NBR but weddings are expensive!

jlml2008 · March 2013

So one of my best friends is getting married in October and with baby coming I decided to sit down and budget everything we need to buy/do for the wedding. And dang...I was not expecting $900.

Both my husband and I are in the wedding so we have to buy our tux and dress plus my 2 year old is the flower girl which is another dress to buy! Not even thinking about shoes yet...The wedding is also 2 hours away from where we live which means, gas, food, and hotel for the whole wedding weekend. Then we've got to buy gifts and I also am co-hosting the bridal shower. I love my friend and I know I signed up for all this but wow. Just under $1000 spent on wedding stuff the year we have a baby was not in the plan...my DH almost had a heart attack when I told him

JinglesChic · March 2013

Yup, that was us last year. My BFF and DH's BFF got married so we were both in it. Plus they're the godparents for DS, so he was the ring bearer. We paid $300 for my dress and alterations, $50 shoes, $50 hair, $350 for tux rental for both DH and and DS, plus gifts and misc expenses. Interesting note: she found the flower girl dress at Marshall's or something for $20, so we ended up paying more for DS's tux than the FG outfit. I was like WTF.

SummerSnow11 · March 2013

Wow, yeah it is funny how things add up...At least you are planning ahead though, right? That has to count for something. Wink

logoz80 · March 2013

You forgot about hair, make up, the cost of the shower.........

melissa0726 · March 2013

Ugh! Weddings are a lot of $$!

I often think back on my own wedding and pray and hope that I did not ask too much - financially or otherwise! - of my bridal party. I truly don't think that I did, I let them pick almost everything themselves so they could find options that fit their budgets.

DH's sister and his BFF are both in long term engagements with no wedding date set. Also, my sister and brother are both talking about getting engaged. I'm praying that these four weddings don't all end up happening around the same time, we'll never be able to afford it!

Maelara · March 2013

My sister is getting married this year (September) and both I and the LO will be in the party. Plus, I'm also helping to co-host the bridal shower. Considering the other girl helping is in school I imagine I'll be fronting most of the bill. I totally get where your coming from! So expensive!

lily_721 · March 2013

I hear ya. My sister is getting married in July. I'm her MOH. Our good friends are getting married in September -- both DH and I are in the wedding party. I have dresses, shoes, hair/make-up, hotel rooms, hosting both bridal showers, shower gifts, wedding gifts. SS1 and SS2 are going to my sister's wedding so that is two hotel rooms for two nights at peak tourist prices -- uhg. Need babysitter for friends' wedding. Two nights of hotel rooms for second wedding. We declined including the boys for friends' wedding. I have opted out of the bachelorette parties for both due to LO. DH will host his bff's bachelor party.

Good news is my sister wants my china and crystal from my first marriage. It is a re-gift but she requested it and said not to buy her another wedding gift. Score for free gift AND getting the boxes out of my house.

My wedding? I didn't want a bridal shower or bachelorette party. I let my sister (MOH) pick her dress and she wore shoes from her prom and my friend did her hair.

jlml2008 · March 2013

I definitely forgot to include hair, makeup, nails, etc! Ugh and the bride is the world's biggest procrastinator which makes budgeting a TON harder not knowing what exactly I need to buy and when!!

WhitWed · March 2013

Very expensive! Don't forget about the bachelor/bachelorette parties. I was MOH twice and had to throw bachelorette parties (one out of state and one in Vegas) taking on the majority of costs myself. The showers, parties, gifts, drinks, dresses, travel, and everything gets really out of hand in my opinion. The whole event is definitely worth friends and family spending time together and making memories, but overall a huge burden to the pocket book for everyone involved. I can't imagine the costs someday when our children our older.

NMB&JCC · March 2013

I hear ya! My bil is getting married and my husband, 2 older kids and myself are all in the wedding. Bachelorette, bachelor parties, shower, clothes etc. plus we are also traveling about 3 hours all with 3 kids 4 and under! They haven't decided on wardrobe for anyone yet which I seem more stressed out about then they are.

RissNRuss · March 2013

We got married last year, were in two other weddings and invited to another. It was nuts. We tried to be super reasonable (put the RB in suits instead of tuxes, FG from JC Penney for $30), and the BM dresses were selected really trying to make them "wear again" (Convertible dresses in a jersey fabric). One wedding we were in was super reasonable (minus travel, but there wasn't a way around that) the other was nutso expensive- they had selected the most expensive tuxes- with tails, and the dress fabric made it super expensive- and the hotel was $250 a night (they mandated everyone stay at the same place). We ended up moving across the state two weeks after that one- it was almost like not having 2 pennies to rub together by then!

Want a personalized experience?

NBR but weddings are expensive!

Re: NBR but weddings are expensive!

Choose Another Board

Search Boards