[Maria]

For those of you who have gotten married, how did you approach planning your wedding while staying aligned with your FIRE goals?

We’re considering eloping in our home state and then having each set of parents host a casual backyard celebration in their respective states to include family and friends.

We’re planning to cover catering, cleaning, and minimal decorations, and would travel to both locations for a weekend.

Would love to hear if anyone has done something similar or has tips for balancing meaningful celebrations with financial priorities!

[Allison]

We were amid Covid, so we as a “family” rented out a Bible camp – everyone pitched in their camper fees, and everyone got a fun weekend.

Camp provided meals AND lake activities over the weekend, had a lakeside wedding and an open air pavilion cake and snacks and dance reception.

Aside from our outfits, decor, and gifts to our guests and family, and travel to the camp and cost to stay the weekend, it was a fairly inexpensive way to have a wedding and everyone have a vacation !

[Marin]

We did the courthouse with his parents, my parents and my godparents
Nice dinner afterwards, which we paid for

Got our clothes at jcpenny, had a friend take pictures at the flower gardens. Spent less than $1k. Bought a house 6 months later with 20% down.

But that’s us, neither of us are huge on attention and I had no desire to plan a wedding. He did buy me a nice engagement ring.

I also have a huge family and I realized it was going to get very expensive very quickly.

Some family members gave me a little bit of a hard time but everyone got over it.

Been married for almost 6 years

[Russell]

The Wedding-Industrial-Complex is a scam preying on the same impulses as keeping up with the Joneses.

If applicable, do whatever ceremony your faith tradition requires. Beyond that, do a party you two thinks is fun so you and those you care about can celebrate with you.

But don’t feel obliged to do anything or buy anything just because it’s in movies or the expectation/desire of anyone beyond you two.

[Author]

Posts