No one wants to hear this when they’re planning one.
But once it’s over, most people feel the same thing:
Was it really worth it?
The average UK wedding now costs over $20,000.
In the US, it’s closer to $30,000–$40,000.
And for what?
A single day.
A photo shoot.
Some memories…
…and a mountain of receipts.
What almost no one talks about is the financial hangover—
The savings you burned through.
The debt you took on.
The other things you gave up.
All for one moment that was supposed to change everything, but didn’t.
The Uncomfortable Truth About the ‘Dream Wedding’
The dream wedding is not a natural tradition passed down from ancient times.
It’s a product—a marketed fantasy sold by venues, vendors, influencers, and an entire billion-dollar industry built to make you feel like your love needs a price tag.
They don’t care about your marriage.
They care about your budget.
And if you don’t think clearly, they’ll convince you to spend a down payment on a house for a party to impress people you barely speak to… to prove something that shouldn’t need proving.
How the Wedding Industry Sells You the Fantasy
There’s a machine behind your wedding day.
It works like this:
- Create an unrealistic vision.
Endless Pinterest boards of fairy lights, flower walls, and drone-shot video reels. - Use social proof.
Every Instagram wedding looks perfect—so yours has to be, too. - Trigger FOMO.
“It’s the most important day of your life—don’t cut corners.” - Normalize high spending.
A $3,000 dress? “Of course.”
A $1,200 cake? “It’s tradition.”
A $10,000 photographer? “You’ll cherish these forever.” - Push urgency.
Book now. Pay deposits now. Decide now.
It’s genius marketing—but the target is you, your emotions, and your wallet.
The Price Tag No One Sees
The average wedding takes months—sometimes years—of planning.
By the time the big day arrives, most couples are already exhausted.
And the costs don’t just disappear when the last glass of champagne is poured.
- Debt — Many couples put wedding expenses on credit cards or take loans, carrying the cost long after the day is over.
- Savings depletion — That “rainy day” fund? Gone.
- Lost opportunities — That money could have gone toward a first home, business capital, travel, or investments.
The reality is, you’re not just paying for a day—you’re borrowing from your future.
From Community Event to Performance Art
Weddings used to be community gatherings.
Neighbors cooked, families pitched in, and the focus was on connection.
Today?
It’s a performance.
The couple is the “lead actor,” the venue is the “stage,” and the guests are the “audience.”
The more pressure there is to make it perfect, the more money people throw at it.
But here’s the secret: perfect doesn’t exist.
Not in weddings.
Not in marriage.
Not in life.
What Guests Really Remember
It’s not the table settings.
Not the brand of champagne.
Not whether the napkins matched the flowers.
They remember how you treated them.
They remember how you looked at each other.
They remember how present you were.
That’s what matters.
And that’s what gets lost when the budget takes over.
When you’re deep in logistics—choosing floral colors, negotiating with suppliers, picking seating charts—you’re not celebrating love.
You’re managing an event.
By the time the day arrives, most couples are too stressed to enjoy it.
When the Lights Go Out
The morning after the wedding is sobering—literally and figuratively.
The venue doesn’t call you to see how married life is going.
The photographer doesn’t check in to make sure you’re happy.
The bank doesn’t care that you were in love.
They just want the payment.
And now your marriage begins… with financial pressure.
With the weight of expectations.
With the tension that comes from realizing you could have done it differently.
This Isn’t Anti-Marriage—It’s Pro-Intention
You can still get married.
You can still celebrate.
You can still make it beautiful.
But make it yours.
Make it honest.
Make it cost what it should cost—not what Instagram says it should cost.
You don’t need to prove your love with drone footage and embossed invitations.
You need to build a life together that doesn’t start from financial strain.
The Best Weddings I’ve Seen…
They don’t cost much.
They were small.
Grounded.
Free of pressure.
They were about the people—not the production.
The best marriages I’ve seen didn’t start with a photo shoot.
They started with clear values, shared goals, and the decision to put long-term peace over short-term noise.
The Opportunity Cost of Overspending
Here’s the question:
Would you rather have one single day of beauty… or a decade of breathing room?
A wedding can cost the same as:
- A 20% down payment on a home in many cities.
- Two years of world travel.
- Seed capital to start your business.
- Investments that could grow into six figures over time.
When you think about it that way, the choice looks very different.
Rewriting the Script
Let’s be real: the wedding industry isn’t going to change.
It’s too profitable.
But you can change how you approach it.
Here’s how:
- Start with values.
Decide what matters most to you as a couple. - Set a real budget.
One that doesn’t require debt or draining your safety net. - Ignore the noise.
Instagram doesn’t pay your bills. - Focus on meaning.
Build moments that reflect your relationship, not trends. - Think beyond the day.
Remember: marriage is the long game.
The Long Game Is Where Freedom Lives
Freedom is not having to say “we can’t afford that” in your first year of marriage because you’re still paying off the wedding.
Freedom is choosing experiences year after year—not just once.
Freedom is sleeping peacefully knowing you made a choice that didn’t put you in financial quicksand.
And Here’s Where Tomas Kendall & GenZone Come In
Because the truth is, this isn’t just about weddings.
It’s about how you start your life together—and how you make financial decisions as a team.
Tomas Kendall has spent his career helping people build wealth intentionally—avoiding debt traps, creating realistic plans, and making money work for you, not the other way around.
GenZone is all about setting you up for financial freedom—helping you establish businesses, gain residency, and take advantage of low-tax opportunities in places like Dubai, so your money can go further.
Together, they give couples (and individuals) a different kind of “dream”—one where the big day is just the beginning, not the financial peak.
Where instead of pouring your future into a single night, you pour it into assets, freedom, and experiences you’ll keep for decades.
The Takeaway
Your wedding should be a chapter, not the whole book.
If you want to build a marriage—and a life—that starts on the right foot, it starts with a conversation about money, values, and vision.
That’s what Tomas Kendall & GenZone do best.
