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I'm DIYing as much as I can - including invites, programs, all flowers, centerpieces, favors, cake.
I am also making non-floral centerpieces and they came in at less than $10 each.
My flowers are going to be ordered from a grocery store and will be about $20 for my bouquet and $10 for the bridesmaids and flower girls. I'm going to make the bouquets myself with white roses and then a few tiny fake colored flowers added in.
I got my dress (Pronovias) off of ebay 2nd hand and it was $1000 cheaper than ordering it from a bridal salon.
We're splurging on food at the reception, but I picked a location that does not change a rental fee and is nicely decorated so that we will only need centerpieces to finish the room :)
I'm also making my own cupcakes for the wedding cake, and the stand to match.
Our favors are plants which we grew ourselves for almost nothing and put them into $0.15 pots.
There are a lot of things you can do to save money, and a lot of things you can do without to save money. It just depends on what your priorities are.
I'd also love to hear other people's ideas! :)
For my Birthday and Christmas, I asked for gift cards to Michaels. Using 50% coupons and the gift cards, I was able to get all my DIY stuff free. It has been a HUGE help.
Keeping the guest list down, buying a cheap wedding dress, using an iPod for music, going with really simple flowers, and keeping our linens/flatware very basic.
I just totally lucked out, basically. My parents retired to the Gulf Coast of Florida several years ago. We are having our ceremony on the beach. Inviting about 65 people, thinking maybe 40-50 will come (friends and family are spread out all over the country.) My brother and my SIL are both in the restaurant industry in the area - he is a bar manager and she is a restaurant manager at one of the area's hottest spots. Her place is catering at cost - unheard of - and his place is doing the rehearsal dinner and liquor for the reception. She called in a favor and connected us with a man who owns two huge beach house rentals, who is giving them to us at $1000 each for the week instead of their regular rate of $3500 each. We're having our reception in the yard of one of them. I bought my gorgeous J Crew Goddess gown on eBay for $109 including shipping; alterations to personalize it and give it a custom fit are running another $100. I am printing my own STDs and invitations, and built my own wedding website where people will go to RSVP (cuts down on postage costs). For flowers, I will either order through FIftyFlowers.com or ProFlowers.com, or do a market buy locally. We're using an iPod for music. No videographer, but a great photographer, highly skilled, who I found at a reasonable price.
I think what helps is that my friends and family are not the types that think certain things must or must not happen at a wedding. My parents don't think they have to invite every friend, far-flung relative or business associate, nor do his. We're not church-and-country-club types. No one around me thinks the wedding will suck because we won't have a sit-down dinner for 300 with an eight-piece band. We're having a beautiful, meaningful day, surrounded by the people we love, and not spending the equivalent of the GNP of a third world country to do it. We have other priorities - foreign travel, a bigger house, starting a family - and we would rather save the money for those things than a day-long party.
I'm doing basically all of this myself. We got engaged on May 1, are marrying on October 12, and the fiance is traveling much of this time (his job takes him away a lot). People think I'm crazy, but I love it! I'm not stressed (yet); I'm having a ball! I'm planning my wedding! It doesn't get any better than that!
PS - Three or four different bridal magazines I've gotten in the last few months have had 25% off coupons for Michael's crafts, good on your total regular priced purchase. If you're doing a lot yourself, these babies are like GOLD. Find them and hoard them! I saved over $25 the other day, and that was just my first basic trip!
many of my choices were based upon saving the most amount of money possible. We're limiting the guest list. Our wedding is starting at 11am so that our reception can start by 12:30, which allowed us to get lunch rates rather than dinner rates with our reception venue. We've chosen plated meals bc it was a cheaper option than the buffet. Our reception will be dry- no alcohol.
i got my dress at a large wholesale discount place, so the price was dead on with what Netbride and other sites are charging. my wedding jewelry is courtesy of Ebay. The set i am wearing cost me $7.80. (Really nice too!)
i shopped around with my photographer and found a guy who did decent work and secured his digital only package. no album for us. this is our only full time vendor.
our dj is my aunt bil who does dj-ing on the side. my florist is a teacher by day, florist on the weekends. She's also serving as my decorator.The baker i'm considering runs a daycare, so obviously baking is her side job....
