An average obituary in the New York Times runs $200-500 and you won’t get much space for that (the cost is over $50 a line).
On the other hand, Times’ marriage notices are free, assuming your nuptials pass a competitive test for limited spaces. Sometimes they’ll even send a reporter to the wedding.*
*I assume competitive advantages accrue to couples with society credentials and/or some form of notoriety, rather than the bridge-and-tunnel crowd. 