start a new life horribly in debt from throwing a big party that the celebrants don't even seem to enjoy.  Y'know, the stress of the planning, the stress of the day, etc; it's like they've spent 20k or whatever to get drunk and pass out to cope with it all. :/  But then, I'm not a party person, and I'm naturally frugal, unlike my sister - she insists she's going to have the party of the millennium if she ever gets married! *laughs*

Yeah, I think I am like this, too. (like you, I mean, not your sister!) And my DH absolutely hates being the centre of attention, so I know a big wedding would've made him feel self-conscious all day long.

Sometimes you can have both.  

Definitely!  I had a lovely big wedding (if 100 people is big, I don't know) the first time I was married, and I wouldn't have changed it for anything.  We spent around $20,000 (including rings) and we and my parents paid for it all...no one was in debt afterward.  We had planned and saved for the event, and we were happy we did it the way we did.  

The second time I was married, we had a tiny wedding and spent about $5,000 (not including rings!) and it was also lovely.  

You definitely CAN have a big lavish wedding as well as a good marriage! No way are they mutually exclusive! 

But going into debt is something different. Some people spend hundreds of thousands of £s on a wedding and, if they can afford it, that's great. You should have the wedding you can afford, whatever that is.

I had 100 people which, to me, was a small wedding. I wanted 200! 

Oh, and for the record, fireworks are very common at UK weddings.

Definitely!  I had a lovely big wedding (if 100 people is big, I don't know)

There were 375 at my first wedding! 

We spent around $20,000 (including rings) and we and my parents paid for it all...no one was in debt afterward.

In this age of charging everything to credit cards,  I salute this!

Yeah, I think I am like this, too. (like you, I mean, not your sister!) And my DH absolutely hates being the centre of attention, so I know a big wedding would've made him feel self-conscious all day long.

And yup - I hate having people enthuse at me for more than a second or two.  It stresses me out and makes me irritable.  So, of course, what did my family do my entire pregnancy?  Oh yes.... *giggles*

There were 375 at my first wedding! 

Wow, I never would have guessed that!! 

Wow, I never would have guessed that!! 

Neither would I!! Genau seems very much like a "small wedding" person!

Neither would I!! Genau seems very much like a "small wedding" person!

I was 17.
I had no control over anything... my mom did it all.  I just turned up on the day.

I was wanting a small low budget wedding.. but it was important to my UK fiancé to have a sit down dinner, and a full day of wedding events, with dancing. We reasoned that with his family traveling to America it would be special to have a big day of it

It's been more stressful on me because I'm the one here in America planning it by myself..
Financially it's working out okay -- my dad and mom each wrote me a generous check, and my fiancé and I are spending a couple thousand too.

It sure adds up fast... Makes me a little sick thinking how much money is being spent on this.. but the wheels are in motion now! The wedding is in 3 weeks! We're all looking forward it!