My coordinator is from my church who is trying to build up her experience as she wants to break into the wedding industry....
since i've decided to go this route with my vendors, i dont get the same level of customer service, but i've talked to clients and customers that were thrilled with the service provided, so i'm putting my trust in these people.
Finally, our honeymoon will be at a local beach during off season.
once, everything is all said and done, i plan to do a cost breakdown and let the hive know how it all went down. ;)
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I bought my $750 wedding dress off of ebay for $320. Also bought my shoes off of ebay; $27. Making my own earrings, and using a bracelet I already have.
We're buying FI a suit that he can wear again for other events.
We cut out the bridal party. Which means less flowers. No worries of gifts, jewelry, hair or makeup.
I DIYed our STD, Invites, thank you cards, etc.
I'm from the east coast and having a destination wedding in Hawaii. This means a smaller guest list. So now with only having 15-25 guests we are taking everyone to a luau instead of having a reception. Luau dinners cost $65-120 per plate, but that includes transportion for guests, food, drinks and entertainment. Much cheaper than if we had a reception and had to pay for food, alcohol, linens and a DJ.
Since just about everyone that is coming will be on vacation (there are a few peeps that are invited that actually do live in Hawaii), we're getting married on a Thursday.
Instead of bouquets and bouts we're doing leis...which you can get at costco and walmart for half the price. Or we can to to a bulk flower shop..not a wedding florist.
Our wedding is our honeymoon.
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We're having cupcakes instead of cake.
Ceremony & reception in same spot (no transportation!)
We're doing all our own flowers.
No bridal party.
We're DIYing our STDates, Invites, Thank yous and all the small details.
My dress was less than $500.
We're only serving beer & wine, no hard liquor.
I bought my dress on clearance for $5 @ Fashion Bug (yep they have bridal!) Borrowed my shoes... bought my day of jewelry at wal mart for $10 (Sterling Silver and CZ). DIY'd EVERYTHING!!!
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My FI and I are attempting to plan our wedding for $6000. Like many others I'm sticking to as many DIY projects as possible - std, invites, favors. We found a nice low key reception room right around the corner from us. What was great is that they didn't charge an extra service fee (the typical in our area was 18%). We're keeping our guest list to 60 people max. Since we live 5 minutes away and there is a chapel on the property we don't need limo transportation. We also chose not to have a bridal party. We were definitely thinking iPod at first but then the logistics of having people occassionally over see it or have a friend or family member be on the mic wasn't cutting it for us so we made room in the budget for an affordable and reputable DJ which we were lucky enough to find. Our centerpieces will double as dessert with cupcake bouquets in a terra cotta pot. I already found my dress for $120 online. It's tea length and a little form fitting so I will have it dyed after the wedding for formal evenings. Our budget didn't allow for a honeymoon so we are waiting a few months after the wedding to save a few more dollars to take a trip somewhere. It won't be an extravagant trip by any means - as long as it's warm and relaxing we'll be happy.
We prioritized. Splurges were on food, which included nice linens, flatware and china for no extra charge and photography, which we really got at a low rate (friend in the business). The venue rental is a wedding gift - we're having the ceremony at the gazebo and the reception in a garden room with a patio. Our non-floral enterpieces are DIY with materials we can use again and with the garden setting, our floral needs are minimal.
We got a great deal on our invites and created a website ourselves to manage the RSVPs (less postage, paper and printing) and are making the other elements. We're designing all the goods and our friends and some family are donating time and effort (friend is marrying us, another friend is providing live music for the ceremony, a couple may provide videography).
Our guests are all staying nearby at an affordable and very cute inn - our stay is another wedding gift, which is helping on the costs.
We're also forgoing a photo booth. *sniff*
i wish i can find a wedding dress for $5.
I feel like I'm not having a glam wedding (in comparison to the weddings people I know have...). My friend spent like 60K on his wedding a few years ago. A few had theirs at like major 5 star type of hotels...
I just don't want to go into debt for this, and I don't have rich parents like some friends...
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Another way we saved money was by shopping around a bit for our license. In CA, fees vary by county - by going one county over, we're saving about $15 on the license with no need for an appointment, but the big thing is saving $75 on the fee to have our friend marry us. Woo hoo!
