Here’s How This LA Couple Only Paid $500 for Their Wedding – Including A $47 Dress

Love is one of the few things that money can’t buy. Despite that fact, many people spend tens of thousands of dollars to celebrate their love on their wedding day. But one couple in Los Angeles decided to buck that trend and host a wedding for only $500 dollars! The ceremony included a reception, a $47 dress from Shein, and a $100 suit, remaining true to their love and their pocketbooks.  

Kiara and Joel Brokenbrough, the couple, told KABC-TV, that they were able to cut costs by holding the ceremony on the side of a scenic highway on the outskirts of Los Angeles. By inviting less than 40 friends and relatives the couple avoided paying for a permit and only had to supply the chairs and wedding arch for the beautiful ceremony. 

But the low cost didn’t mean they had to cut out classic wedding traditions — their relatives made sure to bring a cake and flowers for the couple to enjoy. They even had a packed reception afterward. According to an interview with Fox 11, the reception, held at Misty’s Lounge in the Inland Empire, was free because the couple showed up at the club without reserving and had their friends and family buy their own food and drinks. 

The Brokenbroughs were upfront with their guests about the plan, too. “People paid to fly out here, came to the wedding, they knew that if they wanted food and drinks they were available for purchase. They came and I didn’t hear anyone complain,” Kiara Brokenbrough told the news station.  

But they actually didn’t set out to adhere to a super strict low budget, they just wanted to focus on what really matters: their love for each other. 

“You have a wedding, with witnesses there to witness you, vowing to your spouse, vowing to God that you guys are going to stay together for life. And then you celebrate with food, drinks, and dance. And that’s exactly what we did,” Kiara Brokenbrough told Good Morning America.

Since receiving media attention, the couple has become an inspiration for other couples seeking to cut costs for their wedding, with their videos on YouTube and Instagram receiving tens of thousands of views in the past few days. The Brokenbroughs show that true love is priceless and that couples can still express their love for each other in style during times of soaring inflation.