Weddings can be stupid expensive. And a lot of couples go into debt just to afford their big day.
The average cost of hosting a wedding in the U.S. sat at $33,000 last year. But some people are splurging a lot more. Many millennials fork out over $50,000 to tie the knot, and there are some brides and grooms who could feed a tiny nation with their elaborate wedding budgets . While certain things like the venue, food, rings and dress are usually a given, there are a few spends that are unnecessary, to say the least.
Someone recently asked people to share the most unhinged thing they cashed out on for their wedding. And when we tell you that some of the answers were wild, we mean it. From one couple who spent $3,000 on McDonalds as an “after party snack” to another that decided the beach was “too beachy,” and needed to be covered with a floor - at a cost of $40,000!
Bored Panda has put together a list of the most mind-blowing responses for you to scroll through while you count your last pennies. We also break down the average costs of weddings and reveal where you can cut back on spending. You’ll find that info between the images.
$2000 on a party bus that drove our guest home- side note our wedding was in the country so no ride shares. Making sure everyone got home was worth the money.
charliebe81 , EyeEm / freepik (not the actual photo) Report
12k to elope in Hawaii so I didn’t have to invite my mother in law 🤷🏻♀️best decision ever
JennaMarsteller , Karsten Winegeart / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Got married outside. Refused to have portapotties so paid 3K for a trailer bathroom that had stalls sinks and lights. Boujie portapotties if you will.
Darian Report
I spent $300 to rent mini highland cows for pictures after the ceremony
Claire , Pascal van de Vendel / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
$2500 on a watercolor artists to paint guest portraits. Our guests loved it though!
satiemunn , Fallon Michael / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
We spent $3,000 on McDonald’s as an after party snack for our guests….they ate every last bite and my husband got enough points on the McDonald’s app for us to eat free for legit a year! Worth every single penny
Cati Rose , Jonathan Castañeda / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
1,000 bucks to have my ceremony in a castle that was in outlander
Sara Neumann173 Report
$6k on an all film, black and white, unlimited vintage Photo Booth for pasty favors. 16 years later and we still see them on people’s fridges
JRB , Liz Brenden / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
$1000 on a taco bar and queso fountain 🔥
WastedStacy , Chad Montano / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Getting my husband his “precious” lord of the rings “one ring” ring as his wedding band cost over $3000 my wedding band was $500 😂
Lozza🌈MOUSSAARMY🌈 , DAVIDSON L U N A / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
I didn’t spend the money, my dad did. But he literally bought us custom pizza boxes for our late night snack and I will forever love him for it
Megan Dartt , Jason Leung / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
spent 1600 to rent 5 arcade machines for guests to play
Amanda. , Joey kwok / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
We got married at Luna Park, Sydney… we gave all our guests unlimited rides passes.
Beap_Beap , Joanjoc / Wikipedia (not the actual photo) Report
A fairy floss cart! My husband didn’t know, not because I wanted it to be a surprise but because I didn’t want him to tell me no 🤣🤣
Celina Boyer , Brandi Alexandra / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
My husband and I rented a steer for our cocktail hour for guests to pet and take photos with! He was treated really well and he was from a local ranch in Texas. His name was Cowboy and It was awesome
Sydney Klein , Thomas M. Evans / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
$70,000 on rooms for my friends and family for my destination wedding 🫣 it was a must for our family and friends to be there with us 💕
livingliyah , Point3D Commercial Imaging Ltd. / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
$5k for a custom oil painting of us as royals for our invitations
shaylib , Andrian Valeanu / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
2k on fast food post wedding late night snack. Worth. Every. Penny. Pizza and fries everywhere
Emilyyarc , Eiliv Aceron / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Spent $4500 on 2 trailer bathrooms 🥴
Taylor , Rhamely / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
$25k in cancellation fees when we split 2 months before it 😂😂
rachaelglin , Karolina Grabowska / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Rented a camel for my husbands entrance. Donated to a local charter school so their band would come play as part of our wedding parade. And got the businesses in our small town to ok us shutting down Maine Street (that’s the correct spelling) so all our guests could be part of the parade to the ceremony that took place in the middle of the street.
BrookeFox , Stephan Louis / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
2k on a mechanical bull. It was a black tie wedding at a southern plantation; string quartet, champagne tower, whole thing. Then BOOM. Mechanical bull 😜
Alexandrea Quinn Bal , Stand da Hacker Teen / Wikimedia (not the actual photo) Report
We paid someone to pray all day to keep the rain away (Balinese tradition)
Amelia , Patrick Fore / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Our wedding was $10,000 in 2003 but my dress was $3000 of it. I still keep it hanging in my closet because it was my dream dress and I have no regrets 😆
Beth | Library Lady📚🫶🏻 , Asdrubal luna / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Not my wedding, but a friend spent 130K on renting out entire hotel for guest and family, with private drivers and tours for 3 days
ohmyoscar Report
i spent 15,000 on a spinning donut wheel and it malfunctioned and the donuts hit my face as we lined up to take a photo with my MIL and FIL 😭😭😭
aaliyah , Alexander Grey / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
$700 for a pirates sword fight.
