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
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 credits: Cati Rose
Many couples can only dream of having a beautiful beach wedding, and then there are those who spend $40,000 to cover the beach with a floor because it's "tooo beachy." But hey, who are we to judge?
While the average American wedding comes in at around $33,000, there are many that fall below, or far above, that price. At the end of the day, it's about what the couple wants, and of course, what they can afford.
"You can spend $50 bucks on a marriage license and call it a day or spend $5.5 million and have Adele perform at your wedding," says wedding planning expert Annie Lee. "There's no finite range so the average can feel so off both ways. Some will think the average sounds so high or so wildly low."
Lee believes it's better to create an average within each type of wedding in each region rather than all weddings lumped together.
#2
I spent $300 to rent mini highland cows for pictures after the ceremony
Image credits: Claire
#3
$2500 on a watercolor artists to paint guest portraits. Our guests loved it though!
Image credits: satiemunn
Most couples are more than willing to go all-out when it comes to spending on their big day. One survey found that 58% of Americans believe a wedding is "priceless and worth the splurge."
The study, conducted by financial services company Empower, also revealed that Millennials are the most likely to dig deep when it comes to tying the knot. This group was found to have a higher average spend, forking out around $51,130 for their weddings.
It's worth noting that a separate survey from US News found that 56% of newlyweds go into debt for their nuptials.
#4
12k to elope in Hawaii so I didn’t have to invite my mother in law 🤷🏻♀️best decision ever
#5
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 credits: Darian
#6
$1000 on a taco bar and queso fountain 🔥
Image credits: WastedStacy
Meanwhile, The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study found that the average cost per wedding guest is $284. And most couples invite about 116 people to witness their nuptials.
"Your guest list is one of the biggest factors in determining how much you'll spend on your wedding," notes The Knot. "It goes without saying, but the more people you invite, the more you'll spend. What is the average wedding cost for 50 guests? Typically, that'll be less than the average wedding cost for 100 guests."
So if you're working on trimming your on wedding expenses, then start by chopping that guest list."
#7
Getting my husband his “precious” lord of the rings “one ring” ring as his wedding band cost over $3000 my wedding band was $500 😂
#8
$5k for a custom oil painting of us as royals for our invitations
Image credits: shaylib
#9
$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.
Another factor at play is where you decide to get hitched. Some states are far more expensive than others. According to Zola’s state-by-state numbers, a wedding in Iowa will cost roughly a third of the cost of a wedding in New York.
And on that note, if you're dreaming of a New York wedding, be warned that the average cost of hosting one there is around $87,700. While doing it in Las Vegas will set you back a lot less, at around $22,140.
The time of year, and season also play a part. "In the same way that a trip to the beach is going to cost more during the summer than the winter, a wedding that takes place during wedding season will cost more than an off-season wedding," cautions The Knot.
#10
spent 1600 to rent 5 arcade machines for guests to play
#11
1,000 bucks to have my ceremony in a castle that was in outlander
Image credits: Sara Neumann173
#12
A fairy floss cart! My husband didn’t know, not because I wanted it to be a surprise but because I didn’t want him to tell me no 🤣🤣
Image credits: Celina Boyer
One of the best things you can do to keep your spending in check is to start planning early. "You'll have your pick of venues and wedding pros that fit your budget, rather than scrambling to find someone that works within your desired price range," explain The Knot's wedding experts.
"You'll also be able to lock in prices for certain products and services now, so that even if inflation drives rates up, your contract will stay the same. Additionally, tighter planning timelines mean rush fees and other last-minute charges that drive costs up," they add.
#13
3,500$ on 3mins of fireworks 🧨 pics were amazing tho
Image credits: Jenn Maley
#14
We got married at Luna Park, Sydney… we gave all our guests unlimited rides passes.
#15
$700 for a pirates sword fight.
Image credits: Nawsasil
If you find your jaw dropping faster than a garter at some of the costs on this list, bear in mind that they probably don't come close to the wedding budget of Russian heiress Khadija Uzhakhova and oil heir Said Gutseriev.
Their over-the-top, elaborate wedding reportedly cost a cool $1 billion. Yes, you read that right. And that was back in 2016. "A retinue of opulent Bentleys drove the couple's loved ones to the restaurant location. The room was filled from floor to ceiling with ornate arrangements of fresh flowers when they arrived," reports the Standard.
The bride's couture Elie Saab wedding dress allegedly weighed 28 pounds. But it's possibly the cake that, err, takes the cake... The newlyweds opted for a nine-foot wedding cake that "loomed over the guests" during the event.
#16
We paid someone to pray all day to keep the rain away (Balinese tradition)
Image credits: Amelia
#17
$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
#18
$2000 for an oyster bar it was amazing!
Image credits: Alexandra Chayan
And what's a wedding without entertainment? Sting, Enrique Iglesias, and Jennifer Lopez were among the artists who performed at the "wedding of the year." For context, JLo is said to charge around $1 million per hour.
To top off the celebrations, there was a massive fireworks display. And as a "small" token of thanks, each guest went home with personalised jewelled boxes as souvenirs.
#19
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 credits: K80
#20
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.
#21
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
#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 😭😭😭
#23
We took a helicopter up into the snow for our photos 👀
#24
$25k in cancellation fees when we split 2 months before it 😂😂
#25
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
#26
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.
#27
13k on my wedding dress. I promised I would sell it after and never did
Image credits: Socko- mother-teacher-baker
#28
Spent $4500 on 2 trailer bathrooms 🥴
#29
$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 🤣🤣
#30
A tattoo artist who gave complementary tattoos to any guest who wanted one! Best decision ever!
Image credits: Farah Day Poliseo
#31
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
#32
$5500 after hours drunk tacos 🌮
#33
$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!
#34
$40K to put a floor on the beach. I wanted a beach wedding but not toooo beachy😂
Image credits: doctor_aimeepolg
#35
15k wedding cake that was 8ft tall! We served our guests a cake flight of 3 different flavors!
Image credits: Victoria Smith
#36
$2200 on a sparkling dance floor. Worth every penny!
#37
$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 💕
#38
I made my in-laws pay like $300 for an armadillo grooms cake at the rehearsal because I love Steel Magnolias
#39
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
#40
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 credits: Alexandrea Quinn Bal
#41
My husband was on transport, so he decided to BUY at $25K sidecar that we used for 2 minutes to leave the ceremony 😳
Image credits: Bec
#42
The best $400 I spent was having Goldy Gopher (the mascot for the U of MN) as a guest. it was incredible
#43
2k on fast food post wedding late night snack. Worth. Every. Penny. Pizza and fries everywhere
#44
We spent like $2k to have burros with coolers on their backs “bartend” our cocktail hour
#45
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 😆
#46
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
#47
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 😭
#48
$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 😅
#49
40k on bar bill 🙃
#50
The Helicopter I arrived in… Actually cost less than the cars for the bridal party
#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 😂
#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
#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 🙃
#54
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 credits: Christine
#55
Not me but my buddy spend 12,000 on a Blackhawk helicopter exit
#56
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!
#57
Spent 2.5K on my jimmy choos and they cost more than my wedding dress 😅
#58
$1200 on a painter to capture our first kiss….not worth it. Don’t do it. It’s not worth the money.
#59
Custom ice cubes embossed w our monogram 😅
