Understanding The Main Areas Where People Waste Money On A Wedding

The Bridal Association of America states that the average wedding dress costs over $1,500. This is for a dress that you will wear one time, for a couple of hours, and you will store it for the rest of your life.

The average cost of an entire wedding is now $30,000. Again, this is for a celebration that lasts only a few hours.

The average cost of wedding flowers alone is over $700. The bride’s bouquet runs, on average, almost $150 in addition that cost.

Where else in your life, do you spend such an exorbitant amount of money for such s short time? Think where else that money could go! Could $30,000 make a dent in a house payment or pay off a student loan or by one (or two!) new cars? Of course it could! Could $30,000 be a nice start to a couple’s retirement plan? Yes!

Most couples waste more money on their wedding than they will at any other time during their life. Whether they are plunking down a grand for some flowers, or several thousand dollars for photographs, the waste is substantial.

In addition to flowers and that dress, the cost of the reception’s food and alcohol is usually the largest cost involved in the wedding. By making the mistake of inviting every friend they’ve ever known, most couples are increasing their costs by leaps and bounds. With catered weddings ranging from $50 to $150 per plate – plus alcohol! – the bill can run up very quickly!

There is an unspoken rule in weddings that the gift you receive from someone is a fair exchange for the cost of providing them a meal. Well, this almost never is the case. If you add up the price of the gifts you receive, rarely will they even come close to the amount of money you paid out. So, don’t expect to recoup and justify your expense that way!

In economic times such as these, unless you have a bottomless pit of money somewhere, you have no need to plan a wedding of such extravagance. Take pride in saving money, and see what corners you can cut without your guests knowing. Make it a challenge! And put all that extra money to work – after your wedding day!