American Weddings

[Lovepotion69]

Ok, this has absolutely nothing to do with writing, erotica or anything such.

I'm going to my friend's wedding april 2005. I've realised I'll be spending a small fortune to be the Maid of Honour.

This is my estimated budget

Plane ticker $875
Dress $160
Accommodation $160-240
Wedding gift $100 (as I have no clue how much is normal)
Bacholorette party $63 (just a guess)
Spending cash $262

I had no clue it'd be this much money..ugh. I've told the bride I won't pay for any makeup/hairstylist nor shoes. I'm sorry, but I'm travelling over the ocean for her. If she wants those things she better pay for it herself.

Anyway, she's having about 250 people for the wedding. The way I see it American weddings seem bigger, more commercial and with tons of contracts to sign. lol (ok, sorry about the generalisation!)

I'd love to hear about what a "normal" American wedding is like. Average guests in Sweden is 75 and price for the wedding is app. $5000.

/LP

 

[Guest]

Wait until you get a gander at the brides maid dresses they have here. They are designed to make the bride look good.

Think Turquoise Taffeta with a big bow on your butt.

And did you know you are expected to boff the groom in a closet just before the ceremony? It's an American tradition.

 

[Guest]

LP, I've never been to or had a traditional American wedding. I hope you get more out of it than a piece of inedible cake.

Perdita

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Its pretty comparable, really. I think the movies and television often portray the extravegant wedding, but most everone I know has had a modest one with about 50-100 people in attendance, costing about as much as you say.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

The American Wedding Business is huge. I don't know whatthe average wedding costs, but I would think that it's hard to get married for less than $10,000 these days, and that's for a small affair of maybe 50-60 people.

If you want to get an idea of the size of the business, take a look at one of the Bridal magazines, These are basically catalogues of goods and services you simply must have at your wedding, and they're like half an inch thick.

Not only are they expensive, but they're one of the most high-stress events anyone ever has to go through in their life. I used to play in a band that did weddings, and the scenes we used to see of hysterical brides (the cake was wrong) and grooms drinking themselves in oblivion are enough to make any sensible person decide to elope.

---dr.M.

 

[Guest]

 

[McKenna]

American weddings have been "Hollywood-ized." And yes, some people buy into the hype and spend extravagant amounts of money on their weddings.

Even though I'm American, I wasn't married in America, and I'm rather grateful for it. We spent more on our honeymoon than the wedding, (which is as it should be, in my book!) (Had we been married in America, I might have felt pressured to have a bigger wedding.) I bought my wedding gown off of Ebay ($200,) I didn't have traditional American bridesmaids, and we booked our party at a soccer club and paid about $300-400 for drinks, (no dinner.) We had a friend DJ the dancing, and I baked my own wedding cake just to give my Dutch family a taste of American tradition.

I guess what I'm saying is there are plenty of frugal American brides out there, and there are plenty of the other variety. Weddings in America have gotten out of hand, IMO, but what else do you expect from one of the largest capitalistic societies out there?

I'll pay $10,000 for my kid to go to college, but I'll be damned if I'll pay $10,000 for him/her to get married.

 

[Boxlicker101]

The phrase "a normal wedding" is pretty meaningless because the range is so great. The last wedding I went to was three years ago when my son got married art City Hall. We had about ten people there, counting the bride and groom. Nobody got dressed up at all and we went out to dinner at a restaurant afterward. The total cost was about $300. Other weddings that I have heard or read about cost tens of millions of dollars. I have never been to one of them and I couldn't name one offhand.

At my wedding a little over nine years ago we were married in a church, had about 50 people there and the total cost was about $1,500. I think it was worth it.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

Three of the most expensive things that regular people do in America is get married, get divorced, and host their own funeral.

At least with your funeral, you get to stick someone else with the bill.

 

[EmeraldKitten]

I just did up-do's a few weeks ago for a wedding. It was 'the wedding of the century.'
The bride came in and I waxed her eyebrows, and she went on and on about all the things going wrong.
Last I heard, the bill had climbed to over $20,000. How the hell you spend that much is beyond me.

Hehee... the day of the wedding when I was doing the bridesmaids, lol, they referred to the bride as "Bridezilla" LOL. Apparently, things still weren't going as planned. Then, to top it off- Bridezilla went elsewhere to get her hair done, and the bridesmaids looked better than her, LOL. (I saw pictures.. eek. And I'm bragging, since I was behind everyone else's beautifulness. ) That served to piss her off further, and she wasn't smiling in a picture that I saw.


Of course, when I get married I want all the glitz and glamour. LOL. But, not 20K worth, lol.

 

[sweetnpetite]

The phrase "a normal wedding" is pretty meaningless because the range is so great. The last wedding I went to was three years ago when my son got married art City Hall. We had about ten people there, counting the bride and groom. Nobody got dressed up at all and we went out to dinner at a restaurant afterward. The total cost was about $300. Other weddings that I have heard or read about cost tens of millions of dollars. I have never been to one of them and I couldn't name one offhand.

At my wedding a little over nine years ago we were married in a church, had about 50 people there and the total cost was about $1,500. I think it was worth it.

That seems 'reasonable' but I would definatly say that 50 people would be considered by American standards a 'small wedding' and speding $1500 would *definatly* be a bargain.

Yes, people go into access, plenty of brides even go into *debt* for their weddings. there is an average wedding price (I don't remember, but I've heard it) and it's enough to buy a house (albeit, perhaps a cheep one, but still)

 

[Boxlicker101]

That seems 'reasonable' but I would definatly say that 50 people would be considered by American standards a 'small wedding' and speding $1500 would *definatly* be a bargain.