Nawsasil Report
We took a helicopter up into the snow for our photos 👀
Eb , Cristian Grecu / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
$800 on a wedding cake that was legit in a car accident and looked so horrible 😭 😭 the venue staff carried it out like it was a dead body when it was time to cut the cake 🤣🤣
Jess , Jayson Hinrichsen / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
My husband got me a fairy floss lady that made five different types of fairy floss. She cost a fortune but it was the best thing ever.
Fiona Kenson , Nellie Adamyan / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
We spent like $2k to have burros with coolers on their backs “bartend” our cocktail hour
eatsherveggies , Haberdoedas / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
13k on my wedding dress. I promised I would sell it after and never did
Socko- mother-teacher-baker , Thomas AE / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
I made my in-laws pay like $300 for an armadillo grooms cake at the rehearsal because I love Steel Magnolias
jessiince7 Report
$8500 on a dress I wore for 12 hours, $1500 on a piece of fabric to go on my head $25,000 on food and venue. I can keep going lol… but 9 years later we’re still married!
Coral88 Report
$2000 for an oyster bar it was amazing!
Alexandra Chayan , Mitili Mitili / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
The best $400 I spent was having Goldy Gopher (the mascot for the U of MN) as a guest. it was incredible
Jackie Gabrielson Report
A tattoo artist who gave complementary tattoos to any guest who wanted one! Best decision ever!
Farah Day Poliseo , Andrej Lišakov / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
$5500 after hours drunk tacos 🌮
Marc Bali Report
45k on food that we didn’t even get to eat bc the chef tossed all the food before reception was over, we went to the Burger King drive-through because that’s all that was open 😭
Brooke Averhart Report
$2200 on a sparkling dance floor. Worth every penny!
Katie Koutromanos Report
40k on bar bill 🙃
carsyncurrier Report
The Helicopter I arrived in… Actually cost less than the cars for the bridal party
RedCarpetGlamourMakeup Report
A pair of the Carrie Bradshaw blue manolos that I wore for 25 minutes and just for the ceremony and were taken off and I was in converse, flip flops or barefoot the rest of the time. I NEEDED the blue manolos for detail photos and my something blue.
K80 Report
$8k on a 40’ tent for our rooftop that the company could not set up because of the long poles not being able to fit anywhere and after five hours they realized they didn’t need them 🙃
yaro Report
$900 on Louboutins that I only wore for our 10 minute ceremony 😬 I’ve always wanted a pair, so I figured our wedding was a good excuse 😅
Emily Poisson Report
3,500$ on 3mins of fireworks 🧨 pics were amazing tho
Jenn Maley , DESIGNECOLOGIST / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Fireworks and didn’t ask my husband before hand so he was suprised 😂 worth it though & he agrees now it was worth it and said he would’ve said no if I hadve asked beforehand
Frances Bischof , Sebastien Gabriel / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
I almost dropped $35k on a piano and cello duo from the U.S during covid and then we got locked down 100 times 😂
•ILIE• Report
$40K to put a floor on the beach. I wanted a beach wedding but not toooo beachy😂
doctor_aimeepolg , Kristy Cruz / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
15k wedding cake that was 8ft tall! We served our guests a cake flight of 3 different flavors!
Victoria Smith , Jose M. ayala / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
A tarot reader who read for guests at our reception, on site nannies for bb guests, and hair & makeup for guests who booked at our hotel - would do it all over again on a heart beat!
Banessssa Report
$4k for a platform for our guests to sit on for a 15 min ceremony cause my mil didn’t want guest feet to get sandy…at a beach wedding
Emily Rodriguez Report
My husband was on transport, so he decided to BUY at $25K sidecar that we used for 2 minutes to leave the ceremony 😳
Bec , Laura España / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Spent 2.5K on my jimmy choos and they cost more than my wedding dress 😅
MASON SMITH Report
$1200 on a painter to capture our first kiss….not worth it. Don’t do it. It’s not worth the money.
Courtney Report
Custom ice cubes embossed w our monogram 😅
leximcclory Report
Not me but my buddy spend 12,000 on a Blackhawk helicopter exit
GrahamMcDonaldRealtor Report
Not money I spent but money we MADE by posting our do not play list on a sign in the bathroom as a “pay to play”. Anything by Cardi B cost $250 and yes, we twerked to Cardi B when someone actually spent the money to play it lol songs like electric slide were on there.
Christine , Chrisallmeid / Wikipedia Report
We spent over $1,000 on monarch butterflies for everyone to release at the ceremony. Absolutely stunning and was very sentimental!! Such a special moment we were all able to share
Kayla | all things motherhood , Alex Guillaume / Unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
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