Cheapzilla, lesser known younger sister of Bridezilla

No post to accompany that heading, but instead I invite you to consider who on god's green earth thinks it is normal to spend $20,000 plus on a wedding reception? Not the wedding, just the reception?

Lots of people, apparently. Just not me

Comments

[harry]

Mad women.
You are planning the rest of your life. Do you spend $20K on (a) a reception, (b) a wedding, (c) a house deposit, or (d) an awesome world travel 6month honeymoon?

Maybe, Kate, you just haven't plugged in your Princess Complex?

[Farrah]

Lots and lots and LOTS of people. I had a classmate who was pissed that her parents were "only" giving her $10,000 for the wedding. So much so, that they postponed the wedding a whole year to save more money for it. Meanwhile I'm thinking: dude, my wedding was under $7k and I felt a little guilty about spending THAT.

Oh, and I also know a couple that spent $50K on a wedding while carrying $40k in credit card debt.

When it comes to weddings, everyone loses their minds. What's sad is that some people put a lot more work into planning a wedding than they're willing to put into making a marriage work.

[lynn white]

I would much rather go to Cheapzilla's wedding than Bridezilla's. Bridezilla always tortures her bridesmaids and her family and ends up divorced a few years later (after she discovers her husband spent his bucks' night with vengeful seductress bridesmaids).

Cheapzilla case study 1: wedding at a picnic place, with a celebrant, everyone in second hand clothes including bride. Reception in loungeroom, all ladies brought a plate. Only expense a new coat of turquoise paint for lounge. Happily married for 15 years.

Cheapzilla case study 2: A Melbourne couple chose to have their wedding in a country church with a spit roast reception. Bride made cake and dress herself. Cake incredibly overwhelmingly stylish. Happily married 8 years.

Both weddings great fun. In both cases, the wedding was a project that both partners participated in. And both men saw it as a ceremony that proved they'd gotten themselves one resourceful patient chick.

[Cristy]

Mine cost $3500 (2000 on food, 1500 on alcohol) and we had 100 guests. $20,000 is a frightening amount.

[Mindy]

Don't worry, I suspect you are among the Cheapzilla's here. A week before I got married, a girl I went to school with got married with a $20 000 reception (in 1997). At that time, you could buy a really nice house in my home town for 70-80k .

I recently went to my BIL's long awaited wedding, which the bride planned with great precision and thrift. She realised afterwards why the reception venue was a little cool towards them during the planning stages - they were too busy falling over backwards to accommodate the two weddings the next day, one of which was costing $35 000 for the reception, which incidentally was dry because the bride and groom and families were strict Muslim and didn't drink alcohol.

[elsewhere]

Well, $20K isn't anywhere enough to get into the housing market these days, so i suggest you blow it on the holiday.

[Mindy]

Saw an article in SMH yesterday about saving money on weddings which I read cause I thought I could link to it in comments if it had any really good tips. However, it seems more for those brides who were planning on spending about $40K and how to shave it down to about $30K. I think I might quietly start saving for the kids weddings now. And their uni education, and deposit for a home and I think I need to win lotto just to cover all the future expenses.

[other kate]

I went to school with a girl from a big family whose parents informed each girl that they had five grand stashed (each) for wedding expenses. Two out of four spent it on travel instead.

Probably pays to remember that our grandparents generation got hitched and had 'bring a plate' lunches in the church hall. They stayed happily married, princesses generally don't.

[The Devil Drink]

For twenty large you could have your wedding cake icing imported from Colombia. Who needs food?
"Bring a plate": that, an' a straw.

[Ariel]

Not me either. Though I know we're in the minority. I think it's an excellent sign for future longevity when the couple are focussed on the relationship and the marriage over the wedding. As you seem to be.

[Rob]

Time for another post, Kate? I have the excuse of being crap at it, but you're great, so MORE PLEASE. Honestly.