Its crazy these days 25k+ for venues, djs, open bars, sit down meals. Ours was in our church, reception was few finger foods, cake, and punch. We went to our friends sons wedding yesterday we probably had less in our whole service than they had in the alcohol. One of our sons was married 4 or so years ago had service on her grandparents farm but had all the rest mentioned in first sentence. Guess im still just a simple man.
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Wedding services
- Thread starter leroy
- Start date
bullgator
Senior Member
Add in the divorce rates today!
gobbleinwoods
Keeper of the Magic Word
sinclair1
Senior Member
I spent way too much on a ring, but our wedding was pretty cheap at the Helen wedding chapel. Overnight in a cabin with the guest and off to Destin.
It made no sense to spend a bunch on the wedding when we had about $10 towards the house down payment.
No one tells the young expensive ring buyers how much trouble it is for the next 25years, worrying some thug will spot it out on the town.
It made no sense to spend a bunch on the wedding when we had about $10 towards the house down payment.
No one tells the young expensive ring buyers how much trouble it is for the next 25years, worrying some thug will spot it out on the town.
earlthegoat2
Senior Member
Bought a .4 carat platinum diamond ring for $1100 back in 2014. That was a smokin deal back then but that was a deal you could find when buying a ring second hand.
Nobody likes to consider pre-owned engagement rings. Like there is some bad juju associated with someone else’s ended marriage be it by divorce or death.
We planned our own wedding and were cost conscious about everything. The deals we got compared to what others were paying back then were too incredible to believe looking back on it.
Our wedding venue cost us $65 dollars paid to the Chatham county board of Education. The next best we found was over $1000. Not a bad savings I would say. About 94%
The reception venue was at the Tybee American Legion and cost $500 at the time. The next best was around $4500 which included catering. Well we got catering from a local BBQ joint for $11/plate for about 110 guests. $500 + $1210 for catering comes to $1710 something like 73% savings.
Booze bill was about $1700 for those 110 guests. All of which were over drinking age and mostly Catholics
Photography was really expensive even though a personal friend did it. We insisted she charge full price. It was around $4500 which included travel expenses from MI. That was the only thing we could have saved significant money on but chose not to.
We did t have any flowers. My wife made the bouquet out of colored wire. Her dress cost $175 from Amazon. My suit was about $150 for pants, shirt, vest, and tie.
Anyway the total wedding bill ended up being around $11,000 after misc expenses. We had the money already so every thing was paid for up front but we got enough gift money to pay for it and then some so we put that towards the honeymoon.
People aren’t willing to put in the work for a less expensive wedding or they are just trying to keep up with the Jones’.
Nobody likes to consider pre-owned engagement rings. Like there is some bad juju associated with someone else’s ended marriage be it by divorce or death.
We planned our own wedding and were cost conscious about everything. The deals we got compared to what others were paying back then were too incredible to believe looking back on it.
Our wedding venue cost us $65 dollars paid to the Chatham county board of Education. The next best we found was over $1000. Not a bad savings I would say. About 94%
The reception venue was at the Tybee American Legion and cost $500 at the time. The next best was around $4500 which included catering. Well we got catering from a local BBQ joint for $11/plate for about 110 guests. $500 + $1210 for catering comes to $1710 something like 73% savings.
Booze bill was about $1700 for those 110 guests. All of which were over drinking age and mostly Catholics
Photography was really expensive even though a personal friend did it. We insisted she charge full price. It was around $4500 which included travel expenses from MI. That was the only thing we could have saved significant money on but chose not to.
We did t have any flowers. My wife made the bouquet out of colored wire. Her dress cost $175 from Amazon. My suit was about $150 for pants, shirt, vest, and tie.
Anyway the total wedding bill ended up being around $11,000 after misc expenses. We had the money already so every thing was paid for up front but we got enough gift money to pay for it and then some so we put that towards the honeymoon.
People aren’t willing to put in the work for a less expensive wedding or they are just trying to keep up with the Jones’.
LTZ25
Senior Member
I was married 50 years I came out at about a dollar a year , what a deal .
mrs. hornet22
Beach Dreamer
I got married 40 years ago in a church. Reception in the fellowship hall. Mama wanted a big wedding, but she did all the food and most everything else. No idea how much it cost. My boy and his wife had the most special wedding in Savannah. Just the parents and them. It was beautiful!
Gator89
Senior Member
Afternoon wedding December 1983, Bushnell FL First Methodist Church, wife and family long time members, $40 for the preacher. Wife had a M of H and I a best man, my two brothers did the ushering. Rented the building at Dade Battlefield Park served cake and punch at the reception. Rented tuxedo, wife bought a dress from department store.
No way we spent more than $1k on the wedding.
$300-$400 or so for an engagement ring.
We are still hitched.
No way we spent more than $1k on the wedding.
$300-$400 or so for an engagement ring.
