"Good LORD That's a Lot of Money!"

Infographic of wedding costs from
Something Borrowed {Portland}

Yeah, that's about right. Oh, and look at that map just below the middle of the graphic--Boston is listed as one of "The Most Expensive Places to Get Hitched" at $35,483 (before the honeymoon). I don't think we'll go that high, but when EVERYTHING is added up: venue/food, gifts, attire, decor, DIY projects, etc, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets damn close. Appalling, isn't it?

I think that's the real reason Ellie and I aren't technically doing a budget. We know how much we're paying for things, and could add it all up if we needed to, but I read over and over again on forums and blogs how couples have to jump through hoops to stay within their budget, or feel crazy guilt about going over. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to set a budget (which honestly, we blew out of the water once we chose a venue), but Ellie was slightly adverse to the idea, preferring to have a general idea of what we could spend, but not setting anything in stone. I'm still very nervous about the cost of things to be honest, but we're cutting back in some places and going all out in the areas it's important (like programs!!).

It's another reason I'm glad we've had so long to do this--we've been able to do research, get the best price, and pay for things over time. We already have some of the supplies we'll need, and have plans to buy things over the next 8 months rather than dropping a ton of money in August.