Yes, people go into access, plenty of brides even go into *debt* for their weddings. there is an average wedding price (I don't remember, but I've heard it) and it's enough to buy a house (albeit, perhaps a cheep one, but still)

It was a small wedding, just friends, family and co-workers. After the wedding we had a small reception in my back yard. $1,500 is probably more than the actual cost since there were no bridesmaids' dresses and I wore a suit that I already had. I thought it was a bargain.

 

[SeaCat]

Snort, snuffle, chuckle.

I got married twelve years ago. The ceremony was in my In-Laws Back Yard. The one doing the officiating was a Justice of the Peace who also happened to be a Chaplain for the local Fire Dept. We had some sixty five people present. Including food and drink I think the cost came to $1000.00. (This included the tent rental, dresses, etc.) My wife wore a wedding dress that had a lot of meaning to both of us. It was my mothers wedding dress which she had made herself.
We had a second German Ceremony with a German Reception later that day at my parents house. The cost for that was about $300.00, including food and booze. (My mother and I did most of the cooking for this one.) We had about 80 people in attendance there, including my entire Fire Dept. (The rigs were parked along the road.) My wife and I were taken home from this party on the back step of engine 302. (My engine.) (Note I was a volunteer Fire Fighter at this time, and had been for several years. These people were and still are part of my extended family.)

Two years ago my brother had his second wedding. This cost roughly $25,000.00, most of which went on his credit card. The wedding and reception, although held in a high priced church and restaraunt on Cape Cod were short, and not very enjoyable. It's all a matter of taste.

(I went to a wedding of another family member, one who has a ton of green. His wedding cost well over a million dollars, was boring as hell, and lasted a total of three years. One good thing did come out of that wedding though. I got about ten hours of some of the raunchiest, pornographic video tapes I have ever seen. All of his wife with other men. {He commisioned me to track her for six months before he filed for divorce, then allowed me to keep some of the footage used in court against her.})

Cat

 

[Lord DragonsWing]

That's very comparable for a traditional wedding LP. You're major cost is the planefare. Not a bad price on the dress.
My sister got married, ummmmmmm, I think it was her first wedding, cost about 250 per dress. Her second was simple and she's still married to him. lol

 

[doormouse]

Ever been to a Greek or Italian wedding?

I grew up in Melbourne, so most of my friends are Greek, Italian or Chinese.

I went to my friend's daughter's baptism. I was spun out by the expense they went to.. then I went to her brother's wedding.

OMFG.. it'd take me a lifetime to pay off a wedding like that!!! Top notch Scotch on every table, food like I've never seen at a wedding.

Mine was a lakeside wedding, cheap reception.. I'd never spend that much lol

<< tight ass

 

[DirtyJJ]

Don't get me started on some of the ridiculous wedding traditions that are out there.... it's not unheard of to spend 10, 20, $30K on a wedding here, after a year or more of stressful hectic wedding planning. It seems ludicrous to me. I don't want to begrudge anyone that wants such a wedding, but to spend so much money and effort for one day is not something I would want to do. And spending a ton of money to be in someone else's wedding is a lot to ask too.

My wedding was simple but traditional - in a beautiful setting with 20 close family members, and a nice dinner after. I wouldn't change it a bit.
JJ

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

If I ever get married, I plan to have a pagan wedding.

Who knows? If I really love the guy, I may even buy a new broom to jump.

 

[Lord DragonsWing]

If I ever get married, I plan to have a pagan wedding.

Who knows? If I really love the guy, I may even buy a new broom to jump.

VB, I will have a new broom for my wedding and it should happen before Jan. Wooooooooooooohoooooooooo

Blessed Be,
LDW

 

[doormouse]

VB, I will have a new broom for my wedding and it should happen before Jan. Wooooooooooooohoooooooooo

Blessed Be,
LDW

Ahh fuck... you still going on about that broom shit?

Handfasting... okay, getting used to the idea, but a broom???



I can see it now... instead of flamed torches, you'll have burning brooms. Is this a kitchen broom?

A garden broom?

You know they have blower vacs now LOL

 

[Lord DragonsWing]

Ahh fuck... you still going on about that broom shit?

Handfasting... okay, getting used to the idea, but a broom???



I can see it now... instead of flamed torches, you'll have burning brooms. Is this a kitchen broom?

A garden broom?

You know they have blower vacs now LOL

Actually it's where you jump over the broom and start a new life together. But............since you're being bad. I'll just turn you over my knee and spank you with it. lol

 

[doormouse]

Actually it's where you jump over the broom and start a new life together. But............since you're being bad. I'll just turn you over my knee and spank you with it. lol

The blower vac?

You know they suck too?

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

... You know they have blower vacs now LOL

Matching Bride & Groom Equipment

A leaf blower and a Shop-Vac.

The only problem left is who will be the blower and who must be the sucker.

 

[Lord DragonsWing]

Blower vacs suck????????????? Damn!!!!!!!!!! The one my ex-wife gave me only blew leaves. Of course that was the only thing in my life that blew at that time. lol

 

[doormouse]

Matching Bride & Groom Equipment

A leaf blower and a Shop-Vac.

The only problem left is who will be the blower and who must be the sucker.

I want one of those heavy duty reverse cycle suckers LOL

I can do both.

 

[Lord DragonsWing]

I want one of those heavy duty reverse cycle suckers LOL

I can do both.

Damn, a reverse cycle???????????? And you can do both????????????????? #*%&^)$(, I'm in LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!