Weddings

To many people, their wedding day is one of the happiest days of their lives but also arguably the most costly. Weddings usually cost more than a car, and can set a happy couple back at least a few thousand dollars. From the bouquet to the wedding cake, wedding costs never seem to end. Most newly engaged individuals never consider that they will have to pay for the wedding location as well as the individual who conducts the ceremony. Nevertheless, the largest and most exciting expense for many couples is the wedding dress. Girls often dream about their future wedding dress for many years before the actual day. As a result, many are willing to bear any cost if it allows them to fulfill that childhood dream.

Unlike many other events in an individual’s life, a wedding usually has predetermined assignments of costs. The groom’s family has certain financial responsibilities while other financial responsibilities are assigned to the bride’s family. However, modern couples sometimes choose to finance the entire wedding by themselves. Couples tend to get married at an older age, which makes it possible for many couples to afford the extravagant wedding that they might not feel comfortable asking their parents for. It is easier to indulge in extravagant tastes when the couple does not feel that it will ultimately deplete their parent’s retirement fund.

Wedding costs can vary greatly depending on what a couple expects from the ceremony. Some individuals choose to have a civil ceremony in a courthouse, and forego a traditional dress and reception. Furthermore, individuality and creativity are both qualities that can be financially beneficially throughout wedding planning. If a bride and her friends are able to come up with ideas without a wedding planner that will immediately save quite a bit of money. However, it is important to realize that wedding planners often have predetermined arrangements with vendors, which will save the couple a huge chunk of change as well as offset the cost of hiring a planner. Additionally, creative details in a wedding are welcomed and encouraged. Substituting thousand of expensive roses from a distant country for hand crafted flowers made by your grandmother could be a loving and lasting detail, which would undoubtedly also save money.

Variations in weddings are endless. Modern couples frequently choose to have smaller weddings in exotic locales, which are referred to as destination weddings. The smaller size of destination weddings is able to save the couple quite a bit of money. Nevertheless, travel and hotel expenses should be considered for the couple, as well as the individual officiating the ceremony and guests when determining the overall cost of a destination wedding. The couple getting married does not necessarily have to foot the bill for everyone else’s travel expenses although it is a nice gesture to offer assistance to wedding guests who may not be able to attend due to financial need. Another benefit of destination weddings is that the couple frequently views the need for a different destination for a honeymoon unnecessary. Most people who have a destination wedding remain at the same destination for their honeymoon. Obviously, a destination wedding is best suited for individuals who are planning on having fewer guests than a traditional wedding, and is willing to embrace cultural planning challenges that go hand in hand with destination weddings.