A bride and her newly married husband were featured in Good Morning America for throwing one of the most unique weddings in the age of social media. There’s no denying that the wedding industry has grown to become so commoditized these days.
The commercialization of weddings can be a stressful ordeal for brides and grooms looking to celebrate their love without merely shelling out a small fortune. And that’s why Kiara and Joel Brokenbrough are such outliers with their budget-friendly approach to planning the wedding. The couple even had their guests pay for their own meals.
A Minimalist Wedding
Kiara said:
“Our goal was to just be as minimal as possible,”
“And to spend the least amount of money as possible.”
To put things in perspective, it’s estimated that the national average for total costs of weddings in the United States amounts to around $30,000 per wedding. Kiara and Joel were able to pull their wedding off by spending just $500.
Their total budget for their wedding doesn’t even amount to what most brides would spend on their gowns alone. And speaking of gowns, Kiara only spent $47 on her gown from the famous fast-fashion brand Shein. She even proudly showcased her gown in this TikTok video that has gone viral.
Kiara said:
“I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a dress because I had the mindset I’m gonna wear this one time for a few hours”
Many couples these days look to spend as much money as they can because they want their wedding to symbolize the depth of their love. However, several couples out there feel the pressure to put on lavish weddings because so many of their peers are doing it as well.
But Kiara and Joel never let the pressure get to them. Even when some people found their antics weird, the couple stuck to their philosophy.
Cutting Costs
One of the ways that the couple was able to save money was by finding a location that they didn’t have to pay for. They held their weddings just off one of California’s freeways.
But as Kiara’s Instagram photos show, just because a venue is free doesn’t mean that it’ll look ugly. Another way they were able to minimize costs was by having guests pay for their own food and drinks. Fortunately for Kiara and Joel, they had friends and family who supported their dreams of having a frugal but beautiful wedding.
Kiara said:
“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, drinks and dance. And that’s exactly what we did.”
Ultimately, Kiara’s goal was to send a message to everyone that the goal for any couple isn’t necessarily to have a lovely wedding; it’s to have a good marriage.
Share Your Thoughts
What do you think of Kiara and Joel’s approach to getting married? Is this something that you could envision yourself pulling off too? Comment your thoughts down below!
Sources:
Kiara Brokenbrough on Instagram
Images & Featured Images via Kiara Brokenbrough on Instagram