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my mom made my dress for $100. i did our invitations and all our programs/menus/signs for $150, including postage. we did our flowers for $150, and our cake was $200 (our one "splurge"). our photographer was $500 for four hours, including DVDs of all 1500 pictures! I DIY'd my hair/makeup.
basically, i shopped and shopped and shopped around. i didn't settle for an okay price and kept looking till i found the best price. it was tiring, and hard work, but it was worth it when the whole wedding was around $3000 (for 90 people).
Superstar -
Please don't feel badly for spending more money than most people in the US make in a year on your wedding. I have a friend whose parents spent around the same amount on her sister's wedding - and they have three more daughters. I almost choked when she told me that. People's money is their own and they can choose to spend it however they wish; I don't begrudge anyone that. But a beautiful, meaningful wedding can be had for FAR less money.
oh no no, not me, i'm not spending that much... just that a lot of people/weddings I have gone to recently have been that type. I'm glad that my friends could do that... i don't think I would ever be comfortable spending 60K+ on my own wedding... (even if I could)
i agree, a lot of the weddings i've been to recently have also been over the top.
I plan on DIY Save the dates, and Invitations, also probably the centerpieces. the cake bakery fiancé wanted to use is out of the question at $6/slice for just about 100-125 people. I'm finding it's little things like that that really save costs and don't make a huge amount of difference.
You gals are all fabulous and your suggestions have been great :) Thanks gals!
We are doing it for under 20K with the help of my parents and his parents. We went to a wedding last summer that cost (at least) $300,000! And while we were there we made the decision to have a reasonably priced wedding that we would not go into debt for and everyone would have fun. We made lists of our priorities and started shopping.
Okay, so there are obviously more expenses, but these are the biggies-- and this is a southern California wedding!
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ahhh...i forgot to mention that i've bought a lot of little things (flowergirl basket, wreaths for chapel doors, candles) on clearance at rock bottom prices. i just told everyone with an ear i was looking for sales and they all called me when they heard about them.
i'm also doing diy makeup....hair will be done for about $60....
and reminding myself (constantly) that no one will see my shoes....lol.
We didn't budget because of the economy, but we decided it wasn't valuable enough to us to spend $30k on a wedding.
We eloped, and with transportation, lodging, flowers, photographer, lift tickets, and dinner for 8 people at a lovely French restaurant in Telluride, it was about $2500.
We're having a reception in September at a breakfast restaurant that's closed at night, so buying them out was much less expensive than another place. Their minimum food amount is $1200, though we'll probably spend $4500 on food and booze for 100 people.
Guest list size was limited by the venue size, but we wanted to keep it moderate anyway.
We made the invitations ourselves (FI is fabulous at graphic design) and they were also our favors (I'll post pics soon, I'm so proud). Total: $500 including postage for shipping a boxed invite and a CD.
We both love spider mums, which turn out to be a very inexpensive flower, so $150 for flowers for the party.
Several of my close friends are swing DJs, so they'll do it for free, so music $500 including sound system and gift cards to thank them.
My mom is making me a vintage cocktail dress, probably $75 in materials.
Cupcakes from local bakery: $300.
Hotel room, accessories, his clothes, decorations, guest book, makeup, hair, and other bits and pieces will be another $1500 probably. All told, elopement and reception, we're expecting to spend $12k, which was our original budget.
