If you or someone you know is getting married, I have some suggestions about ways to save money.
A few years back, Costco Wholesale got a round of derisive press for selling high-end designer wedding dresses at a fraction of what they would cost elsewhere. They were pricing them typically between $700 and $1,200.
Now H&M has announced it will sell wedding dresses online and in select stores at $99. And that’s not just an introductory price. That’s the everyday purchase price.
The idea that weddings have to be frightfully expensive to be any good is an odd and amazing thing. I think about my in-laws who were married some 50 years ago and it cost them $25. Inflation adjusted, that would be like a $100 wedding today.
Joel, one of the producers on my radio show, got married back in 2011. He and his bride Emily did a very inexpensive wedding, working within the $12,000 budget from her parents.
Emily had fun creating the décor for the wedding. She crafted flowers out of paper instead of dedicating money to a huge flower budget.
Joel says Emily liked the creativity behind the whole process and the saving money part just kind of fell in line with that. For their rehearsal dinner, they opted for catered barbecue and kept prices down that way.
And they both wanted to travel before they had children, so instead of putting their money into one single day — as important as that day is — they wanted to save that money to make memories in other ways.
If you’re a Bridezilla, I would encourage you to take a chill pill. Remember your vows and having a great life with your spouse are the most important things. A wedding does not have to blow the budget.
Looking for other ways to save on your big day? See the links below:
Consumer expert Clark Howard's column appears here each Thursday in conjunction with Deal Spotter, a weekly print section in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Find more answers to your consumer questions at Clark's website.
-- Clark Howard -- Save More, Spend Less, Avoid Rip-offs -- for the Atlanta Bargain Hunter blog
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