Weddings are scams

Sounds like a great plan for you. You don't have to do anything for your wedding that you don't want to do. Make it whatever you need it to be.

It really just depends on your budget, what is really important to you, and whether the wedding experience justifies the costs to you. For some people, dropping 10, 20, 50, even 100k + is totally worth the experience to them. For others, it’s not worth it. If you and your spouse prefer to just go to the courthouse, that’s totally ok! Courthouse weddings can be just as special

I’m mostly angry at the wedding businesses making these prices surge. They are taking advantage of people. You spend 3-8k on a venue for 8 hours…then spend 2,000 for a DJ that will say you want the poor people package or the I wanna look like a rich person package, ok 800 dollars for cold sparklers that are used in thousands of weddings. Oh you need photos? 1,000 for 2 hours. You want the actual whole wedding? 5k.



Oh you want catering? Venue says only these people you can use…ok but also we’ll charge you a site fee of 350 for using a cater that we gave you. You’ll also pay for part of the insurance the cater pays for to bring food. Then you pay for the staff to serve the food. Then you pay for the plates and silverware that are used. Napkins? You pay for. So now I’m spending 45 bucks a person for a chicken dinner….REALLLY??? Oh i haven’t even included the dress. THE DRESS!!!! And I’m already at 10k. SMH I know I’m not the only one who thinks this

Yes, the wedding industry is trying to scam us all (it is mostly in the marketing of what a wedding SHOULD be). Have the wedding YOU want to have and only spend what you are comfortable with. It doesn't have to cost any more than a backyard BBQ or a visit to the courthouse. Wedding come in all shapes, sizes, and price brackets.



I have seen people model their weddings on holiday parties or family reunions (for comparison of total cost, amount of decorations, level of formality, quantity/quality of food provided, etc.) That might be the way to go for you if you still want an event without the cost of a cookie-cutter wedding with all the trimmings.

For me, I wanted some of the pomp and circumstance but not all of it. My husband and I spent $8,000 for 50 people for 7 hours. Every penny of it was worth it to us, but it was also not any more than I would expect a similar non-wedding event of that size and scale to cost.

I do agree that wedding vendors jack up prices somewhat compared to similar services for other events (looking at you florists and makeup artists), but it is what it is and clearly enough people push that discontent aside and still have big weddings 🤷🏻‍♀️ Your wedding is about you though so do whatever you believe in, can afford, and what will make the experience worthwhile to you! Absolutely agree it doesn’t have to be so expensive, but people pay for atmosphere and experience.

Yes I really am going to spend the amount I need to in order to have the day I want and have dreamed of. I’m very fortunate to be able to do this and I understand not everyone can but don’t hate in people that are going to pay vendors the prices they want because we want our day. Have fun at the courthouse. I hope your day is lovely and magical.

That’s not hating that’s frustration at wedding businesses charging too much for regular people for a few hours. You have fun too!

Go after the wedding you and your partner want. If that is the courthouse, pay the city. But, I don't think vendors and venues are unnecessary money. For example, a good photographer or musician spends years into their craft and will invest in more than a simple 2 hours for your wedding. The $40 caterer's chicken also pays for liability insurance, staff, linens, plates, chairs and clean-up. If you haven't found a vendor that is affordable, then you're not doing a good job looking and comparison shopping. When it comes down to it, money is money, and people are people. If you're intentional about your own money, then you won't feel you wasted it on yourself. But, before you rag on others, you should really ask your partner what they want because they may feel differently.

Yes, the wedding industrial complex has a lot of things that they want you to buy. Personalized gifts, expensive bachelorettes, matching T-shirts, etc etc. It goes on and on. Part of the trick is to see through the unnecessary extras and just focus on treating your guests well.

View Quoted Comment They have to make a profit. Your frustration is fine but you also have to understand that vendors are people too, this is their lively hood and they have to make money. 🤷🏽‍♀️ It is what it is. If you don’t value vendors and their work then yea go have a wedding without vendors lol

This is very true. Vendors are providing professional services and need to make a profit. Also, the standards for these services are much higher when it comes to weddings, meaning more work, more staff, longer hours, more attention to details, etc. Take the photographer for instance. They have to get up early and pack a ton of equipment to ensure they can capture everything for you. Also that equipment is quite expensive in order to ensure the top quality photos that are expected from wedding photogs. They oftentimes work from sun up to well past sun down on a wedding. Then, after working a 12+ hour day, their work is just beginning; because now they will spend weeks to months sorting through hundreds (sometimes thousands) of photos, painstakingly editing them. So while it may seem like vendors are “scamming” you, they are really just asking for a fair wage for their work.

