Weddings can be stupid expensive. And a lot of couples go into debt just to afford their big day.
The average cost of hosting a wedding in the U.S. sat at $33,000 last year. But some people are splurging a lot more. Many millennials fork out over $50,000 to tie the knot, and there are some brides and grooms who could feed a tiny nation with their elaborate wedding budgets. While certain things like the venue, food, rings and dress are usually a given, there are a few spends that are unnecessary, to say the least.
Someone recently asked people to share the most unhinged thing they cashed out on for their wedding. And when we tell you that some of the answers were wild, we mean it. From one couple who spent $3,000 on McDonalds as an “after party snack” to another that decided the beach was “too beachy,” and needed to be covered with a floor – at a cost of $40,000!
Bored Panda has put together a list of the most mind-blowing responses for you to scroll through while you count your last pennies. We also break down the average costs of weddings and reveal where you can cut back on spending. You’ll find that info between the images.
#1
I spent $300 to rent mini highland cows for pictures after the ceremony
Image source: Claire, Pascal van de Vendel / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#2
We spent $3,000 on McDonald’s as an after party snack for our guests….they ate every last bite and my husband got enough points on the McDonald’s app for us to eat free for legit a year! Worth every single penny
Image source: Cati Rose, Jonathan Castañeda / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#3
$2500 on a watercolor artists to paint guest portraits. Our guests loved it though!
Image source: satiemunn, Fallon Michael / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#4
12k to elope in Hawaii so I didn’t have to invite my mother in law 🤷🏻♀️best decision ever
Image source: JennaMarsteller
#5
$2000 on a party bus that drove our guest home- side note our wedding was in the country so no ride shares. Making sure everyone got home was worth the money.
Image source: charliebe81
#6
Got married outside. Refused to have portapotties so paid 3K for a trailer bathroom that had stalls sinks and lights. Boujie portapotties if you will.
Image source: Darian
#7
$1000 on a taco bar and queso fountain 🔥
Image source: WastedStacy, Chad Montano / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#8
Getting my husband his “precious” lord of the rings “one ring” ring as his wedding band cost over $3000 my wedding band was $500 😂
Image source: Lozza🌈MOUSSAARMY🌈
#9
spent 1600 to rent 5 arcade machines for guests to play
Image source: Amanda.
#10
1,000 bucks to have my ceremony in a castle that was in outlander
Image source: Sara Neumann173
#11
$5k for a custom oil painting of us as royals for our invitations
Image source: shaylib, Andrian Valeanu / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#12
We paid someone to pray all day to keep the rain away (Balinese tradition)
Image source: Amelia, Patrick Fore / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#13
A fairy floss cart! My husband didn’t know, not because I wanted it to be a surprise but because I didn’t want him to tell me no 🤣🤣
Image source: Celina Boyer, Brandi Alexandra / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#14
$700 for a pirates sword fight.
Image source: Nawsasil
#15
$6k on an all film, black and white, unlimited vintage Photo Booth for pasty favors. 16 years later and we still see them on people’s fridges
Image source: JRB
#16
$25k in cancellation fees when we split 2 months before it 😂😂
Image source: rachaelglin
#17
$2000 for an oyster bar it was amazing!
Image source: Alexandra Chayan, Mitili Mitili / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#18
3,500$ on 3mins of fireworks 🧨 pics were amazing tho
Image source: Jenn Maley, DESIGNECOLOGIST / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#19
Rented a camel for my husbands entrance. Donated to a local charter school so their band would come play as part of our wedding parade. And got the businesses in our small town to ok us shutting down Maine Street (that’s the correct spelling) so all our guests could be part of the parade to the ceremony that took place in the middle of the street.
Image source: BrookeFox
#20
My husband and I rented a steer for our cocktail hour for guests to pet and take photos with! He was treated really well and he was from a local ranch in Texas. His name was Cowboy and It was awesome
Image source: Sydney Klein
#21
We got married at Luna Park, Sydney… we gave all our guests unlimited rides passes.
Image source: Beap_Beap
#22
i spent 15,000 on a spinning donut wheel and it malfunctioned and the donuts hit my face as we lined up to take a photo with my MIL and FIL 😭😭😭
Image source: aaliyah
#23
I didn’t spend the money, my dad did. But he literally bought us custom pizza boxes for our late night snack and I will forever love him for it
Image source: Megan Dartt
#24
My husband got me a fairy floss lady that made five different types of fairy floss. She cost a fortune but it was the best thing ever.
Image source: Fiona Kenson
#25
A tattoo artist who gave complementary tattoos to any guest who wanted one! Best decision ever!
Image source: Farah Day Poliseo, Andrej Lišakov / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#26
Spent $4500 on 2 trailer bathrooms 🥴
Image source: Taylor
#27
A pair of the Carrie Bradshaw blue manolos that I wore for 25 minutes and just for the ceremony and were taken off and I was in converse, flip flops or barefoot the rest of the time. I NEEDED the blue manolos for detail photos and my something blue.
