Stressed

Sounds like you 2 should elope. You don’t need lots of money just to get legally married. Eloping might cost you $200 at max

Eloping can be super romantic 🥰
But you could also sit down and talk about a budget- it’s possible to do a $1000-$2000 wedding if you’re willing to be flexible! I did, and it was amazing

What about doing a nice dinner for close family and friends after a small ceremony At town hall or outside? You can get a dress and pay for everyone’s meal for let’s say 20 people and still probably keep it under $2,000. Get a cake from somewhere local, it won’t have to be big. It could be intimate and really beautiful. Hire a student or a photographer who runs a special for a micro wedding

You need to figure out what kind of wedding you want and how much you want to spend. Then set up a savings account to start putting money into to fulfill your wishes!

I've learned that "the money never seems to be there" is a lifelong mantra for most of us and can keep us from postponing having kids, taking trips, house remodeling, etc. However, I have also learned "Where there's a will, there's a way". As PPs have said, you could elope or have a micro wedding. Find ways to save money if it's something you really want (cut back on eating out, Starbucks) and put the savings in a side account.

What if you two eloped and then had an anniversary ceremony down the road?

Two things to consider: 1) eloping, or 2) microwedding. These options can still make your wedding amazing because of the intimacy. It all comes down to what you want, and then you can start eliminating things that you don't really need or cannot afford. Weddings are definitely expensive. That's why my FH and I are looking into a microwedding rather than an extravagant one. We just would rather spend the money on remodeling our newly purchased home, and on or honeymoon.