Author
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Topic: How Much Should Be Paid For A Wedding?
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Randall Webmaster Posts: 32750 From: Saturn next to Charmainec Registered: Apr 2009
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posted September 04, 2013 05:15 PM
A couple from Scotland spent less on their wedding day than most people dole out for their morning coffee.Artist Georgina Porteous, 36, and 39-year-old singer-songwriter Sid Innes budgeted just $1.56 for their big day. Yep, you read that right. The pair are dedicated to recycling and self-sufficiency, according to the U.K.'s Metro News, so they vowed to keep the day they exchanged vows super simple. So how did the couple throw a great fęte for 70 guests for such a paltry price? Porteous and Innes said their "I do's" in a barn on their property behind their cottage. Porteous spent $1.56 on a vintage ivory wedding gown that she found on freecycle.org, a network of exchanges and gifting, while Innes wore an old tweed suit. The couple’s rings were handmade by Porteous using antlers she found in her garden. Her mother officiated the ceremony and a neighborhood reverend donated his services for free in order to make it all official. For the reception, the venue was decorated with locally grown flowers, hay bales, and lanterns that community farmers contributed. The newlyweds asked their guests to bring food and drinks for a potluck picnic and Porteous's aunt baked the cake. The wedding photographer who captured the festivities bartered his services in exchange for some film editing by Porteous. And the affair’s music came courtesy of the bride's father, who played jazz on the saxophone. “We thought we’d do [our wedding] differently and we started to become quite obsessed with it and ways to save money. It was exciting, fun and a challenge," Innes said in a YouTube video. One fee the couple couldn’t get out of paying? The $109.23 charge for a marriage license. Hopefully, it was totally worth it. While cost-cutting measures that Innes and Porteous took for their nuptials are certainly extreme, there are plenty of ways to have a budget-friendly wedding. Here are some tips and tricks for thrifty ways to tie the knot. The dress — If you don't have a a friend or family member who can lend you a dress (that she probably wore only once), there are a lot of great websites that sell once-worn wedding dresses. “When my clients come to me and are looking to keep costs down, I recommend that they resell their dresses,” Tracy Taylor Ward, owner and principal designer/planner of Tracy Taylor Ward Design, told Yahoo Shine. Sites like NearlyNewlywed.com and Tradesy make the process easy. And if you’re lucky, you might even make a profit if you sell yours. Sample sales, consignment shops, eBay and e-commerce site Etsy, which focuses on handmade and vintage items, are great options as well. The rings — Not everyone is as deft at ring-making as Porteous is, but Etsy has plenty of artisans with similar skills who sell affordable alternatives to typical gold and silver wedding bands. Titanium and gold-plated metals look like the real thing at just a fraction of the price. Flowers — In the United States, $1,997 was the average amount spent on flowers and decor per wedding in 2012. Ward suggested working with larger flowers. “Hydrangeas are a good-value flower because they’re always in season and you don't need as much to fill out an arrangement. You need more roses to fill out the same amount of space,” she said. Venue — Being able to throw a wedding at your own place or at the home of a friend or family member is the cheapest route, but for those outsourcing to other locations, there are tricks for trimming expenses. Most venues' rates vary by season, so if you can get a place during the off-season, its prices will be either lower than at peak times or negotiable because it's not going to have as much business during that period. Avoid holidays because prices tend to inflate. Additionally, tying the knot on a Friday or a Sunday is slightly less expensive than on a Saturday. Food — Pass on the raw bar and filet mignon and skip food stations, added Ward: instead opt for passed hors d'oeuvres and a sit-down dinner. The wedding cake — Wedding cakes cost, on average, $560, but you certainly don't have to spend that much. “Cakes are typically priced per slice, so try to find a bakery in your budget,” suggested Ward. An alternative cost-cutting measure is to ask the bakery for a smaller display cake and have extra sheet cakes in the kitchen for when it runs out. http://shine.yahoo.com/love-sex/couple-spent--1-56-on-their-wedding-%E2%80%94-could-you--181747605.html IP: Logged |
hannaramaa Knowflake Posts: 5538 From: Registered: Nov 2011
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posted September 04, 2013 05:40 PM
Wow, that's awesome! Even though I'm "in love with love," I would hate to spend a lot of money on my wedding day. I want it to be sentimental and special because of who arrives rather than how much I spent. I never understood why people bent over backwards to have an extravagant wedding when the priorities faced afterwards are more important (like buying a house, bills, etc.) Debt and finances are one of the top reasons for divorce, why not be proactive to prevent the stress and be a minimalist for one day, but prepared for a lifetime? I don't know how much things cost for weddings but I would like mine to be under $3,000.IP: Logged |
Kerosene Knowflake Posts: 5624 From: Mercury Registered: Dec 2012
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posted September 04, 2013 06:37 PM
Go big or go home.-venus square jupiter. IP: Logged |
Ami Anne Moderator Posts: 47808 From: Pluto/house next to NickiG Registered: Sep 2010
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posted September 04, 2013 06:40 PM
dp ------------------ Passion, Lust, Desire. Check out my journal http://www.mychristianpsychic.com/
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Ami Anne Moderator Posts: 47808 From: Pluto/house next to NickiG Registered: Sep 2010
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posted September 04, 2013 06:40 PM
quote: Originally posted by Ami Anne: I would not want to bother with all the details --earth void.
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YoursTrulyAlways Knowflake Posts: 5992 From: Registered: Oct 2011
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posted September 04, 2013 08:43 PM
I paid $10 for a license. Parking cost me about $1.50. I think I did splurge on dinner and hotel after that though. Lol. IP: Logged |
MoonWitch Moderator Posts: 1251 From: The Beach Registered: Apr 2009
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posted September 05, 2013 12:38 AM
Pay that you and your intended spouse agree on. Something you can reasonably afford and doesn't put you into debt for 10 years.If you can afford a $250,000 wedding and want that then more power to you. If you want to do what the OP did then that's awesome too. I'm glad we didn't have a huge wedding because it seems like a massive headache to me.
