A big part of being in a wedding is the financial obligation

In the words of Kristen Wiig, we find a truth both practical and profound: “A big part of being in a wedding is the financial obligation, and that's something that people don't really talk about, but if you're asked to be in a wedding, you're gonna have to fork over some cash.” What seems at first a jest carries within it a lesson about the hidden burdens of celebration, and how love’s ceremonies often ask not only for presence, but for sacrifice. The wedding, though radiant in joy, calls upon both bride, groom, and guest to contribute not only with heart, but also with treasure.

The financial obligation is an unspoken duty, an invisible thread binding families and friends together in shared expense. Dresses, gifts, journeys, feasts—all become part of the offering laid upon the altar of matrimony. And while the world delights in the beauty of the day, few speak of the weight it places upon those who support it. Wiig reminds us that devotion is measured not only in affection, but in the willingness to give of one’s resources for the sake of another’s joy.

History shows us this truth in the marriage feasts of ancient Rome, where families of the bride and groom bore the cost of lavish banquets to honor not just their children but their community. To decline such generosity was to risk shame; to accept it was to endure hardship gladly, for the sake of reputation and love. Thus, even in antiquity, the bond of marriage was entwined with matters of coin as much as with vows.

Yet within this burden lies also the beauty of sacrifice. To spend for the sake of another’s happiness is not waste, but offering. When friends and family gather, adorned and prepared, bearing gifts and fulfilling duties, they declare by their actions that love is not the concern of two alone, but of all who surround them. The cost, though heavy, becomes a symbol of shared investment in the union’s success.

So let this teaching endure: do not despise the obligations of weddings, for they are part of the sacred work of community. But let those who plan such feasts also show mercy, remembering not to crush their loved ones beneath the weight of vanity. For generosity flows both ways—the couple receives the gifts of others, and in return must show gratitude, humility, and care. In this balance, the financial burden is transformed from suffering into a shared act of love, and the day becomes not only memorable, but meaningful.