In a world where the average wedding last year cost nearly $30,000, a Los Angeles bride just showed social media how her special day didn’t break the bank.
Lifestyle vlogger Kiara Brokenbrough said she kept costs to $500 through smart shopping, good luck, and an audacious request that guests pay for their own food and drink.
She began her savings spree with the most important purchase — her wedding dress — which she found on fashion retailer Shein’s website for $47. “It fit perfectly and didn’t need any alterations,” she wrote in an essay for Insider. “It also didn’t look cheap at all.”
She shared her dress-shopping experience on TikTok, where it caught the eye of the masses and racked up nearly 1 million views.
The penny-pinching bride set about planning her nuptials. “Our goal was to just be as minimal as possible,” she told “Good Morning America.” “And to spend the least amount of money as possible.”
The savings mounted with gifts from her family, including flowers and a runner.
When it came to the venue, Brokenbrough and her fiance Joel hit the jackpot. They found a free location on the edge a California freeway that allowed their 30 guests stellar views during the intimate ceremony without sacrificing their finances.
The reception was at a nearby restaurant, where guests paid. “They understood the things that we were trying to do, and they really supported us,” Brokenbrough said.
Brokenbrough wrote in her Insider essay that she shared her dress shopping experience on TikTok to “positively address the pressure that a lot of women feel to splash out on a wedding outfit.”
“I wasn’t going into debt or prolonging this day to save up to pay for strangers/ppl who know nothing about our relationship to dine & drink on our dime,” the bride wrote on Instagram with her wedding video. “We weren’t tryna impress anybody but honor God.”