6. Planning bridesmaid/groomsmen parties can be the f*cking worst.
A bridal party can be a lot of fun. Your closest friends, siblings or cousins are gathered to celebrate and support you in any way you can. But let’s be honest, isn’t it a little awkward to have to ask your bridal party to spend a pretty penny on a dress that they might not wear again? If they’re from out of town they probably have to spend money on traveling, a hotel, and a wedding gift. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just avoid that altogether?
7. You can invest your money you’d spend on the wedding on something else for your future – like a house.
There’s no doubt that a wedding is a beautiful, memorable and special day for a lot of people, but so is a house or starting a business together or investing in something that means a lot to the both of you. A lot of younger couples are choosing to start their lives on a note that doesn’t include serious debt that was likely racked up from the wedding. The housing market is hard on wallets and it’s even harder when the average millennial is $30,000 in debt as a result of student loans.
8. Big weddings often take away from the true meaning of the day.
Unfortunately, the cost of weddings will likely continue to escalate along with the wedding industry. So many millennials are choosing to elope or opting for smaller ceremonies because they believe over-the-top weddings are moving away from the fact that this day is supposed to be about love. This isn’t to say all weddings are all for the show, but many times, a couple can get lost in trying to top other weddings they’ve been to in an attempt to out-do others or make the wedding an incredible success for a status symbol.
9. You can focus on planning your honeymoon instead.
Traveling and collecting experiences and memories is a high priority for a lot of millennials and what better way to do it than with the person you’ve chosen to spend the rest of your life with? A lot of millennials are now choosing to splurge on a honeymoon instead of pouring money into a wedding. Couples can actually afford romantic getaways that will last longer than a weekend because they saved so much time and money by not throwing a huge wedding. Think about it–wouldn’t you rather splurge thousands on a week of memories as opposed to a day of memories?
10. It shows you value the essence of ‘marriage’ over just the wedding.
At the end of the day, it’s about starting your own traditions and possibly your own family. Millennials are getting married later in life, choosing to have established careers and a grip on adulthood before rushing into marriage. Because of these ideals, a lot of millennials believe that it should simply be about committing to one another. They don’t need the big fluff and fold wedding because they want a marriage, not a party.