I know what some of you are saying out there…the answer is “as much as the bride wants.” Well “Bridezillas” aside, how much to spend on a wedding is an important question that a potential bride and groom should talk about at length. There have been plenty of engagements that ended with a break-up instead of a wedding because of wedding planning and differences in opinion on how much to spend. The days of the bride’s family paying for the whole deal are almost gone, and with the price of wedding gear who can blame them. A lot of couples nowadays are footing the bill (at least partially), and it makes a big difference in what type of wedding you end up having.

Weddings are big business. Once you start planning your own you’ll be amazed at how much it costs to do everything. There’s really no such thing as a cheap wedding, unless you’re going down to your local courthouse to tie the knot. That’s why you want to really make sure that you temper your spending to things that really mean a lot to you. Sure, that flowing chocolate fountain and ice sculpture of your first date look cool, but do you really need it to have a nice wedding? Of course not. Do you need to pay $50 a plate for some over the top gourmet food, or would your guests prefer something more down to earth anyway? One good thing to do is to think about all the other things you can do with that money instead of putting it towards the wedding. What I’ve noticed is those couples that end up spending less on the wedding and putting more towards their honeymoon are usually happiest about their decision. The great thing about the honeymoon is that you can enjoy it as a couple and really get your money’s worth.

It’s easy to get caught up in the romance of it all and want to plan this huge extravaganza that you want to invite everyone you’ve ever known to. There’s no question that your wedding day is a special day and you’ll want to remember it forever as a magical event. But in reality, it’s such a whirlwind day that you usually have little time to really enjoy it as the guests of honor. Remember that you’ll be spending all that money for what amounts to about an 8 hour event, so make sure you put your money into the things that really matter to you. The real key is understanding that each of you have a vision of what your wedding would be like. Hopefully that vision is the same, but if it’s not make sure to work together to come to some acceptable compromises. Be prepared to argue (at least a little) during your wedding planning, since all couples do. It’s a stressful time, and going overboard with your spending will only put that much more strain on your marriage once the tuxedos and dresses get returned.