Real Price of an Average Wedding... the Median?

There's a fascinating article from The Slate:

The Wedding Industry's Pricey Little Secret: That widely used "average wedding cost" figure is grossly misleading. Here's a much accurate number.

So, you can spend very little on a wedding if you want to but you have to be savvy.

You can elope and spend less than a few hundred dollars.  You can have a simple backyard wedding with family and friends along with a backyard reception and spend a few thousand dollars.  Or you can go all out and have a lavish wedding at a destination location and spend thousands of dollars that could potentially be used for a home purchase.

Look at this photograph.  The last time I was in Hawaii, this happened.  I'm sitting on a beach sunning myself with other sunbathers and people who were enjoying the beach in Hawaii, when a couple walks in front of us with a simple photographer that starts snapping pictures.  Notice the sunbathers in the photograph.  This was the heavily populated Waikiki Beach.

My take:  I thought this was brilliant, beautiful and simple.  And why not?  It was a moment for the couple.

The whole point of a wedding ceremony is getting married and joining together for life. You can spend a fortune, but it's not a requirement.

My advice is to set a budget and stick to it.  You shouldn't be paying for a wedding ceremony or a big party for the next two decades if you can't afford it.  There are many choices.  Don't compare yourself to your friends and neighbors.  Always look at your options before going into deep debt.  Remember: Weddings are joyous occasions whether they're simple or elaborate.  And no matter how much money you spend, the service will be memorable.