Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve been in love with weddings. The dresses, the cake, the whole vibe of everyone being super happy. I used to dream about those moments, where everyone’s celebrating love and it’s all about joy and happiness.
Growing up, that feeling never really faded. I still get all warm and fuzzy inside when I think about two people tying the knot. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to see the other side of weddings, too — the stress, the planning, and the costs.
This past weekend, I was a bridesmaid at my cousin’s wedding, and being behind the scenes is completely different. When I found out I had to buy my own dress and shoes, my excitement kind of took a hit. I didn’t want to spend too much money on something I wasn’t going to wear on a daily basis.
Then it got me thinking about my cousin’s side of things. How much was she spending on this whole wedding? When she told me it was about $15,000, my mouth dropped. That’s a car, a down payment on a house, or a crazy trip around the world.
And when I did a quick search and saw the average wedding costs like $40,000, I couldn’t believe it. Sure, it’s a super special day, but it’s still just one day.
When I consider the individual costs like hiring a professional DJ, catering gourmet food, providing an open bar, securing a venue, and adorning it with decorations, the cost skyrockets. It’s stressful trying to juggle a million things in the months leading up to the big day on top of all the prices.
Wedding dresses are a whole topic on their own. The costs have gone through the roof, with some dresses costing a small fortune. It’s an investment for something you’re only going to wear once. But I’ve also noticed more people are thrifting and going for second-hand wedding dresses. I think it’s honestly a smart move, and it’s cool to see more people catching on to this.
And about the stress of planning, it’s like a full-time job, but without the paycheck. You’re trying to make sure everything is perfect, that you don’t forget any details, and that everyone has a good time. You spend months, sometimes even years, planning this one day, hoping it’ll be the best day ever. And for some people to party a bit too hard that they can’t even remember half of it.
It’s just absurd to see how much the prices have increased substantially for everything wedding-related. It makes me wonder if it’s about love anymore, not who can throw the most extravagant party.
If weddings keep being so overpriced, I wouldn’t be surprised if people just start bailing on the whole big wedding idea. Why go broke over one day when you could elope and save all that money for something else. You could travel, buy a house, or just have a huge honeymoon.