So how much does a wedding cost? The short answer is $38,700.(1) The long answer is thirty-eight thousand seven hundred dollars.

But what does that include? What should you be prepping to pay for the most magical day of your entire life?

The list of possible wedding costs has as much length to it as the train on Princess Diana’s wedding dress. Let’s unveil a few of them.

In the olden days, marriage began with a herd of goats, a small ceremony with a minister to make it official, a prim church organist banging out “Canon in D,” and maybe a potluck to celebrate the nuptials. But today, marriage begins with more pomp and circumstance. In fact, it’s a giant to-do—which comes with a giant to-do list.

Far from a chore, though, your wedding can be one of the most memorable and special days of your life! But before you jump all in to the Pinteresting, planning and prepping, you need to pause and take these four solid steps forward. 

This year, Prince Harry and Princess-to-be Meghan Markle will make their way to St. George’s Chapel in view of more than 2,600 onlookers.¹ Yes, mate, another royal wedding is upon us!

Okay, so maybe you’re not one of the lucky few to make that guest list, but chances are you’ll find yourself doing the electric slide a time or two this summer.

And while the high costs of getting married continue to rise, we don’t often chat about how much guests spend just to be a part of the festivities. Attending a wedding isn’t cheap!

So we thought we’d spread some love today by sharing a few tips and tricks to help you save money this wedding season. Plus, we’ll talk about how to graciously decline an invitation when you need to. Yep, we’re here to help you keep bridezilla, groomzilla and budgetzilla at bay.