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What specific ideas are you looking for help on. We did our whole wedding with approx 40 people tho we had enough food for atleast 60 for under $1000. While it is stressful and hard to handle sometimes it definitely is doable- don't give up on your dream!
I felt like this for a while but I ended up having a beautiful wedding for 80 guests at about $4,000 so I'd encourage you to go for it. I have two pieces of advice. The first is to write out your budget. Then, look at the biggest items and slash them. My second is to think outside the box. Here are some examples.
Photographer and DJ are two things you can definitely do without. Look through your guest list. SOMEONE has to have a decent camera there. Then, get a TON of inspiration pictures and just ask that person to try to replicate them. DJ can be replaced by a computer and yes, people WILL dance.
Also, I got my food from a "food by the pound" place (kind of like they have in supermarkets). It was $310 total and tasted AMAZING. Forget about alcohol. Again, people WILL dance.
You already cut the cake, good for you. Make sure to get an affordable dress. DO NOT overlook David's Bridal. They have surprisingly nice things for cheap.
And look at a wide range of venues. Don't be afraid to venture a little far away from your home in search of a cheaper venue. Also, don't overlook city parks, friend's backyards, and other locations that could be significantly cheaper.
I hope this helped even though I'm sure you've already done a ton of budget-cutting research.
i understand completely as i am in the same boat just barely older than you and i had to scale my wedding way back from what i ever imagined it would be due to lack of money
but you know what when i walked into the church today that will host my wedding i was so amazed i almost started crying yes it's not what i always thought it'd be or the way i thought it should work out but i realized OMG I'm getting married to the man and I love and I'm doing it with almost no money but I'm doing it bc i love him and that's all that matters. I know that sounds so cliched but I truly understand you being upset I had to postpone my wedding twice as well. But in the end even if its not the dream it's still worthwhile
we're talking about a person who has been obsessed with and planning her own wedding practically since birth
This is the thing that bothers me about the whole Wedding Industrial Complex. The really important thing about a wedding is that it is a celebration of the relationship of two people. That can be as simple as cake and punch for your immediate family after a wedding in the park wearing street clothes, or as complex as a huge wedding with the latest fashions in attire, decor, etc. Yet when we dream of weddings since birth, the focus is on the material aspects, not on the relationship. (After all, we have no idea who our partner will even be at that point.)
Throw out everything you've expected a wedding to be, and think about what kind of a party (if any) you'd like, given your financial constraints, to celebrate your relationship. Maybe that is an elopement, maybe that is a small celebration with close family and friends, maybe it is something else. However, any of these things is still a wedding, as it contains the essential element: being married to the one you love.
Thank you guys for your encouragement and suggestions! Just knowing that others have had these issues is comforting and reassuring at the same time. In regards to cutting the budget, we've already chosen to use an iPod for any music and in regards to my dress, I've already purchased one that is being made for me. I fell in love with a dress that is $2,000 and am having it recreated for $600, which was a little more than I had wanted to pay, but my mom insisted upon doing so.
I suppose where my biggest issue lies is in finding a venue. Growing up, I had always had my heart set on having a beautiful backyard wedding at the house I grew up in, which was situated on a farm, however, when my family lost our house to foreclosure in 2008 during my senior year of high school, that dream was also taken away with the house. Since beginning my wedding planning I have looked into various locations, and have found many that I like (out of my budget range) and many I don't like (within my range). As for using the backyard of someone I know, I wouldn't be opposed to the idea at all if I knew someone with a big enough and nice enough backyard to do so. I guess it's safe to say that I'm stuck in a rut!
Have you thought about a local park? We rented a pavillon at a local park for $50 for the whole day. Also avoid using the word wedding while looking, refer to it as a family gathering or something of sorts. That may help keep your costs down a little bit.
