Independent couples out there?!

My husband and I also paid for the majority of our wedding ourselves. But our parents offered to help in small ways even though I didn't ask them to. My mom paid for my musicians, and my dad paid for my dress, and my husbands parents paid for the rehearsal dinner. Everything else was on us and it all worked out! We tried to stay within our $5,000 budget.

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Thanks! You too!

Those numbers and mindset are very outdated. The vast majority of couples today do not marry as soon as the ink dries on the high school diploma and have been living together with their own jobs and savings before they decide to marry. Also accepting money from others always comes with strings attached so the couple doesn't get the wedding they want and as a result, feel the need for a do-over.

View Quoted Comment Hi Marissa, thanks for sharing your experience

View Quoted Comment Hi Michelle. According to these statistics, they claim the numbers were pulled from data in 2018! I believe them. Many would consider themselves paying for everything even if they were giften one item, such as a tie or the wedding dress. If you take in to account of couples who paid for absolutely everything, every single last item then it probably would be a low percentage

View Quoted Comment Many do not accept gifts because they come with strings attached. Those who pay for the wedding themselves focus their attention and finances on the most important aspects..so even if they're gifted a cake knife or garter set, there is no law that they have to accept or use them. So really they are paying for everything themselves. No one gets that detailed, nor is there any reason to keep track of it because a survey says they should. Most surveys are not accurate anyway because no two situations are the same and the demographic is way too large and complex to dumb down to cover inaccurate figures.

View Quoted Comment Gotcha. Okay thanks for sharing your opinion!

I'm paying for the wedding myself. I've saved up the amount I thought was appropriate and figured that way no one could try to tell me how to have my wedding.

My parents did buy my dress for me though after much instance of wanting to contribute something and because it was "traditional." It was very much appreciated on my end, but I try to turn down any other help. They paid for everything else in my life, and since my FH and I are financially stable, I think this is a good way to pay them back.

View Quoted Comment Awww that was nice of them. Thanks for sharing your experience.

We paid for everything on our own. We had a teeny tiny budget of $1,500.

My husband and I paid for our minimony and we also are paying for our big wedding in March. I feel like it's not the norm anymore for the parents to pay lol

View Quoted Comment Good for you girl! Nothing wrong with that. Did you end up getting a wedding gown or did you go with a knee length dress?

View Quoted Comment Okay, good for you Yasmine. Especially with the no debt goal.

We paid for most of the wedding ourselves. My parents paid for my dress and veil and a part of our flowers and my mother-in-law paid for our rehearsal dinner. Our florist cornered my husband prior to the ceremony and demanded to be paid that second. She was the one that said we didn't have to pay her until day of the wedding. He tried to tell her he had to get the checkbook from me, but in order to avoid a scene my mom who overheard the conversation stepped up and offered to pay her. We were going to pay my parents back, but my husband lost his job right after the wedding so my parents refused to accept our money. Otherwise, we paid for the rest of the wedding.

View Quoted Comment Okay Veronica. Thanks for sharing your experience

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I went with a gown. Well... sort of. There was a lot of dress drama going on. I had picked out a gown. Then my budget got cut and I couldn't afford that one. So I bought a knee length one as a back up that was like $5 from the thrift store and I started altering it by hand. Then my step-mom emailed me and was like "Don't be mad I bought you and daughter a dress for the wedding." I was like ooook. She had ordered a gown off of wish.com. I was pretty much doubled over in laughter until it showed up, fit, and looked nicer than the thrift store dress. It was a liiiiiiitle tight around the bust. It's funny that now I go looking through thrift store stuff and there's a bunch in my size but not a year ago lol.

Pshhh we are paying for our wedding. Then no one can hold over the costs over your head and you know exactly what your paying for. My husband's parents are paying for our honeymoon

We paid for everything on our own!

the only thing is my mother in law really wanted a social hour so she provided the food for that. and my dad wanted really specific alcohol for his tables, so he provided that. but it wasn't necessary aha it was just extras THEY wanted

I think it also depends on the size and scale of the wedding. You are having a 3 guest elopement, that is a totally different thing than a traditional American wedding with 150 people and the associated expenses that come with that.


I think many people have at least some money set aside for their kids' weddings, and so they offer to contribute.

We paid $35 total xD for the license, and the certified copies.Of course, we're going to pay on our own for our vow renewal too, but that'll also be really affordable (ideally under $8k, $5k if possible)