Weddings are some of the most elaborate and expensive events and are often one of the most complex undertakings any individual or couple can undertake. It’s a challenge of organizational skill, planning, and also a financial challenge that can often quickly become overwhelming.
There are many reasons for this, some of them entirely reasonable, some of them a little bit unreasonable, but all of them combine to make a wedding one of the biggest financial decisions a couple can make.
However, there are many other reasons, which we’re going to look at one by one.
Why do Weddings Cost so Much?
The simple fact is that weddings are essentially huge events that take place over multiple locations and feature many moving parts. It’s like organizing one of the most badass parties you can imagine, but it’s in honor of your love and relationship, instead of being in the name of fun alone.
While not all weddings necessarily require all of these components, and there are increasing numbers of people finding incredibly creative ways to have the wedding of their dreams without breaking the bank, there are some undeniable truths about why weddings cost so much.
Venues
First and foremost, venues are expensive. There’s no escaping this fact unless you’re happy to get married at the local registry office.
Most people dream of getting married at beautiful churches or other highly desirable locations which come with very significant prices. Oftentimes weddings will take place over more than one wedding, moving from a church for the wedding to a different equally expensive and extravagant location for the reception.
Renting two specialist venues is a very costly undertaking, and is one of the main reasons why weddings cost so much.
Dresses
Another fact of wedding planning is that dresses are expensive. Weddings are mostly centered on the bride, and while the groom is naturally important, weddings are incredibly focused on the expectations and desires of the bride traditionally, which means that the dress has to be perfect to help the bride enjoy the day fully.
Dressmaking is a very skilled job and the design and construction of a wedding dress fetch eye watering prices.
There are ways to solve this problem, such as buying second-hand, but many brides want a dress of their own for their special day.
There’s also the cost of bridesmaids’ dresses to absorb too, which can also be costly!
Food
Catering is expensive at any event, but wedding parties are often very large and the catering expenses can also swell considerably along with the guest list.
Some venues also use ‘preferred vendors’ which limits your ability to shop around or find value, which makes it even harder to keep costs down and is definitely something to be aware of.
Entertainment
No wedding reception is complete without some form of entertainment, and whatever flavor you choose for your party, there is often a considerable cost to hiring good entertainment for an evening.
Planning
As you may have noticed by now, organizing all these different aspects is enough to be considered a full-time job, and for wedding planners it actually is.
Many couples lack the organizational skill to coordinate all these different aspects of event planning, so specialist help needs to be called in to make sure everything runs smoothly, however this comes at a significant cost!
Photography
Remembering your day and having a good quality photo album to look back on is arguably one of the most important aspects of any wedding. However quality photography doesn’t come cheap, as it’s a very artistic and highly sought-after skill and the best wedding photographers are in high demand.
Cutting corners here is ill-advised as you want to be able to capture all the joy and beauty of your day properly for posterity!
Demand
Weddings are happening constantly, and so there is a lot of competition for all these different services, which naturally drives up the price of them as people compete to secure venues, catering, and photographers.
How can the Cost be Justified?
Ultimately, you don’t have to justify anything to anyone, or yourself! You decide how you want your wedding to be, and how much you’re willing to spend on it is entirely your business.
Other people’s opinions on this will always differ, with some people being austere, or unphased by extravagant weddings, however, some people want to live life to the fullest or have always dreamed of a large and beautiful wedding.
You don’t need to apologize for this, as long as you have the financial ability to pay for it without ruining your finances!
Expensive weddings can make a dent in your savings, but if you’ve planned well and saved appropriately and feel this is how you want to enjoy the result of your hard work, no one has any right to judge or stop you!
If you’re less financially stable, however, justifying an expensive wedding can be a little more difficult, and relatives and friends, as well as yourself and your partner, may wonder whether the expense of a wedding is really worth it.
If finances are a concern, there are many ways to save money and still have an amazing and beautiful wedding day, so you should at least consider cutting a few corners or finding interesting ways to make your wedding more feasible or stretch your budget further.
Ultimately the only justification you need and the one that is most common is that it’s almost always a once in a lifetime occurrence for many couples, and the cost of a wedding can never outweigh the beautiful memories, romance, and happiness weddings bring to both the newlyweds and their family and friends.