I would definitely do a wedding. Being surrounded by family and friends is the important thing. Use a local park for a venue, or even someone's backyard. Local farmers markets are a great place to find flowers for cheap (our centerpiece flowers are $3 each). I got our tablecloths and vases and napkins on craigslist and will resell them. Dress came from a consignment shop and will go back. Music from an ipod works great. Our videographer is a student ($15 / hour). Invitations etc can come from vistaprint. Have a BBQ or takeout from Whole Foods and it will still taste great. Etc etc. I bet your wedding will still look and feel amazing.
@LpCutiPie: I'm actually going to look into a few more local parks... Hopefully, my mom, who's all about having it in a ballroom (which I'm not) will be okay with the idea.
Just find some beautiful outside wedding pictures and I'm sure she'll get on board... If you need any help doing some research feel free to send me a message- I love getting into this kind of stuff and I know how hard it is to keep in budget.
I've spent 2600 on my wedding total. You have to remember that the venue and photography are usually the most expensive items you'll pay for. I'm having a family member take the photos(it's kind of his thing) and the venue was 750.00 . A steal for the time slot and space that I have. I ordered my dress from myidress.com so I didn't pay the designer price for that either and my veil was twenty dollars at etsy.com . If you're looking for floral fascinators I suggest looking at forever21.com . They have a ton of floral accessories in ivory. We're also making all of the food and most of the decorations as well. With that said, I LOVE Joann's. They have sales all of the time and I got all of my florals and fabrics from here. Vases can be purchased at practically any dollar or thrift store. We made all of our invitations and had them printed out for FREE! (My mom works for IBM.) Find out what your family has to offer. Ours not only printed the invitations for us but we were also provided DJ equipment from our Uncle, bridesmaids dresses were MADE by my Grandmother, and even the pies( b/c cake sucks.) will be baked by my family during a pie party. With all of this in consideration, I'm still having my dream wedding. It's possible!
what about local cabin rentals? they usually offer outside weddings at good prices. (though, honestly, parks are FAR cheaper... we just don't have any where we can reserve the place without having anyone/everyone see and "join in".)
We have a GORGEOUS place here in VA not far from where we currently live that we'll be using. It's the most expensive part of the wedding, but totally worth it. It's mainly renting the cabins for x-amount of guests that'll cost the most, but it's still worth it to have it outside, close to home, and not have to worry with our kids getting hurt/lost/in trouble.
definitely go with cheap locations that DONT include the food etc. for example, i'm going with a golf course place where its $40 per person including the rental space and food and tableware, etc. i kind of wish i had paid just to rent the space and provided everything else..
one thing I 100% DISAGREE with on here is the person who said that a photographer is something you could do without. are you KIDDING me? i was gonna say the photographer is the one thing to splurge on. your wedding photos are forever. (being a photography enthusiast myself i may be somewhat biased but its probably near my number one priority for my wedding). you can find a ton of up and comers who are looking to expand their portfolio for cheap online. i found someone who had started his business less than a year ago for super cheap, and his photos are AMAZING. definitely don't rely on someone with no experience who just wants to attend your wedding and have fun for crappy half lit pictures etc. trust me. /end photo rant
also for cheap wedding favors, you can look into making a donation in the person's name to a charity, and usually the provide you with a little favor with your name on it for $50 or more. i'm getting some bookmarks from st judes with a minimum $50 donation.
My wedding will absolutely be done on a 2500.00 budget it can be done and still be elegant..its about the two people getting married not anyone else.. you really spend all that extra money trying to please folks and whats the point if you are going to be broke afterwards. Ask for help and cut dollars where you can..
For $3000 Why not go to the carribbean, get married on the beach, or a cliff overlooking the ocean at sunset? Most people I talk to say they wish they had eloped...otherwise you could be like a friend of mine and hold on getting married till you can afford it...
I'm w/ya! I've planned our entire wedding for 150 ppl on a very tight budget! Here is my advice (sorry if Im repeating anyone, I didnt read all the posts!).
