(I didn't realize someone would reply. Here's my deleted post:)
Are young couples foregoing the rest of the expensive ceremony along with avoiding the ring? Could the price of wedding and engagement rings be one cause of the declining marital rate in the US?
What happened to the price of engagement rings over the past 10 years? How well does it mirror the prices of houses in the US?
I don't know about your last three questions, but my wife and I did forgo the expense. Our entire wedding and honeymoon, including reception decorations, food, flowers (lots of flowers...), photos, dress (with alterations), and rings cost around $3000.
I don't even know how some people are capable of spending as much money as I've heard of them spending $20,000+ for a wedding? What in the world are you spending it on? It would've been easy to spend a couple thousand more, but it wasn't that hard to keep costs down. You just have to realize that it is OK to comparison shop, and you don't have to go with the high-status, first-advertised options for everything; if you look at more than just billboards and TV ads, you can still put together a really nice event for far less money.
When we went ring shopping, we decided on a budget ahead of time, and it turned out that our budget wasn't even the determining factor in which vendor we ended up buying from- it was who had the rings we liked the best. Tip, though- don't tell the salesmen that you're looking for a wedding ring; if you do, they will only show you a small, high-priced fraction of their total selection. My fiancee also decided ahead of time that she didn't want a diamond (diamonds are boring, green amethyst is much prettier), so it was very amusing when we found a genuine diamond ring on sale for only $90- much less than what we ended up spending on the rings we liked!
A wedding here in Uruguay costs upwards of U$ 20.000, mostly because it's an evening party:
- At least U$ 20/person in food and drinks
- At least U$ 2000 for a suitable locale, rented months in advance
- All the decor, music, etc. (several thousand dollars)
- Wedding dress, etc.
- Expenses (both church and civil I guess)
Depending on the newlyweds' budget and notoriety, it can go anywhere from 100 to 2000 invitees.
Are young couples foregoing the rest of the expensive ceremony along with avoiding the ring? Could the price of wedding and engagement rings be one cause of the declining marital rate in the US? What happened to the price of engagement rings over the past 10 years? How well does it mirror the prices of houses in the US?