<prompt> Human: Married PFers, how did planning and funding a wedding impact your personal finances? What attitude did you take? Did you splurge or scrimp?And for those PFers, like myself, who are in the delightful stages of planning a wedding - what attitude are you taking? How are you finding the whole stick to the budget thing?  <response>: Hey! I was you this time last year!Reddit in general has a bias against spending any money on weddings. And I agree, to an extent, that if weddings arent important to you or your fiancee, just get the paperwork done and grab a burrito afterwards or whatever makes you happy. But I also subscribe to the belief that money should be used to add value to your life. Many people on RedditPF will advocate for spending on experiences such as travel that are enriching. Thats how I viewed our wedding. It was important to my partner and I to observe certain cultural traditions, and to invite a good amount of people honor our families and friends. I think it strengthened our network, and it was so amazing to have everyone we love happy and together in the same room.I would advocate for taking a step back and thinking about what actually is a value-add. The wedding industrial complex exists to upsell you, often using emotional tactics. You probably arent going to look back in 10 years and be so happy you spent the extra 500 on peonies instead of garden roses, but you might be happy you rented the hall for an extra hour and everyone danced til midnight. Or, I dont know you, maybe you guys are peony-biologists and having them is incredibly important but all your families and friends would be in bed by 9pm regardless of how late you had the hall. You know yourself and whats important to you. Its really helpful to take a 10, 20 year view. Also, pick a venue you are happy with the looks of - youll blow your budget if you start trying to order ceiling draping and chair covers, plus set-up is a logistical nightmare.Setting a budget was really hard, because I had no idea what anything should cost. I ended up doing a lot of research and figuring out the prices for minimally-acceptable versions of what we wanted. This varies wildly by region. Dont be afraid to think outside of the wedding box, because you can save a ton if you have a food truck cater, or have a wedding gown made in China, or skip centerpieces etc.Good luck, and congrats! 