The average cost of a wedding currently stands at over 20,000 dollars. This is a tidy sum of money and for many couples who do not have this kind of cash, it means debt and lots of it.
Since most people are just starting out in life when they get married, they do not have the funds to pay for this expensive wedding, but there is always credit. Unfortunately, starting out a new marriage in debt is never a good idea. If you are in a situation of taking on debt to pay for a wedding, here are some reasons to reconsider and simply elope.
1) Eloping Is Cheaper
While not free, eloping is considerably less expensive that having a formal wedding. Instead of spending 20,000 dollars on a wedding that will be done in a matter of hours, take 2,000 dollars and have a four or five day vacation wedding.
By not starting out your marriage with debt, you will have a much better chance of success. You might be in love, but marriage is difficult and stressful, especially in the first few adjustment years. With money being one of the most common stressors in a marriage, does it make sense to substantially add to your debt right from the start?
No, which is why eloping is a smart solution for many soon to be married couples. Still not convinced? Keep reading.
2) Eloping Is Easier
It takes months and months of tedious work to put a wedding together. You have to make a guest list, find a caterer, choose a venue that actually has availability and take care of an endless list of other details. Sure, you could hire a wedding planner, but that can cost as much as 4000 dollars.
There is so much to do that it can actually lead to stress between the soon to be wed couple. Ever wonder why some weddings get called off? There is more to it than that though. Besides the stress of the couple, you also have stress within both families. People are vying for recognition during a wedding and when people do not think they are being included enough, tensions arise.
After all this planning and stress, you end up with one (hopefully) perfect night. But for many, it simply is not worth it in the end and they end up regretting the experience. This becomes particularly true when the bills start rolling in.
3) Eloping Makes The Wedding The Honeymoon
When you are budgeting for a wedding, you have to make sacrifices. Only a lucky few can have it all, so things must be scaled back or cut out of the budget. More often than not, what gets sacrifices is the honeymoon and that is a shame because it may be the best part of a wedding.
Choosing to elope makes the wedding the honeymoon. It allows you to spend more money on your destination and less on the ceremony itself. The result is a trip that can often be far more memorable than a traditional wedding. Consider which is more memorable, 5 hours in a wedding venue or 5 days in Fiji?
4) Eloping Is All About You
If you have ever helped plan a wedding, you know that a wedding is really all about people pleasing. You have to please both sets of parents, siblings and even extended family. Everyone wants to feel like they are included and if they feel left out, drama often ensues. Eloping solves this problem.
When you elope, you can make it all about you and your spouse. Go where you want to go, eat what you want to eat and basically have a great time celebrating your new married life.
Breaking The News
Obviously, there are a lot of good reasons to elope and save money instead of paying for an expensive traditional wedding, but there is a problem. How do you tell your family and friends? Here are some tips.
- Realize It Is Not A Big Deal
Besides your immediate family, your friends probably will not care because weddings are a real pain. They might require renting a tux or buying a dress and a pricey wedding gift. Most people will take the news well because there are simply other things they would rather do. - Invite Your Close Family
This is not to say that you should pay for them to come, but sometimes a simple invitation goes a long way. Simply reveal your intent and let people know where you will be staying. If they want to come, they can, but on their own dime. Just be sure to arrive early or stay a bit later so that you have some time to yourself. - Don’t Tell Anyone
Who’s to say that you intended to elope. Simply plan a vacation and “on the spur of the moment”, get married. Nobody says that you have to admit to planning the entire thing. - Be Firm
If it is your decision to save money and stress by eloping, stand firm. People may try to convince you to change your mind, but realize that your marriage is about you and what you want.
