The average cost of a U.S. wedding just hit $29,000, according to the wedding advice organization Zola.
However, Inez and Lucas Dolan just got hitched, and their wedding didn’t cost almost $30 grand. They spent $250 for their big day, which took place in a field in their home state of Vermont.
Another couple, Andrea and Matthew Harris, celebrated their second anniversary this year. They got married in February 2021 on Antelope Island and the whole thing cost just under $3,000.
And Larisset and Austin Cameron spent $9,500 on their wedding this year — about one-third of the national average.
All these happy couples share one thing in common: a considerably downsized wedding celebration.
Wedding costs
Every year, the average cost of a wedding goes up because of rising inflation and demand for wedding-related goods and services, CNN said.
Large metro cities have the highest prices, CNN added, with New York City averaging about $44,000 per wedding.
But not all couples have the money — or desire — for a big, traditional wedding.
More brides are looking for less-traditional gowns, including at thrift shops, which was one of the factors that led David’s Bridal to recently file for bankruptcy, the Deseret News reported.
Young people are also postponing marriage into their late 20s, and one reason could be financial instability, a Deseret News article said, adding that “Millennials may see marriage as a financially risky move.”
So can you, in fact, have your wedding cake and eat it, too?
Andrea Harris would say yes.
“My view on my wedding was really that it’s about me and my husband, no one else. My parents and siblings loved that it was small,” she said.
For couples looking to forge an unforgettable union without breaking the bank, intimate celebrations that might pique your interest include:
- Elopements, where the ceremony usually has about five people present, including the newlyweds and wedding officiator, with no reception.
- Microweddings, where a ceremony is followed by a reception that hosts about 20-50 guests and may run shorter than a traditional wedding.
- Minimonies, where a ceremony has about 10 people present and takes place in a separate place from the reception.
Elopements
On May 18, Inez and Jake Dolan eloped. Two close friends were present — one to ordain the couple and the other to take photos.
Traditionally, an elopement entails running away and marrying in secret, apart from family or friends, perhaps based on an impulse decision. That wasn’t the case for this couple.
“We told our immediate family about it a few days before and were given lots of encouragement and support,” Inez told the Deseret News.
Wedding planning organization The Knot says that “couples have redefined what eloping means and have been celebrating their elopement in beautiful, unique ways,” which includes traveling to dream locations or inviting select guests to the ceremony.
Inez said, “We decided to elope mostly for financial reasons. We just purchased a home and plan to put our efforts into making the place ours rather than to put together a wedding.”
She added, “We also ran into some logistical difficulties with our families, and at the end of the day, the goal of our marriage is to make each other happy. And to be honest, the multimonth planning of a wedding just isn’t something either of us was excited to do.”
The couple said there are some downsides to eloping, including a lack of friends, family and special dances. Still, Inez recommends eloping if it feels right for the couple.
“I felt it helped us focus on each other in that moment and allowed us to create new exciting goals for our future,” which includes a future backyard celebration for their first anniversary.
Microweddings
Larisset and Austin Cameron said the best part of their 40-guest wedding in Sandy, Utah, was the ceremony.
“When I saw Austin, I felt nervous, I felt my heartbeat and thought ‘Wow, this is real,’” Larisset told the Deseret News. The couple, who’ve just closed on a house, paid off a car and have family located internationally, decided a smaller celebration was exactly what they needed.
Microweddings cost typically “over 50% less than that of a traditional wedding,” wedding advice platform Brides said.
The venue, which was already adorned with plants, was decorated with Larisset’s handmade floral creations, helping financially and adding a personal touch to the celebration.
Jove Meyer, owner and creative director of Jove Meyer Events, told Brides, “With fewer guests comes less work, fewer opinions and people to please, less budget required and more options in terms of spaces to celebrate.”
Austin said shrinking the guest list made the couple feel less obligated to include extra frill and fuss. During the ceremony, he said seeing only family who’d been integral in their lives, along with seeing his wife-to-be, made the moment “extra, extra special” and “almost potent” with the amount of love in the air.
They intend to have a big, casual summer reception for their one-year anniversary.
And for couples thinking of following in their footsteps, they suggest talking with a wedding advisor or expert, to help sort costs and provide guidance through the sometimes stressful process.
Minimonies
A minimony, defined by The Knot, is a “mini ceremony held with your loved ones, or simply a moment of commitment shared between yourselves.”
The Knot said minimonies were biggest during the pandemic, when couples would plan for an intimate ceremony and postpone their original wedding plans for a later party called the “sequel wedding.”
Marriage, an advice and education platform about marriage, said having a minimony could save you about 80% of what is spent on a traditional wedding.
An example of a minimony would be a drive-thru ceremony, famously done in Las Vegas at multiple chapels. But if being wed by an Elvis impersonator doesn’t suit your fancy, know the process of becoming an officiator is fairly simple but differs in each U.S. state.
According to American Marriage Ministries, in most cases, ordained ministers who can legally perform marriages are recognized religiously, civilly or both.
Depending on the state, there may be trouble having the marriage legally recognized as legitimate if the officiator doesn’t follow additional steps to become a minister, the organization says.
“Whether or not you consider yourself a shy person, your dream wedding might be saying ‘I do’ in front of five to 10 witnesses you adore, followed by cake and champagne at your favorite restaurant — with no pressure, just love,” The Knot said.
Who the wedding is really about
When weddings that included social distancing were still held, Matthew Harris and Andrea Manley spent a total of $2,938 on their big day.
“The money and time and effort of a huge wedding seemed excessive and unnecessary. This wedding was about us, not pleasing a mass of people. Even if it was not in the middle of a massive pandemic, I still would’ve had a small ceremony,” Manley told the Deseret News.
At the time of their wedding, only 30 guests were allowed to join the party, leaving just close family in attendance.
Manley said even though her wedding wasn’t big, extravagant or expensive, it was exactly the wedding she dreamed of.
“I had my dream dress, shoes, husband and my family was there. Our pictures turned out amazing, and that was so important to me, because they stand the test of time and capture just how in love and excited to begin our new journey as a married couple we were on that magical, but freezing day, in late February 2021,” Manley said.
Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified Lucas Dolan’s first name in a photograph.