The Cost of an Eco-chic, Eco-cheap Wedding

The average American wedding costs about $27,000. I've been to a couple of weddings that were probably close to $100,000, complete with multiple photographers, multiple videographers, multiple make-up artists, multiple cakes, Monique Lhuillier dresses, fancy vineyard venues, and gourmet food. 

During our year-long engagement, I picked up lots of wedding magazines, including one that advertised itself as featuring "budget weddings". The cheapest among these was $10,000, and this did not include the dress or the rings. Most of the supposedly "cheap" weddings highlighted in the magazine still cost around $25,000. 

In contrast, we spent a total of about $4,400 on our absolutely beautiful dream wedding and were overwhelmed with how perfect everything was. Looking back it's apparent that there was no need to spend any more than that; throwing more money at it wouldn't have made it any more special, memorable, or divine.

Not only does our $4,400 total include two separate wedding dresses (one I wore for the ceremony and the other I wore for the rehearsal dinner and to a party the day before the wedding) and the rings (four between the two of us), it also includes the cost of things we didn't end up using (a blouse, an iPod dock, some silly panties), plane tickets for a close friend, clothing for six guests (who couldn't otherwise afford it), and even the deposit from the venue, which we still expect to receive back in full.

How did we do it, you ask?

Our outdoor picnic area venue was only $398 (minus the $150 deposit).  Our officiant (a close friend) was free (though the $4,400 total does include a $98 gift for her).  We had no photographer (our friends and family filled in that gap expertly).  Our cake and cupcakes were made by our best man (and a couple of friends).  Our clothes were from the Gap, thrift stores, and Etsy.  Our rings were locally made and included no gems.  All of our flowers were handmade from recycled materials, as were our favors.  We didn't have a wedding planner (besides me), and we didn't have any fancy cars to drive us to the ceremony or reception (unless you consider a Nissan Quest minivan fancy, which perhaps you should).

Our music turned out to be our largest expense: $400 for the two-man band (plus a $110 tip).  But it was well worth the price.  They were amazing and had learned and arranged dozens of songs, including "California Love" by 2Pac Shakur, "Dance with My Father" by Luther Vandross, and "Only Girl" by Rihanna.

What the $4,400 total does not include is all of the food and alcohol that our friends and family gifted us for the reception.  While we did pay for some of the food, many guests decided to help with the potluck rather than give us presents, which was just what we wanted.

The total also does not include the cost of the rehearsal dinner (which was about $300 for seven people split between both sets of parents) or the honeymoon (though the hotel was only $238 fo a full week because my lovely parents lent us their timeshare).

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Here is an itemized list of what we bought (I highlighted purchases that were, for various reasons, "superfluous"):

Engagement and Wedding Rings (4) (Kiss My Ring) - $500
Engagement Earrings (Kiss My Ring) - ~$88

Marriage License - $96
Venue - $398 (expecting a $150 deposit refund)
Musicians - $400 (parents paid)

Tip for Musicians - $110 (parents paid $50)

Tip for Officiant - $98

Rental Car - $118 (parents paid)
Rental Chairs - $64.90

Wedding Dress 1 (Haight Street thrift store) - $82.13
Fabric and Zipper for Wedding Dress 1 (Discount Fabrics) - $11.46
Alterations on Wedding Dress 1 - $40
Tulle Skirt (Wedding Dress 2) (Etsy) - $165
Corset (Wedding Dress 2) (Etsy) - $119.50
Kasey's Jacket (Decades of Fashion) - ~$32
Kasey's Shoes - ~$60
Parasol, etc. (Lacis) - ~$64
Under-dress (H&M) - ~$14.30
Veil (Lacis) - ~$30
Earrings (Tree House) - $12.29
Necklace - $39
Headband (Tree House) - $17.56

Blouse - ~$50 (didn't wear)

Sash - ~$5 (didn’t use)

American Apparel Panties - ~$39 (didn't wear)

Travis' Clothes (Gap) - ~$180
Travis' Shoes (Simple) - $55

Clothes for 4 Guests (dd's) - ~$30

Clothes for Guest - ~$85 

Shirt for Guest- ~$27.75

Plane Tickets for Guest- $275.20

Food (Whole Foods) - ~$177.00 (parents paid)
Food (Farmers' Market) - $27 (parents paid)
Food (Trader Joe's) - ~$50? (parents paid)
Food (Trader Joe's) - $53.82
Juice and Vegenaise (Sprouts) - ~$74
Plates and Forks (Unique Boutique) - $9.50
Paper Plates (Grocery Outlet) - $19.95
Cake stand, baking cups (Someone's in the Kitchen) -$136.70

Burlap Sacks (Etsy) - $36
Hemp Twine (Dick Blick) -  $6.80
Paperweights (Loved to Death) - ~$46
Basket (Out of the Closet) - $3.50
Bottles (Urban Ore) - $6.74
Doilies and Handkerchiefs (Urban Ore) - $9.00
Doilies and Handkerchiefs (Clausen House) - $16.75
Doily and Ring Case (Clausen House) - $2.40
Doilies (Clausen House) - $25
Doilies (Clausen House) - $11
Doilies (Church Mouse) - ~$40
Doilies (Mixed Pickles) - $2.18
Sack, Handkerchiefs, Table Runner (Pauline's) - $20
Fabric (EB Depot) - $6
Yarn and Fabric (EB Depot) - $7.50
Ribbon (Stonemountain) - $6.09
Paper, Envelopes (EB Depot) - ~$10.24
Thread, Photos, Paper (EB Depot) - $10.06
Pens (Staples) - $19.54
Glue (Dick Blick's) - $4.75
Glue (Stonemountain) - $12.34
Glue Tape (Paper Source) - $26.70
Glue, twine, Goo Gone (ACE) - ~$25
Foam Squares (Paper Source) - ~$12
Ribbon and Glue (Stonemountain) - $34.04
Safety Pins (ACE) - ~$6
Scissors, needles (Lacis) - ~$29
Stakes for Altar (ACE) - $10.42 (parents paid)
Screws for Table (ACE) - ~$5? (parents paid)
Books (Pegasus, Shakespeare and Company) - $17.22
Books and Basket (EB Depot) - ~$18
Lace, books (Lacis) - ~$33.50 (parents paid)
JCPenney Wedding Guide (Urban Ore) - $1.42

iPod Dock (Amazon) - ~$55.00 (didn't use)

Rooting Growth Hormone (for plant favors) - ~$10