Weddingbee boards

I'm doing my wedding for 10K as well and everything is almost done. I opt out of buying a huge fancy wedding cake it's pretty for about 2 hours than get dystroyed so I saved $500 and am getting 3 coscot sheet cakes and everyone loves costco cakes. I'm displaying to of them with Stair stepper deals from Wilton.com. I'm making my own invites real simple. People invites end up a trash can in a month anyways I don't car what they look like. My moms friends husband is performing the wedding and for favors either skip them or tell people you forgot them LOL that way people will think well it's the thought that counted. I'm pretty sure my cousin did that LOL. Make your own veil that will save you a few bucks and Michaels has some cute Tiares.

Since you mentioned good photography as something that's important to you, here are my suggestions on how to save money on photography.

1) Determine realistic rates for a professional photography. Weddings are the 1st time most people hire professional photographers. Until then they associate photography costs with retail chain portrait studios or .19 prints at the drug store. Expect sticker shock - then take a breath. Remember, photography is an art and a service.

2.) Hire the most talented photographer you can afford and get the least amount of products upfront.  It doesn't matter how many proofs, albums, etc are included if the photos are mediocre. You won't want them. Instead focus on the creativity of the photographer and your comfort level with him/her.

3.) If you have to choose between a wedding album or a disc of photos, get the album. I know you have good intentions. You plan to print photos or make an album but you probably won't get around to it. Your photographer, who took the time to get to know you & your desires, is the best person to create an album for you, so let them complete their job.

4.) Skip the table cameras. Many brides think they're a good way for guests to capture photos of other guests. If they use it, they'll take pictures of you. Or they won't return it. Or only a few photos are taken and most frames or empty. You'll rarely get a decent photo out of them so put that money towards the pro photographer.

5) Understand what's included in the contract. Every photographer is different in how they work and what they include. Don't make any assumptions. If retouching is included, understand what their definition of retouching is since everyone has different standards for minor or basic retouching. 

Good luck!

My fiance and I are marrying in the Bay Area on a pretty tight budget as well!  Check out Cafe de la Paz (we were told we could have the reception there for about 80-100 people for 6-8K...that's the out the door price, which includes set up, gratuity, food, drink, etc...)

 You might also look into marrying in a park (there are some good places in Golden Gate) or having your reception at a venue that allow you to bring in your own vendors (like the Fort Mason Center).

Good luck! :)

ALRIGHT I'VE GOT THIS!!!!

I am putting on a wedding that I am head over heels in love with for (drumroll) $4,ooo.  Here is what I did:

I learned what I wanted to spluge on, and what I wanted to hold off on. Both my fiance and I wanted to give everyone a good time, so we focused on the food and alcohol and music.

here is what cut budget BIG TIME:

-I had my dress hand made to my specifications for $500. Danielle Marie Designs on Etsy.com is an AMAZING lady to work with, especially if you are shipping the dress back and forth across the country like  I did. 

- We are doing our flowers ourself. Look up Mrs. Lime's centerpieces, we are ordering bright red carnations from Fiftyflowers.com (the highest rated and lowest priced flower wholesaler) and I bought bowls from ikea for $2.99 to arrange them in. Our flowers for 21 tables and 4 bouquets will cost $400.

- We had our invitations custom designed by a graphic designer : pinkdesignevents.com she is incredibly cheap, and you can get your BEAUTIFUL invites printed at kinkos or vistaprint.com and come up under $100 for all your inserts, printing and a design that is yours. Plus she is a great lady to work with! ( you can find our christmas themed wedding invites on her site!)

- We are a young, fun couple so we wanted to serve Fazoli's for our dinner. We have a lot of vegetarians who love pasta so it seemed natural to us. We are serving 150 guests a full pasta bar and garden salad with breadsticks, along with 3 waiters for $1,400. Buffet style. 

- Beer and wine were our biggest splurges. We wanted exceptional wine from a local winery and a variety of beers from a local brewery. What was ESSENTIAL for us is finding a venue that allows you to get your own alcohol. That saves a ton. Plus we cut out the hard stuff, which eliminates the surprises of running an open bar. AND we have an old college friend (who's not too close to us) who is a bartender and is doing our wedding for $50 plus tips all night.

-Some good things come locally. We found a historic hotel's ballroom for $400 for the whole night, including their china, water glasses, silverware, and (since we are doing a christmas wedding) the whole place will already be decorated for the holidays.

-Ipods are a lifesaver for music. We have two loquacious friends who offered to be the emcees and man the playlists. PLUS you get full control of whats played.

-Once again, for luck, my fiance is best friends with our pastor, so we get an officiant and a church scott free. And, another dash of luck, there is a coffee shop upstairs so instead of cocktail hour, we are doing an open coffee bar with lattes and mochas for everyone!

I have more and more and more ideas. I love our wedding and what it is becoming. I don't know if you set a date or not, but we gave ourselves 2 years to plan this, so I haven't had a chance to stress out yet!!! I ordered early, watched for sales, and cut out any room for mistakes. I just feel great that I can focus on marrying the love of my life, rather than getting wrapped up in details. JUST REFUSE TO SAY NO!!

I told my friends I was doing a $4,000 wedding for 150, feeding them, having a custom dress and graphic designer, having flower centerpieces, and a full range of good wine and beer. They laughed. SEE WHOS LAUGHING NOW!! lol

Good luck. Don't forget to keep your eyes on your fiance and it will be beautiful no matter what. 

Take a digital picture with a sign that says Save-the-Date you can print them off at walmart for like 21cents a peice. Envelopes are cheap. If you live near your friends drop them off or hand them out (saves on postage)

My wedding gifts were simple they also doubled as a placecard. My mom is crafty so she ordered 100 peices of wood 3x4inches painted them in cream with crackle paint to make them look old (they cost like 20cents a piece) we wrote everyones name on them and then put rope string through the holes added alittle wooden anchor (like 10cents a piece) painted them blue. We had a nautical theme wedding. Our guest will have alittle sign with there name to take home and hang but they also know where they sit!

Menus write it on a chalkboard or go to an antique store find an old frame and print off the menu and hang up the frame like a picture! You dont need individual menus.

Dont just use flower for centerpieces....go to an antique or second hand store and find unique center pieces that you can put flowers around (having a few flower around something still makes it look nice but you dont need as many)

Find a venue that doesnt need much decorating. Mine is on the water. We are strining lights on the deck and the insides have huge windows so dont need to hang anything on the walls. String lights are fairly cheap but all white lights look nice.

Dont have a long reception. We are having one till 11pm and then going to bar. The bar is letting us get pizzas and bring them inside as a late night snack (we are having a sit down meal)

Photobooth. Set up a sheet in the corner of the room...find cute props at second hand store. Put an add in the paper for a student photographer to do funny wedding pictures or 3 hours at like 50-100 buck. Many starting out will think its a great weekend job. You just need someone to stand infront of your mock photobooth and take pictures (any idiot with a camera can do that)! They can send you the digital prints online. You can print them at wal-mart for cheap and send an extra print with your thank you cards to your friends. Print another for your scrap book!

Look into buffets with chinese theme (usually the cheapest but stil best food) then have to-go boxes of cake in chinese take-out-boxes.

Do your own invites. Go to Michaels and look at all the Jewls, ribbon, twine, etc you can add to make them look great. Kinko has a wide selection of paper and colors. Remember they usually throw out the card after the wedding anyways.

If i think of more I'll write it later! Hope this helps!