Why do people still have expensive weddings?

lightspeed

I dont get it at all. My brothers Wedding is gonna cost over €30000. Him and the bride to be have both been saving for over 2 years. I just cant understand why people still pay this kind of money for a wedding.

I know others in work who say they are going to struggle to get the money together for a deposit on a house and yet spare no expense when it comes to the wedding day?

What i find odd is that plenty people from middle class tax bracket to those on the higher end will complain when taxes are increased but will spend this kind of money on one ****ing day?

What is wrong with just getting a neighbour to dress up as a priest, have it in the back garden and let all the guests tuck into a swiss roll?

Death and Taxes

lightspeed wrote: »

What is wrong with just getting a neighbour to dress up as a priest, have it in the back garden and let all the guests tuck into a swiss roll?

Oh you old romatic fool:D

FairytaleGirl

Well..Someone's single..

Daveysil15

It does seem a bit ridiclous alright, especially when the couple are struggling financially. I've always found weddings to be unnecessarily expensive and formal. But that's just me.

Susie120704

I agree with the OP. Last year after much coaxing by my husband we spent 20K. what a bloody waste. Now we had a good day but we have so many other places where that money would have been better spent

joeperry

It's the wimins fault.

Schnitzel Muncher

Why do people still purchase expensive cars?


......because they can afford to.

looksee

Schnitzel Muncher wrote: »

Why do people still purchase expensive cars?


......because they want to.

Sorted

The Hill Billy

I agree OP - it is crazy to be spending big bucks on a wedding in these straitened times. But, hey - it is their day, their cash - feck it.

Daveysil15

How much do they actually make in gifts though?

snubbleste

It's the L'Oreal defence
Because I'm worth it

lightspeed

Schnitzel Muncher wrote: »

Why do people still purchase expensive cars?


......because they can afford to.

But that is just it, its not often I hear of people complaining about struggling for money and then going out and buying a €30,000 car and then get rid of that car after a day with no resale?

Your comparison would be accurate and fair if you know of people who are struggling for money, who buy a €30,000 car and then burn it or have it crushed after a day. Unless this becomes a common trend, i dont think its a fair comparison.

Vojera

Daveysil15 wrote: »

How much do they actually make in gifts though?

Usually only enough to cover the meal, and not even that most of the time.

Gee_G

Daveysil15 wrote: »

How much do they actually make in gifts though?

Feck all I've been told. A lot of people have gone back to buying Wedding presents rather than money in a card!

CommanderC

They do it because they are attention seeking idiots......and because they see other people doing it.

darragh o meara

Daveysil15 wrote: »

How much do they actually make in gifts though?

I know plenty of people who got married and actually broke even. But nowadays the presents aren't as big either.

Schnitzel Muncher

looksee wrote: »

Sorted

Thanks, but no thanks.

They can afford to, because they will basically ask for the guests to pay for it. The more they spend the more they can 'charge'.

MagicMarker

Because, OP, some people are morons.

lightspeed

FairytaleGirl wrote: »

Well..Someone's single..

Is that your best chat up line? well it worked, grab your coat cause you have pulled you lucky lucky girl.

Any other lucky ladies fancy splitting a eurosaver meal in Maccy ds, let me know.

Cienciano

Why don't you ask your brother and work mates why they're doing it instead of a group of strangers online that have no idea of their circumstances?

NegativeCreep

Because some people like to have nice things OP. I'm never getting married, but if I did, it'd be the biggest fucking wedding you've ever seen!

CaraMay

If they can't afford it then they are doing it because they are stoooopid. If they can afford it then they are doing it because they want to. Simples.

snubbleste

NegativeCreep wrote: »

Because some people like to have nice things OP. I'm never getting married, but if I did, it'd be the biggest fucking wedding you've ever seen!

Elton John big?

Schnitzel Muncher

snubbleste wrote: »

Elton John big?

Or Big Fat Gypsy big?

NegativeCreep

snubbleste wrote: »

Elton John big?

Even gayer than Eltons.

lightspeed

Cienciano wrote: »

Why don't you ask your brother and work mates why they're doing it instead of a group of strangers online that have no idea of their circumstances?

I did and my brother says its her decision and she insists on having her special day.

