This summer, Brian and I will celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary. We were married in 2004 in the picnic grove in a state park, which we reserved for $50. I wore a bodice I bought on eBay, paired with a skirt made by Brian's mother, and a wreath of ivy on my head; Brian wore his good suit. We served a light lunch of sandwiches, fruit, cheese, punch, coffee/tea, and wedding cake, which we ate at picnic tables covered in dollar-store tablecloths and decorated with flowers from the local farmers' market. Planning this green and frugal ceremony, I often think, was what first got me interested in the topic of ecofrugality. (It was later featured in a story by American Public Media about wedding costs.)
All this has given me a lingering hobby within the concern depend of weddings and, mainly, the charge of weddings. It led me to do a post on finances weddings (a variety of them ones that I learned about at the same time as planning my personal) and a extra current one on a manner to find out attire for a seashore bridal ceremony at an inexpensive fee.
So, naturally, I was interested when I first read about a study at Emory University that found the cost of a wedding is inversely related to the length of time the couple is likely to stay married. Spending big bucks on an engagement ring is also a predictor of shorter marriages. On the other hand, this doesn't mean a small private ceremony is the best way to start a lasting marriage; couples who didn't invite friends and family to their weddings were also more likely to end up divorced.
All this have become so captivating to me that I decided it became sufficient cloth for a whole Money Crashers article. In the piece, I pass over the findings of the Emory take a look at, one after the other, and translate them into practical advice for couples. It's useful advice for anybody making plans to get married in the near destiny, and exciting stuff to recognize for everyone else.
Check out the item here:Why a Cheaper Wedding Can Mean a Better, Happier Marriage
