The fact that weddings can get expensive is nothing new. However, high demand and inflation just keep pushing up the prices and making expenses much higher than anticipated. Wedding company Zola revealed two-thirds of more than 3,000 surveyed couples are going above budget for their big day in 2022. But one duo has gone viral on TikTok after the frugal bride shared how she decided to take a different approach.
Joel and Kiara Brokenbroughs did not want to go into debt by tying the knot and focused on planning their big day at little cost. The pair managed to host a beautiful minimal wedding and reception off a scenic highway for just under $500. And that includes the woman’s $47 dress she purchased from the e-commerce website Shein.
When the woman uploaded the video of how she looked while walking down the aisle, it amassed over 970K views with thousands applauding her decision and asking for advice. Continue scrolling to find out how the couple did it and share your thoughts about it in the comments!
Joel and Kiara Brokenbroughs from California did not want to go into debt by throwing a fancy wedding
Image credits: kiarabrk
So they decided to keep it "as minimal as possible" and pulled it off for just under $500, dress included
Image credits: kiarabrk
The couple revealed how they were able to keep the costs low
Image credits: kiarabrk
Image credits: ABC7
Image credits: kiarabrk
When Joey proposed to Kiara in December last year, they pledged that their big day would be "as minimal as possible". And it turns out that all it takes is meticulous planning, donated decorations, and understanding family and friends.
"I knew I wanted to be with him," Kiara, a social media manager, told NBC News and added that it took Joey two years. "She already was ready, but it was me," her husband, a high school basketball and physical education coach, added. "As men, we tend to wait for the perfect time, and there's no perfect time."
Originally, the couple wanted to have a courthouse wedding but couldn’t because of Covid restrictions. "We looked into the courthouse and ... we couldn’t have any witnesses or anything," Kiara said. "We can’t do that." They got the idea to plan something special to celebrate with their families. However, the pair didn’t want to break the bank by having a fancy celebration, so they decided to be as frugal as possible.
The budget-savvy bride purchased her dress from Shein for only $47
Image credits: KIARA BRK
Kiara shared how she tried on some dresses just for the experience but didn’t plan on buying any of them
Image credits: kiarabrk
Image credits: kiarabrk
Image credits: kiarabrk
Probably the item that received the most attention from Kiara’s TikTok and Instagram followers was the backless slip gown that cost $47. Joel's suit was a bit more expensive and came to $100. "I didn’t want to spend hella money on a dress I would wear one time for a few hours [and] that would get dirty," the bride wrote on Instagram. However, she still decided to try out a few expensive dresses, just for the experience. "Was it my dream dress? No ma’am, but no regrets on this dress decision at all," she added.
It turns out that Kiara wants to let this dress live on, yet in a slightly different form. She told Los Angeles Times she plans to cut a slit into the gown and use it again. "I've just seen how, culturally, we’ve gotten so far away from how weddings were something so simple as bride and groom coming together, bowing to God to stay together, and bowing to each other to stay together and in front of witnesses," Kiara noted.
"I’m not going to go into debt over this. I’m not going to spend a whole bunch of money, or stress and get in people’s pockets over such an event that’s going to last one day."
"I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a dress because I had the mindset 'I’m gonna wear this one time for a few hours'"
Image credits: kiarabrk
Image credits: kiarabrk
Image credits: kiarabrk
The woman later shared a TikTok video, which got over 970K views, about her dress-shopping experience
Image credits: kiarabrk
Another thing that helped cut down on costs was a free wedding location
Image credits: kiarabrk
Joel and Kiara Brokenbroughs planned their budget wedding in two months. And one thing that really helped the couple to keep the costs low was skipping on booking a venue and paying a hefty price. They decided to have the ceremony at a free public place and found the perfect location right off one of California's freeways.
The couple held their ceremony off the Angeles Crest Highway with a picturesque view of the mountains. Because they did not purchase a public permit, they only invited around 30 to 40 close friends and relatives, Kiara revealed on TikTok. The only things they needed to pay for were chairs and an arch.
Plus, many of the things and decorations the couple used were gifted by family members
Image credits: kiarabrk
Moreover, family members and other guests were also willing to help. The couple received support from loved ones for expenses such as flowers, a runner, and the cake. "The energy was great, and people were just there to truly celebrate us," she said. "When I got out of the car, I just ran because I was just so excited. I'm like, I'm ready to do this."
For the reception part, guests agreed to pay for their own food and drinks
Image credits: kiarabrk
The couple cut down on costs with their reception as well. Kiara said guests were not looking to be entertained, and the couple was not looking to entertain them. She revealed that some of the guests flew in from as far away as the East Coast and understood they would need to pay for their own food and drinks. "Having people who truly understand the true meaning of a wedding, they were so excited just about our union," the woman added.
Joel and Kiara were able to find a free and already pretty place so they wouldn’t need to spend extra on decorations. "After our wedding ceremony, we all migrated to @mistyslounge to celebrate," Kiara wrote. "It felt so good to be around people who genuinely supported us [and] weren’t looking to be entertained. We wouldn’t have been able to pull this off if it wasn’t for the contributions of our families and close friends! It took a village and our village showed up!"
Image credits: kiarabrk
Image credits: kiarabrk
Image credits: kiarabrk
Image credits: KIARA BRK
"For any of you who say, 'we don’t have money for a wedding' as an excuse to not get married, I got you!"
Image credits: KIARA BRK
According to online wedding publication The Knot, the average cost for a wedding in 2021 was about $28,000, roughly the same as in 2019. But when broken down by state, the data reveals the price for a 2021 Californian wedding would be closer to $33,000.
"Right now, consumers are feeling the impact of inflation across every industry, the wedding industry included," Emily Forrest Skurnik, director of communications for wedding company Zola, told NBC News.
But in 2020, the cost was around $19,000 because the pandemic caused weddings to downsize, and Kiara thought this was an attractive idea. "I was seeing other people getting married in nontraditional ways, and I fell in love with it," the bride revealed.
The newlywed couple hopes their wedding would serve as both an inspiration and a reminder to others: "For any of you who say, 'We don’t have money for a wedding' as an excuse to not get married, I got you!"
"Was this the wedding of my dreams? No. Did I make the best of the resources we had? HEAVENS YEAH. I wasn’t going into debt or prolonging this day to save up to pay for strangers [and people] who know nothing about our relationship to dine [and] drink on our dime," she wrote. "I believe this is what the origin of what a wedding ceremony is — you, your partner, witnesses [and] God."
Image credits: kiarabrk
Image credits: kiarabrk
Here’s another popular clip Kiara posted on TikTok
You can watch the wedding video right here
People applauded the couple's efforts online, here’s what they had to say