I had a recent conversation with a female work colleague who also told me she spent around €30000 and we were talking politics. She was complaining like most of the rest of the country about property taxes and water charges to come. I questioned why she had such an expensive wedding and she said that you have to have a proper wedding.

Yes its there money and their business but i don't see how that point is at all relevant. Im not pushing for regulation to be introduced to stop people having expensive weddings.

Seanafitz

Women want perfection .. Perfection cost money .. What man is going to deny his fiancé ether big day ??

Seanafitz

Seanafitz wrote: »

Women want perfection .. Perfection cost money .. What man is going to deny his fiancé ether big day ??

I don't even know where to start

Gee_G

Seanafitz wrote: »

Women want perfection .. Perfection cost money .. What man is going to deny his fiancé ether big day ??

I'm a woman, I want perfection but not at the cost of putting ourselves in debt!

.jacksparrow.

lightspeed wrote: »

I did and my brother says its her decision and she insists on having her special day.

I had a recent conversation with a female work colleague who also told me she spent around €30000 and we were talking politics. She was complaining like most of the rest of the country about property taxes and water charges to come. I questioned why she had such an expensive wedding and she said that you have to have a proper wedding.

Yes its there money and their business but i don't see how that point is at all relevant. Im not pushing for regulation to be introduced to stop people having expensive weddings.

What has giving out about property tax and water charges got to do with weddings?

People can still have an opinion on what the government is trying to take from us while having some money they work for.

It's like saying because you have money you can't give out about whatever tax the government wants to bring in.

Stupid point.

lightspeed

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

What has giving out about property tax and water charges got to do with weddings?

People can still have an opinion on what the government is trying to take from us while having some money they work for.

It's like saying because you have money you can't give out about whatever tax the government wants to bring in.

Stupid point.

Its like saying even though i knew there was going to be more austerity in the country and things would become more financially difficult, i thought feck it. I'm going to have an expensive wedding and ignore all off that inconvenient relevant information. Im just that stupid and then I'm going to complain about my bills and expect people to understand and sympathise with my situation.

Im not saying people who get married cant have political opinions on, im saying people who complain about how they are financially burden with austerity after or whist spending €30000 on one day are f**king financially retarded.

Seanafitz

Gee_G wrote: »

I'm a woman, I want perfection but not at the cost of putting ourselves in debt!

But if you had the money you would spend as much as possible .. And I bet he told her te get whatever she wants .. No budget .. And it's eventually amounted to that cost .. He can't say no now

whiteandlight

It's personal. I had a big wedding, expensive? Yes but not compared to what some spend on 'small weddings'. I sent 300 invites, sat 198 and came in well under 20k. We postponed our honeymoon for six months to save. It was a amazing day, literally the best day of my life.

Funniest conversation I ever had was with a colleague who was horrified at my numbers, oh no we will have under 100. You couldn't have that many people! Biggest difference-their price per head was more than twice ours and our food was great. Yes theirs was better but not worth that level of premium. You have to shop around

darkdubh

CommanderC wrote: »

They do it because they are attention seeking idiots......and because they see other people doing it.

Not to mention seeing Z list clebs in the pages of magazines with their tasteless themed weddings.

Schnitzel Muncher

NegativeCreep wrote: »

Even gayer than Eltons.

You'll have to hire one of these:

https://www.google.ie/search?q=jordan+carriage+wedding&client=safari&hl=en-gb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=OmyPUZ2hHMzZsgbRxYCYDA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=320&bih=416#biv=i%7C1%3Bd%7CZmSIcdv_1qjiQM%3A

lightspeed

Seanafitz wrote: »

Women want perfection .. Perfection cost money .. What man is going to deny his fiancé ether big day ??

If a male in a relationship said to the woman that it has always been his dream for him and his beloved to spend €30,000 in a day gambling and drinking with her and their closest friends and family until the money was gone, shouldn't this understanding woman save for this day as well and make his special day come true?

.jacksparrow.

lightspeed wrote: »

Its like saying even though i knew there was going to be more austerity in the country and things would become more financially difficult, i thought feck it. I'm going to have an expensive wedding and ignore all off that inconvenient relevant information. Im just that stupid and then I'm going to complain about my bills and expect people to understand and sympathise with my situation.

Im not saying people who get married cant have political opinions on, im saying people who complain about how they are financially burden with austerity after or whist spending €30000 on one day are f**king financially retarded.

