No doubt the wedding industry is a fun one. Seldom in life are you allowed to throw one hell of a shindig and waltz around in an expensive gown flaunting how glorious it is that you’ve found love.  Every detail of the day can be customized to suit your interests and preferences as a couple, and now more than ever the amount of $$ you spend is also customized to just how lavish your taste.

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I am a wedding cynic. Well, I was a cynic before yesterday’s event. Having done the aisle thing before, I know firsthand a beautiful wedding does not a beautiful marriage make. Anything wedding related lately has had me on edge, and the mere thought of having to throw one of these things made me nauseated.

HOWEVER. Enter the Engaged! Magazine’s Bridal Showcase yesterday….

For the first time since getting engaged, I am actually excited about the idea of a wedding. The marriage I have been thrilled about since day one, mind you, but the wedding portion had me convinced we’d be the real life 5 Year Engagement couple. Walking around the gorgeous St. Regis Hotel and The Willard Intercontinental, sipping bubbly and noshing on delectable pastries and cakes – I was in all my glory. Scott tailed me as I bounced from one table to another, admiring gowns and flowers and place settings.

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Scott became obsessed when he realized that weddings include a massive amount of sugar. Every time I lost him for a minute, my eyes would wander to the nearest dessert table and there he was. Smart man.

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Now if I had a million dollars, I’d love a whimsical and magical wedding. However, I am a teacher with a lifetime of student loans and therefore my budget is non-existent. I’m also practical, and know that my dreams of a house are more important than a show-stopping gown, so I have no qualms saving $$ for the important stuff in life.

Either way, Scott and I turned a new leaf yesterday. I’ve shed (a little) of the wedding cynic, and am open to discussing tying the knot before 2020. It may just be the two of us on the side of a mountain somewhere, but I’m finally getting excited to talk about it. And I’m convinced that a beautiful wedding does not need to cost an exorbitant amount of $$, and if there is a way to do it on a shoestring budget, I will.

If you are married (or are in the midst of planning a wedding), on what item(s) did you decide to splurge? Was there a certain piece that you felt deserved more $$ than others?

I’m (finally) all ears…

-Al