If you know anyone w/a nice house and yard, move the wedding to summer and have the ceremony/reception outside and in! Gives lots of room plus it can be very affordable or free!! You dont even need to rent chairs if the ceremony isnt that long! Ive seen a few gorgeous weddings where guests stood for the ceremony! One couple had a runner down the middle and an arch (I bought our arch, lighted and all for $40!). You can also have it at a time where you wouldnt have to provide a meal (say after lunch or dinner) and just serve cake and beverages! (you can get wine at a discount if ordering in bulk, or just do a sparlkling cider!) You can also use balloons in your colors as some of the decor! And balloons are pretty cheap! I had fallen IN LOVE w/a wedding dress that was $800 and upon investigating found a very similar dress on the $99 clearance rack at Davids Bridal! Also, I found flower petals in our colors at a craft store that were also on clearance and I had a coupon!! Not only can u use them in the basket, but you can sprinkle them all over tables etc (which is what were also doing)! Great for cheap decor! If you google "paper and more" they have gorgeous paper (ours was $22 for 100 sheets in a beautiful silver shimmery color that matches our theme) that u can use as program paper! We went to kinkos and printed them out (for $14!) and then off to the craft store for $1 roll of black ribbin we tied at the top! They look so professional! Target has invite kits that include EVERYTHING you need for $25-$50! Take em home or to kinkos and print em out! Smartyhadaparty.com has amazing deals on paper plates etc for serving your cake on, and (if you want but totally dont need to) they have little pouches (we got ours for $15 for 100 pouches) to put little candies in for your guests favors! Hope this helps! If you have more specific questions Id be more than happy to give u suggestions! Like I said, we planned ours for 150 ppl on a $2000 budget! It can be done! Having a wedding is suppose to be a joyous time to share w/all your loved ones! It doesnt have to "break the bank". If everyone u invite loves you, they wont care that you didnt spend thousands of dollars! They'll be honored just to witness and be part of your special day! The best of luck to you and congrats! : )
You can do it. Don't get discouraged. The thing is, you might need to redesign what the perfect wedding is. I have read in several posts this week, and it keeps me going, all you need is the bride and groom, and the legalities (so an officiant ( in some places) and a witness). Affter that the rest is really want. Try not to see it as going with out, as much as doing it different. For me, having a very untraditional wedding, I don't feel like I am missing out, cause its just so different.
I agree with other posters about looking into a park, farm or ranch for an oustide venue. I think you can get outdoor space for a steal if you research. Also about DIY, don't assume cause its DIY its cheap! Sometimes making things yourself cost more if you aren't careful!
Best of luck and be happy! You are getting married!
@smcopp89: Just from reading through this, I get the impression that your mom wants to do this "bigger" than you do. It's a tough spot - she's had her OWN visions of you walking down the aisle. But you'll have to be clear to her that a ballroom is not within budget for you. She's already gotten you to cave on spending more on your dress; I'd be careful with that.
Other than that, everyone else has given great advice. It's totally do-able; the industry just likes us to think it's not. :)
I am on the same boat that you are on, and you feel like your sinking! Every place that I can think of is taken already. I really do not want a outside venue but it is turing more that way. Florida is just tough to tell how the weather will be. It still rains in November, heck it always rains on Halloween which is the just before my Wedding. I have splurged on my dress and my photographer, so now I am trying to figure out the rest. I need to stop watching all these Wedding shows where people have 25,000-100,000 for a Wedding. I was trying to keep mine at about 1000, now that went out the door and now I am hoping for 3000. But is not looking likely either. Even the Church I was hoping to use - will be 2000 alone!
I have decided to go "picnic chic" in order to keep my budget low and my festivities fun! I'm having a Sunday afternoon wedding and using a local waterfront park as my location ($25 an hour to rent, and FULL of fresh blooms - so it keeps the flower cost low). I am buying picnic baskets off Craigslist ($5-10 each), mismatched china from thrift stores (usually less than 25 cents a piece), and using quilts that I've made as blankets, etc. I am putting two bottles of wine, fresh assorted cheese, local fresh bakery items, fresh fruit, etc on each blanket "setting" along with some cute little vases with flower sprigs from the farmers market. Instead of dancing and a DJ (which isn't my style anyway), I'm setting up croquet and bocce ball on the flat lawns of the park. I figure everyone can sit and enjoy the sunshine, view, and play a little bocce ball after we're finished eating.
