According to The Knot, the average cost for a ceremony and reception in America in 2021 was just under $30,000. Spending thousands of dollars on a ceremony and reception was not something Kiara Brokenbrough and her husband, Joel, wanted to do. The bride told Good Morning America that she and her new spouse didn’t want to start their marriage in debt, so when planning their special day, they decided to spend as little as possible.

“Our goal was to just be as minimal as possible,” Brokenbrough shared with GMA. “And to spend the least amount of money as possible.”

Brokenbrough started with her dress, which she purchased from Shein’s website for only $47. She said that she wanted a more frugal option for a wedding gown because it’s a dress she’d only “wear this one time for a few hours.”

She captured her experience dress shopping on TikTok. In a video, Brokenbrough is shown shopping for wedding dresses with different silhouettes at a boutique before pulling up the white silk gown she ended up buying online for less than $50. It blew up on social media, garnering almost a million views on TikTok.

@kiarabrk Reply to @maalikaelise dress included! $47 on @SHEIN 🤩🤩 #weddingtiktok #weddingdress #cheapwedding #blackbride ♬ audio credit is rennyxaudios – 70s80s90s00s

The bride explained that support from their families and friends was instrumental in keeping costs down. Brokenbrough said that they were gifted a lot of items from their loved ones, including the bride’s godmother, who gave the couple flowers, and her godsister and aunt, who helped get them a cake, ABC 11 reports.

Attendees also paid for their own food and drinks at the reception, helping the couple keep costs low.

“The people we have there, they understood the assignment,” the bride said. “They understood the things that we were trying to do, and they really supported us.”

The Brokenbroughs also managed to secure a free venue. They tied the knot off of the Angeles Crest Highway with the San Gabriel and Sierra Pelona Mountains in the background, ABC 11 reports.

The couple also only invited 30 to 40 relatives and close friends because they didn’t apply for a public permit, leaving them to cover just seating and the decorative arch they got married under.

Brokenbrough said she hopes that her budget wedding inspires people to focus on what really matters when planning their nuptials.

“You have a wedding, with witnesses there to witness you, vowing to your spouse, vowing to God that you guys are going to stay together for life,” she said. “And then you celebrate with food, drinks and dance. And that’s exactly what we did.”