Is it normal wedding is a waste of money

I went to the wedding of a friend a few years ago. Her parents hired out the entire zoo for a party and reception before the wedding, with a bar in the aquarium. We then rode elephants (the more adventurous of us) over to an outdoor pavilion, where the wedding was performed. Trumpets blew and doves were released. Then we took motor coaches to the dinner at the Ritz Carlton, where there was a 25 piece orchestra conducted by Brian Setzer. About 200 of us danced and drank and I met this wonderful diplomat from Argentina. All the guests got gifts. The wedding cost was easily in the hundreds of thousands.

My friend and her husband divorced 10 months later.

She got married a second time in 2008 on the beach below my house on St. John. There were eight of us. A country music singer neighbor of mine came over and played his guitar. We all chipped in for Red Stripe and crisps and I let them use my house for the weekend. I know it's not been long but they are still together and she is expecting.

Her first wedding was for her mother and the second for herself.

Call a couple friends, go to city hall or whatever place you choose, get married and afterwards invite them over to your place for pizza and beer. Or not.

Take the $10,000, put it in a good fund that nets you 8 percent, let it compound quarterly, and in 20 years you will have almost $50,000.

In 20 years would you rather let your child look at the photos of your glorious wedding or give him or her a check for $50,000 for college?

yes yes yes, huge waste of 10,000 dollars. Mine cost about 5k and I had about 150 to feed. Most of it went to food costs and the venue rental.

The trick is to find people to do things for you. My musician friends planned and played the music, as a gift. My friend with an eye for photos and a fancy camera took our pictures. (We bought the supplies of course) There is no reason to have a "professional" photographer. They will charge you more just because it is a wedding. I bought flowers that were in season and arranged them myself, with the help of friends.

Mostly, people will charge you more simply because it is for a wedding. But friends may have a talent or skill that they can contribute, you just have to be willing to sacrifice the toaster on your registry.

Good luck, and Congratulations.

I think spending a lot of money on a wedding is a waste. I understand that it's a special day that (ideally) happens only once but that money can be put to better use. I do think it's worth investing in a good photographer because once the day is over, all you're left with will be the photos. Perhaps cut back on the number of guests and only invite those closest to you. That should cut back on the cost.

I'm all for lavish celebrations, but at this time (and a young age, which so much to pay for without worrying about a wedding), I'd get do a little, plain wedding, then have a larger one when you're stable and can afford it.

I agree with howaminotmyself, I've been to a few weddings where most of it was done by the bride and her friends and family. Homemade floral arrangements and food, $200 on the dress. See if there is anyone who has a house or property large enough to hold a wedding &/or the reception.

Pretty outdoor areas where you can do everything at the same place can be a lot cheaper than a hall.

is there a special place for the two of you? if anyone questions the location you can always pull that card and say it's where you fell in love.

Such a waste. If I ever get tricked into getting married, it'll be at the courthouse with close family and friends.
Followed by a kick ass party.
If you can't spend that kind of money, don't. Your marriage wont be doomed if you dont spend a fortune on table settings and exotic flora.

Have a destination wedding. My sister just got married this past summer in Aruba; it was beautiful. The most important people in her life were there, parents, close family, etc. Give them a year to plan and save for the trip. At the end of the day, they still had money left over to buy a new house. 10 years down the line when the money is right, you can have a big wedding. But as of now, it isn't worth it when you and your fiance really don't have it like that. You may lose your job and that $10,000 could be your emergency fund.