Simcha budget in Lakewood weekly?

UQT

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 9:28 pm

It was the voice. They have different people each week give a breakdown of what it cost to make a wedding. This week the person who makes 600k a year spent $300k on a wedding. The numbers were astronomical. Shabbos Sheva brochos was $55k, the vort I believe was $50k his wife’s gown was 8k. Mind boggling numbers. The assorted small gifts for the chosson was 4K (lucky guy!)-completely not including watch, shas etc

Last edited by UQT on Sun, Nov 12 2023, 9:30 pm; edited 1 time in total

GLUE

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 9:37 pm

UQT wrote:

About 30 or more years ago someone wrote a book how a million $ a year is not enough to live the hi life.
Reading this weeks issue I could understand.
These people even threw they are earning over 600,000 a year are still living pay-check to pay-check. When the money comes in it runs straight out. They blame it on Lakewood peer presser. The had no savings and had to borrow the money to pay for the wedding.

The thing I don't get is they said they are giving their daughter 2,000 a month and the other side the same. How is this girls going to live on only 4,000 a month? They said they are not paying rent, it did not say if they are paying health care. If this girls was raised on the hi life how can she live on only 4,000 a month with paying rent?(it's not like she can live in a falling apart place)

amother

Electricblue

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 9:48 pm

I loved this line:
BIGGEST CHALLENGE:

Staggering costs. I am under a tremendous amount of stress even months after the wedding, as I have to pay back an incredible amount of money. I think it's nuts to spend this amount of money on a simchah. My wife, on the other hand, didn't find anything about the wedding stressful. She enjoyed everything from start to finish.

amother

Geranium

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 9:49 pm

GLUE wrote:

It's very likely the girl works (usually in these scenarios it's not a major job like an English teacher, but sometimes can be an office worker which can pay well) and will bring in another couple of thousand a month. Until she has her first or second kid.

Also, I am in this industry and I know a lot of these kinds of people. The girls adapt to a certain extent and learn to do somewhat with less. They understand they can't spend on the same level as their parents. Parents still buy them clothes and clothes for their kids.

amother

Dustypink

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 9:55 pm

Not comment worthy, vomit worthy.

The Voice should be ashamed of themselves for highlighting this kind of simcha and putting it front and center in people’s faces in a Lkwd paper. If ppl want to spend that kind of money, go ahead. But why showcase it in a column intended to promote fiscal responsibility?

GLUE

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 10:04 pm

amother Dustypink wrote:

I don't think this column is to promote fiscal responsibility, I think it's for entertainment.

Why are you complaining it's in a Lakewood paper after all they claimed that they spend this much because of Lakewood peer pressure.

amother

Chicory

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 10:10 pm

GLUE wrote:

I hv gone to zero vorts with 800 ppl or seen weddings costing that much to the extent that someone can blame it on 'everyone does it'. It was actually offensive to make it sound like most ppl in Lkwd do that.
Sounds like his wife has no clue.

Btw, interestingly, most things ppl don't see (furniture etc) were not as crazily priced.

amother

Dustypink

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 10:13 pm

GLUE wrote:

Is this sarcastic?

Do you really think these ppl represent typical Lkwd? Please.

And yes, it literally started as a financial advice column. Even if it’s since spiraled into pure entertainment the Voice has a responsibility not to further any existing peer pressure. Otherwise they’re part of the problem.

amother

Obsidian

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 10:21 pm

I could not make heads or tails of these numbers. I recently made a vort for less than half that price. And it was stunning. I don’t know which party planner in Lakewood charges that amount from the article.

We spent more in other areas like Chosson watch and Kallah dress. Plus my dress. I didn’t mind to spend more on things we keep like that. I also spend about $300 more on photographer. Flowers and cookies and stuff are just for that night. We didn’t spend so much on that. We hired a teen to play music for a couple of hundred bucks. Dh brought whatever liquor we had from home to the hall. I did spend more on hair and makeup since I have several teen girls.

But otherwise I’m not sure how they got to such a high number.

GLUE

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 10:25 pm

amother Chicory wrote:

The Lakewood crowd I hang around will spend the amount they spend on the vort for the wedding. I just found it interesting how they blamed there live on peer pressure. I think most people reaction to this is probably to get new peer's.

They did not spend so much on furniture(a mere 15k) is because she moved to Israel after the wedding. I can imagine once she was in Israel she brought new furniture that is not on the list. When I asked up-thread how is she living someone said she probably has a job. Not if she moved to Israel most girls don't get jobs there.

amf

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 10:26 pm

Can I just ask- how on earth did they spend 25K on clothing for the kallah? Even if each dress cost 1k, that means 25 separate outfits?? I see that some are for dating and some are for sheva brachos/after the wedding, but did she like wear each thing once and throw it out? How many dates did she go on already...

theoneandonly

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 10:29 pm

OMG I saw that article and was in shock. $8k just for his wife's gown? $10k (I think) on invitations?? What planet are these ppl from???
And I agree it's completely irresponsible and vomit worthy for the voice to publish such numbers.

amother

Geranium

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 10:30 pm

amf wrote:

It doesn't list wigs so maybe that number included the wigs.

mig100

Sun, Nov 12 2023, 10:33 pm

amf wrote:

yeah I was wondering the same.

I assumed it meant over a few years, from when she started dating until she met her chason