Mum Throws Daughter ‘Cheapest Wedding Ever’ With $1,000 Budget

A mum has thrown 'the cheapest wedding ever' for her daughter after setting a strict $1,000 (£700) budget and sticking to it.

Shelly Watson, from Arizona, appeared on a recent episode of TLC's Extreme Cheapskates where she revealed she's been on a mission to save money for the past two decades.

And she was about to change her thrifty ways just because her daughter Ashley was set to get hitched to partner Colby Cosgrove.

In fact, the mum set a non-negotiable $1,000 budget and refused to spend a penny over it.

Her top money-saving hacks involved hiring the local school's gym to use as the venue, ordering out-of-season Christmas flowers and baking her own cake.

Speaking on the show, Shelly said: "I think spending $400 (£285) on a wedding cake is ridiculous, that is wasted money.

"It costs $2 (£1.40) for a cake mix."

TLC

She borrowed a stand from a local bakery to show off the cake and make it look a little bit fancier.

She said: "I think the display cake was the better option for their wedding because it didn't cost us anything, it was free."

But not everyone was impressed with her cost-cutting ways, Colby's mum Denise had her reservations.

She told the show: "I thought it was a f***ing joke, nobody in their right mind is serious about having it in a gym. It's ridiculous."

To which bride-to-be Ashley replied: "This is going to be the cheapest wedding ever."

Shelly's scrimping didn't stop at the venue and décor, she also wanted to make sure Ashley got the absolute best price for a dress - so took her to a pawn shop where she had the choice of three dresses.

TLC

Ashley managed to find one she liked but, unfortunately, it had some rat pee on it.

This didn't put Shelly off, though, she used it to haggle on the price and got the dress for $75 (£53) - rat urine included.

Shelly even went ahead and got herself ordained so she could legally perform the wedding - and save $300 (£200) in the process.

She revealed: "The biggest secret about this wedding that I have not told anybody yet is that I am an ordained minister and I am going to officiate this wedding."

Topics: TV and Film, Weird, US

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19