When we shared a few months ago that Southern Weddings was retiring, I promised that I’d always be available to offer wedding planning advice. After all, weddings are my first love, and I’ll never tire of chatting about them! Today’s Marvelous Money topic is giving me the perfect opportunity, falling as it does at the intersection of celebrations and personal finance. From Judy, the reader who emailed me: I’m engaged and getting married in just a month, and I’ve been thinking a lot about how the wedding fits into our overall financial priorities. My fiance and I are lucky to share similar views as you and John – pay off debt fast, save a lot, and spend only on things that bring joy. I am so excited for the wedding, but I’ve been having a hard time justifying some expenses in the perspective of our broader financial goals. Should we really pay for several hundred dollars of chair rentals, or just deal with less-than-ideal chair covers? Should I feel guilty about wanting peonies in my bouquet? Will prettier chairs actually be better than putting that money towards a vacation or retirement?! I would love to hear your perspective on how you decided which parts of your vision were worth it, what you chose to forgo for practicality, and how you dealt with any complicated feelings about spending extra money on a wedding instead of saving for retirement or other more “practical” things. I know weddings are worth spending money on to honor the sacrament of marriage and celebrate with friends and family, but it’s so hard to know what it worth it, and what’s too far! I love this question, because it has legs far beyond wedding planning — it will come up over and over again for anyone who