Yeah. Weddings cost a ton of money. But they don't have to.

Question: Why do weddings have to cost so much?

Answer: They don't.

But they often do cost tens of thousands of dollars because of the choices both parties in the wedding (and very often their families) make in planning their special day.

Family influences, cultural traditions and customs, location, regional economics, and yes - expectations - often play a role in determining the size and scope of a wedding.

In 2021, according to the wedding planning resource The Knot, the average cost of a wedding nationwide was $28,000. In Massachusetts the average wedding came with a $36,000 price tag. Only five other states or regions had higher wedding costs - with New Jersey weddings topping all at an average tab of $47,000.

Weddings are big business and the "wedding industry" grows more elaborate, creative and expensive every year. COVID-19 put a temporary pause on the growth of spending on weddings. But the industry has come roaring back. In 2022 the U.S. saw a 62 percent increase in weddings over the COVID-disrupted 2020. Total spending related to weddings last year was nearly $58 billion. There are now 5,000 weddings every day in America.

But for two people in love and ready for lifetime commitment, there is zero responsibility to contribute - and often little sense in contributing - a huge chunk of savings, family money or debt to the growth of the wedding business.

Plenty of research, financial guidance, minimalist advocacy, and household budgeting advice suggests starting off in married life with a massive expenditure on the wedding is not the most prudent move.

Nonetheless it is a very personal choice and one that is influenced by the vision of the two wedding parties and - again - family, friends, trends, customs and the importance of a big celebration to the people in love.

Some of the most magnificent venues and vistas and food and beverage choices for weddings are available in Massachusetts. If memorializing your wedding day is critical, photography and videography is another expense. And then there is music, gifts for the wedding party, lodging, transportation and other items. The list can go on and on.

But it doesn't have to.

Any Massachusetts city or town clerk can issue your marriage license and the cost is $50. Donations or fees for clergy vary depending on your religious affiliation or membership in a church, synagogue, mosque or other place of worship. But most municipal clerks keep a list of current and locally available Justices of the Peace which they can refer to any parties obtaining a marriage license. A civil marriage ceremony is a wonderful thing. It can fall to familiar words and phrases we all recognize. Or it can be highly customized and become the product of collaboration between the JP and the two marriage parties.

The best source in MA for qualified, licensed and experienced JPs is the Massachusetts Justices of the Peace Association (MJPA). The Association's Find a Justice tool can help you easily locate and contact a JP to help arrange and plan your marriage ceremony just about anywhere in the Commonwealth.

That includes your backyard, your home, a public park, a beach, the grounds of a city or town hall, a public gazebo, and all kinds of spots that cost little or nothing to use.

The maximum fee for simply solemnizing a marriage (signing and submitting the license after pronouncing the two parties married) in Massachusetts is currently $150 - plus JPs charge additional fees that vary for writing customized ceremonies, consulting with marriage parties, attending rehearsals, etc.

It's your right and privilege to have as large and elaborate and expensive a wedding as you'd like. Or to spend as little as possible, if that's your preference.

An "austerity wedding" doesn't mean it's not a memorable one. Quite the opposite. When the total focus of your big day is on the words and the vows and the moment you become legally married, chances are that memory will remain deep within your heart forever.

Cosmo Macero Jr. is a Massachusetts Justice of the Peace, a strategic media and communications consultant, and an independent journalist.