I'm getting married soon. I understand the value of money and love getting a good deal if I can, particularly as we'd like to buy a home in the coming years. In my mind, a wedding is just one day - as long as you are both there, happy and in love, that's all that matters.
Irish weddings are expensive. Our Irish families meant we couldn't have the wedding we wanted abroad and I promised myself when it came to planning our wedding here we'd keep our day small, intimate and very sentimental. Hubby to be agreed. We are paying for this day all on our own with no financial help which is just how we like it.
Fast forward to about 8 weeks before the big day. We are stressed out, broke, my hair is falling out, we are bickering over family politics. Thank God we love and respect each other or there would be no wedding. We are strained over Christmas gifts as families would not do Secret Santa. Our small wedding has ended up at 150 guests, most of whom we do not know but "have to invite" because "ah sur, Pat's lived next door to us for 20 years, and we'll have to invite her and her 4 kids and their partners..."!
Money is whats wrong with this world. Money will never make you happy if money is all you have. It will not bring you health and happiness no matter what you pay. Having extravagant centerpieces and expensive tokens will not make my marriage better. Wearing a dress with a big price tag will not make me look or feel better on the day, in fact the opposite.
An example: I got quotes for Wedding invitations, along with RSVP cards with addressed envelopes and Mass Booklets. The cheapest quote I got was 750 euros! What is wrong with people?!?! Its a piece of paper. So I decided to make our invitations ourselves. I bought 300 GSM paper online, went to Vibes and Scribes in Cork and bought old-style ink stamps, and had a picture printed 100 times to put on the front with some ribbon I bought on ebay. I also got 100 RSVP cards with printed envelopes on ebay for 7 euros including postage. The total cost came to 120 euros. Deal of the century, I was delighted with myself. Each invitation took 30 minutes to complete, and I was thrilled with how they turned out - they looked professional, classy and timeless. Hubby to be moaned about the man hours but agreed they were gorgeous.
A family member stated they looked like "Funeral cards". I kid you not.
Another asked us straight out was money tight because they were hand-made.
My dress came from a shop that buys dresses from fashion shows. They retail at on average half the cost in standard bridal shops. It was the second dress I tried on and I love it to bits. MIL was distraught when I brought it home because it wasn't brand new with a 2 grand price tag.
I asked my dad to take me to the church in his car - the church is a mile from my family home. The future in-laws are mortified and will not stop pressuring us to get a vintage car. It makes me feel like we are embarrassing them, and it hurts that they can't see the sentiment behind me having my dad, the man who raised me well, take me to the church. Having a sentimental moment in my family car on the way to the church makes me warm inside, but others are horrified I'm not renting some fancy car. For some baffling reason people just don't get it and think we are being stingy.
People need to get a grip on reality, come down to earth and live happy and full lives. Money is just money - I'd rather waste it than spend it to please others.
Irish weddings are expensive. Our Irish families meant we couldn't have the wedding we wanted abroad and I promised myself when it came to planning our wedding here we'd keep our day small, intimate and very sentimental. Hubby to be agreed. We are paying for this day all on our own with no financial help which is just how we like it.
Fast forward to about 8 weeks before the big day. We are stressed out, broke, my hair is falling out, we are bickering over family politics. Thank God we love and respect each other or there would be no wedding. We are strained over Christmas gifts as families would not do Secret Santa. Our small wedding has ended up at 150 guests, most of whom we do not know but "have to invite" because "ah sur, Pat's lived next door to us for 20 years, and we'll have to invite her and her 4 kids and their partners..."!
Money is whats wrong with this world. Money will never make you happy if money is all you have. It will not bring you health and happiness no matter what you pay. Having extravagant centerpieces and expensive tokens will not make my marriage better. Wearing a dress with a big price tag will not make me look or feel better on the day, in fact the opposite.
An example: I got quotes for Wedding invitations, along with RSVP cards with addressed envelopes and Mass Booklets. The cheapest quote I got was 750 euros! What is wrong with people?!?! Its a piece of paper. So I decided to make our invitations ourselves. I bought 300 GSM paper online, went to Vibes and Scribes in Cork and bought old-style ink stamps, and had a picture printed 100 times to put on the front with some ribbon I bought on ebay. I also got 100 RSVP cards with printed envelopes on ebay for 7 euros including postage. The total cost came to 120 euros. Deal of the century, I was delighted with myself. Each invitation took 30 minutes to complete, and I was thrilled with how they turned out - they looked professional, classy and timeless. Hubby to be moaned about the man hours but agreed they were gorgeous.
A family member stated they looked like "Funeral cards". I kid you not.
Another asked us straight out was money tight because they were hand-made.
My dress came from a shop that buys dresses from fashion shows. They retail at on average half the cost in standard bridal shops. It was the second dress I tried on and I love it to bits. MIL was distraught when I brought it home because it wasn't brand new with a 2 grand price tag.
I asked my dad to take me to the church in his car - the church is a mile from my family home. The future in-laws are mortified and will not stop pressuring us to get a vintage car. It makes me feel like we are embarrassing them, and it hurts that they can't see the sentiment behind me having my dad, the man who raised me well, take me to the church. Having a sentimental moment in my family car on the way to the church makes me warm inside, but others are horrified I'm not renting some fancy car. For some baffling reason people just don't get it and think we are being stingy.
People need to get a grip on reality, come down to earth and live happy and full lives. Money is just money - I'd rather waste it than spend it to please others.