People go a long way to save a dollar. When this couple realized they didn’t want a fancy party, they planned a budget wedding. The bride even wore a $42 Shein wedding dress and looked flawless in it!
Breathtaking Budget Wedding
At such a price point, it’s no surprise that the couple’s budget wedding instantly went viral. In total, Joel and Kiara Brokenbrough spent about $500 on the whole event. That included the Angeles Crest Highway as their free location, $42 for Kiara’s Shein wedding dress, and $100 for Joel’s suit. Less than 30 people were invited, so they weren’t asked to get a permit for the ceremony. As for food and drinks, guests actually paid for their meals themselves. Of course, the attendees also helped the couple financially. However, both Joel and Kiara still wanted to have an affordable wedding. “We knew that it would not be wise for us to go into debt over a wedding or to spend a lot of money just to have a wedding,” Kiara said.
The 28-year-old bride plans to upcycle her Shein wedding dress and use it for a different occasion later, adding a slit at the side of the gown. “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 explained. “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 $42 Shein Wedding Dress
Kiara and Joel succeeded with their smart move. On average, weddings cost about $28,000 in 2019 and 2021, according to The Knot. In 2020, it went down to $19,000 since couples had to cut the size of their ceremonies due to the pandemic. Thankfully, the bride, who has her own blog and works as a social media manager, had all the tricks necessary to pull off a budget wedding up her sleeve. “I was seeing other people getting married in nontraditional ways, and I fell in love with it,” Kiara said. Joel, who’s a 30-year-old high school basketball and physical education coach, supported his spouse.
Those curious can visit YouTube and Instagram to take a closer look at the couple’s planning process through Kiara’s vlogs. In the first part, she shows the process of getting a marriage license, which is when you get a glance at their apartment, too. Viewers can even take a peek at expensive dresses the bride tried on before her Shein wedding dress! But in the end, Kiara knew she didn’t want to play a role at the wedding. “I wanted to look like myself and be myself,” she said. “I’m just not trying to transform into this whole new woman for a few hours.”
Sources: Bored Panda, CNN, Los Angeles Times, People