Thursday 19 February 2009

'Average' wedding expenses

It was widely reported yesterday that significant numbers of Australian weddings now cost an average of $50,000. The ABC's version is filed in their Global Financial Crisis section which seems about right, considering that they don't seem to have a Globular Meringue Dress Costing $6000 Crisis section. And also considering that this kind of dashing, heroic, devil-may-care, no-thought-of-personal-safety spending is what's going to save all of us from economic ruin, if anything is. Oh, hang on a sec - isn't it the getting into stupid, worthless debt thing what set all this going in the first place?

Even though the 'data' derives from an online poll carried out by a bridal magazine, which presumably has advertisers to whom it wants to sell the prospect of reaching a cashed-up and, frankly, heavily suggestible readership, I don't actually doubt that quite a few weddings do indeed cost about this much money. Which is sick.

Discuss......

On the domestic wedding front, perhaps you might like to see the invitations we made.



Geez I've gotten good value out of that book of dressed up kitty photos; thanks Zoe.

22 comments:

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

I thought of you yesterday when a 91-year-old woman called Ivy from Port Lincoln who's a regular chat guest on local ABC radio was rung up by the station and asked for her views on the reports of the $50K wedding. She was married during WW2 (rations, coupons, post-Depression recovery, etc etc etc) -- dress made, caked baked and decorated, photos paid for and home-cooked surprise wedding breakfast provided by various loving friends-and-relations. I'm sure you can imagine what she said about the $50K.

M-H said...

I just can't help wondering how often, when a marriage ends, the biggest financial problem the couple faces is paying off the remaining wedding debt.

lucy tartan said...

M-H, Hilary Mantel built that exact situation into the plot of Beyond Black.

Dorian's grandmother told us some time ago that after her wartime wedding they took a weekend honeymoon by going to Marysville on the bus.

Tim said...

We have watched with incredulity an American series called Bridezillas in which very rich, very stupid, and very demanding New York couples plan their weddings. It's put me off humanity, let alone weddings.

Your wedding sounds cool though. The invitations are excellent.

Anonymous said...

Goodness, your wedding is only a few weeks away now.Nice invitation.
My parents drove in Dad's sports car to their honeymoon at the Cumberland Guest House in Marysville in 1959. Sigh.

Rob said...

Hmm, does that line go 'what's more, there is no dress code'? It's not perfectly clear but if so, I dips me lid to you.

JahTeh said...

Daughter of an aquaintance did spend that amount of money on her wedding. Everything was planned to within an inch of its life, the dress spectacular, wedding album and DVD perfect but she rang Mum the next day to say how flat and depressed she felt.

We had limited money so hired a hall and spent it on food and booze. Mum made the dress, the cake was a present and while the marriage has gone, the funny memories of that day haven't.

Anonymous said...

I think the last wedding I went to was a TEAS wedding. Definitely lo-fi.

Alexis, Baron von Harlot said...

Where are the $25000 celebrations of spinsterdom? That's what I want to know.

Ampersand Duck said...

If you're willing to take out the loan, Baron, I'm willing to help you celebrate...

Ampersand Duck said...

Actually, that was very presumptive of me. You may not be in a spinsterish state... but I'd be happy to celebrate anyone's non-marital status if the party's well funded :)


[DB: gurth]

M-H said...

I posted something about this iss-ue on my blog, and now have a load of great stories about people's cheap wedding days. Some of them made me laugh out loud. Thanks for the inspiration!

cristy said...

The money is frightening (and pretty disgusting when you think about what else it could be spent on), but so is the incredible amounts of time and stress expended on those events. Why does every detail matter so much? I was all about delegation. I only wanted to choose the food and my own dress. Everything else just seemed too annoying.

Zoe said...

I am so glad you love that book. It was just crying to be with you.

db: cateox!

This old world is a new world said...

My mother went by train from Bendigo to Melbourne for her wedding, along with three chickens in her luggage for the reception.

R.H. said...

I used to say travel is the best way to spend money. Now I say the second best way is on romance.

What's money for?

You've already got my present and I won't be attending, but the cats of Newport will be there in abundance.

-Robert.
Stanford.

Penthe said...

Love the invitation. We forgot plates for the cake, but I don't think it was worth spending $50,000 to a wedding planner in order to remember that. It was orange cake with cream on top.

The word verification is copingl, which it seems you are.

Pen

Anonymous said...

HAHAHAH the invitations, oh boy, they are just splendid.

Methinks that will be one fun wedding.

Anonymous said...

You probably have everything pretty much sewn up by now, but I saw an intresting book (paperback) yest., in that interesting shop which used to be a rug shop next door to the Uniting Church in Lonsdale st. (Just down from Casselden place)
Called "DIY Bride", it looked like it had the right attitude. I didn't have time to run in and check the price unfortunately.

W/V = Brava! How fitting.

Anonymous said...

good friends take very great pride in the costs of their wedding tackle - he, a velvet blue suit, she, a frilly white classic.

both from op shops.

costs: he, $1, she $2

Which left $49,997 to spend on the party.

Lord Sedgwick said...

"a Globular Meringue Dress"

Yes, you obviously saw Sophia Loren at the Oscars too.

Miss Schlegel said...

Getting married? Joy! Lovely, life-affirming joy. Top marks.

P.S. Just read Beyond Black. Terrific book, as are all she writes.