mr. a and I were married in 1993. We paid for the entire wedding ourselves and yes, it was very expensive.
Our goal was to throw a big party for our friends and loved ones to celebrate our marriage. We certainly didn’t tot up the cost of the gifts to see if we were making a profit. Heck, I’m sure some of the guests didn’t even give us gifts. Their choice.
It’s a party to celebrate a life event - not a shakedown.
I got married in ‘93 also. We had no family - my mother refused to come to the wedding, his parents lived in a foreign country. We had a potluck wedding: a friend lent me a dress - another friend brought a case of champagne, another, the glasses and napkins. A friend who was a chef brought beautiful chips and dips, another friend brought cold cuts and bread. Another friend paid for the cake. Two musician friends played music. It was a beautiful wedding, and we were so grateful for everyone’s participation. Later, when we made a lot of money, we had parties for all our friends.