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aquaguy91 Moderator Posts: 7437 From: tennessee Registered: Jan 2012
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posted September 05, 2013 12:58 AM
That cost falls on the wifes parents, thank god.IP: Logged |
YoursTrulyAlways Knowflake Posts: 5992 From: Registered: Oct 2011
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posted September 05, 2013 05:27 AM
quote: Originally posted by aquaguy91: That cost falls on the wifes parents, thank god.
Yeah. Good luck with that in this day and age. IP: Logged |
Randall Webmaster Posts: 32750 From: Saturn next to Charmainec Registered: Apr 2009
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posted September 06, 2013 08:49 PM
Still, less than two bucks is amazing!IP: Logged |
Kerosene Knowflake Posts: 5624 From: Mercury Registered: Dec 2012
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posted September 06, 2013 09:52 PM
quote: Originally posted by YoursTrulyAlways: Yeah. Good luck with that in this day and age.
He could move to asia hahaha IP: Logged |
YoursTrulyAlways Knowflake Posts: 5992 From: Registered: Oct 2011
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posted September 07, 2013 08:50 AM
quote: Originally posted by Randall: Still, less than two bucks is amazing!
Errr... Don't broadcast that opinion. It wouldn't do wonders for marriage proposals. Lol IP: Logged |
YoursTrulyAlways Knowflake Posts: 5992 From: Registered: Oct 2011
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posted September 07, 2013 08:51 AM
quote: Originally posted by Kerosene: He could move to asia hahaha
Good luck with that too. You seen the list of demands from Asian women? Lol He may get a couple of chickens and goats as dowry. Lol IP: Logged |
Randall Webmaster Posts: 32750 From: Saturn next to Charmainec Registered: Apr 2009
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posted September 07, 2013 08:10 PM
There would be more weddings if they weren't so expensive.IP: Logged |
YoursTrulyAlways Knowflake Posts: 5992 From: Registered: Oct 2011
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posted September 07, 2013 09:53 PM
quote: Originally posted by Randall: There would be more weddings if they weren't so expensive.
What do weddings matter anyway? 30% fail in the first year and 50% fail in the first five years. We live in the era of fast bailouts and golden parachutes. Press ESC to go back one screen and ALT-F4 to quit. The marriages that matter don't need fake symbolism. The Pantheon of Marriage may be held up by glorious columns of marble. But if the Love foundation is sand and wet mud, what good would the marriage be? IP: Logged |
12muddy Knowflake Posts: 690 From: Registered: Feb 2013
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posted September 07, 2013 10:07 PM
quote: Originally posted by MoonWitch: Pay that you and your intended spouse agree on. Something you can reasonably afford and doesn't put you into debt for 10 years.
yeah. I've seen couples who were willing to be in debt so they could spend a lot of money on for their wedding parties. I'm like.... "Why?" I love going to other people's beautiful weddings. But when my turn came I couldn't be bothered. Hair, makeup, dress.... All that wedding preparations would have driven me nuts. We signed the papers and enjoyed a nice dinner, which was prepared by him, of course. IP: Logged |
Randall Webmaster Posts: 32750 From: Saturn next to Charmainec Registered: Apr 2009
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posted September 08, 2013 03:09 PM
Instead of dinner and a movie, dinner and a wedding?IP: Logged |
YoursTrulyAlways Knowflake Posts: 5992 From: Registered: Oct 2011
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posted September 08, 2013 04:11 PM
quote: Originally posted by Randall: Instead of dinner and a movie, dinner and a wedding?
Why not a fast drive through? You can get your burger and fries while signing the certificate without getting out of the car. IP: Logged |
Randall Webmaster Posts: 32750 From: Saturn next to Charmainec Registered: Apr 2009
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posted September 18, 2013 05:26 PM
Haha! I'll have fries with that.IP: Logged |
YoursTrulyAlways Knowflake Posts: 5992 From: Registered: Oct 2011
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posted September 18, 2013 07:27 PM
quote: Originally posted by Randall: Haha! I'll have fries with that.
Better sign first. Wouldn't want oily fingerprints or ketchup on the certificate. IP: Logged |
Randall Webmaster Posts: 32750 From: Saturn next to Charmainec Registered: Apr 2009
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posted September 23, 2013 04:55 PM
Haha!IP: Logged |
Randall Webmaster Posts: 32750 From: Saturn next to Charmainec Registered: Apr 2009
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posted September 24, 2013 10:21 PM
At that price, can renew vows every year. IP: Logged |
YoursTrulyAlways Knowflake Posts: 5992 From: Registered: Oct 2011
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posted September 24, 2013 10:45 PM
They're getting rid of the 99 cent menu though. I wonder if the concept of McDouble works for weddings. IP: Logged |
Kerosene Knowflake Posts: 5624 From: Mercury Registered: Dec 2012
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posted September 26, 2013 03:34 PM
Marriage sounds insane. Think about it, you just go up to a person and say I love hanging out with you... I want to keeping doing this until one of us dies. Oh yeah, here's a contract and a ring so people can know about our arrangement. So yeah the day I even think about marriage seriously is the day I probably lost my mind. Yeah, I would definitely want to to be grandiose just like the concept of marriage.
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YoursTrulyAlways Knowflake Posts: 5992 From: Registered: Oct 2011
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posted September 26, 2013 03:37 PM
Kerosene,I don't even wear a ring. Symbolic stuff like that are meaningless. That includes the wedding. Regardless, when the time comes, the time comes. You'll change your tune. IP: Logged |