#02: The Real Cost of Weddings, From a 200-Time Bridesmaid

Jen Glantz has built an empire around love stories without actually liking weddings. She’s the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, host of the 1-800-Bridesmaid podcast, and author of multiple books including her newest, Finally the Bride. In this episode, she breaks down the numbers behind her own wedding, her clients' weddings, running multiple businesses and raising a daughter in NYC. Jen and I walk through the $35,000 wedding she almost had, the one she pulled off for under $2,000, how her business evolved from a single $500 service into multiple income streams, and why launching over 100 AI tools changed everything after she became a mom. Plus, she shares the brutally honest scripts she gives bridesmaids who can't afford to say yes, and what to say when a friendship gets expensive.Jen reveals the real cost of raising a child in New York City, how she and her husband combined finances after their daughter was born, and what she's working toward affording next.Use Ashley’s Wedding Budget to see the true cost of your wedding, compare venues and scenarios, and plan financially.Get Jen’s new book, Finally the Bride and sign up for her Monday Pick Me Up newsletter!Check out Ashley’s Money Club to join a community of women unabashedly going after their money goals. Take this quiz to get a personalized Wealth Building Blueprint.