Like I went to a wedding on a Thursday a few years ago because the backlog created by the pandemic made it basically impossible to book something across the weekend, forget just Saturdays.
That Wedding Machine and all of the buy-in from brides kicked into high gear, then OVERTIME. A wedding that was $6k in 1995 was $26k in 2005 and probably around $50 in 2015.
Right? Like I was saying $10k as a very modest price point. The inflation is exponential. I don't know a lot of people trying to do the MOST but it's incredible how quick they become "whole downpayment for a house" expensive.
then we had the pandemic, and i think that is what finally ran the oil dry on the Wedding Machine, and we've seen prices go down...a little. my cousin just got married, and it was more than she had expected, but not more than she WANTED (or maybe was willing) TO PAY.
Oh, God, not here. The prices went WAY up on venues and food. It's been incredible.
and layered into ALL of this, are societal pressures and norms, religious and cultural traditions and good ol'family pressure.
Which is huge.
I would have liked to ONLY have had my backyard surprise wedding celebration, but there was no way in HELL my Mother In Law was going to let that fly. So we did a reception as cheap as we possibly could basically to please her. I get the familial pressure issue - i lived it!!
I remember the drama! Was there something about a candy table?
My immediate family is of the kind to celebrate a frugal choice but, as you know, you marry into a whole other family! And a whole other set of expectations. My sister's issue is partly her partner's family (who is... a lot) and then her mother (who is even more) who hates my side of the family. Her brother solved that problem by not inviting us, but she doesn't want to do that. I'd be FINE with it! But I get that it's a moral issue for her.
Additionally, in her exact circumstances and with our laws, she basically has all the rights that being married would give her so there's not a TON of reason. She still feels like some people take her relationship less seriously even though they own a home and have two kids because there wasn't a wedding.
there are just SO many facets to Weddings, so many variables that i think are interesting. I also admit I watch way too much Say Yes to the Dress.
Ha! I used to love Four Weddings. Though it drove me crazy when they went to a wedding for someone who was having a wedding specific to their culture and then marked it down for cultural reasons.
