‘Everything is so expensive’: Lincoln couples aren’t loving the rising wedding costs

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Some brides-to-be are frantic right now, and it’s more than just pre-wedding jitters.

From food to flowers to formal wear, rising costs could rewrite some budgets.

“Everything is so expensive,” said Melissa Lewien of Lincoln, a soon-to-be bride. “Centerpieces — fake ones, real ones — like $30 minimum.”

Lewien’s wedding is only 17 days away, and she is feeling the pressure.

She and her husband drove 5½ hours to Columbia, Missouri, to try on her dream dress, which was around $1,800.

“To do this, I had to pay cash,” she said. “And to spend that much cash up front, it made me like physically sick.”

Lewien also said she spent just as much on alterations as she did on the dress itself.

And she’s not alone. Other brides said a wedding can cost as much as a person’s salary.

Lincoln vendors said they will accommodate couples who are feeling the squeeze.

“Basically, you need to focus on what’s important to you, right?” said Brandon Akert, the director of business development at catering company Yes Chef. “So, if what’s important to you is ambiance, then you need to be focusing your dollars into the ambiance.”

Despite the challenges, Yes Chef said couples are still celebrating — just differently.

“It has been more of a cocktail kind of setting, where here’s the time you arrive, here’s when cocktails start, here’s when speeches are, here’s when dances are, but there’s no formal dinner,” Akert said. “You just snack the entire time.”

From buying centerpieces to DIY decor, the focus is shifting from luxury to love.

Akert said it’s a new kind of celebration, less about the flash and more about the foundation.

“It’s about the bride and groom,” he said. “As long as they’re happy, that’s great. We love you mother-in-law, but as long as daughter’s happy, we’re good.”