We are still hitched.
fireman32
"Useless Billy" Fire Chief.
Dealing with my wife’s cake business I have occasion to see a lot of weddings at a lot of venues.
Outdoor weddings have been popular for a good while now and most venues start at $5,000 for the weekend. The nicer ones go for $10-15k. Cake from us is $5-$25.00 a serving plus delivery. Catering in our area is $20.00 a person or more. Add in a tent, live band, flowers and you’ll spend a fortune. Biggest wedding we’ve done a cake for tipped the scales at $60,000.
From a business standpoint, these are the customers you want. Especially the ones that say just send the bill, daddy will handle it.
We got married at a little church, we spent about $6,000 on everything.
Outdoor weddings have been popular for a good while now and most venues start at $5,000 for the weekend. The nicer ones go for $10-15k. Cake from us is $5-$25.00 a serving plus delivery. Catering in our area is $20.00 a person or more. Add in a tent, live band, flowers and you’ll spend a fortune. Biggest wedding we’ve done a cake for tipped the scales at $60,000.
From a business standpoint, these are the customers you want. Especially the ones that say just send the bill, daddy will handle it.
We got married at a little church, we spent about $6,000 on everything.
Roebuck
“Fishal Spokesman” Useles Billy Club !
These days too much focus on the wedding and not enough focus on the marriage.
Lilly001
Senior Member
Wifey and I got married 44 years ago. We had both just started our new jobs as cops.
I bought her a S&W model 67 instead of a ring (her choice).
A neighbor, who was a notary, did the service at my moms house.
Mom did the cake and the decorations. I don’t think the whole thing cost more than 500$.
We did one night at a hotel on the nearby beach (Longboat Key, Fl) and went back to work.
We have talked about it since and we agree the experience has made us closer. It was all shared goals and mutual dreams we were chasing.
We had no need to please anyone but ourselves.
I bought her a S&W model 67 instead of a ring (her choice).
A neighbor, who was a notary, did the service at my moms house.
Mom did the cake and the decorations. I don’t think the whole thing cost more than 500$.
We did one night at a hotel on the nearby beach (Longboat Key, Fl) and went back to work.
We have talked about it since and we agree the experience has made us closer. It was all shared goals and mutual dreams we were chasing.
We had no need to please anyone but ourselves.
turkeykirk
Senior Member
Didn’t spend much but did get married by a King. 
Yep. Not to mention it seems the trend is the couple has to go somewhere exotic out of the country for a honeymoon.
basstrkr
Senior Member
50 yrs ago, local church, preacher was $25, dress was local made for $60, fanger foods, and hotel was $13 / night!
Batjack
Cap`n Jack 1313
JoP came to my house ($25.00), My Mom, Dad, Little Brother (best man), 3 life long friends & their wives, her best friend (MoH). Under a 100+ year old oak tree in my side yard. Next day I spent under $100.00 on a cook out and 3 kegs of P.B.R. (each marked.. Bud or Miller Lite or Mich. Lite) for over 100 friends and family.
shootemall
Senior Member
We eloped, went to justice of the peace, sent a mass email afterwards that we got married. Put a down payment on first house with the money we saved. Some people said it was tacky to get married that way and to inform people by email but the only person who mattered was the woman I was marrying, and obviously she was alright with it.
We did it that way mainly because our families were on opposite sides of the country and didn't want a ceremony with only one side or the other, or cause one side to travel.
We did it that way mainly because our families were on opposite sides of the country and didn't want a ceremony with only one side or the other, or cause one side to travel.
NE GA Pappy
Mr. Pappy
in 1979, bought her an engagement ring for right at 300... Wedding band was almost 60 and mine was 95. Just simple, plain gold bands. Preacher was 50, church was free, paid 30 for a cake a friend of my Mom decorated... My mom baked the cake. My wife's aunt made her wedding dress as a gift. Another of her aunts did the flowers. We had a small reception in the basement of the church hosted by my new sisters-in-law. Spent 2 nights at the York House and 3 nights on Black Rock Mountain in a state park cabin.
I bet we didn't spend 1200 on everything. 43 years, 8 kids, 11 grandbabies later, we are still hitched. That preacher must have used some superglue on those vows
I bet we didn't spend 1200 on everything. 43 years, 8 kids, 11 grandbabies later, we are still hitched. That preacher must have used some superglue on those vows
Stob
Useles Billy’s Uncle StepDaddy.
My wife and I went to the courthouse 25 years ago this year and paid our $25.00. We stayed at the finest hotel in the city that we lived in; The Embassy Suites! Dinner at Tony Roma's then we drank margaritas for free during 'happy hour' the Embassy.
We both thought that we were on top of the world. We purchased a house back in Georgia 13 months later and never looked back. I was 21 and she was 24 then.
We both thought that we were on top of the world. We purchased a house back in Georgia 13 months later and never looked back. I was 21 and she was 24 then.
