Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the best, if not the best day of your life.  However, with the rise of wedding costs year after year, it’s become more difficult than ever to have the wedding of your dreams.

According to TheKnot.com, the cost of a wedding has gone through the roof since 2006, with the national average now at $32,641!  Of course, it depends on where you live, but still, that’s a good chunk of change.  Take a look at the breakdown below.

Let’s think about that for a second…considering the median household income was around $54,000 according to the Census Bureau, you’re paying over half of a years’ worth of pay in order to celebrate your special occasion.  Now, obviously, nobody wants to go cheap and have paper plates and your Aunt Bonnie as the DJ, so how can you have your cake and eat it too?  Well, let’s take a look at how the costs of the wedding breakdown.  As you can see above, the vast majority of the budget is going to the wedding venue, averaging $14,788!  That’s a lot of money for a room that was most likely used for a Farmers Insurance convention just last week.

Dealing with the “Wedding Tax”

Often called the “wedding tax”, brides and grooms alike often spend more for a venue as soon as they utter the word “wedding”.  According to Which?, a British Consumer research group, venues is where you see the biggest price hike.  When they called a venue for pricing, they received a quote that was a massive £650 more when they said it was for a wedding versus a family party!

This is really how the concept of Venues & Vows was born.  After going to 6 weddings in one year, I saw this theme play out over and over again.  Mediocre venues with extremely high costs.  I knew there had to be a solution where brides and grooms could have a lavish wedding without breaking the bank.  I also knew that there are a lot of couples out there who don’t want the typical hotel/resort to host their special day. You want something that’s unique to you and breaks away from the mold.  At Venues & Vows, we’ve been able to achieve that.  Here’s just a few examples of some beautiful venues you can choose from…

As you can see, the venues are beautiful, unique, and offer a wide variety of options.  Whether you’re keeping it small with 30 close friends and family, or doing it up ‘big willie’ style, we have just the venue for you.  But what about the cost?  How much do these places COST???  That’s the best part!  Our venues average cost is around $3,000, saving you over $10,000 on the venue alone!  On top of that, most of our venues can handle rehearsal dinners, morning after brunches, and even the ceremony itself, possibly saving you thousands more.

image above via Style Me Pretty

In the end, traditional wedding venues aren’t getting any cheaper.  With costs increasing year over year, it’s about time we break away from the mold and stop being held hostage by hotels and resorts.  Whether your dream venue is on the water, in a mansion, or even a rustic barn, we have something for you.  Head on over to Venues & Vows and have a look around.  I promise you won’t be disappointed!

So, what do you think?  Are you ready to break away from the mold and save over $10,000 in the process?  Let me know your thoughts below!