Post # 1
Member
56 posts
Worker bee
Im not one of the lucky brides who has parents and or family to pay for her wedding. Both myself and fiancee come from nothing! Therefore we have no help… When we first got engaged we thought we had help with money well we thought wrong!!! so we have been saving for our big day but a wedding is just to expensive!!!! We live together and with all the bills we barely can put anything into the savings! I am also a student at this time working toward my RN. I have always dream of my perfect wedding but now i see that that dream wont come true! Now that i have been planning this wedding since we got engaged (in Dec 2009 which this has been a lonnng engagement) I see that everything is pricey. Even with me DIY. This has been a long engagement and im ready to be the Mrs. But right now i honestly dont want to pay for one day of many pointless things. Id much rather buy a new car. What am i supose to do??? Ive always dreamed of walking down with my dad, kissing the groom, saying i do, having a first dance but that all comes with a big price!!! I do have my dress so that is a check off… A part of me just wants to run away and get eloped but i know that will upset our family but the voice inside of me says do it Why spent all this money on people who have never helped you??? has any one been in my shoes HELP!!! No rude comments please What should i do i need advice!!!
Post # 3
Member
1843 posts
Buzzing bee
Can you have a backyard wedding with close family and friends only? Skip the food reception and do cake/punch only? If you already have your dress, and you still have well over a year until the wedding – can you save tax returns? Fiance get a PT job?
Basically you either need to scale back the wedding or increase the revenue — or both. I have seen some beautiful, small DIY weddings – sometimes I think those end up being more intimate and all-around beautiful.
Post # 4
Member
43 posts
Newbee
How about getting married on paper, save up, and have a big party on your 5th or 10th anniversary?
Otherwise, if I were in your shoes, I’d do the city hall/courthouse thing with just me, him, and our parents as witnesses. Then have a small reception at a decent restaurant with a private room for about 30 of our closest family/friends. Preferably on a weekday.
Post # 5
Member
11390 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
You can get eloped with your parents /siblings there! 🙂 The chapels Ive seen before come with packages that cover everything including flowers/cake & pictures! Go for it, where your dress have your dad walk you down the isle. You can stilll have all that and elope for a good price. 🙂 Good luck!
Post # 6
Member
3788 posts
Honey bee
Lots of brides and grooms are doing it on their own; you don’t have to make it an “us” v. “them” post.
Have a backyard wedding or a small church wedding. You can still walk down the aisle on your father’s arm and kiss your groom, and it can still be a beautiful day. You just need to adjust your expectations for it.
Post # 7
Member
966 posts
Busy bee
I’d say backyard/park wedding with close family only.
Post # 8
Member
4755 posts
Honey bee
Well you can’t have it all you just can’t. I’m sorry but that’s life.
You either need to drastically cut the guest list. Like very drastic to have the typical wedding. OR do what others have suggested in the backyard putluck informal type of wedding.
Post # 9
Member
2702 posts
Sugar bee
are you willing to wait a while to save money? Maybe wait until you get a nursing job so you can save?
Post # 10
Member
381 posts
Helper bee
Have you heard of this blog? http://2000dollarwedding.com/ They had a full guest list and offered food AND booze (DIY mexican and margaritas!). You can still walk down the aisle, kiss the groom, have a first dance, etc. It might not look exactly the way you imagined, but if the important thing is having traditional wedding elements and being surround by the people you love, you just have to think outside of the box. Check out their budget break down and recaps for suggestions.
Post # 11
Member
449 posts
Helper bee
I TOTALLY understand where you are coming from. I got engaged in Feb of this year and am hoping more than anything that we can save enough for some sort of wedding by Oct. 2013 because after beign together 8 years, I can’t wait any longer!! It’s just nto fair how expensive things are an dhow much evndors rip you off for it being a wedding 🙁 I wish I had advice for you but I’m in the same boat and need advise myself. Just commenting so you know you are not the only one. Best of luck.
Post # 12
Member
10366 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
If we hadn;t had the money for a bigger wedding, we would have had an amazing, intimate, private small ceremony with just immediate family and our 2 best friends, and gone out to a lovely dinner. It’s my “other” dream wedding, actually :-).
