Wedding Regret

Well I personally think you should have the wedding reception. Do it now while you both have the money and still have the energy left to throw a good bash! That way there are no regrets.

I think if you’re already worried you may regret not having one in the future, have the wedding!

I think if you feel in your gut that you want to have the traditional wedding experience, and you’ll regret not doing so, then you should go for it! I know you mentioned buying a wedding dress and having professional photographs taken in it, but I am wondering if that will leave you feeling a bit “empty”. I know I would just look at those photos and know that I am wearing a wedding dress, but I didn’t get married in it. For me, it would just feel like a modeling gig, and there would be no sentimental attachment to it, because it would be lacking the actual experience behind it. But, if you do not think you will regret taking your vows again in front of your friends and family, or celebrating with them at a reception, then by all means use that money for a fabulous vacation with your hubby! And if you want, you could get a wedding dress and take it on vacation with you, and do a beautiful vow renewal with a professional photographer!

I agree with other posters - I think the fact that you're questioning if you will regret it is a sign the seeds are already there.

You have your whole lives ahead of you to have great vacations. You are only going to be newlyweds for a short time.

Have the celebration. Get the dress and the photos and have a great dinner with the people who love and support you.

Yes, and no regrets whatsoever! Weddings are cool, but you don't have to break the bank. The average couple in my city spends $22,000 on their wedding. That cpuld be used to buy a car in cash! That amount was the tptal of my student loan debt that I just paid off last week after 6 years! My FH plan on spending less than $1,000 on our wedding. We would rather use $22,000 towards a house downpayment.

As others have said, the fact that you are questioning if you will regret it should answer your question. I would have the reception you were already planning on having. You can have a nice reception and not break the bank. I think if you don't use this time to have your "bridal moment" you will definitely regret it down the road.

We eloped on our planned wedding day due to Covid. We did have our parents and a few close friends there, along with our photographer, but it was really brief and not all that celebratory (my husband's parents wouldn't even hug us because of Covid). We planned our wedding entirely prior to Covid hitting, so having to pivot at the last minute was heartbreaking. I don't think I would have minded having a small, intimate non-event if we hadn't spent months planning something more spectacular and had all the details finished and ready to go.

I'm at the point where I really just need closure from our wedding because it feels really hard to move on with other things (honeymoon, starting a family, etc) when the wedding still feels unfinished. We are hopeful we will be able to celebrate this year, but I don't really know what the summer will look like.

I would say if you feel like something feels incomplete, you probably aren't satisfied with the place you are at. It sounds like you want to put on your dress, take some photos, and celebrate with loved ones. Maybe it doesn't need to be a full ceremony, where you walk down an aisle, repeat your vows, and do all the traditional wedding things, but it sounds like doing something significant to acknowledge and celebrate your marriage is important to you.

I was looking forward to a honeymoon with my husband but I feel like we can travel anytime (once Covid is a thing of the past) and it isn't super important to me that we have a big vacation tied to a marriage event. For me, celebrating our marriage with people we love in a way that is intentional is more important.

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This is incredibly well-put!!!

Can you have a small vow renewal (BFFs & immediate family), brunch or dinner in a private room at a local restaurant, resort or winery? Then you can have the wedding experience and STILL have money for a honeymoon.

Some good points. Thank you for the insight!