Best vs worst money spent

One service I wanted that my husband didn't think was necessary was a videographer. We ended up hiring one and I love the video that we got. One thing I would have changed was allowing my mother-in-law to make the flower girls dresses. I should have put my foot down and said no. She didn't have them finished until the night before the wedding. I ended up purchasing backup dresses from Amazon for them to wear if the dresses she was making weren't done.

Best splurges: 2 dresses! Not only did it keep me comfortable and confident all night, my groom’s expression when he realized I was walking down the aisle in a different (more dramatic) dress was priceless! Those are some of my favorite photos of our wedding 🖤 Another splurge that was totally worth it: guest experience! We hosted a welcome dinner with open bar, and also also paid for a really fun event for everyone. It was great being able to relax and have fun with everyone the night before, without the whirlwind of wedding stuff.


The only thing I would have changed would be the officiant (since ours didn’t show up!) I would have had a backup plan in place just in case. It just doesn’t ever occur to you that a person you hired wouldn’t follow through on their contract, and would leave a couple high and dry in their wedding day…. but we’re proof it happens 😂🤦🏼‍♀️

Worth it: most things, especially photo and video! We paid for this all ourselves and at one point had people questioning if we needed this photographer. Parents thought she was "outrageously expensive" even though she was actually one of the most affordable that we talked to. But once the photos and videos came back, they were so happy and impressed.


Not worth it: two rounds of printed save-the-dates (we had to postpone because of COVID). Should have just done those as an email and it would have saved us like $400

Best money spent - just like Cece, we had a Welcome dinner. It was a blast and I cherish those 3 hours of wonderful memories. ALthough we didn't spend money , our "third son" gifted us a photo booth. Our guests kept lining up for more, and our keepsake album is just a hoot to look at. And last, making sure our money purchased quality food. Everyone at our reception raved about the outstanding food that was served - most said it was the best wedding food they ever had.

Not worth it ..... purchasing the chair sashes. I now have 50 that I will try and sell on FB Marketplace.

Worth it: our decor. We're not the type to have a slideshow of relationship milestones, but we wanted to create an overall stylish experience that reflected us.

Not worth it: my veil. Beautiful, gifted, but too expensive to wear for 45 minutes.

Going custom was 100% worth the added expense! I had a vision in my head of things I wanted, but just couldn’t find them anywhere online. So designing these items and having them made for me made the day so much more memorable and personalized. I ended up designing both my rings, my dress and my headpiece. I am 100% certain I wouldn’t have felt as good in anything else, and I know I will love my rings forever now.

I'm currently planning my second wedding, a micro wedding. The first was much larger with a lot more money spent and I would say looking back that there's quite a bit that's not worth the money. Signage - most things are really self explanatory. Things that will only be used during "wedding planning" or this season of your life - All the "bride" labeled stuff is useless once you're married. I would say photos are one of few things that are definitely worth the splurge.