Cents and Sensibility is a new series about marriage and money—where matters of the heart meet the bottom line. From rings to prenups, we uncover how much it costs to commit.
I didn’t view my City Hall wedding as an elopement so much as a precursor to a wedding. I wanted desperately to give my European husband security after he’d experienced years of visa drama, so a few months after we got engaged, we secured our union swiftly at Manhattan’s City Hall. But this is not a story of my City Hall wedding—how, even in the midst of DMV-style take-a-number bureaucracy, I experienced utter poetry. This is a recap of how much money I spent on my City Hall wedding.
Today, the newly engaged find themselves in a time when weddings have never been more public. From the ring-revealing “We re engaged!” post on Instagram to the continued popularity of sites (like our very own) that cover every aspect of a bride and groom’s journey. There is plenty of content to consume, and yet, we remain unsated. It’s romantic, actually; everybody loves love!
But despite the growing publicization of weddings, we remain in the dark about what they actually cost. Even the fully “unveiled” bride posting her arm workout directly before walking down the aisle in her strapless dress isn’t sharing line items from her budget. For guests, onlookers, and even the couples and families hosting the weddings, the actual cost of the big day is anything but straightforward, given the many elements, moving parts, rain contingencies, and tips required. It leaves those planning a wedding mired in its perplexity and ambiguity—and, at worst, feeling bamboozled.
Such was the case back in 1991 when Steve Martin’s Father of the Bride felt pushed to the brink by yet another instance of price trickery when buying hotdog buns. But that was then, and this is now, and the cost of weddings has soared even further. Consider the fact that wedding registry site Zola has tracked a whopping 13.79% increase from 2023’s $29,000 to 2024’s $33,000. On top of it all is what’s been coined as the wedding tax—the upcharge for matrimonial goods and services.
It’s not only just that weddings have gotten more expensive. It’s that we don’t know how much they should cost—most couples haven’t planned a wedding before and have no frame of reference. With that in mind, here’s one bride’s budget for a City Hall wedding.
The Format
Right out of the gate: I spent an approximate total of $19,075 on my City Hall wedding. I’ll admit my husband and I didn’t even have a budget in mind, given it was a very straightforward event without the usual wedding expenses like a venue, decor, invitations, a band, etc.
We invited (via text messages) our immediate family and witnesses to join us at Manhattan s City Hall. Four of them—the maximum amount allowed inside—would join us for a ceremony, and afterward, we’d all enjoy a dinner: a total of 15 people, including us.
The Fashion
Just because I chose City Hall over a cathedral didn’t mean I was going to compromise on my attire. I found a vintage midi-length dress ($600) and had it “refreshed” and fitted by a truster tailor ($200). I wore a pair of Manolo Blahnik mules ($895) and a borrowed diamond tennis bracelet and earrings ($0). I found a vintage veil on Etsy for ($100) and bought a vintage satin Judith Leiber bag ($315) on The RealReal.
My husband wore a suit he picked up in Savile Row in London ($3,000), with a Hermès tie ($260) and a pair of Tod’s black shoes ($1,145).
- Wedding Dress: $800
- Wedding Shoes: $895
- Wedding Bag: $315
- Borrowed Jewelry: $0
- Veil: $100
- Suit: $3,000
- Men’s Shoes: $1,145
- Tie: $260
- Total = $5,715
The Glam
Per tradition, I chose to spend the night apart from my husband and get ready with my sister at a suite at an Upper East Side hotel ($1,150). We took getting-ready and first-look photos at the hotel before going downtown for our ceremony.
I had my hair ($250) and makeup ($250) done in my hotel room while my husband was at our apartment getting ready. I paid to have my sister (and maid of honor) get her glam, too, as a thank you.
- The Bride: $500
- The Maid-of-Honor: $500
- The Hotel: $1,150
- Total: $2,150
The Ceremony
We booked a photographer ($4,000) to take photos at the hotel and inside the ceremony. After the family portraits were finished, we headed down to City Hall via Uber for our marriage ceremony, for which Manhattan County charged $25 on top of the $35 marriage license fee. I carried a bouquet of lily of the valley flowers, my husband wore a boutonnière, and fresh rose petals ($450) were purchased for a petal toss moment.
- Photographer: $4,000
- Marriage License: $35
- Marriage Ceremony: $25
- Flowers: $450
- Ubers for the day: $300
- Total: $4,810
The Reception
Given that only four people were allowed inside City Hall, we knew we wanted to host a dinner after the wedding. We booked a semi-private area at one of our favorite very New York midtown institutions for drinks and a four-course dinner. The space is so beautiful that I opted not to gild the lily. We had no decorations, just place cards that I had calligraphed, as the restaurant dresses their tables with white tablecloths, flowers, and candles for all their diners. Plus, I sent my photographer home after the ceremony as I wanted to keep the dinner intimate. Dessert was one of our four courses, so we skipped the wedding cake tradition.
- Dinner/drinks: $6,300 (tip included)
- Place cards: $100
- Total: $6,400
The Conclusion
If I had to estimate how much we spent on the elopement, I wouldn’t have guessed $19k. In my mind, we booked a hotel room and a photographer and hosted an elegant dinner for 13 of our closest friends and family. To some people, I’m sure my elopement reads as extravagant; to others, it might sound fairly standard. I honestly thought it had cost us closer to $12,000, but that’s the thing about weddings—even elopements—they never cost what you expect them to.