My mom and dad got married for a few hundred bucks in 1979 on a friend's riverside property. The invitations were hand written in sharpie and photocopied. My mom wore a simple cotton dress and my dad wore jeans. My mom's bouquet consisted of whatever flowers were growing in my grandmother's yard (shrimp flowers!). Guests were asked to bring a covered dish and an instrument as there would be a jam session after the ceremony (my dad is a musician). My parents celebrated 30 years of marriage last year and say their friends still talk about how much fun they had at their wedding.

While my own wedding will probably be a little more elaborate than that of my parents, I have definitely taken the "expense does not a lasting marriage make" lesson to heart.

Congrats on your many years together.