Wedding loan : Dilemma

Grumpelstiltskin

GarthThomas wrote: »

As I've just said on another thread, I sometimes see such differences in attitude between different classes of people that I wonder if we are splitting into different species now.

Fifteen thousand pounds, for a party, on borrowed money!

My wife and I had a wonderful day, a service with just the two of us, and friends round to a very nice bar afterwards, for under a thousand pounds. A day's wages, and the memories will live with us forever.

This included some food, all the drinks, transport, the lot.

Sorry, I'll stop now, I'm aware that I'm peeing on someone's chips, but some people you just want to grab by the shoulders, and try to help,them to see sense.

Garth I think the problem is especially since the rise of Facebook that keeping up with the Jones has reached fever pitch.

I am pretty sure that the bride to be has been looking at 'friends' ( I use the term very loosely ) who are getting married Facebook pages and thinking I must have that etc.

My problem is I wouldn't want anything anyone else had chosen I would want to be different ( and cheaper )

warby68

Save hard, pay upfront, if you need to borrow £2k and can clear it in 6m, stick to that and interest free card looks good there.

I'm with others that the amounts spent are insane but that's your call.

As soon as you're married and in your home there will be endless other calls on your money so even that one 'small' payment over 3-4 years could become a millstone especially when what it was for is long gone.

Its sad but true that few weddings are more memorable than others no matter how hard you try. The 'formula' is a well trodden path with just a few fashion changes.

I'm pretty sure in the long run you'll prefer to have more money to spend on your new home than the final details of one day although I do get you're trying to free up cash now for that in a roundabout way.

Take your time with everything and good luck

B_G_B

Bookmark this site for the future.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=76

dresdendave

Wedding and loan. Two words that should never occur in the same sentence.

meer53

Years ago, it was unheard of to use a loan to pay for a wedding. You had the wedding you could afford. It's more about keeping up with friends these days than getting married. Sad but true.

poppasmurf_bewdley

I know your wedding day is a big day, but as others have said, it's just one day.

What really matters is the wedding service, whether in a church or a Register Office. What comes afterwards is the celebration.

When I got married (in 1987) people told me it would cost several thousand. I did it all for £400 by calling in favours like borrowing the Rolly Polly owned by my best man's Dad for getting to the ceremony and the honeymoon.

We didn't skimp on anything, and even included a piano player giving a recital as guests arrived.

Looking back now after having been divorced for 16 years - why did I bother.

Just two of you going to the Register Office with two witnesses, and you're still just as married as if you spent twice what Pippa's dad did.

meer53

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

I know your wedding day is a big day, but as others have said, it's just one day.

What really matters is the wedding service, whether in a church or a Register Office. What comes afterwards is the celebration.

When I got married (in 1987) people told me it would cost several thousand. I did it all for £400 by calling in favours like borrowing the Rolly Polly owned by my best man's Dad for getting to the ceremony and the honeymoon.

We didn't skimp on anything, and even included a piano player giving a recital as guests arrived.

Looking back now after having been divorced for 16 years - why did I bother.

Just two of you going to the Register Office with two witnesses, and you're still just as married as if you spent twice what Pippa's dad did.

Lol ! We got married in the registry office with a party afterwards, all done on a budget as we'd just bought our first house. We've been apart 15 years this year, i also think "why did we bother" :rotfl:

Caroline_a

I despair of this idea of spending shedloads of money on one day. The only ones who will remember the details etc will be you and the bride. And if you are arguing about money 12 months down the road you'll realise that you made a bad decision.

As others have said, previously it was all about trying to save as much as you could for your life after the wedding. If you are saying £15k now, it'll probably end up more like £20k. What else could you do with that sort of money that would last longer than a day and not involve you feeding and watering hoards of people? New furniture? Quite a few amazing holidays? buying your first house (if you don't already have one, and if you do, then buying a bigger, better one).

Stand back and don't get caught up with it all - if you're rich and earn lots of money, then fair enough, but I'm guessing that you aren't and you dont... It's only one day!

System

One way to cut costs is to get people to pay for things as a wedding gift which is going to be more useful than them buying you something you don't really want or need. My parents paid for our cake and car, my in laws paid for the reception. We paid for our niece's ceremony and marriage fees for her registry office wedding.

parking_question_chap

OP, how much do you both earn and what are your other outgoings?

Not sure why everybody is so keen to tell you not to get a loan without this information.

You might regret taking a loan for a year or so whilst you pay it off. But you might regret just doing a registry office for the rest of your life.

If you can easily afford to pay it off, go for it.