With the average UK wedding costing almost £25,000 is a fairy-tale wedding really worth the cost?
No – Susan
Couples today spend tens of thousands on their wedding day and I think it’s a colossal waste of money. I’m not against marriage but I am against the self-indulgent trend that’s emerged in recent years where normal couples try to recreate lavish celebrity weddings from the pages of a magazine.
Of course your wedding day is important but it is just one day! There’s absolutely no point getting into debt for the sake of having one glamourous party. With so many young couples struggling to buy their first home, I would have thought that the money would be better spent on property or other investments. From experience, no matter how much money you spend on your wedding, there will be elements that you’re disappointed with.
It’s also worth remembering that many marriages don’t last. In fact, I know people who are still paying off credit card bills from the wedding long after the marriage has broken down!
For any couple planning a wedding, my advice would be to set a small budget and stick to it. There’s no need to have the most expensive version of everything – you will still have a wonderful day even if you spend less. You can get married in the local registry office rather than a swish hotel and your marriage will be just as valid. Save the cash for things that will last like your home!
Yes– Katy
All my life I’ve dreamed of having a big white wedding and when I get married, I’m really going to push the boat out to ensure I have the best day of my life. You only get married once – or at least, I believe I will only get married once; so why not spend a lot of money making the day perfect?
Your wedding day isn’t a time to cut corners – if you choose things that are cheap but not really what you want, you’ll always be disappointed. Far better, to get the best of everything and make it a really magical day. I appreciate that people spend a lot on what is just one day in their lives but even after the day is over you’ll still have your memories and photographs to look back on. Do you really want to be looking at photos in ten or twenty years’ time and think ‘I wish I’d bought the dress I really wanted’?
I want my wedding to be really special and am looking forward to having all of my friends and relatives there to share the day. I want to impress them so that they will have a fabulous time and remember the day forever. I don’t want people complaining about the food or thinking that the venue isn’t very special so I’m happy to spend the money to make sure everything is exactly right. I probably will use my credit card for some big purchases but so what? I’ll remember this day long after the credit card bills have all been paid and I think all couples should be free to spend as much as they wish to get their own fairy-tale wedding too.
