Weddings aren’t safe from inflation, with the national average cost of the big day increasing by seven per cent in the past year. Research shows $38,252 is the national average cost of a wedding as of 2026, with weddings in New South Wales costing the most at $42,322.
Traditional weddings are still commonplace, with 67 per cent of married couples choosing to go big. But for some, moving away from the more traditional path has saved them tens and thousands of dollars – starting with the engagement ring.
Speaking with Yahoo Finance, Adelaide-based nurse Caitlin French and her now-husband Frank said they were able to save $40,000 off their original wedding quote, plus a $5000 saving on the engagement ring.
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The couple started dating when they were 16 years old, and didn’t get engaged until 10 years later.
While they had been ready to get engaged prior, there were significant costs holding them back as they found out Caitlin’s “dream ring” would cost upwards of $10,000.
“We didn’t really know that until we started looking at rings,” she said, noting it wouldn’t have been financially viable for them to spend that money.
While she knew that shopping for rings meant Frank was ready to propose, the actual proposal didn’t happen until over a year later.
He had taken the time to come up with a price point that worked for the couple, eventually finding a ring they both loved with a $5,000 price tag instead.
Frank isn’t alone in that experience of delaying a proposal. Diamonds Factory’s senior regional manager Brad Harvey said ring anxiety can be a “genuine hurdle” for those otherwise ready to propose.
Wedding bells ring cheaper
After finding the ring and proposing, next came the wedding planning.
“When we first got engaged, we definitely had those grand plans of the big wedding with over a 100 people,” Caitlin said.
“But once we started to cost up exactly what we were looking for, we were quoted upwards of $50,000. We decided that it just wasn’t something that we wanted to spend that much money on.”
Instead, the couple opted for a “luxury elopement” which consisted of a three night stay in the Hunter Valley.
In total, it ended up costing $10,000 – a whopping $40,000 saving, bringing the total savings with the ring to $45,000.
Like with the ring, sacrifices were made. The dress Caitlin initially wanted was $3,000, but she found an alternative to wear that was only $300.
Read More: Couple saves $45,000 by opting to elope as young Aussies battle cost of
