Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's unconventional wedding cost just $147 – details

The Good Place actress got married in 2013

kristen bell dax shepard
Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
Share this:

Kristen Bell and her husband Dax Shepherd said 'I do' in a very low-key celebration in 2013, four years after getting engaged.

MORE: Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's unique marriage revealed

In fact, the couple saved so much money on their venue, wedding dress, cake and music that they only spent a total of $147 (or £111). Considering the 2020 Brides American Wedding Study revealed weddings today cost an estimated $28,964, that's 197 times cheaper than the average! However, their nuptials took place nine years ago so the average spend was likely slightly lower (but certainly not below $150!)

WATCH: 9 of the most stunning celebrity weddings of all time

So how did they cut costs? The Ranch star, 47, told The Knot that they prioritised spending money on other things and already felt like a married couple, so they felt no need to splash the cash on a lavish ceremony. "We did not want a wedding," Dax said.

"We spent a hundred bucks at the courthouse. The last thing we wanted to do was take something and add stress—Who’s invited? What’s for dinner?—since we’d rather buy a family member a house."

RELATED: Dax Shepherd reveals he had a very famous girlfriend ahead of marriage to Kristen Bell

LOOK: 9 celebrities with unconventional black wedding dresses: From Ellen Pompeo to Avril Lavigne

Kristen added: "The total was $147 and I believe that included the gas in the car and the playlist. He bought all of my favorite songs from high school on to play in the car on the way there and those $1.99 single tracks, the total for the day was $147."

View post on Instagram
 

The couple on their wedding day in 2013

Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Dax revealed their friends met them with a cake after they exchanged their vows. "It was just Kristen and I at this lonely courthouse, so they brought us this cake afterwards. 'World's Worst Wedding.' How many people can say they threw 'The World's Worst Wedding?'"

If they tied the knot today, the couple revealed their registry would also be practical rather than extravagant. Kristen said: "I would make a list ahead of time and pick the 25 most practical items that I needed like pans or light bulbs. I know it’s not sexy to put light bulbs on your registry, but you need light bulbs!"

For their intimate nuptials, which she later described as "so simple and wonderful," 41-year-old actress ditched the traditional wedding dress for an unconventional black jumpsuit, which she later revealed was Dax's choice.

kristen dax

Kristen and Dax had a low-key wedding four years after getting engaged

She told Entertainment Tonight: "I remember my husband picked out my outfit. I thought we were going to go in jeans. I didn't have high expectations." When Dax chose to wear a tuxedo, Kristen turned to her fiance for fashion advice. "He went into my closet, picked out this black jumpsuit," she continued.

The couple – who share Lincoln and Delta – met at a dinner party in 2007 and Dax popped the question two years later. However, Kristen and Dax waited until same-sex marriage was legalised in California before they said 'I do' at The Beverly Hills courthouse on 17 October 2013, out of respect for their friends.

"The reason we're not rushing to get married is because I don't feel appropriate taking advantage of a right that's denied my [gay and lesbian] friends," Kristen told the Advocate.

READ: The truth behind celebrity wedding photos: Happiest (and unhappiest) brides and grooms revealed

Planning your wedding? Sign up to HELLO!’s brand new Bride Guide newsletter for expert advice, budget help, wedding inspiration and real life stories delivered straight to your inbox.

More Weddings

See more