Wedding expenses have become unreasonable

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There are many ways to cut costs for your wedding day. Take advantage of them! Don't break the bank--spend your money on something that lasts longer than a day!

A 2024 study by Empower found that couples had planned to spend or did spend an average of 31,281 dollars on their wedding. For 2025, Zola predicted that number would only increase, reaching an average of 36,000 dollars spent on each couple’s wedding. A one-day event could drain your savings or even send you into debt. How is that the norm for wedding purchases? In what world is that reasonable or affordable?

Traditionally, perhaps the bride’s family would take on most, if not all, of these wedding expenses. Today, though, some couples’ parents both choose to contribute, and many couples must finance the entire wedding themselves. A recent survey by The Knot indicated that, on average, parents contribute about 50 percent to wedding budgets, with the couples covering the remaining costs. At the same time, as conveyed by Vogue, Zola has estimated that one-third of couples cover costs entirely alone. 

With the rising cost of weddings, as well as the current brutal housing market, young couples looking to start their lives similarly to their parents face the reality that they simply may not be able to afford it. This is completely ridiculous— and part of that ridiculousness stems from the societal expectations of what weddings will entail, created by an incredibly pervasive picture of weddings across social media, movies, television, and more. 

If you knew me at ten years old, you knew that I was entirely addicted to shows like Four Weddings (2009-2018) and Say Yes to the Dress (2007– ), and that I had detailed plans about what my own wedding would look like (complete, yes, with a gigantic vision board). These plans included extravagant ball gowns, a castle venue, chandeliers, and, of course, flowers everywhere. 

The expectation communicated in those shows was that your decorations were extravagant, your venue was exceptional, your dress was show-stopping, and, obviously, you had to have an open bar. Recently, I returned to my childhood roots and watched an episode of Four Weddings (2009-2018). The cost of the weddings in that show ranged, but largely fell within 40,000 to 80,000 dollars— more even than what an individual today might spend on a new car. 

Obviously, that is not what most couples are spending on their weddings, and those shows are by no means an enforced rule that all couples must follow. Still, though, shows like those and depictions of extravagance in movies and across social media contribute to a certain pressure to make your wedding over-the-top. Guests may expect things from your wedding that simply aren’t financially feasible for you. What young couples must remember, though, is that this day is, in fact, one day; don’t deplete your savings account to give your guests a brief good time that they probably won’t even remember!

Don’t get me wrong— I’m not saying you should give up your wedding day dreams and elope (although that is an entirely valid and cost-saving path). I’m simply saying that perhaps you don’t need to invite three hundred people, maybe you don’t need to pay for an open bar the entire time, perhaps you can thrift your dress! Your wedding can be fun, beautiful, and meaningful without requiring you to spend 30,000 dollars on it. Find ways to cut back on your costs, and do not let societal pressure encourage you to break the bank for your wedding day.