Our parents built homes after their weddings; today’s couples take out loans for a single day of excess and return to an overpriced rental apartment, drowning in debt. In plain English, marriage today has become a footnote; the real event is the wedding, where couples spend thousands just to impress people who wouldn’t even answer their call in an emergency.
Tying the knot has transformed into a high-stakes game where couples empty their bank accounts to dazzle guests who, by next week, won't recall the color of the napkins. From Beyoncé’s opulent nuptials to Meghan Markle’s royal spectacle, the wedding industry propels a toxic competition—meanwhile, your cousin remains buried under $50,000 of wedding debt. Ultimately, it’s not about celebrating love; it’s about chasing Instagram validation, turning the wedding into the main event and relegating the marriage to an afterthought.
In 2024, the average American wedding cost a staggering $33,000, with some regions far surpassing this figure. Long Island, for instance, topped the charts at $58,245 per wedding, outpacing even Manhattan. In a time when homeownership is slipping further out of reach for young couples, it’s absurd that many will spend more on a single day of festivities than on their first down payment. What’s worse, this financial strain often leads couples to start their married life under a mountain of debt, all for a day designed to impress others more than to celebrate genuine commitment. Guests might gush over the floral arrangements and gourmet meals, but by the next day, they’ll be back to eating fast food and scrolling past the wedding pictures, barely remembering the bride’s dress.
Celebrity weddings exacerbate this trend, setting unattainable standards that the average couple feels compelled to mimic. The 2024 wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant reportedly cost between $600 million and $1 billion, featuring lavish decorations, performances by pop icons, and a star-studded guest list. Such extravagance fuels a culture where the spectacle overshadows the substance of marriage. Meanwhile, across the world, struggling newlyweds are taking out personal loans to afford a fraction of that luxury, treating their wedding as an event more important than the years that follow.
Even those who don’t come from billionaire families are not immune to the pressures of extravagance. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have transformed weddings from private celebrations into public performances, where every detail must be meticulously curated to rack up likes and views. Brides now hire professional planners not just for their weddings but for elaborate, staged proposals, with services starting at $5,000, ensuring every moment is “Insta-worthy.” Forget the intimacy of a genuine, heartfelt engagement—now, it’s all about the right camera angle, the perfect lighting, and the ability to go viral.
And let’s not forget the bridesmaid dress debacle. Once upon a time, bridesmaids could choose dresses they might actually wear again. Today, bridesmaids are often forced to spend hundreds, if not thousands, on matching gowns, with some brides even demanding that their bridal party undergo cosmetic procedures to fit the wedding aesthetic. Gone are the days when the emphasis was on celebrating love—now, the bride’s Instagram grid must remain impeccable.
The financial implications are profound. The so-called “American Dream” now carries a price tag of approximately $4.4 million, with weddings contributing significantly to this figure. The cost of a wedding is no longer just a burden for the couple; parents, in-laws, and even friends are guilt-tripped into contributing. Parents who should be saving for their retirement are instead shelling out their life savings to fund over-the-top receptions, while guests are expected to bring expensive gifts, pay for costly destination weddings, and chip in for bachelorette trips that rival luxury vacations.
It wasn’t always like this. Our parents’ generation married in simpler ceremonies, often in family churches or backyards, with receptions that featured home-cooked meals and modest decorations. They focused on the foundation of marriage—building a life together, accumulating savings, buying homes, and raising children. Today’s couples, by contrast, are more likely to prioritize a designer wedding dress over a joint savings account. Instead of investing in their future, they invest in a single day of excess.
Some couples resist this trend by embracing minimalist weddings, but they often face backlash for not following the script. One woman, Trisha (the name has been changed to retain anonymity), chose a budget-friendly approach, wearing jeans and a checked shirt to her wedding and using a local library’s banquet room for the reception. Her practical decision was met with scorn from those who believed she wasn’t taking marriage “seriously enough” simply because she refused to waste thousands on a dress she’d wear once. Ironically, her story proves the point: weddings have become so much about the spectacle that choosing a financially responsible path is seen as rebellious.
The wedding industry's influence extends beyond the day itself. The pressure to conform to extravagant norms can strain relationships and finances, leading to stress, anxiety, and, in some cases, divorce before the ink on the marriage certificate has even dried. Many newlyweds enter their first years of marriage arguing over unpaid wedding loans, which often have interest rates that compound rapidly. Studies show that financial stress is one of the top reasons for divorce, yet couples willingly walk into debt for the sake of aesthetics.
Meanwhile, wedding vendors and event planners have capitalized on this industry’s emotional chokehold. The moment a bride-to-be utters the word “wedding,” prices for everything—from flowers to venues—mysteriously skyrocket. The same cake that would cost $50 for a birthday suddenly costs $500 when labeled a “wedding cake.” The same white dress that might cost $200 at a department store costs thousands when purchased from a bridal boutique. Couples don’t just pay for products; they pay for the privilege of saying, “It’s my special day.” And vendors? They laugh all the way to the bank.
Even marriage laws can’t escape the grip of the wedding-industrial complex. Across many states, marriage licenses cost anywhere from $25 to $150, with additional charges for certified copies, name changes, and officiant fees. The legal process of getting married should be simple, yet bureaucracy ensures there’s a price tag attached to every step, feeding into the illusion that love itself must come with a hefty receipt.
At its core, the modern wedding has morphed into a theatrical production aimed at garnering social media acclaim rather than celebrating a union of love. It has become an arms race where couples spend beyond their means to meet unrealistic expectations, often at the expense of their long-term financial well-being. As the proverb goes, “A fool and his money are soon parted,” especially when the fool is more concerned with Instagram likes than lifelong commitment.
Perhaps the biggest irony of all? Most of the guests who gasped at the extravagant venue, the designer dress, and the 10-tier cake won’t even remember the details a month later. They’ll move on to the next viral wedding post, clicking “like” and scrolling past, leaving the newlyweds behind to deal with the crushing weight of debt, disappointment, and the realization that while their wedding was a spectacle, their marriage is an entirely different—and far less glamorous—story.
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