The cost of a wedding can often be expensive, five- to six-figure expensive, but not for California-based newlyweds Samantha and Ben Friedrich. According to Yahoo! Finance, the young couple was able to say their vows for under $5,000 using the small wedding and elopement-planning organization, Pop Wed Co.
“I had set myself a budget goal not to exceed $5,000,” said Samantha, “because no one said it was possible and I was going to prove them wrong.”
However, Samantha says the price of the wedding continued to go up as the number of guests at their wedding increased. With the average wedding price being $35,000 in the United States, it’s no wonder the Friedrichs’ budget began to look daunting. Plus, that $35,000 sum doesn’t include the honeymoon or diamond ring, and a third of Americans buying diamond jewelry say that they’d be willing to spend more than $1,000.
However, Samantha and husband Ben refused to give up so easily. After researching online and through friends, the newlyweds found Pop Wed Co., a Washington, DC-based wedding company. Pop Wed Co. is capable of pulling together the venue, photography, cake, officiator, and various other details for your micro-wedding for the base price of $2,900 during the week and $3,200 on weekends.
“Pop Wed Co. is a fun way to have tiny weddings,” said co-founder Steven Gaudaen. “It’s all-inclusive elopements — all you have to do is show up on your wedding day in your favorite outfits and get married!”
According to Gaudaen, the company was created as a way to merge the personality of large weddings with the laid-back atmosphere of an elopement. Couples who hire the company can pay additional fees for specific venues as well as specific drink options.
After speaking with founders Maggie and Steven Gaudaen, the Friedrichs chose their venue at a yoga studio with industrial stylistic touches. For a romantic atmosphere, the couple decorated the space using paper lanterns and string lights.
“We called [Pop Wed Co.], set it up, and after that, it was really, what little details did we want?” said Samantha. “What dress am I going to wear? It was super simple.”
The guests at the wedding consisted of only their closest family, and after the couple danced and said their vows, they cut into their wedding cake topped with Pop Wed Co.’s original cake toppers shaped like dinosaurs. The Friedrichs say they have no regrets over choosing a tiny budget for a tiny wedding.
“A big wedding just wouldn’t have been doable,” said Ben. “We would have waited and we didn’t want to wait!”
Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful events in any couple’s life, and all that stress really can be hazardous to your health. About 43% of Americans suffer adverse health effects just from stress.
So while elopements and micro-weddings might not be right for every couple, they’re certainly a simpler way to say, “I do!”
Can you imagine getting married for just $5,000? Tell us how long it took you to plan your wedding in the comments, and head to Pop Wed Co.’s Facebook page to see more photos of Ben and Samantha’s little big day.
Chris and I eloped to Vegas,lol, so we definitely spent under $5000, but my sister got married a few years back and it was upwards of $20,000! This sounds like a great option for couples to be able to get married for less.
OMG, I LOVE this! Our wedding was beautiful, but looking back, there are things I wish we’d spent the money on instead.
This is a great way to get married and save money. I can not believe how much some weddings cost. I would rather use the money towards our home. I will have to share this with a few friends that just got engaged over the holidays.
This sounds like a great option for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money. Weddings don’t have to be so expensive.
This is really going to help couples who would like to save on their wedding get the wedding that they want without breaking the bank! I think that’s really awesome!
That is a great way to save some cash! Weddings can be super pricey!
This is awesome! Planning a wedding can be very stressful and pricey, This sounds .like an amazing company!
We opted for a simple ceremony. Just family and very few close friends. After all, a wedding is an intimate family affair. Better to invest the money for a downpayment to a house, or a car than to splurge on a wedding ceremony.
I love that it’s all inclusive. How wonderful to have all of the work (and worry) done for you!
A wedding is such a special occasion for a couple. As much as it gets so tempting to go for a lavish wedding, I think a simple, intimate and family only ceremony is the most practical and memorable option.