Weddings are one of the most significant events in a person’s life and keeping up with growing trends, traditions and whims can rack up a hefty bill.
Some people want a small, intimate ceremony, while for others it’s the bigger the better.
A woman named Emily recently revealed how she was one of the latter, who desired a “big, fun wedding”.
However after losing her job, she wasn’t able to afford to pay for all the luxuries she wanted – but that didn’t stop her from having an extravagant day costing more than £131,000.
Emily explained how she let other people pay for her big day – and she’s come under fire for it.
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the 29-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona broke down the cost of her wedding and admitted she only contributed to a “few little extras”.
She said: “My parents paid for basically everything. I paid for a few little ‘extras’ like my bridesmaid’s gifts, but I lost my job a month after getting engaged, so I didn’t have an income for about half of the time I was wedding planning.
“I would have liked to contribute more, but it just wasn’t in the cards, and my parents were very generous.
“My husband paid for the engagement ring, our engagement trip to Canada, his tuxedo and groomsmen-related items, and his portion of the bachelor party.
“My husband’s mom paid for and hosted our rehearsal dinner for 75 guests. My husband’s dad gave us $5,000 toward our honeymoon. Everything else my parents paid for.”
She says the total cost of the wedding was about $165,000 (£131,365) and her parents covered expenses for marriage prep, engagement photos, church-related costs, the ceremony, her dress, and the reception – including fireworks.
Emily admits that she feels “guilty” about the amount they spent on these things.
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“It was just always understood that my parents would be paying,” she continues. “But I still often feel guilty about how much everything cost.
“But my parents, my husband and I all agreed very early on that we wanted a big, fun wedding, and that’s just expensive.
“Since I wasn’t working, I would have had to forgo a lot of stuff at the moment, and they made it possible for me to just enjoy it and not worry about the cost.”
Ironically, she advises people who can’t afford a big party not to have one, claiming “it’s the marriage that is important, not the wedding”.
She adds: “I know, I know, easy for me to say, I got both.”
People have seen the wedding with mixed emotions with some labeling Emily as a smart person, some calling her stringent and some questioning her independence as a modern woman of the 21st century.
