Do you think expensive weddings should be outlawed?

Everyone is to get married via courthouse/ church in plain clothes. No wedding attendants, no flowers, only two gold bands. No engagement diamond, but rather when a proposal is made, the next day marriage is to take place.



After a year of marriage, a large celebration party! (reception)



Do you think this would bring some people to reality about marriage? That's it's not about getting what you want, it's not about cake and dresses and flowers? It's about putting up, and shutting up, throwing your sence of pride down the toilet, knowing you're right but telling him that he is, it's about kids and their ability to drive you both nuts....

Do you think expensive weddings should be outlawed?
I'm with you, Aloha. The cost of marriage is through the roof. A friend of ours told us about a hotel that will do "the whole thing" for just $40,000. Such a deal.



You can have a very nice wedding and reception for under $5,000, but you have to be creative, settle for less, and stay focused on what's really important: creating a new family unit with love and a life commitment.



You can do it for a lot less than that, too. It's really a matter of deciding what's important and how the couple feels about it. Most of the high expenses come from parents and relatives trying to put on a show and/or meet unrealistic expectations.
Reply:no, lets let people do what they want and have them make their own mistakes or maybe it would be a day they remember as a great day for the rest of their lives
Reply:No, don't like your idea at all. Regardless of the type of wedding day a couple plans, mature men and women ARE thinking of the marriage itself, and planning for it.

So sorry you have such a sad view about what marriage is; makes me feel really lucky!
Reply:Yea, Lets take away people free agency shall we? Look, I'll be honest with you, I am the first person who would agree that people need to be a billion times less selfish and put more effort in to swallowing their pride. However we can not take other peoples free agency away. If I could have it my way no one would have sex before marriage and there would be no living together before marriage either. but I know that people are allowed to make there own choices. the best thing I can do is offer my opinion to them in hopes that it makes an impact. what your proposing the forcing it on everyone. I don't feel that is right. good idea, but I don't think it is right.
Reply:Oooooh I like that.
Reply:Yeah - but hey - if I don't have to pay for it - I'll go for the fancy dinner and dance. But you're totally on target - like I was so jealous of these friends where they have tons of money and threw this fancy reception and ran off to my dream destination - HI - they came back gloating over the photos and how wonderful it was - what a joke - lasted about 6 years - it's like - can you guys please refund the gift I gave you? Like now I want to write on my wedding cards - I hope it lasts!!! - instead of a traditional congratulations - because it seems most all of them break up sooner or later. It's like why bother with the whoop de do - when it's the relationship that has to be solid - not the wedding day!
Reply:I SAY IF U GOT IT FLAUNT IT, IF U DON'T GOT IT CHARGE IT!!!!!WHAT EVER AMKES U HAPPY!!!!!!
Reply:What??!!??? No expensive wedding??? And crush every young girl in the world and her dreams go down the river? All her fairy tale visions of the most fabulous wedding ever down the drain? I think not. (smile) An expensive wedding is the commercial capital of the world's finest wedding planners, decorators, florists, cake makers, dress makers, rings and limosines. What in the world would all these businesses do? The wedding and how expensive it might be is totally up to the woman who is planning hers. That is a decision made by those people who are getting married. We could never interject a change in that. When you are young and in love, you think money is no object - unless your parents are rich. I'm 54 and about to go into my third. Believe you me, I am considering the court house, but my pastor would probably be very disappointed, so I am thinking smaller sized. Since both my parents are deceased and my family is small (his is only a little larger) only family and close friends need to be there. I'm thinking my apartment complex's Party room, light decorations (the room is wonderfully decorated already), him in a nice suit and me in a matching one, simple gold bands some recorded music, some "I do's " and some mingling and eating. I think the older you get, the more important other things become. The ceremony should be spiritual because it is a serious thing to marry someone you want to spend your life with - but spending crazy money - hey - I'd rather go on a trip.
Reply:Ehh.. no, because it's an individual's choice to make such a decision about a day of passing. If you want your wedding day to be like that, fine.. but some people actually like the grandeur of it. They like feeling special with someone they love.
Reply:It is a good idea but, would drive the divorce rate even higher.



No one tracks how many engagements are called off before the wedding day.



I love the simplicity of it though
Reply:I think weddings should be paid for by the bride and groom, no matter what the price of it. I think planning a wedding and budgeting for it, is a good first step as acting as a married couple. There will be compromises, stress and arguments and you will find out a lot about your partner.



I know, my wife and I planned our wedding together, I helped her find her wedding dress, a dress for her mother, and other things no guy should ever have to do. ;-)
Reply:Nah, they should just ban it to keep people from making a stupid mistake.
Reply:no, i think thats crap!! if i wanted to spend a fortune on a wedding, thats my business. why should the government be in charge of something else? like making a law of the amount of a wedding? and for the 1 year anniversary, i want ot do whatever i want on that day. not have a reception then. thats crap too!
Reply:person above me is a dumba** prankster. check out profile...what a waste of cyberspace
Reply:No I don't but do whatever ya like. Because a wedding the next day doesn't give people time to figure out they don't need to be together or get the necessary premarital counseling that ALL couples should have.
Reply:I think that price gauging stinks.

Wedding industry is a "hot commodity" and business's will leach clients for all their worth.

Do I think that expensive weddings should be outlawed? noooo, because essentially you'd be outlawing someone's right to spend their money as they see fit.

Do I think that there should be as much competition as possible so customer's can say "Sorry, I am NOT going to let you rip me off!" to the bridal shops and wedding planners?

Absolutely!
Reply:i'm thinking you have a sucky marriage, or at least shouldn't get married and have kids at all. my wedding wasn't expensive, and we are just fine.
Reply:I think everyone is entitled to the type of wedding they want. They are the ones paying for it.

A court house wedding doesn't mean it's going to last any longer than an expensive wedding anyway. I was married in a court house, married for 20 years and still divorced. So what's you're point?
Reply:I think it's a noble idea but not realistic when it comes to application of the law. It would be like going back in time in reference to civil liberties.