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I am DIYing everything that I can, eBay was a total godsend! I'm the person who's always looking for a deal or the cheapest price on something so I knew that I would be able to create a low budget wedding that I could be proud of. I made the invitations and even the envelopes with cardstock that I got on sale at Hobby Lobby, Love that place. I got latex burgundy and orange calla lilies on sale at Hobby Lobby for the centerpieces, they were .99 a piece. They will be underwater in glass cylinders and bowls with floating candles, I rented the glass containers for a cheaper price than buying them. I hit the bridal sale at hobby lobby to get 50% on things like birdcage for cards (7.00), HUGE signature frame w/mat (12.00), votive holders, etc. I made mintbooks that look like matchbooks, coloring books for the kids packs, candle favors in burgundy and orange organza bags that I got from eBay, got the candles from walmart. I used clear address labels to put our names and wedding date on it to attach to the candle. I got most of the stuff for the kids packs at www.orientaltrading.com and www.save-on-crafts.com. I designed the programs but am thinking of changing them up to be fan programs instead, so that is in the works. I made the ringbearer pillow myself. I also made personalized water bottle labels from 8x11 ups labels that I already had, they were a breeze! The water bottles were about $40 from Sams Club, 30 pk for 3.88 and I got 300 bottles total. We are also getting most of our beer and wine from there too. I got both my dresses from eBay, the ceremony dress is a beautiful strapless A-line with awesome beading and embroidery on the bodice, it was $100 shipping included. The reception dress is stunning, it's a Raylia ivory sweetheart fitted dress with incredible beading on the bodice, $60 shipping included. I love this dress!!! I also tried to keep costs down for my bridesmaids, they got their dresses from www.justthebeginnings.com and www.keepmeinstitches.com. A majority of the dresses run 59 to 99 depending on the style and they got to pick any dress that came in burgundy. So far all the girls have loved their dress they got. I got my flowers at www.flowersandfreshness.com, 140 burgundy and orange calla lilies for 199.98 shipping included. A friend is doing the photography for a great price. A local lady is doing the cake (for 200 people), two cop car groomscakes and cupcakes for the kids table for $220. The ceremony is on an island in a park, it is FREE. We are using a family members brand new pearl colored Chrysler 300 for our wedding car. I am also borrowing 60 votive holders, white lights and glass containers for the candy table from family. I made personalized labels for cellophane bags (50 for 1.99 a bag at Hobby Lobby, I got 250 bags) that I got for the candy table. I rented 30 table linens and some table skirts for $3 from the University where I work, which was so much cheaper than the $7 that I found elsewhere. I am making burgundy and orange table runners with fabric from walmart. We are using www.weddingwire.com for our free website so people can rsvp online. We registered our honeymoon trip to Cozumel since we didn't need a lot of "stuff". My stepdad let us use his airmiles for our plane tickets so that saved us about 1200. I designed RSVP postcards from www.vistaprint.com, 100 for 4.95. I included these in the invitations for the few people that may not rsvp online. Our only big cost is the catering which is being done by a friend of ours so we are getting a good deal on that, he is also our DJ. My mom and stepdad have offered to help with that cost, so we are very grateful for that. We are skipping the formal reception dinner and are having a rehearsel/decorating party instead. We are killing two birds with one stone basically by having a quick run through of the ceremony and then just bringing in deli trays for sandwiches and such. We'll do our thanks to everyone, gifts, eat, drink beer (lol) and then decorate the reception building the day before the wedding. I bought a bunch of paper lanterns from different places that I plan to sell afterward the wedding. I also bought led lights and batteries for "throwies" from eBay but have yet to put them together. I also bought cosmetic bags, bracelets, mary kay items for the bridesmaids and pearl brooches for the moms from eBay. I got wedding party cufflinks online for the guys, they were $45 but I got them on clearance for $5. I got 8 of them for what it would cost originally for just one! We got personalized mason drinking mugs for the guys for about $8 each. That's about all that I can think of right now, we cut corners on every aspect of our wedding and that I am so happy about the money we have saved. Now all we have to do is see if it all comes together in September, lol. Here are some of my projects if interested:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27217954@N05/sets/72157605376524573/
We're buying our wedding ourselves & are creatives/DIYers who, if we had 20k, would rather put a down payment on a house with it. We want a beautiful, festive, classy wedding, but even w/o budget limitations would probably do it this way...it's just "us".
Venue - cheap! It's an old movie theatre. Reception will also be here, and there's a built-in sound system!
Music - iPod playlists. Affordable DJs in the wedding location wouldn't play what we want anyway ;)
Flowers - either Pick Your Own farm/nursery (to stay as local/in season as possible), or an online vendor like Flowerbud.com
Stationery - DIY STDs and I think we'll go that route for invites. RSVP online
Food - our guestlist is 70, and we have found a reasonable caterer within our budget w/o skimping
Cake - I don't like it! So my niece (and possibly me) will be making flourless chocolate torte & strawberry shortcake for dessert.
Linens, flatware, glasses - I need help...didn't realize the rentals would add up!
Booze - we can buy our own! We may limit it to red, white, sparkling & beer (no liquor? would equal fewer glass-styles to rent), as our friends, not fam, are the drinkers. We will have to hire a licensed bartender, though
Tables/chairs - Enough for the elderly & wallflowers. The theatre has built in seats (dancing area in front of stage, outside deck for caterer, tables) for resting. We also want to encourage mingling and dancing!
