Learning how and when to compromise is a great skill to develop. You’ll find it useful in all aspects of your life, from your job to your relationships. And anyone who’s ever been in a long-term relationship knows that you won’t get far if you want to be ‘right’ all the time or constantly set your needs aside. You need to find common ground.
However, no matter what you choose to do, not everyone in your social circle is going to support your approach. Case in point, redditor u/Repulsive_Pepper_957 called out her sister-in-law on the internet. The woman explained how the bride and groom couldn’t agree on the size of the wedding, so they decided to have two completely separate events. Read on for the full story. Bored Panda has reached out to u/Repulsive_Pepper_957 for further comment, and we’ll update the post as soon as we hear back from her.
Engaged couples approach getting married differently. Some have just one wedding, while others splurge on multiple events
Image credits: Kateryna Hliznitsova (not the actual photo)
One wedding guest complained about her sister-in-law and her husband-to-be throwing two separate weddings
Image credits: Jeremy Wong Weddings (not the actual photo)
Image source: Repulsive_Pepper_957
Generally, the price of weddings has gone up in recent years. Even a single event can set you back a lot
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
If you have the money to spare, of course, you can and should throw as many or as few wedding-related events as you want. It’s your money after all. If you want to go big, go big. If you want to keep things small, subtle, and intimate, do that. If you and your soulmate want different style events, go for it.
Just keep in mind that not every engaged couple has the finances to do something similar. Though, anecdotally, we know of a ton of couples who had a bunch of little get-togethers with their different friend groups before and after their wedding. You don’t have to be loaded to celebrate in small ways with different people.
Whatever the case might be, whether you’re organizing just one wedding or separate events, try to take into account what your guests’ needs and wants might be. Sure, it’s your wedding and your vision should come first. But it should not come at the expense of your loved ones. Otherwise, what’s the point of inviting them?
Try to think about where they’ll stay, how they’ll get to the venue, what food and drinks you’re offering, what the entertainment will be like, whether anyone will need a babysitter, etc. There are lots of details to keep track of, so if you can spare the cash, get a wedding planner. They’ll worry on your behalf while you can enjoy the run-up to the wedding with (a bit) less stress. As per The Knot, 37% of marrying couples hired wedding planners in 2023.
According to The Knot, the average cost of a wedding in the United States in 2023 stood at a whopping $35,000. That’s a sizable $5,000 jump compared to the year prior thanks to inflation affecting wedding industry goods and services.
Typically, destination weddings tend to be smaller than hometown weddings because they’re more expensive due to travel and accommodations. An average hometown wedding in the US would have set you back $33,300 in 2023, while an international destination wedding cost $42,000. Somewhat surprisingly, domestic destination weddings cost more – $43,300 on average.
Statista notes that the cost of your wedding will vary depending on a range of factors, from the guest count and location to the venue and the season when you’re getting married. Data from Zola shows that a US wedding in 2024 could cost anywhere from $14,000 to $49,000, depending on these factors.
Weddings aren't just expensive for the happy couple. They can cost you a pretty penny as a guest, too!
Image credits: Al Elmes (not the actual photo)
It’s economics 101: the greater the demand, the higher the prices. Generally, getting married in a big city will eat up your budget quicker than having your wedding in a rural area or a small town.
Popular wedding destinations are also more expensive. And if you want to get married during peak wedding season, which usually falls between late spring and early autumn, you have to be willing to pay a premium.
The more guests you have, the more you’ll spend on invitations, seating, and catering. You’ll also probably have to rent a larger venue, too, if you want to accommodate everyone.
If you have a specific theme or vision that you want to bring to life, you should set more money aside for that. The more particular you are about getting every detail right, from the decor and band(s) to the food and entertainment, the more you’ll likely end up paying. And let’s not forget the cost of the wedding attire!
Meanwhile, your guests can end up paying a lot of money, too, if they have to travel far, stay at fancy hotels you picked out, and get new attire to match your theme. The Knot reports that in 2023, the average cost for each wedding guest was $580.
Hometown weddings aren’t just cheaper for the happy couple but for their guests as well. They cost an average of $250 per guest. Meanwhile, attending a destination wedding would set you back $680 if you drove there, while flying would mean spending roughly $1,600. Yikes!
Have you known engaged couples who had more than one wedding celebration with different people? Did you attend just one of them or all of them? What was that like? What would your ideal wedding look like if money wasn’t an issue, dear Pandas? Let us know what you think in the comments.
The author went into more detail about the situation
Here's how some people reacted to the situation. A few internet users thought there was nothing weird here