So everyone who gets married nowadays gives out about having no money?

I know not one couple like this.

Sauve

Seanafitz wrote: »

But if you had the money you would spend as much as possible .. And I bet he told her te get whatever she wants .. No budget .. And it's eventually amounted to that cost .. He can't say no now

What kind of idiots would agree to get married, not set a budget, not discuss what type of wedding they want or can afford, and not put a halt to it when costs are getting out of hand?

Gee_G

Seanafitz wrote: »

But if you had the money you would spend as much as possible .. And I bet he told her te get whatever she wants .. No budget .. And it's eventually amounted to that cost .. He can't say no now

No, I don't think I would. Honestly. We are not planning on getting married for a few years, which would be lots of time to save etc. But I really could not justify spending €30,000 on a wedding,whether we had it or not. Its crazy!

Because to some people their wedding day is a very big deal and are not happy with so low rate reception with only a few people. They want a big day that they will remember and have lots of their family and friends there to enjoy it and of course some people have to be invited like neighbours etc as they would have invited you to their weddings etc. They will also make back a good bit of the cost of the wedding in presents too which you can take into account when organising it.

scoey

Well OP, I would imagine it is because either one or both of the people getting married want to have one.
Hope that helps.

Chet T16

Our wedding cost about 4.5k including the honeymoon. The joys of bringing 2 guests!

Shenshen

I don't know, I never understood it myself, not even when everybody had enough money to cover it easily without going into debt.

When we got married, we invited 15 people - we had decided we really only wanted the people who WE really really liked, and nobody else. That did cause some frictions within both our families, both his and my mom were inviting people we had never planned to invite, and we told them quite frankly that it was our wedding and they didn't get to invite anyone.

My husband had found a gorgeous purple dress for me on ebay, the most expensive thing for us was the hotel as we paid for everyone to stay the night, as well as for all the drinks.

We still came in at well under €3k, and it was the most amazing day ever.

.jacksparrow.

Gee_G wrote: »

No, I don't think I would. Honestly. We are not planning on getting married for a few years, which would be lots of time to save etc. But I really could not justify spending €30,000 on a wedding,whether we had it or not. Its crazy!

Maybe you're opinion will change when you're getting married.

NegativeCreep

Schnitzel Muncher wrote: »

You'll have to hire one of these:

https://www.google.ie/search?q=jordan+carriage+wedding&client=safari&hl=en-gb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=OmyPUZ2hHMzZsgbRxYCYDA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=320&bih=416#biv=i%7C1%3Bd%7CZmSIcdv_1qjiQM%3A

Obvo Hunzo

blatantrereg

The L'Oreal effect is right. It effects men just as much as women though.

looking_around

Keeping up with the jones syndrome ..

They 'need' to show off

spankysue

My fiance and I are getting married next year and not planning on spending anywhere near that amount of money, we've budgeted it at €7500 excluding the honeymoon and that's a generous estimate, we're hoping to cut down a good bit on that.

Thankfully for my fella, I'm not one of these mad b1tches that wants to spend a fortune on anything, I've already seen the wedding dress I want on Adverts for €100

To us, it's about who you have there, not about showing off.

.jacksparrow.

spankysue wrote: »

My fiance and I are getting married next year and not planning on spending anywhere near that amount of money, we've budgeted it at €7500 excluding the honeymoon and that's a generous estimate, we're hoping to cut down a good bit on that.

Thankfully for my fella, I'm not one of these mad b1tches that wants to spend a fortune on anything, I've already seen the wedding dress I want on Adverts for €100

To us, it's about who you have there, not about showing off.

Fair play to you that's good you're doing it your way, but some people do want to spend a bit more, and its not fair to say their showing off.

spankysue

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

Fair play to you that's good you're doing it your way, but some people do want to spend a bit more, and its not fair to say their showing off.

That's fair enough, I'm only speaking from experience of ridiculous weddings that I've been at with things like giant centerpieces in the middle of tables where none of ye can see can see each other and the bride is asking ya stuff like "Well what do ya think of it, that cost us... blah blah blah"

That sort of stuff makes me think that they only care that people know how much they've spent. But maybe I just know a few a$$holes

Senna

Thankfully people do still have massive weddings, if they didn't I'd be out of a job.