Photographer - well, this is tough. Photography & food are where we don't want to skimp, and we both have BFAs in photo. If we had a wedding photo business, maybe we could afford one 
Needless to say, we haven't figured this out yet, as a great photographer often comes with a price, and we're just beginning research.
Attire - I'm designing/sewing my own dress. He's buying a nice, yet hip, suit that he'll wear again. We're considering these personal expenses & not including them in the budget.
No bridal party/groomsmen
Gifts, centerpieces, etc - I'll make them
Also have to pass on the photobooth
And if it were in a park, I really wanted a moonwalk (uh, for the kiddos, I swear!)
I love the tips about Michael's coupons! IKEA will also be my friend!
I'm fortunate because my parents are picking up the tab as a wedding gifts, that being said- we have a strict budget because my parents think wedding are out of control.
To cut down on cost:
1. We are having ceremony and reception at same location (parents farm). I thought this would be cheap... but when you think about all the rentals- it's just as much as anywhere else (if not more). We do get to personalize our venue though (linens are not stadard- we get to choose the color, type, etc...) so our wedding appears to me much more expensive. I've noticedin bridal magazines most wedding have special linens, either in pattern or color- We're getting this effect without having to pay extra.
2. I am doing all my own flowers. I saw a few florists, and for the arrangements I was after they all would have charge me around 5,000 + for flowers. I am getting exactly what I want for 600 bucks :). I did have a nightmare that the floral provider sent me the wrong porduct last night though.
3. I got my 1200 gown off ebay for 200. Although, I may have to buy a new one because my seamstress is having problems altering it and just called me. I found one on j.crew for 300 dollars that will do- not as nice as my original gown... but I can live happily with it.
4. Made my invites (100) for around 200 dollars.
5. Having a small bridal party (just MOH and Best Man).
6. Instead of going with a caterer from Detroit, we went with a local small town caterer. Their food is home made, and delicious- but the "big city" caterers do things that are much more intricate. I didn't want to spend 5,000 dollars on meals though- our caterer is 9.25 per person... So cheap.
7. Cupcakes, in lieu of cake.
8. Making my own favors. My fiance and I Looove almond cookies. My MIL has a recipe so we will be placing 405 homemade cookies in a nice white box and tying with some pretty ribbon.
Favors for 105 cost 40 dollars.
Just an FYI, in doing some shopping around I have found that cupcakes can be just as, if not more, expensive than a regular cake if you're going through the same kind of baker that you would get a good wedding cake from. If you choose to go this route and are having a small wedding you may want to bake them yourself. They keep for a couple of days. I'm trying to decide between this and pies!
I got engaged in February and even though our parents are really helping us out, it just wouldn't be our style to spend a lot of money. We'd love to do the wedding under 7,000. It's not until next July.
We found a little place that sells plants and has a lot of gardens with flowers that will host both our ceremony and reception. The ceremony is outside in one of the gardens and the reception in a beautifully rennovated barn with a gorgeous view of a valley. The whole rental for all this including tables and chairs is about $1300. We will have 150 guests.
Our caterer isnt quite booked yet, but he has outdoor wooden pizza ovens and makes pizza at the reception--not a popular choice, but we found it convenient because we dont have to think about all the different dishes--pizza, salad, the end.
I'm making my bouquets--i got seeds and bulbs at the Michigan Bulb company and so did my mom. I bought the fake flowers online for the centerpieces, and am getting the vases at Pat Catan's. My fiance's uncles are hand painting our invitation.
I bought my dress on a whim on E-bay. I didnt like anything I tried on in person. I got a designer dress for $215 (incl shipping) that still has tags on it--never worn. Try ebay out--just make sure there are still tags and if you dont like it whne you get it, you can just sell it again for the same as you bought it.
We are putting together our own music list and giving it to my techie brother and he will DJ the wedding.
There is so much to think about it is overwhelming but just remember it's about the love and nothing else. :)
I wish I didnt have so much time to wait!
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My Future Father in Law sent me and fiancé and interesting article from MSNBC about Brides budgetting because of the horrible economy. Here's the link, but really I'm curious - how are all you bees trying to save money?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25589644/from/ET/