A far cry from the extravagance, pomp and expense of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding is the much simpler affair enjoyed by yearofshoppingdetox’s mother and father back in 1972, where they achieved eternal union for only $73.34.

The ceremony was held in a local chapel. Her mother made her own wedding dress, a blue linen A-line. The flowers were free, reused from a previous ceremony.

“One of the many things that had initially drawn them together was their shared obsession with writing down all of their daily expenses, and then balancing at the end of the day,” writes yearofshoppingdetox. “This day would be the day of the Great Joining Of The Budget Notebooks.”

Here’s their wedding ledger notations:

February 11 Priest, etc. $11
February 13 Wedding weekend $19
February 17 Chargex (rings) $43.34

The reception was held at local pub, where the guests paid for their own food and drinks.

Now that’s frugality you could fall in love with!

Day 47: My mother and her $73.34 wedding [yearofshoppingdetox]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.