Focusing Spending on the Wedding vs. The Honeymoon

A question that often comes up in the sphere of wedding planning is whether or not more money should be put into the wedding party itself or the honeymoon afterwards. The answer to this will inevitably depend on the personal preferences of those getting married, but it also provides an opportunity to cut costs around an occasion that is notoriously expensive.

Now, when you’re trying to make a particular occasion as memorable as possible, cutting costs might feel somewhat cold-hearted. However, the ultimate goal is about creating an event that is as closely aligned with your own desires as possible.

Why the Wedding?

The wedding itself, the ceremony of getting married, is often a bureaucratic affair. While some people, like very close friends and family members, might be excited to watch this aspect of the wedding, it’s mainly important to those involved. It’s also something that can usually be done very cheaply through a registry office.

On the other hand, the wedding party is a chance to invite all of your friends and extended family members to an occasion that celebrates this union. If what excites you and your partner most about getting married is the chance to celebrate it with everyone that you care about, then you might feel especially attracted to the idea of creating a party that people will enjoy and remember for a long time to come. This might lead you to finding the best wedding venues, caterers, and activities to fit this occasion, which might naturally be where the budget goes.

Why the Honeymoon?

If what you care about more is the time that you spend with your partner around the wedding, however, then the honeymoon is going to seem like a better candidate for your spending. Just like the wedding, it’s absolutely possible to have a honeymoon that isn’t too costly, and the mark of a good honeymoon isn’t how much you spent on it.

That being said, there might be a location or a type of trip that you and your partner had been planning for a long time, and this might be the perfect time to put it into action. This is even why some couples ask for contributions towards the honeymoon for a wedding present, but that’s not something that everyone will be comfortable with.

Making Your Choice

Of course, there is always the possibility that you’re in the difficult situation of wanting to spend money on both of these. You likely only have a limited budget to work with, so how do you ultimately choose which you would rather?

There’s always the option of a direct split, where rather than either the party or the honeymoon being especially lavish, you just spend moderately on both. On paper, this can feel like a compromise, but, again, there might not be as much of a correlation between how much you spend and how much fun you have as you think. If you do feel pressed to decide, discuss with your partner and core guests to seek out advice and other perspectives.