Anatomy of a Frugal Wedding
Thoughts on the Big Day
With the wedding itself in the rear view mirror all we have left is the memories of the event. The guests are gone, the cake is eaten, and the bill is waiting to be paid.
First before I begin any kind of analysis on the cost of the event, I have to say it was worth it. We had a lot of fun. We saw friends we had not seen for a while and got to spend meaningful time together.
It was worth it.
The Final Cost
Our original budget for the wedding was $10,000. In the third most expensive state to get married in, was it even possible?
We managed to find out. While we did not exactly hit our goal, we got close. And by keeping frugal thoughts in our heads throughout the planning process we were able to get it close.
From my records, our total cost for the wedding was $11,079.11.
Our wedding ended up having 55 guests. Only the closest and most important people were invited. We did away with brides maids and best men. We skipped the limo as well. With the ceremony and reception at the same venue, there was no real need to look fancy just because.
Not everything worked exactly as planned. I am not sure either of us was prepared for how much a cake or flowers would cost. We ended up liking the respective vendors so much that we went with them anyways despite being slightly higher than we had anticipated. In the end we were thrilled with their work and would not have done it any other way.
- Wedding Bands $802.50
- Dress $1,070.00
- Tuxedo $144.99
- Invitation & Postage $101.65
- Wedding Application $30.00
- Ceremony and Reception Fee $476.25
- Officiant $150.00
- Florist $1,000.00
- Photographer $1,000.00
- Hors D’Oeuvres $977.90
- Dinner $2,095.50
- Bar $1,563.99
- Cake $568.33
- Music and Entertainment $1,100.00
Frugal Yet Satisfying
We kept things simple, but still have all of the memories you would otherwise have had. Our evening was intimate and memorable. All of our guests felt important because we had the time to interact with everyone during the festivities.
We are both thrilled with how the wedding turned out and are looking forward to starting our lives together on the right financial foot. While we may argue on the path needed to get there, our goals align well. I hope this blog serves to further our financial knowledge and help us work together towards a common purpose in the future.
Cheers!