Skip the Wedding

Every time I sign into my social media accounts, it seems as though everyone I know is getting married. From friends to celebrities, it seems that in the last few years so many people have run to the altar. And people keep saying that millennials (people born between 1980 and 1999 just to clarify), don't believe in marriage anymore. I beg to differ.

However, there seems to be a change in the way many people are going about marriage. There seems to be a realization among this generation that you can either pay for a big wedding or buy a house. Pay for a big wedding or go on a nice honeymoon. Pay for a big wedding or buy a car. You can rarely have both unless you are fairly well off.

And this isn't necessarily a bad thing. I mean, it's a bit of a bad thing for the wedding industry but there will always be people to fund that. For the average person, this realization means that people are prioritizing major life finances over spending money on a single day.

This is contrary to most traditional views about weddings. Many people still believe that your wedding is the most important day of your life. It is a day that you will always remember. Many people still believe that if you don't have the white gown, the church, the walk down the aisle, then you will feel as though you are missing out on something.

I can understand that sentiment. Many people dream about their wedding day for most of their life and it is important to them to see this dream come to fruition. However, there are just as many people who couldn't care less.

Perhaps they've been married before and this is their second or third attempt. Perhaps they've never dreamed about a wedding and really have no bar to reach for. Perhaps they have a family already and the wedding is simply a formality at this point. Perhaps they just don't want all the stress and attention that a wedding brings.

Whatever the case, people seem to be skipping the wedding more often than not. Elopement has always been a popular choice among some. But for most, when you think of elopement, you think of running off to Vegas to get married by Elvis or running away to the Caribbean to have an impromptu beach wedding away from family and friends.

Although this still happens, there seems to be a more popular trend emerging among the millennials. Many seem to be going to get their paperwork signed, get their marriage certificate done without any fuss or attention, and then they throw a party.

Some get pictures done where they have a chance to dress up and make that memory together. But other than that expense, many are having backyard parties to celebrate their union. They are spending their money on food and booze and maybe a photographer to record the event. And that is the end of it.

There is no stag and doe or Jack and Jill leading up to the event. There are no bachelor or bachelorette parties. There is simply an elopement party and then the couple continues with their lives.

This option isn't for everyone, obviously. It's a very no-fuss way to celebrate your union. Family and friends gather in your yard or at a small venue and there is food and music. Maybe there is dancing. Maybe there are speeches. It's really up to the couple.

But no one is spending thousands of dollars on a single day. That is the joy of an elopement party. The money can then be spent on a honeymoon or a house or a car. Whatever the couple wants.

Millennials may be more money conscious than the generation previous. We may be good at cutting corners and penny-pinching in a society that wants to charge you for everything. But I don't believe that we are getting married at any less of a rate than previous generations. I don't believe that we've lost faith in the institution of marriage, as some would say.

We are simply doing it differently. And that can be said about many things done by each generation. Change happens naturally as time progresses and things evolve. It's not a bad thing, it's simply different.

So, think about your upcoming union (if you're having one) and consider cutting some corners if you're tight for money. Consider an elopement party as opposed to the wedding. It really could be quite fun if you put your mind to it.