We had a luxurious wedding that cost us $70,000. We worked non-stop for months, drained our savings, and even took a $10,000 loan from my parents. The pressure was enormous, but we thought it would all be worth it — the perfect start to our marriage.

Last week, we finally got married. The venue sparkled, the food was extravagant, and our guest list was huge — over 300 people. We thought we’d at least recover some of the cost through gifts and envelopes.

But when we sat down to open everything, our excitement turned to disbelief.
Most envelopes had $20, $30, or even just a card with “Congrats!” inside. Out of 300 guests, only a handful gave something meaningful.

When we added it up, we had barely $4,000 total. Not even enough to pay back the loan, let alone cover the wedding debt.

I broke down in tears. My husband got angry, saying, “This is YOUR fault. You wanted the big show. I told you we didn’t need all this.” I fired back, “Excuse me? YOU insisted on the luxury hall and the live band!”

The fight spiraled, and now, only a week after our “dream wedding,” we’re talking about divorce.

Looking back, we realize the real mistake wasn’t our guests — it was us. We focused on impressing people instead of building a marriage. And now we’re left with nothing but debt, regret, and broken trust.