Spending less on a wedding usually means your marriage lasts longer — I am living proof of that
- My first wedding cost $20,000 and while I know it's cheap compared to others, it was a lot for us.
- We got divorced a year after, which makes the price even harder to get past.
Admittedly, I married young. At 20 years old, I had big dreams of an elaborate wedding. It cost around $20,000, and while that's cheap compared to many weddings, I cringe every time I think about it. It lasted less than six hours. To make matters worse, I got divorced a little over one year later.
Of course, I couldn't have known I'd get divorced; still, I can't fathom it now. I spent a year agonizing over wedding details, hoping to make everything perfect. But, of course, it wasn't perfect. There were five bridesmaids and five groomsmen; each forked over hundreds of dollars on their attire at my request. I fussed over how they would style their hair, the shoes they wore, and their accessories.
Looking back, I define it as forced and stodgy. Still, it cost more than double the price of my car.
It wasn't all bad, however. I cherish the memories created with my mom while we shopped for the perfect wedding dress, for example. Regardless, I knew I would do things differently if I ever remarried.
My second wedding cost much less
And I did, in August 2015. We knew ours wouldn't be a long engagement — it lasted four months, to be exact. I quickly recruited my mom's help as she understood my vision for a vintage/boho-style wedding.
I spent that summer gathering ideas. For less than $1,000, we brought my dream to fruition through simple thrifting, creativity, and DIY. I also pulled my resources, recruiting talented friends to help with my hair and makeup.
This is how I pulled a wedding for less than $1,000
Being a late summer wedding in Michigan, we knew we wanted to utilize the beautiful field outside my parent's home in the country. The vivid wildflowers and lush woods were the perfect backdrop for our ceremony. My husband crafted an archlike structure out of old railroad ties we found in the woods, and I adorned the design with lace curtains, handmade dreamcatchers, and a banner I crafted with my Silhouette machine.
My mom and I scored my white lace overlay dress at a steep discount from the clearance rack at a local bridal shop. I selected dresses for my bridesmaids at Goodwill. While they didn't match, they coordinated beautifully, keeping my desired vintage/boho vibe. The groomsmen wore khaki pants and casual white shirts. Some of them wore Vans, others sported sandals. The bridesmaids also carried colorful bouquets we made with wildflowers and greenery we'd gathered the previous day in our surrounding fields and woods.
We incorporated textures such as burlap, twine, tulle, lace, and scraps of floral-patterned materials that my mom had stashed in her craft closet. We utilized an array of candles for lighting and string lights for ambiance.
We used covered straw bales for seating, a vintage globe for guests to sign, and a hodgepodge of glassware, such as mason jars, which we repurposed for candleholders and vases. We hung large vintage picture frames from tree branches to add interest, but they also doubled as photo props.
For food, we purchased bags of fresh popcorn from a convenience store for guests to munch on during the ceremony, then served food cooked at a local hole-in-the-wall bar at the reception. We used a large open hay wagon to spread out BBQ pulled pork sandwich fixings, trays of homemade mac and cheese, and other simple foods. Beverages included mini soda pops and mini water bottles we purchased in bulk at Sam's Club, and guests could bring beer if they chose.
While unexpected problems arose, like my then 1-year-old son losing my wedding ring right before go time, the day was perfect. The wedding was intimate, with our closest friends and family present.
My husband and I often reminisce about our wedding day. It was uniquely ours, and still today, eight years later, it gives me goosebumps.