Two California newlyweds are going viral for managing to tie the knot on an impressive $500 budget, which included everything from the dress, venue, and reception. According to ABC7, Kiara Brokenbrough didn’t want to go into debt at the start of her marriage to Joel.
The average American wedding costs around $30,000 but the couple focused on keeping things affordable for their wedding. To start, Kiara bought her wedding dress from Shein for just $47.
“Our goal was to just be as minimal as possible. And to spend the least amount of money as possible,” she told Good Morning America. “I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a dress because I had the mindset [that] I’m gonna wear this one time for a few hours.”
The grand feat was accomplished through a combination of help from family, who gifted them flowers and a runner and simply cutting corners by finding a free location on the side of a California highway and requesting that guests pay for their own food and drinks at the reception.
“You have a wedding, with witnesses there to witness you, vowing to your spouse, vowing to God that you guys are going to stay together for life,” Kiara told Good Morning America of her bride-on-a-budget story, going on to add, “And then you celebrate with food, drinks and dance. And that’s exactly what we did.”
“Our goal was to just be as minimal as possible,” Kiara said. “And to spend the least amount of money as possible.”
The ceremony was held off the Angeles Crest Highway with San Gabriel and the Sierra Pelona Mountains as a stunning backdrop. Only 30 to 40 relatives were invited since they did not apply for a public permit, Kiara explained on TikTok. For the ceremony, they only needed to pay for chairs and an arch.
For the rest of the costs, they relied on help from family members and loved ones. Kiara’s godmother gifted the flowers and her godsister and aunt chipped in to buy a cake. The reception was held at Misty’s Lounge where the guests paid for their own food and drinks.
“The people we have there, they understood the assignment. They understood the things that we were trying to do, and they really supported us,” said Kiara. The couple hopes that their budget wedding inspires other couples and helps them remember the most important thing is life after the wedding.
Kiara and her now-husband Joel documented the entire experience in a vlog on YouTube.
Watch it below to get a few money-saving nuptial ideas, and congrats again to Kiara and Joel Brokenbrough for putting the world on to one game-changing life hack:
Watch the video report below for more details:
Sources: AWM, ABC7, Good Morning America