We married in the courthouse. We celebrated at home - around 50 people. No gifts. Parents had paid for college so we started with no student debt. It was a major legup for us in life.

I will do the same for my kids. I will pay for their college and higher studies. Also when they get married (in the courthouse), I will throw a modest party (approx - 10K) + 50K cash gift towards either retirement or down payment for a house + a new car (approx $30K). I will not spend more than this.

If my kids want grand weddings, they will have to pay for it themselves. I will give 50K for the down payment for a house/retirement. I will also put 30K for my grandkids college fund.

We had a very small wedding with like 20 people.

Immediate family and our priest only held in a restaurant banquet room. Backyard party the next day. Spent very little. No regrets.

We eloped. No regrets.

I had a very big extravagant wedding 12 years ago. I really wished we had eloped.

Two of my sons decided to do this this past year, and haven't regretted it. They didn't see the point in having a big wedding and their wives didn't care either. As my older one said, "I just want to marry her. I don't care where it happens."

Anonymous wrote:My fiancé and I are not planning on having a wedding.

Her family would not attend and my family is smallish. We have friends located in various parts of the country and we’d be asking people to travel no matter what area we chose.

Neither of us are particularly traditional and don’t have much of a drive for a wedding. I’d rather put the money into the honeymoon or a house. I’m just afraid we’ll regret it.

The plan is a courthouse wedding and a reception with a few family members and close friends. All of our other friends had extravagant weddings, and that’s just not us.

Go for it. We did this. Courthouse wedding with no family present. I worked at the courthouse at the time so some random co-workers were present - lol. Months later we had a lunch reception for family and a few friends. I’m thinking max 30 people. We had a photographer and really nice food so that darn reception even probably cost close to $10,000. Even the thought of that annoys me greatly in retrospect! I wish someone had a respectable yard to just hold a bbq.

I didn't. It costs us just $60 at the courthouse. I tell my husband he's so lucky to have a cheap wife

We have big families and local friends. We had a big wedding, which I loved. But when it came time to buy a house and I realized that the down payment was the same as the wedding I realized how ridiculous it was.

Eloped. Best decision ever.

Had a party at my house 2 months later.

Planned elopement here. Best decision I ever made! And so romantic!!!

DH and I had a courthouse wedding and a small (10 people?) "reception" (lunch) at a restaurant after. Neither of us wanted to spend the money or time on a wedding, especially since our families live so far apart, in different countries. No regrets, been married 20+ years now.

Three pairs of friends had a courthouse wedding. Two pairs had a regular wedding with venue. In the case of the latter, the parents paid.

We had a tiny wedding. No regrets.

My fiancé and I are not planning on having a wedding.

Her family would not attend and my family is smallish. We have friends located in various parts of the country and we’d be asking people to travel no matter what area we chose.

Neither of us are particularly traditional and don’t have much of a drive for a wedding. I’d rather put the money into the honeymoon or a house. I’m just afraid we’ll regret it.

The plan is a courthouse wedding and a reception with a few family members and close friends. All of our other friends had extravagant weddings, and that’s just not us.