I spent 5k on my wedding in February and received a lot of compliments - the photographer said it was one of the 'loveliest' he's been to and has asked to use the photos in his shop.
Then again, my parents offered to pay for catering and we had a family friend agree to decorate, as she was in that business. My husband also did not have to buy a tux, as he is in the military and so I wanted him to wear his Blues.
My sister paid 10-15,000 USD on her wedding. My brother and sister-in-law had a very private ceremony in TN for only a few thousand. All of my husband's siblings had weddings for under 10k, except one who had a lavish ceremony in Poland, where the wife was from -- and even then it was
well under 40k.
Prices of weddings depend on where you live, of course. I lived in a more rural part of Michigan, an hour from Detroit and Flint, so prices were reasonable. If you live in Chicago, NY, or somewhere like that then prices skyrocket. If you can, though, try to downsize costs as much as possible. When the day comes, you're so focused on actually getting married that you don't notice any of the other details. I remember nothing about what my wedding looked like, the reception, etc...but I can tell you with great clarity what my husband was dressed like and the fact that the one of the stripes on his uniform was tilted to the left by about three degrees.
We focused more on the future than on that sole date of the wedding - we wanted our house paid off four years after we bought it, which we're well on the way to doing. Aside from the house, we are in no debt and that brings more happiness than any single day ever can, especially considering monetary problems are the leading cause of divorce. If you can, you should definitely use the money towards other things (though if everything you have is paid off I suppose it doesn't matter).
If you're worried about what your guests will think, don't -- they're there to enjoy you in your moment of bliss If they're solely concerned about themselves, then they simply don't deserve to be part of
your day.
Edited by Dunvegan, 15 September 2011 - 05:58 PM.