‘Big fat Amazon wedding': Bride spends just $3K on big day by ordering everything online
RALEIGH, N.C. - Ashley Hicks, a newlywed from Raleigh, North Carolina, is making waves on social media with her impressive and gorgeous wedding this past June. The reason? She bought almost every item used in her wedding off of Amazon.
Ashley and Tre Hicks got engaged this past Valentine's Day. With only a couple months to plan their June wedding, the pair reached out to a wedding planner, Natalie Taylor, who suggested using Amazon as a way to get several options for less money. The quick delivery certainly didn't hurt, either.
Ashley described some of the items she picked off of Amazon, which included bridal shower dresses, gifts for the in-laws, jewelry, ring bearer gifts, her husband's suspenders, and most importantly, her own wedding dress.
"We had about 150 guests, and I probably spent about $3,000 total including our food, all the attire, decorations, everything," she told WTVD.
When asked if she would recommend her self-proclaimed "big fat Amazon wedding" to others, Ashley was quick to say yes.
"I still have friends to this day that are engaged and got engaged before we did, but they haven't had a wedding yet because they're still saving money," says Ashley. "You don't have to do that."
RELATED: ‘Beautiful on a budget': DIY wedding cake sourced from Costco, Trader Joe's only cost $50
Considering that the national average cost of a wedding is roughly $34,000, the simultaneous pressure to have a beautiful wedding and save money is undoubtedly stressful. But that also makes Ashley's thrifty Amazon wedding planning even more attractive: She showed that beautiful weddings and low costs are not mutually exclusive.
"Just get over yourself," laughs Ashley, when asked if she had any advice for upcoming newlyweds. "Get over yourself and don't try to impress all of your guests that are going to be there. At the end of the day, it's you and your husband's day. You two will remember it for the rest of your lives. Other people will not."
Ashley and Tre met over Instagram in May 2018 and got married on June 8, 2019. Ashley has since started a YouTube channel where she plans on sharing not only tips on saving for the big day, but also daily household hacks.