Friday, October 14, 2011

Weddings


Disclaimer:  I am not currently nor have I ever been married.

I simply do not understand why weddings have become so ridiculous.

The average cost of a wedding in the United States is now $26,500, according to my bff google.  For comparison, this is slightly less than the average price of a new car in the U.S.  Or if you prefer, it is also equivalent to a 15% down payment on a $176,000 home.

$26,500.  For a celebration on one day of your life.  Scratch that, a handful of hours on one day of your life.  And theoretically pictures and/or video for the rest of your life. 

Of course, the average duration of a marriage in the U.S. is 8 years.   (Yes, it can be much longer … or much shorter.  It’s just an average, not a commentary.)

The average price of a wedding dress is $1,500.  I mean, I love wedding dresses - they are beautiful.  But is a $1,500 dress really that much prettier than a $500 dress?  I don't know - I guess it depends.

I am happy for people who love each other so much that they want to commit to one another.  I just don't think that you have to spend this much money to do so.  If you just have the money sitting around, good for you.  Spend it how you like.  But it doesn't matter if you spend $5,000 or $50,000 - you're not any more "married" than anyone else.

One thing I don't enjoy at all is the drama that surrounds weddings.  The stress, the dealing with family that doesn't always get along or has different expectations / wants, the work and hours required for picking things from invitations to locations to what have you.  It is just bonkers.  How does any of that help you proclaim to the world that you love someone enough to be legally and/or spiritually bound to them?  

I still maintain that if I ever do get married, I want to have a destination wedding (which is basically a fancy way of saying I want to elope).  Less drama, less arguing about what "should" happen.  I can have a party when I get back.  And keep the other $20,000 in my pocket.





4 comments:

  1. I totally agree with you. My wife and I had a destination wedding and it was amazing. To each their own I guess, but I would rather save the money on the wedding and spend it on the honeymoon.

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  2. Destination weddings for the win!

    Though a smallish "normal" wedding can be nice too. I just wouldn't want to stress out about everything being perfect.

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  3. I agree, people go crazy with weddings. To be honest, I wouldn't care much about the wedding itself, if I was to spend anything it would be at the reception. Of course the way my family is (and how I am), I'd likely cook the food myself and have it at a park or a large backyard. What I would be spending my money on is making sure that there were board games and other activities so that guests wouldn't be bored the entire time (like I have been at almost every wedding I've been to).

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  4. Games at a wedding sounds like the kind of reception I'd want to attend!

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