Weddings are known for being extravagant events. According to The Knot, the average wedding held in the United States costs an estimated $28,000. The single most significant expense is the venue. The Knot’s annual “The Knot Real Weddings Study” found that most engaged couples spend $10,500 just on the wedding venue alone.
But 2020 hit the wedding industry hard. Due to strict Covid-19 regulations and guidelines, wedding expenses decreased significantly. Weddings in 2020 averaged cost $19,000. Instead of splurging on extensive guest lists and diner menus, many couples in 2020 decided to tie the knot in smaller ceremonies, such as micro weddings, elopements, and minimony. These unique alternative ceremony options altered the way couples celebrate their big day.
Inspired by the nontraditional ways other couples celebrated their wedding day, LA couple, Joel and Kiara Brokenbrough, became an internet sensation as they documented their road to a budget-friendly wedding ceremony.
The couple wed in February and spent $500 on the entire occasion. Joel and Kiara found several ways to cut their wedding costs, from choosing a free location to hold the service to making their guests pay for their own dining and drinking options. The couple’s family and friends helped pay for some of the costs, gifting the couple flower arrangements and the wedding cake. But ultimately, Kiara wanted to make the memorable day more budget-friendly. As the bride, Kiara opted to walk down the aisle wearing a $47 wedding dress!
During an interview with Good Morning America, the newlywed, Kiara Brokenbrough, shared her reasoning behind choosing a budget-friendly gown.
Be sure to reach the end of this article to see the full video 
“I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a dress because I had the mindset I’m gonna wear this one time for a few hours,” she told the outlet.
Instead of a traditional gown, Kiara wore a $47 backless floor-length slip dress from Shein. The bride documented her experience finding an affordable dress on her TikTok. The video received over 920,000 views and positive feedback from other engaged couples.
“I’m glad my video was able to positively address the pressure that a lot of women feel to splash out on a wedding outfit,” Kiara shared with Business Insider. “And the supportive response made me all the more confident that I made the right decision with my dress.”
According to The LA Times, Kiara plans to alter her wedding dress by adding a slit to the gown and wearing it for another occasion.
“I just seen how, culturally, how we’ve gotten so far away from how weddings were something so simple as bride and groom coming together, bowing to God to stay together and vowing to each other to stay together and in front of witnesses,” Kiara told The Times. “I’m not going to go into debt over this. I’m not going to spend a whole bunch of money, or stress, and get in people’s pockets over such an event that’s going to last one day.”
The bride shared that finding cost-efficient alternatives for her wedding day didn’t take away from the experience of it.
“You have a wedding, with witnesses there to witness you, vowing to your spouse, vowing to God that you guys are going to stay together for life,” she said. “And then you celebrate with food, drinks, and dance. And that’s exactly what we did.”
After learning the multiple ways Joel and Kiara saved money on their big day, would you be willing to turn your lavish wedding into a more budget-friendly event?
