We all know that weddings can get quite expensive. I have found this out the hard way. So being able to plan a wedding on a budget is an endeavor all in itself. I can’t tell you how much time I have spent looking at different ways to save money. It’s not easy, that’s for sure.
Therefore, I’m always interested when I hear that people were able to have their dream wedding on a budget. Here’s one of those stories for you.
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Kiara and Joel Brokenbrough didn’t want to spend $30,000 on their wedding.
That’s the national average according to the popular wedding planning website The Knot. This smart couple’s goal was to be as minimal as possible, and they didn’t want to start their marriage in heavy debt.
So the bride set out to find a reasonably priced dress.
And she found one on Shein, which is known for affordable and chic fashions. Get this — it only cost her $47. Wow! That’s amazing, right? I’m not going to tell you how much my dress cost, ha, ha, but it was much more than that.
Kiara didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a dress she would only wear once.
That’s definitely smart. So how did the couple keep the other wedding costs down? They got some help from their family. For example, family members donated flowers and a runner.
How about the wedding location?
Well, the couple managed to save money by finding a free location right off one of California’s freeways. Oh my goodness, what a great idea, huh? I wouldn’t have thought of that. If only we had views as spectacular as they do in California here in Toronto, ha, ha.
Here’s how the couple explained their wedding planning thought process:
“You have a wedding, with witnesses there to witness you, vowing to your spouse, vowing to God that you guys are going to stay together for life,” said Kiara in an interview . “And then you celebrate with food, drinks and dance. And that’s exactly what we did.”
However, that always comes at a cost.
So they did things a little differently. The guests paid for their own food and drinks at the reception. Aha! Kiara stresses that in order to pull this off, you really need supportive family and friends.
The other tip is this:
Try to find a venue that’s already beautiful, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money on decorations. I don’t know about you, but I totally agree with that. I see people spending more than $5000 on flowers alone. And that, to me, is a little crazy.
Here’s what you should keep in mind.
After all, the wedding is about the actual marriage. All the other things don’t really matter in the end. So as long as you and your family understand that you can have a good time and stay on budget.
What do you think of this story?
Do you feel encouraged when you see couples do a wedding on a budget like this? Or are you more frivolous and go crazy spending because it’s your wedding day? I think there should be a balance. Some things are worth spending a little more on them, and others nobody will actually remember. That’s the mindset I’m going with while planning my own wedding.