6 Women Share What They Spent On Their Wedding — & Who Paid

Wedding season is here. And if you're planning to tie the knot in the near future, you probably have money on your mind.

According to recent statistics, the national average wedding cost is just shy of $34,000 which, considering the median household income in the U.S. is $56,516, is pretty high. A wedding is supposed to be one of the most important days in your life — but does it have to break the bank?

This time of year, it can feel like there’s a never-ending stream of engagements and weddings. And while it’s tempting to compare your own life with others', it's important to plan your wedding (and your life) on your own terms. So, if you're planning your big day, it’s important to bear in mind how to approach your wedding planning in a way that’s wallet-friendly, but also celebrates your relationship with your spouse-to-be.

While statistics are helpful, we wanted to get to the bottom of how real women are planning — and budgeting for — their weddings. So we chatted with sixty women across the U.S. to gain some insight into how real people approach budgeting, planning, and executing their weddings. Ahead, six of them give insights on how they got through wedding planning, what they ended up spending, and who helped them foot the bill.