# Couples spending over $20,000 on wedding more likely to divorce **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 14, 2014, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589 "2014-11-14T03:22:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/1 "2014-11-14T03:22:40Z")
How much did you spend? Are you still married? > **[The pricier the ring, the likelier the divorce](https://nypost.com/2014/10/15/the-pricier-the-ring-the-likelier-the-divorce/)** > > Diamonds are forever, according to the song, but a marriage that starts with a lavish ceremony and expensive engagement ring is less likely to succeed. The more you spend on an engagement ring and … ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/2 "2014-11-14T03:24:56Z")
Way, way under… and no. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/3 "2014-11-14T04:16:12Z")
We spent $5K. Five and a half years later we’re still hitched, with no intentions of becoming otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/4 "2014-11-14T04:52:12Z")
$2000 (including our airfare), and yes. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/5 "2014-11-14T04:58:55Z")
Gosh, we eloped… I think we _maybe_ spent $50-100 on the marriage, including fees and El fare. A friend provided the apartment and subsequent meal, the minister was free being a good friend… Yes, we’re still married a quarter century later. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/6 "2014-11-14T05:40:11Z")
I have often thought that anybody obsessing over making the day “perfect” probably has issues that may come to light later on down the line. They are relying too heavily on fairy-tale romance. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/7 "2014-11-14T06:09:34Z")
We spent around $10,000 altogether but that was us plus 2 families chipping in and our families enjoyed it because we could all get together with old friends. Sill married 18 years later. My SIL spent $30,000 of daddies money and divorced 14 years later. And you know, when she got married she had 6 bridesmaids who quite frankly, got jealous and got married also right away with expensive, fancy weddings. Most are divorced now. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/8 "2014-11-14T09:03:20Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I have often thought that anybody obsessing over making the day “perfect” probably has issues that may come to light later on down the line. They are relying too heavily on fairy-tale romance. I suspect so as well, if you think that spending money is the way to have the happiest day of your life then you are heading for disillusionment in a big way. We spent a fraction of that amount and twenty years later are still together. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/9 "2014-11-14T09:39:02Z")
$15,000 Separated and will be divorced at some point. It sounds like an insane amount, but it really isn’t for a traditional wedding with a meal, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/10 "2014-11-14T09:42:17Z")
Most couples who would splurge that much on a wedding probably already lack self-discipline, restraint or financial sense…character flaws that contribute to likelihood of divorce. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/11 "2014-11-14T10:31:21Z")
Wedding and reception was around $25,000 and our honeymoon was probably another $10,000. We’ve been married 14 years and are very happy ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/12 "2014-11-14T10:44:36Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Way, way under… and no. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/13 "2014-11-14T11:29:13Z")
We eloped, and including lunch, it came to under $50 total. That will be 31 years as of Dec 9. Our daughter’s wedding cost under $5K and didn’t last 2 years. But there were lots of other things involved there… ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/14 "2014-11-14T11:50:34Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Most couples who would splurge that much on a wedding probably already lack self-discipline, restraint or financial sense…character flaws that contribute to likelihood of divorce. What!? A multi-millionaire who spends $20,000 on a wedding is pretty thrifty, IMO. And having earned his/her millions of dollars would contradict your other statements. Unless the you are assuming that most people who spend $20,000 on a wedding are only making 100K a year. To answer the OP, I spent $0 plus any filing fees that I may have forgotten about. Happily married for 9 years. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/15 "2014-11-14T12:27:50Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > What!? A multi-millionaire who spends $20,000 on a wedding is pretty thrifty, IMO. And having earned his/her millions of dollars would contradict your other statements. > > Unless the you are assuming that most people who spend $20,000 on a wedding are only making 100K a year. Most people are not multi-millionaires, so the odds are that yes, _most_ people spending $20,000+ are not that wealthy. Of course if you have a billion dollars $20,000 is chump change. Maybe expressing wedding costs as a percentage/multiple of annual income would be a better way to go about studying the matter. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/16 "2014-11-14T13:39:43Z")
Much, much less for the wedding day lunch. Spending went up for a second celebration for friends and family at a different location a year later, but still well below 20K. Still happily married. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/17 "2014-11-14T13:48:10Z")
$1600 but that was back in 1977. We are still married. That was the total cost as our parents didn’t contribute anything. I know of a case where the father of the bride spent over $100K on the wedding and she asked for a divorce during the honeymoon! She just wanted a Princess wedding. They had lived together for 2 years before the ‘wedding’. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/18 "2014-11-14T13:53:07Z")
IIRC about $8000, but that was thirty two years ago. And counting. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![TheFaerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TheFaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFaerie)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/19 "2014-11-14T13:56:01Z")
We spent about that on the wedding and honeymoon, but we could afford it and paid cash for everything. Been together 13yrs, married 7. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589/20 "2014-11-14T13:56:17Z")
We spent $10k in 2010 to get hitched. But that included the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon. Probably more like $6k for the wedding itself. Of course, I also know people that spent less than $1k on their wedding that got divorced a year later, and people that spent well over $20k and are still married a decade later. I recall from the last time I saw that survey that the amount of the wedding was not the most significant correlation with divorce. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-spending-over-20-000-on-wedding-more-likely-to-divorce/704589.md?page=2)