And Vegas weddings aren't always cheap.. You can spend 10s of thousands on them.

I live in Northern California here it is more likely to be married in Reno or Lake Tahoe if you don't want a big wedding in a church. I was a bridesmaid for a friend married at a chapel in Reno, it was very nice.

I have seen some very traditional weddings.

I know it has been stated, but I personally would rather spend the extra money on something other than entertaining people that I really am not that close to. I will admit, I would want a dress, not cinderella, but a nice dress and want my couple close friends to come too.

I guess what really matters is the outcome, you are with the person you want to spend your life with. I was a member on a wedding forum, and there were women on there spending thousands of dollars for a ONE DAY event, and then there were others depressed all they had was 5k to spend. I don't know, I would rather get hitched, some what traditional, then get drunk lol

I think Vegas would be the wedding for me lol

I got married in Vegas last October. It was great! We had a pirate themed wedding at Treasure Island, then walked to a near bye Italian restaurant that serves all you can drink white & red house wine for our reception meal.

The chapel service cost us $800 and took place in less than 6 minutes. They provided photographer, video (we paid an extra $150 for the DVD) and they used our pirate vows. In fact when we gathered in the chapel lobby, the officiant, dressed in a very nice suit looked bewildered because there were approximately 45 pirates milling around. In less than 8 minutes, he had changed into his pirate costume too, for our affair. (Treasure Island provides weddings on the pirate ship, not just the chapel, but the ship weddings cost 6k and up- not in our budget).

Our wedding was great and everyone tells me that it was the most fun they'd ever had at a wedding.

I decided a LONG time ago that if I ever got married I would elope. Go to a Caribbean island somewhere, wear a pretty dress, say our vows on the beach, dance for a little while, be served a nice meal then stay a week for the honeymoon. I think it would be great to be able to say whatever personal thoughts you have without an audience, not have to worry about pulling off a "perfect" day, and to just be able to relax and enjoy it. Then come home and have a small reception for friends and family.

My mom is a social liability. She drinks too much at every family gathering and doesn't handle it well (angry, loud, combative, brings up things she shouldn't, etc). The second you politely suggest she chill out with the booze she drinks twice as much just to spite you. If I had a big wedding, I would literally spend the whole reception looking over my shoulder thinking "how much has she had to drink," "who is she talking to" etc.

Also, I think the standard 1.5 year engagement period is just too long. I'm not a fan of long engagements.

I think weddings are too much drama and money. I think women (generally) are more concerned with the wedding than they are the marriage. In a way I think weddings can make a mockery of the institution of Marriage.