When it comes to wedding planning, it’s up to the couple to decide what their priorities are. Some might opt for a backyard reception, so they have thousands to spend on excellent catering. And others might forgo booking a band to spend more on a great photographer. The bride and groom call the shots about where their wedding funds go. But what about when parents offer to help pay for their special day? Do they get to have a say in how their money is spent?
One frustrated parent who offered to fund their son’s wedding detailed on Reddit how they changed their mind after seeing the price tag on their soon-to-be daughter-in-law’s dress. Below, you’ll find the full story, as well as some of the replies invested readers shared.
This parent offered to pay for their son’s wedding to keep him out of debt
Image credits: LightFieldStudios/Envato elements (not the actual photo)
But they changed their mind after realizing how much his fiancé planned to spend on her wedding dress
Image credits: LightFieldStudios/Envato elements (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Public_Reflection_50
Later, the parent provided some more details about the situation
The average wedding costs about $33,000 today
Image credits: Asad Photo Maldives/Pexels (not the actual photo)
While your wedding day is supposed to be one of the most magical, memorable days of your entire life, it can easily be the most expensive as well. According to Forbes, the average wedding in 2024 costs $33,000, which is more than the average price of 3 semesters at a public university in the United States. That’s quite a bit to spend on a single day!
But when you take into account the fact that couples hire about 10 wedding professionals or vendors for their special day, including a wedding planner, a photographer, a caterer, a florist and more, the price tag starts to make sense. Typically, the biggest ticket item when it comes to planning a wedding is the venue, as couples can easily spend between $6,000 to $12,000 on the location alone. And if you want to get married during a popular time of the year, such as October, you might be looking at paying even more.
Unfortunately, yet unsurprisingly, it’s very easy to go into debt when planning to tie the knot. In fact, a recent survey from U.S. News found that a whopping 56% of engaged couples who got married in the last year took on debt to pay for their big day. Many went into credit card debt, took bank loans, were loaned money from family members or used a combination of these methods to ensure they had the fairytale weddings of their dreams.
Nearly half of couples get some help from parents or relatives when paying for their big day
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels (not the actual photo)
It’s also quite common for parents to decide to help fund their children’s weddings, like the parent in this story planned on doing. U.S. News reports that 44% of newlyweds were given contributions from parents or relatives for their weddings, but only 11% of weddings were covered entirely by family members.
But just because it’s expected to spend a hefty amount on tying the knot does not mean that it’s necessary. In fact, almost a third of newlyweds admit that they regret spending so much on their weddings, and 54% say that they spent too much on specific services, such as the venue or the food.
As far as wedding dresses go, The Knot reports that in 2023, brides spent an average of $2,000 on their wedding dresses. That’s still an extremely expensive outfit to wear for just one day, so the idea of spending $10,000 on a single dress would be mind-boggling to the vast majority of us. Especially considering that the average American only earns about $5,677 per month. It’s understandable to want to wear something special when walking down the aisle, but $10,000 can go a long way in other aspects of life when you’re working a minimum wage job.
With a bit of creativity, there are plenty of ways brides and grooms can cut costs
Image credits: Leah Newhouse/Pexels (not the actual photo)
When it comes to cutting costs while planning a wedding, there are a thousand options couples can consider, they just need to think outside the box. For example, The Knot recommends checking out used wedding dress sites or looking for vintage dresses on Etsy. Typically, these gowns have only been worn once and are in great condition!
Another option that can help couples save on wedding costs is choosing a day that’s outside of the peak wedding season. If you don’t mind getting married in November, early December, January or February, One Fab Day notes that you might get a great discount on your venue. Or, better yet, choose a free venue! If you have a large backyard, or you know a friend who wouldn’t mind hosting, that can be a great way to save thousands.
As tempting as it is to invite everyone you know to your big day, keeping the guest list short can be an easy way to cut costs as well. The less people you have in attendance, the less food, alcohol, space, decorations, etc. you will need. And Forbes reports that the average wedding with 30-50 guests comes out to under $19K, which is much below the overall average cost.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this mom was right to refuse to fund her son’s wedding? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in checking out another article discussing wedding drama, look no further than right here!
Many readers took the parent’s side and agreed that they shouldn’t be funding the wedding
Others, however, thought that the situation could have been handled more maturely by all involved
And some called out the parent for going back on their word
English (US) ·