I feel like I've been on wedding overload recently. It seems like everyone and their brother (except for me) is getting married sometime in the near future, and I've come to realize all these weddings sure do put an extra strain on a tight budget. I love my friends and family, but there sure are a lot of expenses even for guests at a wedding. There are showers and parties, gift registries and travel expenses, not to mention trying to find a dress that matches the "elegant, casual" dress code. Seriously. What does that mean?
This morning I decided to reflect on all the weddings I've been to and will go to in the near future, and I just realized how many of them there actually were.
Wedding No. 1: I was about five years old and bestowed with the honor of being the flower girl. I had a peach-colored dress and practiced throwing the flowers down the aisle before the main event. I don't remember much else about it, but I know I thought throwing those flower petals on the ground was pretty cool. Cost: Nothing. I was too young to have any money.
Wedding No. 2: My first wedding where I didn't have to sit at the kid table. My cousin married a Catholic Filipino woman, and they participated in traditions I had never heard of before. The wedding was small but classy and nice. Cost: New dress and gift. My parents covered my airfare.
Wedding No. 3: Two of my college friends tied the knot in their mountain hometown. It was a Baptist wedding, and there was a strict no alcohol rule at the reception. During the bride and groom's dance, the speakers went out, but the rest of us sang the end of the song (Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing") for them. Cute. Cost: Gift and driving expenses to the north Georgia mountains. I recycled my dress from wedding No. 2.
Wedding Nos. 4, 5 and 6: Two college friends, a cousin and a high school friend are all getting married this summer. My high school friend is getting married on my birthday, which happens to fall on a Saturday this year. Guess I'll have to wait another seven years for that to happen again. Costs: So far two bridal shower gifts and driving expenses to the showers. More to come.
Wedding No. 7: Another cousin just announced he's getting married next summer. Costs: I better start saving for airfare now.
I'm sure I'll have many more weddings to attend in the future. Especially considering none of my five best college friends have tied the knot yet. For those who have been through the years of attending weddings, I ask you this: How do you have a good time and participate in all the wedding festivities while still maintaining a balanced budget?
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Wedding bells tip the paycheck scales
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9 comments:
What a positive spin you have on the special day of people close to you.
I sense sarcasm, anon. I'm not saying I don't like to celebrate with them. I'm just saying it's expensive! (And I'm sure they would agree, too.)
On another note, I was sent this link, which offers many tips on how to save money on weddings:
http://www.cheapwaysto.com/2007/02/surviving_the_wedding_season.html
I can one up you on the wedding thing. This year alone I will or have attended 2 big weddings. So whats the big deal...it was/is wedding #2 for both of them. And I had to be a brides maid again at my BFF's. I thought there was some kind of rule about that, but I guessed wrong. Oh and that didn't count the other 3 weddings I went/or have to go to (these at least are 1st timers).
Like you Rose, it's not that I don't enjoy my friends/cusin's or whoever's weddings...but I only get 2 weeks of vacation (and all these wedding are/were out of town), and money is really tight. But I too had a big wedding, and was very happy to have had all my love ones there.
It's all about give and take.
$200 bridesmaid's dress. $200 in alterations because the shop sized the dress wrong and it was less than a week before the wedding. Add that to the other expenses like shoes, hotel, gas, food, etc., and it adds up.
I have since decided to keep brochures for Vegas weddings on hand for my friends. If they refuse to elope, I'll offer to be their photographer... for free. It's cheaper than buying another dress.
Airfare, $600.00, wedding attire, $500.00, gift, $100.00. Writing blogs about your experiences, priceless.
Edge -- You're right, there should be some rule about 2nd marriages -- like if you were a bridesmaid the first time around, you get to wear your same bridesmaid dress again.
Anon #2 -- Sounds like a sensible solution to me.
CP -- Ha. Thanks for the laugh.
I've had a wedding or wedding related activity every Saturday (and some Sundays) starting April 14th and going until June 2nd. I was a bridesmaid in two of them, and NOT ONE has been in Macon. I love basking in the glow of love, but I think I might be getting a sunburn.
Just wait till the babies start coming. I received an e-mail recently from a friend that was asking people to get in on their betting pool...it costs money to get involved of course. If you guessed the due date, weight, height, etc. of the baby correctly you would receive 50% of the profit. I never heard of such a thing before in my life!
Response to the last comment, Its not just weddings these days. Now theres bridal showers, baby showers, and graduations. The list goes on and on. Its not that you don't love those people and want to share in their day but come on. IT EXPENSIVE! Ecspecially when they want everyone to travel to another state and stay in an expensive hotel for three days. I mean you don't want to come off sounding cheap but sometimes people want a little much.
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