The cost of a big wedding may not be worth it

The more you spend on the engagement ring and the wedding, the more likely you are to get a divorce according to this research: " ‘A Diamond is Forever’ and Other Fairy Tales: The Relationship between Wedding Expenses and Marriage Duration" Andrew M. Francis and Hugo M. Mialon. (September 15, 2014). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2501480 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2501480

We've been married over 54 years. Our wedding was low budget. I borrowed my sister's wedding dress; I didn't even have a shower. My husband's parents bought him a new suit. It was punch and cake in the church basement. I'm guessing weddings are really for brides and their mothers; men probably don't give a hoot. The important thing about a wedding is to be surrounded by friends and family, and skip the park or beach and find a church! And even that doesn't always take. If you can't get along before the wedding, a few words by a pastor won't change anything.

http://www.theknot.com/Vendors/Longaberger-Golf-Club-Event-Center/Profile/CAR/054/542850/profile?sid=FeilhLC0c4HJxNUWNuxbEw

http://www.eventective.com/USA/Ohio/Heath/68040/The-Dawes-Arboretum.html

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/designer-rings.aspx