I got married just last weekend. We spent over $10,000 on the day which, despite being well below national averages, still feels exorbitant to write down. The ceremony itself was small, intimate, and in a native garden. For lunch, we fed our guests a memorable four-course meal with fresh gelato to top it off. And in the evening we hosted a bigger party to bring together our larger group of friends and family to celebrate our marriage, as well as the community that got us here.

An intimate relationship with nature, exceptional food, friends, family, community, these are the things that matter to us, and they were all there. Our wedding was not just a public display of love and commitment to each other, but also a demonstration of what we value and the type of life we want to live together. For that it was worth every cent.