If it has been a long time for you or you are now organizing a wedding you probably remembered (or now realize) how expensive it is.
It has been estimated that average wedding range from $20,000 to $25,000* (or much more) – it’s a decision of having a beautiful wedding vs. saving cash for a down-payment on a house/condo.
Here are some wedding Statistics from National Association of Wedding Ministers**.
1) During the engagement period, couples buy: $4 billion in furniture, $3 billion in house-wares, and $400 million in tableware.
2) Wedding industry is a $50 billion/year industry
3) Average age for the first-time brides is 25 years, for grooms it’s 27.5
4) A total of $72 billion is spent on weddings annually in the U.S.
5) $19 billion is spent buying presents at wedding gift registry
6) The average amount spent on a bridal gown is $800
7) David’s Bridal accounts for 20% of all bridal-gown sales, and that percentage is increasing
8) The average ring costs $2,000
9) 80% of traditional weddings are performed in churches or synagogue
So let’s elope; right? Well, I think most men are opting for this option – eliminate headaches, measuring, picking out right napkin color, flowers, bridal shows, and etc. However, probably most of you women are not too fond of this.
We, women, have this idea in our head (since we were a little girl) to have a beautiful large white wedding with beautiful ceremony, cake, and a perfect wedding dress.
Unfortunately, everything comes with a price – are you willing to pay for it?
One of the main reasons people elope these days are to eliminate the cost. Roughly 30% of all engaged couples have to pay for their own wedding – wish they have rich parents, huh?
Honestly, you are not having the wedding for yourself – you are having the wedding for everybody else. Think about it – you are having the ceremony to show everybody that You are in love, You are getting married, You are inviting them to witness the ceremony, and etc – well, that’s how I see it.
Fortunately, eloping is not tabooed so terribly these days, and I am grateful for that. “Wedding” has been so distorted by the wedding industry that it seems like you have to have your wedding certain way to legitimize your love for your partner.
Remember, eloping is not considered a quickie anymore, but union of intimacy between two people in love.
• Long, John. Why Couples Elope! Articlesbase. http://www.articlesbase.com/marriage-articles/why-couples-elope-40852.html
** National Association of Wedding Ministers: Wedding Statistics. Aministry. http://www.aministry.net/wedding/statistics.htm
