Are you going into debt over your wedding?...I think I might be heading that way

We did not charge anythng for the wedding, but we did go into slight debt on our honeymoon.... a few $100 dinners and concerts, but we would have done the same thing if it was our usual summer vacation. We are in our early thirties and have always put money away...so we had a nice fund and our parents helped out some too. It is just one day, but not just any day.... how do you want to remember that day??? Is a working a second job for a year to pay off a credit card worth it??

Nope not charging anything. Cash and carry. It's kinda a pay as you go. I only have the hotel and airline tickets to pay for. Then Iam done. Debt for a wedding is not a good idea and 20-35k for a wedding is also not a good idea unless you can efford to pay cash and own your own home and its paid for. Just my little two cents.

We didn't go into debt for the wedding. Since I am self-employed, my income was not entirely predictable. Thus, what I did was to start my spending with those things most important to us. That way, if we ran out of money toward the end, the things we would skip would be those least important to us.

A wedding is a dream, but after the day ends, will the debt you incur worth it?

If the cost is bothering your now, it will probably bother you more when there's no going back. Find a balance between the dream and reason.

I wouldn't ever suggest actually going into debt for a wedding. Spending your savings? Yes. You save for a reason, and that's to enjoy (in one way or another) the money you've worked hard for. However, it is not rational to go into debt and not have anything to show for it. In my opinion, only a mortgage is acceptable debt. I've paid for everything else, including schooling and nice cars, with cash. Borrowing money only sets you up to be uncomfortable in the future. I think, like with everything else, moderation is key. Good luck.

KenWay, since you clarified that you are not actually going into debt then I don't really see the problem with it. As long as you are able to afford what you're doing and you're still maintaining your household then what you spend your discretionary funds on is completely up to you. My dad paid for most of my wedding which was completely unexpected. The money he gave us covered all of our vendors and the reception. But I still spent money out of pocket for trivial little things.

I am going into debt for my wedding. I was unemployed for 4.5 months and I have just recently started a new job. That being said, our whole budget is only $6000 and I think I can pay back everything within 3-4 months after the wedding. Hurray for finally having a good income and some job security!

Oh yes we are spending a ton of $$$$- but most of it we are paying in cash and only the little odds and ends are going on the credit card- to be paid off right after the wedding. We wouldnt have had this $$ problem but we JUST bought a house so now we have that nice mortgage to pay every month- i almost miss renting!! the most expensive things are the tent & chairs and the caterer (who is only doing sides because we are roasting our own pig and cow)

Your wedding isn't until July of next year, and you have already over-doubled your budget.

My recommendation- STOP PLANNING! Take a while month and nothing for the wedding. You're not going to run out of time, and will still get everything done. But it may put a few things in perspective.

You keep talking about what you want. I don't know what those things are, but what you should want is a happy marriage and good life together. Will depleting your savings give you that? Will your marriage be any better than a couple who got married at a courthouse because you had this over the top amazing wedding?

Do you own a home? Do you want to? Are you saving enough for retirement? Will this single day in your life cost you those things, or delay them for a while?

Most brides end up increasing their budget, but if you keep going like this, you just may end up broke, with no wedding and no marriage.

@Rachel M.& LadyLee thanks for your input :-) I am not sure if the ladies are reading carefully lol. I am not charging up credit cards I am just spending a lot more than I expected to initially. I think I didn't have realistic goals with my 10K at first because we tend to think a little big. I will be very broke over the course of the next year but I will not be in credit card debit when it is all said and done. Like I said before maybe I should have just said going broke over in debt lol. @ Meghan B., I will not be buying a house for probably 10 years because my FH and I will be moving around a lot due to him possibly going to law school and we have a few places we want to live before we settle down and make a family so that's not an issue. And I am 25, I started my 401K when I was 21 and I think I have a good 40 years before I am allowed to retire lol, and I am not using retirement funds at all...just my paychecks and its just doubling because we picked a venue that has a minimum

We're not doing debt, we are going cash all the way

If you are not going into debt then I don't see a problem unless you are spending money earmarked for something else. Are you? That would be a concern.

Another concern is how you feel about it. If it makes you ill, then its a bad idea.

I think its fine for you to get what you want, but within reason as well. Its good you are not charging cards. I think you can still budget, and weed out certain things if its not a necessity?? What is your dream wedding?? Can they become cheap but nice DIY projects, can you afford to give certain things up???

I am doing DIY invitations, save the dates, runners and programs of course because those are easy. The big ticket items are the venue (FH loves this place) and we have booked that. I have already paid 25% of the 10K I owe them. But the extras that are adding up is I wanted a coffee table book with my photographer and that is really important to me so I upgraded my package, I am in love with photo booths and decided I really want one to build a guest book that way and to give the pics as favors instead of buying additional favors and another large ticket item is lighting...I am not having a ton of decor but to give the room mood I added a lighting package because it can give the room personality without having to decorate it over the top...so I mean yeah...thats whats up

KenWay - I am in your exact same position. We are saving every penny to pay for the wedding and it's really really not fun. We're not going into debt either, but the constant savings and feeling like we can't take a vacation or go shopping is rough sometimes. I definitely question if it's worth it and don't see where to "cut." I constantly wonder if I would rather just elope and have the money, but I always wonder if I'd regret not having a wedding. Plus without a real "goal" we probably would have spent all of this money in wasteful ways so if nothing else it's a good lesson in how to save! So we're moving forward and saving for the big day (I won't even mention my budget as some people on here forget that costs vary by location!). You just need to decide if you're willing to sacrafice for the wedding or if that money would be better spent else where.

I did cash all the way. Look at this way. The wedding is for only one day. And your Husband is a life time. People get so wrap up in planning their wedding and spending more money on it, but a couple years later are divorce. Thank about what you plan to do after the wedding such as your goals, home, kids, honeymoon etc. Our wedding was a pretty nice size, but I did not want to spend all are funds on it. Trust me if I had the money to have big over $100k wedding than I would had done it big and large. What help me to decide was what is a must and what is a want but can do without it. The top three was lighting, venue, harpist. What I can do without was flowers (they die), limo because it was all at one place $400 for that, and spending thousands of dollars for both of my dresses.

Good Luck with that. If you feel like buying some more things I need a pair of shoes (lol)!!!