View Quoted Comment Nope sorry. No one is work 250-300 an hour

I agree they have skill but it’s overpriced. And listen if you think 15k for 6 hours is worth it then go for it. But in the end those vendors are charging way more than necessary. And the food catering is actually the worst of it all. But buy and spend as you wish.

View Quoted Comment

You may not be able to afford a 15k wedding, and that is your own business. But there are others who would otherwise love that budget, but for their own reasons have wanted more for their day. They don't feel they're being scammed because anyone willing to put their hard-earned money into something would do their due dilligence into ensuring they're getting their money's worth. You have deemed you want an alternative that is appropriate for you.

Vendors price their time and talents accordingly and if they are out of budget it is simply not a good match. However, no working professional should make you feel badly for this, so you had the appropriate response which was to not hire them. Calling people scammers is like hating on others for not being on your level.

View Quoted Comment It’s a scam because you’re paying 3 times more for a service which is not worth is because it says “wedding”. Now of course people are willing to spend that. Doesn’t mean it’s still not way overpriced. And yes the vendors do work a bit harder but some of these services even the cheaper ones are saying they’re 300 an hour. Just if you wanna spend that go for it. But I’m saying it’s really overpriced and that a down payment on a house shouldn’t be the price for a regular wedding. Like when I was budgeting I was getting the BASICS and it still 12k..

View Quoted Comment And that is OK for you to feel that way. However, it is quite inappropriate and inaccurate to say that these people are “scamming” their clients, simply because YOU do not feel their talents are worth that amount of money to YOU. There is no scam happening here. These are simply professionals who have sunk a considerable amount of time, energy and money into developing a talent/service that many find very desirable, and then setting a price point that they feel is fair for their talent/service. Just because you do not wish to pay those prices does not mean the prices are unfair, unjustified or in some way scandalous. It simply means you do not value that service enough to pay for it. And again, that’s totally OK. But I don’t think it’s right to make a broad sweeping statement about all wedding vendors being scam artists, or the wedding industry being a scam. Many many brides and grooms value these vendors and their talents, and feel that they are more than worth the financial investment they have sunk into them for a special, once-in-a-lifetime event. I think it is important to value and support everyone’s unique vision for their weddings - no matter how large or small, grand or simple, expensive or an expensive.

Hi yes I ha e said these things as well but you dont have to have your wedding at a hotel or catering hall. Bc yes you have to use there in house people and it can add up from liens to dinnerware and glasses yo dance floor and wedding cake. This is why I shopped around before I booked anything. And if you look into some other venues that you can have a wedding your way. I have venue that is a blank slate its has beautiful floors it's nice and big its has a DJ. And no one has said any of those words that was said to you. And yes can try and talk you into a large package. Alot of my wedding is all that we did DIY projects and I had gotten my wedding gown for $600.00 I bought my own liens and centerpieces that we can reuse as many times as we want and alot of it I found sales. They only provide chairs and tables refrigerators and food stations. So you make it how you want and also ask your friends I'm sure they will want to help. But as long the ladies said it's up too you I hope it all works out for you just a beautiful day and make memories for you and your FH

"No one is work 250-300 an hour" says who? There are workers out there who spent thousands of hours making less than minimum wage, doing free shoots to get experience, getting screwed over and experiencing broken contracts. Sorry, but just because you feel like $250/h is a lot to get paid doesn't mean that someone else doesn't deserve it.

On top of the cost of learning their craft, these people have thousands and thousands of dollars of equipment that also needs regular maintenance. Then they have their regular bills to pay, taxes that aren't automatically taken out, etc etc.

Venues are hosting HUNDREDS of people. The floors need to be maintained, waxed, the ACRES of outdoor areas need professional law care and $$$$ of monthly watering bills, employees need to be paid, and not to mention the insane amount of liability they take on for YOU to host YOUR wedding.

Sorry but this whole post came off extremely tone deaf. Do everyone a favor and don't hire anyone that you don't think deserves the rate they're charging.