{"id":10061,"date":"2024-05-05T15:47:24","date_gmt":"2024-05-05T19:47:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/we-could-have-paid-off-our-house-instead-we-spent-200000-on-our-wedding\/"},"modified":"2024-05-05T15:47:24","modified_gmt":"2024-05-05T19:47:24","slug":"we-could-have-paid-off-our-house-instead-we-spent-200000-on-our-wedding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/we-could-have-paid-off-our-house-instead-we-spent-200000-on-our-wedding\/","title":{"rendered":"We could have paid off our house. Instead, we spent $200,000 on our wedding"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The institution of marriage is changing, but the wedding business is booming. Why are we still so wedded to the tradition? Watch Insight episode Weddings on SBS on Tuesday 7 May at 8.30pm or on <\/span><\/i><\/b>.<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
Joe Mittiga and Andy Wild come from traditional Italian and Greek families, and theirs was the first gay wedding most of their guests had attended.<\/span><\/div>\n
The Sydney grooms say between the wedding venue, their 20-person wedding party, car hire and elaborate reception where they partied with over 300 guests, they spent close to $200,000 for their wedding but felt every cent was worth it. <\/span><\/div>\n
“We could have paid off most of our house or could have done a lot more things, but I’d never get that opportunity to experience the best day of my life with the love of my life,” Joe told Insight.<\/span><\/div>\n
After being together for seven years, as much as Joe was excited to marry the love of his life, there was one part of the ceremony he felt a bit anxious about \u2014 the kiss.<\/span><\/div>\n
“I haven’t grown up in a world where it was always so accepted and having my uncles, my aunties, my cousins, just family and friends see me kiss Andy for the first time, I was really anxious,” Joe said.<\/span><\/div>\n
“But our celebrant slapped that out of me pretty quickly. She said for two reasons, ‘One, you’re going to do it, and two, you have to do it long because you need it for the photos.'”<\/span><\/div>\n
Though fewer couples are getting married, Australians are now paying more for their weddings than ever.<\/span><\/div>\n
According to data released by the Australian Bridal Industry Academy \u2014 a wedding directory website, the average amount Australians spent jumped from $33,488 in 2019 to $35,558 in 2022. <\/span><\/div>\n

However, post-pandemic, Australians are inviting fewer guests, with the average guest list decreasing from 105 people to 86 people in 2022 compared to 2019 \u2014 a drop of 18 per cent. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Samantha-Jayne and Luciano experienced tension in their relationship as they planned their dream wedding. Source: SBS<\/span><\/p>\n

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