LOS ANGELES — The average American wedding costs $30,000, but two California newlyweds managed to tie the knot on a budget of $500 — including the dress, venue, and reception.
Kiara Brokenbrough didn’t want to get into debt early in her marriage to husband Joel and focused on keeping things affordable for their wedding.
“Our goal was to be as minimal as possible. And spend as little money as possible,” she told Good Morning America.
Kiara started out small for her big day with a Shein dress that cost just $47.
“I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a dress because I had that attitude [that] I’m going to wear this for a couple of hours,” she said.
The couple held their ceremony off the Angeles Crest Highway, with the beautiful backdrop of Southern California’s San Gabriel and Sierra Pelona mountains. Because they didn’t request public permission, they only invited about 30 to 40 relatives and close friends, Kiara said on TikTok. You only had to pay for chairs and a bow.
They also relied on family support for expenses: Kiara’s godmother gave the couple flowers, and her godsister and aunt contributed a cake.
The wedding party then proceeded to the reception at nearby Misty’s Lounge. They didn’t have a reservation but showed up right away for the opening of the venue. This also meant that guests paid for food and drinks themselves.
“The people we have there understood the task. They understood the things we were trying to do and they really supported us,” Kiara said.
The Brokenbroughs hope their budget wedding will serve as an inspiration to other couples thinking of taking the plunge themselves. Kiara added that the most important thing to remember when planning a wedding is the couple’s most important goal: their marriage and their life together.
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