New York – Brides may wear white but costly weddings may put them in the red.
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The average price for a U.S. wedding has hit $27,000, including the cost of the honeymoon, according to surveys conducted by TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com, reports ABCNews.com.
And no one spends more than New York brides.
The average Manhattan wedding cost $65,824 in 2011, according to the survey.
They also spent the most on their dresses, on average $2,403.
Brides who live in the boroughs spend plenty to walk down the aisle — $40,356.
Not all Americans drop the equivalent of a down payment on a home for their special day and trip to the tropics.
Virginia brides have the lowest wedding budget at $14,203.
Yidden should stop wasting so much money on weddings. If the children want to live a kolel frugal life, let it START with the wedding!
where i come from people gather a few close friends around and get married.
i never saw anything like this before.
If you read the original article it seems that this figure is for ALL cost associated with a wedding — including wedding dress and honeymoon.
I wish a yidishe chasuna would cost only that much …
What’s interesting is the contrast between the typical frum wedding expenditures and the typical wedding described in these surveys. A frum wedding costs about the same, give or take a few thousand more or less. We spend more on items such as shaitels, streimels, and the caterer, they might be spending more on a band and photography (simply because the cost is higher than ours believe it or not).
Also a major difference is that most of the time, by the typical American wedding, the bride and the groom cover most of the cost, whereas by us, the machatunim cover most of the costs. (Thanks parents).
I’m describing common situations, so please don’t hate on me because you want to show me some examples that this isn’t all so.
Wow. Our wedding cost about $6,000 including food, most of which we provided, some of which we picked up the day of the ceremony. My wife wore her grandmother’s dress. No diamond on the ring. No flowers – we didn’t realize it was on Valentine’s Day weekend and there wasn’t a flower to be had within 100 miles. But the guests enjoyed themselves and we were happy.
how much do frum weddings cost? Anyone know?
Please keep in mind that this is about people who are in Manhattan, not the outer boroughs. Those in many of the other boroughs are likely spending far less. I come from a comfortable background but we made a non-lavish affair and it ended up running us about $40k all in.
We didn’t have a full bar (who needs to drink that much), we didn’t all buy new gowns (even my wife had a very nice gemach gown), we shopped around on bands and photography, and used a gemach for beautiful center pieces that wouldn’t make everyone with allergies sick (no flowers). All told, much of the expenses at weddings are unnecessary, and BH in the NY community there are plenty of tsedakos who can provide beautiful wedding solutions such as gowns and centerpieces while supporting worthy causes.
ONLY rabbanim can put a stop to the crazy expenditures of these high cost weddings. Unfortunately we no longer have such rabbanim. Everything is so political these days. what we need is a radical psak that in these trying economic times, is for some rav to say that you can only get married in a shul where the cost would be less. (I realize there’s a takannah not to get married in a shul but that’s how a rav makes a radical psak. )
I read the biography of the Rema from CIS (not a plug) and he was concerned about the ostentatiosness (if that’s a word) of the shaloch manos ppl were sending and not everyone could afford it. He made an announcement detailing what could and could not be included. That’s a Rav. Today it’s a free for all everyone does what they want and the havenots have no choice but to keep up. I’m not suggesting that this is the only eitzah or even an eitzah but something has to be done. It’s Ridiculous.
Prices are much higher in Monsey. I married off 5 daughters so far and each one cost over 100 grand. I have 2 more daughters to go and am trying not to spend so much, but girls will be girls.
What a waste of money! It’s a shame really! My Mom spent very little on mine & my husband’s wedding, but I still had a nice dress, people I loved & cared about where there, I still got to have a little mini-vacation, in-state, afterwards… (lol)
The most important thing about starting a life together, is the commitments you’ll BOTH get to make, as a unit, to serve HaShem! And eventually, you help bring souls into the world who will do the same mitvot, if not better! 🙂
It’s all about HaShem, and starting out your life\home\children\everything…all about dedicating yourselves to Him!
These fancy weddings are such a slap in the face to the concept of serving HaShem humbly, etc. Even if the parents HAVE the $ to do something lavish…they have an obligation as HaShem’s servants to set the example that us servants still DON’T show off like that!
And I truly believe that this applies to gentiles as well! Look at everything that went down in Sodomn & Gahmorra? (sp?) It wasn’t just sex crimes, etc. that made G-d angry over there!
It was everything! The immodesty, the women’s lack of respect for their husbands, adultry was going on all the time, lavish PARTIES, lots of $ being thrown around everywhere, gold, etc.
None of this stuff is becoming of a servant of HaShem! The weddings don’t need to be so lavish! Shoot, better to use the money to make sure both newlyweds are proprerly instructed in Torah learning, in how to BE married & in how to raise the kids to be good servants of HaShem too! Money better spent!