Wedding Costs

M

MikeP

Guest
Following on from other topics, on this site- How much have people paid or would pay for their wedding. We got married in July and spent Euro44,000 on wedding including honeymoon.
Approx 170 people. This was financed from 20k SSIA, Savings of 10K and short-term loan of 14k. We paid off this loan with Cash gifts received.
Madness for one day I know but we can look back on the day with fond memories and we aren't crippled financially.
How much did you or are you paying for your wedding ?
 
Just under 8k (not including honeymoon). 120 people. Free bar. In Ireland.
 
Married in September in Mauritus. Paid 10k for the 14 day trip and had a meal for Family and Close friends 50 people in a restraunt we hired when we returned 6.5k (inclu drink). Other costs such as dress rings etc about 3.5k.

Was excactly as we wanted it not at all stressful and the wedding day was a doddle. We both really enjoyed the "Special" feeling that came from the fact it was only being the two of us and our son at the ceremony.

.
 
Not sure of exact costs but it was in the region of about 6k, honeymoon included, paid off beforehand through savings rather than getting loan out. Small wedding, non-church (registry office as both of us are non-religious) circa 60 people to reception. Could not bear to spend a fortune on one day, as we were of the mind that if we could get away with it, we'd just have done a ceremony with only the two of us plus 2 witnesses then away with us on honeymoon (guilt prevailed and we decided to have a small celebration for family and friends so as not to exclude anyone who wanted to be there with us!).
Quite a few friends have gotten married in recent years and most of them are still paying off loans etc and saying they should have done things a bit smaller-scale, but bottom line is they enjoyed the day and have fond memories of it.
I don't understand people remortgaging for a wedding though, especially in the early stages of the loan - 30 odd years paying for one day? Ouch!
 
15k for whole thing including honeymoon. 150 guests. Got very good deals from local suppliers including hotel.
 
foxylady said:
Whereabouts in Ireland did u get married and can u give a rough break down of that??
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Hired a venue (rather than a hotel) 2k
caterers/food 1.4k
wine/beer/bar equipment hire 2.4k
wedding clothes/bus hire/misc other 1k
Music 0.8k
Invitations/thank you cards 0.3k

My parents paid for the photographer (1.2k, and my parents in law provided the beef for barbecue and that would have cost near another grand).

We didn't marry in a church and didn't have bridesmaids/groomsmen.
 
4 years ago, under €10k including honeymoon and everything else. Saved beforehand so no loan. About 80 people. Weren't interested in anything flash.
 
2003 - 19K 285 people the whole big bash & 2 week Honeymoon to Italy All covered through gifts and some left over - Great Day
 
We spent around €33k all-in (not incl. engagement ring) for 100 people in the US earlier this year. Financed from savings.

We don't see it as 'one day', but really between the build-up and memories for both ourselves and all the guests, it can't be measured in time.
 
2003 - 20K-25K incl 2 diamond/plat engagement and wedding ring and platinum wedding band for him/sit down meal for 150/2 week honeymoon (and some modernising of homestead)
 
Im not getting married myself but my sister is next year so all Im hearing about is wedding costs!! Total cost will be circa €45k, big traditional wedding 200 guests (both sides have lots of aunties and uncles!!) heres an idea of where all the money goes

Reception € 20,000
Engagement Ring € 6000 (actually worth € 12k but family friend is a jeweller so saved a bit there)
Band and DJ € 2500
Photographer € 2500
Dress € 1350
Bridesmaid dresses - circa € 1000 for 3
Groom, best man suits etc – circa € 1000
Chocolate fountain - € 600
Surprise entertainment € 1000
Car - € 700
Flowers - € 1500
Honeymoon - € 7000 (approx, not booked yet)

They will probably get between € 15k - € 20k from their parents and have spent about € 10k already on engagement ring and deposits which was from savings. The other € 20k will be financed from a combination of savings and credit union loan which will be repaid from any cash gifts received.
 
€45 k seems a bit excessive but one mans jam...why does it matter anyway ? Do you really think your wedding day, which will be one of the most memorable days of you life (along with birth of kids/death of parents) is one where you should be skimping. I'm sorry, but you cant do a 'proper' wedding on €8k. Like most things a good wedding costs money and yes a good wedding is made by friends and family being there but they will be much happier in a nice venue eating good food and sipping nice wine than in a back-street pub eating cocktail sausages
 
portboy said:
I'm sorry, but you cant do a 'proper' wedding on €8k. Like most things a good wedding costs money and yes a good wedding is made by friends and family being there but they will be much happier in a nice venue eating good food and sipping nice wine than in a back-street pub eating cocktail sausages
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Beg to differ - our wedding which cost us around 6k was in a nice venue (one of the best hotels in the city, function room with private bar for guests of the wedding) and people were sipping nice wine and eating nice food, paid for by us out of the 6k, little more than 2 years ago. Where we ended up saving were things like flowers, which a florist relative provided for us, wedding cake, baked by relative, photography provided by photographer relative, etc. as gifts for our day.

Civil ceremony (which many people have due to religious beliefs) means you don't "need" bridesmaids etc, so we had one flowergirl and a best man, so no BM dresses/tan/hairdo/shoes etc to be paid for. Also I didn't want the meringue white frock either so that meant not having to fork out 2k+ on a dress, rather in the region of a few hundred for the one I wanted. Wedding day does not have to equate to "traditional white wedding in a church" as neither I nor my husband wanted any part of that type of wedding, just not our style.

A smaller budget does not equate to having to eat cheese'n'onion crisps in the backroom of a pub ;)
 
portboy said:
€45 k seems a bit excessive but one mans jam...why does it matter anyway ? Do you really think your wedding day, which will be one of the most memorable days of you life (along with birth of kids/death of parents) is one where you should be skimping. I'm sorry, but you cant do a 'proper' wedding on €8k. Like most things a good wedding costs money and yes a good wedding is made by friends and family being there but they will be much happier in a nice venue eating good food and sipping nice wine than in a back-street pub eating cocktail sausages
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I think I would choke on food at a wedding if I thought the couple had to borrow or scrimp for it, I'd much prefer cocktail sausages!

I've been to great, not just good weddings in a bar, gaa club, and even a picnic on the top of a mountain!

Traditional weddings are so boring, particularly if you are in the prime age range where you have one every couple of months.

Something a bit different is much more memorable, and something that will stay not just in the couple's memories but those of their family and friends for years to come.
 
tml said:
The other € 20k will be financed from a combination of savings and credit union loan which will be repaid from any cash gifts received.
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seems to be a common theme these day, I sometimes wonder why people just dont sell tickets to it....
 
Im just recently married, we had a "traditional irish wedding" for approx 200 people, it cost us about 6 or 7K after we put the money we received as gifts back into the bank. We had saved all the money needed to pay for the day and now we still have that left to put towards a deposit for a house.
 
portboy said:
€45 k seems a bit excessive but one mans jam...why does it matter anyway ? Do you really think your wedding day, which will be one of the most memorable days of you life (along with birth of kids/death of parents) is one where you should be skimping. I'm sorry, but you cant do a 'proper' wedding on €8k. Like most things a good wedding costs money and yes a good wedding is made by friends and family being there but they will be much happier in a nice venue eating good food and sipping nice wine than in a back-street pub eating cocktail sausages
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interesting line of thinking. more money = better wedding???

I would have assumed the feelings of the two people involved and how they wish to celebrate is what makes a 'good' wedding.
Ive been to dozens of traditional style weddings that cost an arm and a leg and for the most part they seem to be all day drinking sessions with no emphasis on the depth of feelings of the couple involved and the moral importance of such an occasion.
 
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