Wedding Cost Perspectives
The wedding cost for the average American family can reach a high of $30,000 or hit the minimal $5,000 or so. $30,000, unfortunately, is the average. Traditionally, though, to put things in perspective, weddings have cost about the price of a car or a year’s worth of college tuition. Even though some estimates suggest that the price of a wedding has risen by 100% in the last 10 years, it shouldn’t be surprising considering inflation and rising salaries. It’s still proportional – to keep things in somber perspective.
The honeymoon, which was not seen until about 50 years ago, costs $5,000. Simply skip the honeymoon and spend a $1,000 at most on a local wildlife park, mock African safari, or nature preserve. Stay on the grounds at the hotel and re-discover nature and each other. Have a cozy stay at a bed & breakfast for a week to really get away from all the stress, worry, and fatiguing experience of the wedding. Do it at least 3 weeks after the wedding is over so that you’re not too burned out for the duration of your ‘local honeymoon’. There are bed & breakfasts in every town in the country because anyone can convert their home into a superb bed & breakfast. Local getaways are all the rage because honeymoons are just exorbitantly overpriced – considering the strain already put on the father of the bride. There will be plenty of time for vacations – especially that one to Europe – once the wedding costs are weathered, recouped, and completely done for.
Catering is almost $4,500. Don’t fret though. Have you ever met a person that didn’t like barbecue? Local barbecue restaurants all provide catering because they provide bulk feast food such as mashed potatoes, rolls, ribs, turkey, and an ample selection of sweets to satisfy even the pickiest desert connoisseur.
To make matters easier, about $3,000 is garnered from wedding gifts that can be immediately donated back to the person paying for the wedding, usually the father of the bride.
Nowadays, only 1 in 5 young people think that the bride’s father should get the bill for the wedding. That’s good news for the bride’s father and unwelcome news to the rest of the clan because the cost gets distributed to the couple, the groom’s parents, and the bride’s parents. Friends have even been known to chip in on select items for the wedding.
A lot of people get a loan to help buffer the wedding bill’s extreme toll. No longer does it fall one person exclusively.