Is Your Wedding a Waste of Money?
For many people, the wedding ceremony is huge and a dream come true. They save big money for this day, with many incurring even more debts to make sure everything isn't ordinary and drab as many other events. It's a day when nothing is left to chance as the money is poured on the wedding reception, gowns and bridesmaids outfits, cakes, decor, expensive limousines and one hell of a honeymoon in the Alps.
Nonetheless, if financial experts and reality on the ground is anything to go by, stumbling your way into debt through a wedding should never happen. It calls for spending priorities to be ascertained together as a couple and creating something proper without hurting your budget.
Unless you are a millionaire with nothing financial to worry about, spending over $10,000 on a wedding in today's economy might not be a good idea.
Generally, the average American wedding costs around $30,000, which means there are so many people going above that figure for a single event that only lasts for a few hours, in celebration of a relationship they clearly have.
Does it make financial sense?
Being a dream event for most women particularly, many aren't ready to go for anything less. What many people don't realize is that most divorces today are brought about by financial disagreements, especially on the issue of debt. It's possible in trying to create the best wedding in your side of the county you end up taking too much debt that, when you add it to your credit card repayments, mortgages, student loan repayments, among other present financial expenses, such as bills and vacations, the figure becomes a staggering amount that haunts your dreams every single day.
In fact with $30,000, the average financing of an American wedding, you can pay rent for a whole year or buy a brand new car in cash entirely, or sustain a family for over three months without either of the couple in active employment. This is exactly what people want to burn in a single day in a party that many won't remember in two days time except for some photos, videos and selfies.
$30,000 can help a family from splitting up by saving them from the daily stress that comes with family finances, injecting another reason in a union that should last forever. The babies, if they aren't already there yet are definitely coming and you must be ready for them too. Overspending in a wedding means you'll end up giving them a very low quality life and probably inculcate them in the debt club when it comes to their college funding that you could not finance; you have to repay all your dues including the huge wedding debt you'll probably pay for over a decade.
Of course it doesn't mean the special day has to be avoided
Most definitely you must have a unique day and special day to commemorate the commitment you have for one another. It's the dream of many people, including LGBTs to stand one day before their friends, kith and kin to commit to a single individual they love forever and celebrating this partnership and special love with some party. However, it doesn't have to be a luxury that'll start your life together in financial pangs that have been found to be one of the main reasons for divorce, domestic infighting and even death on the extreme. Money is an emotive subject and if all you wanted was to be together you can still have a wedding ceremony that doesn't break the bank.
You can do it cheap and still look special and unique
It can be as simple as a family and a few friends meeting at city hall followed by a happy and a sumptuous luncheon or dinner or an affordable party at a designated place. It's also the best time to break the formal wear traditions and paying heavily for videos and photographers while you will be photographed anyway or hiring a wedding venue that's not as expensive as many might think. It's all a matter of taste, but the idea is it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Memorable experiences and intimate are not created by luxurious tastes and overspending.
You can actually elope with the girl of your dreams and make your way to the nicest vacations you probably have never had; when you return get a lavish and tasty party going for friends and family to formally let everyone know you're now a couple.
You can even start a small business with a chunk of the $30,000 or more you had planned to splash on your wedding or decide to pay a chunk of your combined debt with it. You can also decide to buy some property or pay up your mortgage with the money, or simply invest in a new ride for the family.
There'll probably be a forlorn longing and some regret that you never had a wedding like that of a millionaire friend of the family, but months down the line you'll be happy when the returns of not stumbling into debt for a single day's event come calling in. Someone actually spent $200 for a wedding at city hall yet both spouses have a combined annual income of over $200,000; they'd rather have multiple vacations from Hawaii to Europe than donate thousands to the ever thirsty wedding industry.
Manage the secret desire
Most regular women who might not have much to talk about in their bank accounts and about to marry regular guys who are about the same state financially, if not worse, harbor secret desires of their big day. Perhaps being talked down can help. In fact, a woman who was wise enough to get married for $6,000 ended up, together with the hubby, saving a lot they could have burned on that single special day and in the process cushioned themselves from a serious health crisis that befell them a few months after their marriage.
No one knows about the future and what will happen, but there's a huge chance overspending on a wedding could leave you without a marriage while memories of that day as the debts you incurred on that big event haunt you years down the line, leading to a scathing split-up. Always remember, $30,000 or more spent on a wedding, depending on where you live in America, is the cost of a house down payment.
