THE QUESTION THEN, OF COURSE, WAS, “CAN WE AFFORD THIS WEDDING?”



Here’s how we avoided the traps and navigated our way down the aisle — without marrying into money problems.

1. Remembering why we were doing this



Weddings didn’t become a multibillion-dollar industry by helping people save money. Pressures have built over the decades for celebrations to mimic those of the wealthy class — no matter how modest a couple’s means. We avoided lavish up-sells by grounding ourselves with a simple reminder: That’s not who we are. Our guests may know and love us for a lot of things, but envy has never been one of them.

2. Embracing the side hustle.

Having recently started new jobs, we didn’t want to risk stretching ourselves too thin with second jobs. But odd jobs, we thought, could work. I picked up one-off freelance gigs for a little extra cash until a breakthrough came, ironically, in a no-fee rendering of service. Our friends needed a dog-sitter while they were on vacation, and we happen to be fanatical about pups. That opportunity blossomed into a full-on pet-sitting side hustle with our calendars booked up to the eve of our wedding. In the end, the extra income funded more than a third of our total costs.

3. Rolling up our sleeves.


Creative touches were important to us. We saw them as reflections of our identities and our story. But as we learned how quickly outsourcing those details could run up our tab, we realized they were some of our best savings opportunities. Save-the-dates and invitations, flowers and decor, you name it, we rolled up our sleeves, pulled out our tools, and embraced our DIY spirit. Though it was at times a headache — paint fumes will do that — we got them done in our own unique style and at a fraction of what vendors would have charged.



Continue Reading: The story of a couple who put their wedding on a payment plan