Wedding Worry of the Week: Money, in general

"On average, US couples spend $20,398 for their wedding*." Gulp.

But wait, it gets worse. Austin weddings in my zip code average from $20,041 to $33,402! 30+ thousand? As an average? Um, I think I just hallucinated.

Other sample city averages (based on the high-end)*:

Dallas up to $29,832
Houston up to $27,027
San Antonio $22,948
San Francisco up to $56,604
Portland up to $29,577
New York City up to $33,147
Chicago up to $28,302
Hondo, TX (where my parents are from) up to $14,789

I find it crazy that Austin beats everyone on this list, save for San Francisco, CA (and to you San Francisco brides, I say, Lord have mercy). Even New York City falls slightly short. New York City? Isn't that supposed to be one of the top 5 most expensive cities in the world? Not when it comes to weddings, apparently.

This might give you an idea of what keeps me up at night. Why is everything so frickin' expensive?? Now that I've booked a venue and set a date, I'm in the throes of even more wedding planning mayhem: photographers, caterers, florists, wedding dresses... The list goes on! And on. And on. So much for things quieting down a bit.

And since I am doing a wedding on a budget, this will get interesting, because I will definitely have to start making some sacrifices. Maybe my dress will come from J. Crew. Maybe we'll have an iPod wedding, instead of hiring a band or DJ. Maybe it'll be a BBQ dinner feast, as opposed to a more elegant multi-course meal.

How did we let it come to this, ladies, I mean really? I know it's a big night, but $30,000 is a really nice down payment on a house. Or a kick a** honeymoon to Fiji. Or cash money for a brand new 2010 Acura TSX, fully loaded, with navigation (I've been eyeing that car recently, can ya tell?).

All I'm saying is, things seem to have gotten out of control somewhere down the line. In an attempt to personalize our big day and wow our guests to the umpteenth degree, we've lost sight of what the day is really all about: 2 people, bringing more people together, through something as beautiful as the innocent bonds of love. Sometimes that notion gets clouded when you're concentrating on whether to spring for the Halloween-themed photo booth or tackling down logistics of the book-themed centerpieces for your yet-to-be adorned white linen-covered tables.

One thing I've got on my side: I happen to be the queen of budgeting, cutting corners, and making things work, and so this will definitely be one big challenge that, if anyone can tackle, it might as well be me.

And more importantly, I'm determined to not lose sight of the meaning of my wedding day. I only get one. Forever and ever. (Amen.)

* (Source: costofwedding.com)