This Couple's Amazon-Only Wedding Was So Affordable, Your Jaw Will Drop

ICYMI, getting married can be expensive. Like, so expensive that plenty of couples end up eloping or getting help from their parents to pay for the big day. TBH, my mom paid for most of my wedding costs, and I feel super grateful she did. But I recognize that privilege, and for couples who want to keep things low-budget, cutting costs can feel like a necessary evil. It's safe to say some are better at budgeting than others, but the folks we're talking about today take the freaking (wedding) cake. This couple made all their wedding purchases on Amazon, and you won't believe how much money they saved.

According to WeddingWire, couples spend an average of $30,000 on their wedding ceremony and reception — although of course this total can change depending on the location, season, and plenty of other factors. Still, that's a huge number, so it makes sense that people would want to cut costs wherever possible, like this North Carolina couple who ended up spending a mere fraction of the average cost of a wedding, all by shopping on Amazon. As ABC7 reported, Ashley Hicks and her now-husband knew they wanted to be mindful of how much they spent on their wedding, and by being savvy shoppers, they only spent $3,000 on their big day, and they wouldn't change a thing.

As Hicks told ABC7, her husband has a job in finance, so the two were clear they didn't want to go into debt for their wedding. "We bought my dress, shoes, bridesmaid dresses, their shoes, their jewelry, my husband's suspenders, all the groomsmen's gifts except bowties, our table settings, and the plates, it was a long list," Hicks said. "We had about 150 guests, and I probably spent about $3,000 total including our food, all the attire, decorations, everything." A 150-guest wedding for only $3,000! Honestly, they deserve a standing ovation for that kind of budgeting. Most wedding dresses alone cost upwards of $3,000, so the newlyweds must have worked pretty hard to come in at that total cost.

Hicks also explained that she had gone wedding dress shopping at a traditional boutique and found a dress she really loved. But when she saw the price tag, she wasn't exactly in love anymore. "It was like a thousand-dollar dress, and I was like, 'Hmm, I don't know,'" Hicks told ABC7. "It was a cute dress, but, I knew what I wanted and I wanted mermaid, I wanted lace."

With the perfect dress in mind, Hicks took to Amazon to see if she could find anything similar, and she did — from a Chinese dressmaker. She sent in her measurements and awaited the dress. "I paid $100," Hicks told ABC7. "Technically, it was $99, but I paid 100 and I think a few cents for tax. She was like, 'OK it will be here in two weeks.' It came, I put it on, and it fit perfectly."

With the dress, decorations, and even the groom's outfit handled by Amazon, Hicks and her husband were able to enjoy their wedding day knowing they didn't have a huge credit card bill coming their way. Just because you get married, doesn't mean it has to be a huge, fancy, expensive production if that's not what you want. Just like Hicks, a dream wedding on a budget is totally doable. Congrats to the sweet and frugal newlyweds!