Image source: K80
#28
$800 on a wedding cake that was legit in a car accident and looked so horrible 😭 😭 the venue staff carried it out like it was a dead body when it was time to cut the cake 🤣🤣
Image source: Jess
#29
We took a helicopter up into the snow for our photos 👀
Image source: Eb
#30
$40K to put a floor on the beach. I wanted a beach wedding but not toooo beachy😂
Image source: doctor_aimeepolg, Kristy Cruz / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#31
13k on my wedding dress. I promised I would sell it after and never did
Image source: Socko- mother-teacher-baker, Thomas AE / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#32
$70,000 on rooms for my friends and family for my destination wedding 🫣 it was a must for our family and friends to be there with us 💕
Image source: livingliyah
#33
I made my in-laws pay like $300 for an armadillo grooms cake at the rehearsal because I love Steel Magnolias
Image source: jessiince7
#34
Fireworks and didn’t ask my husband before hand so he was suprised 😂 worth it though & he agrees now it was worth it and said he would’ve said no if I hadve asked beforehand
Image source: Frances Bischof
#35
2k on a mechanical bull. It was a black tie wedding at a southern plantation; string quartet, champagne tower, whole thing. Then BOOM. Mechanical bull 😜
Image source: Alexandrea Quinn Bal, Stand da Hacker Teen / Wikimedia (not the actual photo)
#36
My husband was on transport, so he decided to BUY at $25K sidecar that we used for 2 minutes to leave the ceremony 😳
Image source: Bec, Laura España / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#37
We spent over $1,000 on monarch butterflies for everyone to release at the ceremony. Absolutely stunning and was very sentimental!! Such a special moment we were all able to share
Image source: Kayla | all things motherhood
#38
2k on fast food post wedding late night snack. Worth. Every. Penny. Pizza and fries everywhere
Image source: Emilyyarc
#39
We spent like $2k to have burros with coolers on their backs “bartend” our cocktail hour
Image source: eatsherveggies
#40
Our wedding was $10,000 in 2003 but my dress was $3000 of it. I still keep it hanging in my closet because it was my dream dress and I have no regrets 😆
Image source: Beth | Library Lady📚🫶🏻
#41
$5500 after hours drunk tacos 🌮
Image source: Marc Bali
#42
Not my wedding, but a friend spent 130K on renting out entire hotel for guest and family, with private drivers and tours for 3 days
Image source: ohmyoscar
#43
$8500 on a dress I wore for 12 hours, $1500 on a piece of fabric to go on my head $25,000 on food and venue. I can keep going lol… but 9 years later we’re still married!
Image source: Coral88
#44
45k on food that we didn’t even get to eat bc the chef tossed all the food before reception was over, we went to the Burger King drive-through because that’s all that was open 😭
Image source: Brooke Averhart
#45
15k wedding cake that was 8ft tall! We served our guests a cake flight of 3 different flavors!
Image source: Victoria Smith, Jose M. ayala / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#46
$2200 on a sparkling dance floor. Worth every penny!
Image source: Katie Koutromanos
#47
$900 on Louboutins that I only wore for our 10 minute ceremony 😬 I’ve always wanted a pair, so I figured our wedding was a good excuse 😅
Image source: Emily Poisson
#48
40k on bar bill 🙃
Image source: carsyncurrier
#49
The Helicopter I arrived in… Actually cost less than the cars for the bridal party
Image source: RedCarpetGlamourMakeup
#50
The best $400 I spent was having Goldy Gopher (the mascot for the U of MN) as a guest. it was incredible
Image source: Jackie Gabrielson
#51
I almost dropped $35k on a piano and cello duo from the U.S during covid and then we got locked down 100 times 😂
Image source: •ILIE•
#52
$4k for a platform for our guests to sit on for a 15 min ceremony cause my mil didn’t want guest feet to get sandy…at a beach wedding
Image source: Emily Rodriguez
#53
$8k on a 40’ tent for our rooftop that the company could not set up because of the long poles not being able to fit anywhere and after five hours they realized they didn’t need them 🙃
Image source: yaro
#54
Not me but my buddy spend 12,000 on a Blackhawk helicopter exit
Image source: GrahamMcDonaldRealtor
#55
A tarot reader who read for guests at our reception, on site nannies for bb guests, and hair & makeup for guests who booked at our hotel – would do it all over again on a heart beat!
Image source: Banessssa
#56
Spent 2.5K on my jimmy choos and they cost more than my wedding dress 😅
Image source: MASON SMITH
#57
$1200 on a painter to capture our first kiss….not worth it. Don’t do it. It’s not worth the money.
Image source: Courtney
#58
Custom ice cubes embossed w our monogram 😅
Image source: leximcclory
#59
Not money I spent but money we MADE by posting our do not play list on a sign in the bathroom as a “pay to play”. Anything by Cardi B cost $250 and yes, we twerked to Cardi B when someone actually spent the money to play it lol songs like electric slide were on there.
Image source: Christine, Chrisallmeid / Wikipedia
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