the Cost of Weddings

The $7800 dollars included $300 for building rentals, $2000 for a wedding dress, $1000 for premarital counseling (required by church), $100 for state required testing and certificate, $1000 for tuxedo rentals, $800 for photography (before and during wedding as well as at reception), $1500 for catering (including dinner on day before and day of), and $1100 for travel expenses of immediate family. Finally $50 for printing of wedding invitations (family friend performed service).

Everything went off fairly well, with a couple of small exceptions. The building where the reception was had the air conditioner turned off due to oversight of owner, the church didn't get the paperwork signed properly so the state didn't receive it in time to get the offical date correctly annotated by state for wedding day. This turned the wedding into a common law, church wedding, due to father performing ceremony didn't fully comprehend English. The catering was excellent and so was the preparation and mailing of invitations. Travel was delayed as family members got sick at last minute (normal), and the tuxedo rental place changed the tux order specs without telling anyone until the day of pickup.

Overall take longer to prepare for the wedding, if you want it to go off without a problem, make sure the pastor doing the counseling fully understands his responsibilities as well as you understanding your responsiblities. Pay for a couple extra days of rentals to make sure that everything is right long before the big day.