Take notes ladies and gentlemen!
A couple who didn’t want to go into debt before their marriage goes viral for their $500 wedding, Good Morning America reports.
While many will agree that love is the true litmus test of whether or not a relationship will last, those who know better realize that it’s actually money. According to a study by Ramsey Solutions, the number one issue in most relationships is money. More importantly, studies show that two-thirds of all marriages start in debt with 94% of those who describe their marriage as great saying they discuss money with their partners.
Kiara Brokenbrough was one of those people who decided she wanted to set up her marriage for success, and it would start first with the money they spent on their wedding. While she and her now husband, Joel Brokenbrough, said they never set an actual budget for their wedding, they did set a goal that they would not go into debt.
“Our goal was to just be as minimal as possible and to spend the least amount of money as possible,” Kiara told reporters.
The current national average cost for a wedding is about $30,000. But Kiara and Joel were able to pull theirs off for a total of $500, it all starting with her dress, which was only $47. Kiara said they were able to do it with the help of their family and friends, generous gifts, and guests who understood their goals and what they were trying to accomplish.
“A lot of people gifted us things. Like my godmom, she gifted us flowers, my sister gifted us a runner, my godsister and my auntie gifted us with a cake…I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a dress because I had the mindset [that] I’m gonna wear this one time for a few hours,” she explained.
The next big ticket item was her location, which she locked in directly off of a freeway in California. Since it was public property on the side of the road, the cost was completely free and guests chipped in for the reception by paying for their food and drinks.
“The people we had there they understood the assignment, they understood the things that we were trying to do and they really supported us,” Kiara said.
The couple hopes that their budget wedding will inspire other couples to not overthink the ceremony. More importantly to realize that the wedding goals are simple and you don’t have to spend money you don’t have to try and make it more complicated.
“You have a wedding with witnesses there to witness you vowing to your spouse, vowing to God that you guys are going to stay together for life, and then you celebrate, with food, drink and dance. And that’s exactly what we did,” said Kiara.
Congratulations to the Brokenbroughs!
Photo Courtesy of The Brokenbroughs/People Magazine