I intend to copy this look (http://www.modernphotographers.net/tag/picnic-wedding-photo/) EXACTLY and can do it for less than $25 a blanket - four people per blanket! Everything (except the food) can be bought at thrift stores for next to nothing! It requires TIME, but it's cheap!!!
A photographer is a must, but you can go to websites like modemayhem.com and find new photographers (who have good work, but haven't broken into the field) who will be willing to shoot your wedding for free so they can start (or add to) a portfolio and starting marketing themselves as wedding photographers.
I second the suggestion to look into local parks. We rented one for $50 that was gorgeous.
And you can do it! We had our wedding for right around $3000, and that included the honeymoon.
If you were a billionaire, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett would be wayyyy richer than you. Don't get caught up in what you think you should have. I know that's easier said than done, but sometimes you just have to put the wedding magazines away. And Style Me Pretty--I love that website but it always makes me feel so inadequate.
There is a ton of good advice here. Don't forget about Friday night, Saturday brunch or Sunday. Almost everyone you have to pay is cheaper.
Since you are a younger bride, have you considered postponing it a little while longer to save more money? You said you are high school sweethearts, so it probably feels like forever already, but another year would probably help tremendously.
As many others already said, what matters most is that your guests are comfortable, you are having a wonderful time and you are married to the love of your life. Everything else is just a means to an end.
How about getting married without a reception, and save up and have the reception at a later date?
Those are good suggestions. Another suggestion is to look for a restaurant or cafe that will let you use the room for free. When I got married, we had a shoestring budget.
I found a restaurant that already did Sunday a champagne brunch buffet. We got the room for free, and all the linens were included (I even got to pick the colors). It was the normal price of the Sunday brunch and we were just required to have a certain number of people (or pay that amount). We got waiter service and champagne up to a certain bottle amount. There was a bar there (outside the room) for anyone who wanted hard liquor (that they paid for).
And the buffet food was GOOD (we're talking crab, multiple, carving stations, omlette and pasta stations - the works -- and the juice varieties and coffee were included). I could NEVER have afford that level of culinary goodness, and I never even would have considered that as an option until I saw a babyshower at that restaurant.
We had the wedding and the reception in that room and the room had an amazing view. You may want to try a local restaurant that has a private room (for free). You could always have the actual ceremony outside in a park and then the receiption there, or do the ceremony there.
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Well, here I am almost 21 years old and engaged to my high school sweetheart for a year and a half now. Life is great and I'm extremely happy, excluding one little detail; the wedding I've had to postpone twice already due to a lack of funds (our budget is $3,000). Now, I realize I'm not the only bride out there faced with financial issues, especially in today's day and age, but because of this issue, I've lately been debating whether having a wedding at all is even worth the trouble. Trust me, this concept is more than hard to swallow, especially since we're talking about a person who has been obsessed with and planning her own wedding practically since birth. I guess where my dilemma lies is in the fact that no matter how hard I try, my wedding (given my budget) will never be what I've always epitomized it to be.
I've cut the guest list, asked my friend's mother to make our cake, and have chosen to do everything DIY (from the food to the flowers to the invitations and everything in between), and yet as I make these cuts, I still find myself over budget and disappointed, because nothing has turned out even close to how I've always imagined it to.
I'm not sure if I'm just being picky and putting too much emphasis on one day, but at the current moment, I feel as if it would be better to elope and not have a wedding at all, than to have a wedding that wasn't everything I hoped it would be now or when looking back on it fifty years from now and beyond.
Does anyone else feel like this, or am I the only one?