CMV: Extravagant and overpriced weddings are unnecessary and it's more of showing off for people instead of thinking about your partner

I recently got married and my husband and I splurged for a few reasons (we paid for it ourselves too). Him and I have both spent much of our lives abroad...living, going to school, and working odd jobs in various countries. It's the first thing we connected on when we met.

So we've accumulated loved ones across the globe, and lots of guests had to make a long trek to come to our wedding. Many flew in from within in the US, but some came in from places like Sudan, China, Morocco, Australia, and more. For a few guests, (including his best man) it was their first time to the USA and they had to scrap together enough cash for an expensive trip to Austin, plus take time off their jobs. But they wanted to be there for us and that really meant a lot. So we wanted to go the extra mile to make this party one for the books- we opted for the prime rib, the top-shelf open bar, the nicer venue, etc. We wanted to create those memories.

Also, we did not view this as just a moment to say some vows and profess our love. For us it was truly a once in a lifetime event and the ONLY time we could imagine having every person we've ever loved from all chapters of our lives in one room together...(except maybe at our funerals? uh, no fun). Sure, we could have saved money by having a low-key backyard BBQ, we did toss the idea around as two budget conscious people. But if there ever was a time to go all-out, just this once, this was it... So treated ourselves and our friends/family to the bash of the century- I think it was worth every penny.

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