If you’ve ever sat staring at a wedding invoice thinking, “Is it normal for this to cost so much?”, you’re not alone. Most brides reach a point—often several points—when the price tag of their celebration feels overwhelming.
At the same time, your wedding day is one of the most profound and joyful moments of your life. It is the day you enter a sacrament. It is the day your vocation begins. It is a moment worthy of honor and celebration.
So how do you balance prudence with joy? How do you avoid going overboard while still giving this moment the beauty and dignity it deserves?
Here’s a Catholic perspective to help you find the sweet spot.
1. Wedding Spending Is Not the Enemy
There is a temptation—especially in the wake of cultural “bare-minimum weddings” or financial shame—to think that spending money on your wedding is frivolous or vain.
But the Catholic worldview reminds us: Joy is worth celebrating. Love is worth honoring. Sacraments deserve dignity.
Scripture is full of celebrations given to God—weddings, feasts, banquets, anointings—where beauty and festivity were expressions of gratitude, not waste.
And don’t forget: Jesus’ first public miracle was… at a wedding reception.
The Church is not anti-celebration. Far from it. She believes in the goodness of feasting—when done with a well-formed heart.
2. Prudence: The Virtue That Protects Joy
That said, the Church is very concerned with stewardship.
Prudence is the virtue that allows you to say: “I want to celebrate—but I also want to begin my marriage with peace, not financial burden.”
This means asking questions like:
- Will this spending cause unnecessary stress later?
- Are we prioritizing symbol over substance?
- Does this reflect our values or just current trends?
- Is this purchase actually meaningful to us, or are we afraid of disappointing others?
Prudence doesn’t make your wedding smaller. Prudence makes it freeing.
A prudent wedding is one you can look back on with joy—not monthly payments.
3. Beauty Is Good—But Beauty Can Also Be Simple
You can have a wedding that feels elegant, meaningful, and beautiful without needing every possible upgrade.
Catholic tradition has always loved beauty. But beauty doesn’t always require extravagance.
A simple Mass with reverent music is breathtaking. A gracious meal shared with people who love you is memorable. A modest wedding dress worn with joy shines more brightly than any designer label.
In the Catholic imagination, beauty is found in meaning, not price.
4. Ask Not “Is It Expensive?” but “Is It Worth It?”
A high price tag is not inherently irresponsible. A low price tag is not inherently virtuous.
The better question is: Is this something we will be grateful for? Is it worth it?
That is the heart of good discernment.
A few examples:
Worth it: investing in good photography so your memories are preserved
Worth it: asking for floral simplicity but not scrapping beauty altogether
Worth it: choosing a venue that allows the Mass to be the focal point
Not worth it: overspending to impress others
Not worth it: taking on debt for things that won’t matter one month later
Not worth it: sacrificing financial peace for a Pinterest-worthy centerpiece
Your wedding should honor your marriage, not strain it.
5. Remember What Makes a Wedding Truly Beautiful
The most beautiful weddings—the ones people still talk about years later—are not the most expensive.
They are the most God-centered.
A wedding filled with prayer, joy, authenticity, and love will always be more luminous than a lavish but spiritually empty day.
People remember:
- the bride and groom’s peace
- the prayerfulness of the Mass
- the sincerity of the vows
- the welcome they felt
- the joy of the celebration
None of that can be bought. If the price tag inhibits rather than enhances this, than it is decidedly not worth it.
6. Celebrate Wisely, Joyfully, and Within Your Means
In the end, here is the Catholic balance:
Your marriage is worth celebrating beautifully! But no celebration is worth sacrificing your peace, your stewardship, or your future stability.
A wedding that is responsible, meaningful, joyful, and God-centered will be beautiful—regardless of the price tag.
If you can walk away from your wedding day saying: “We honored God, we honored our guests, and we honored our future family,” then you spent the right amount.
