Wedding Planning

The majority of the population dont get their dream wedding. The trick is to make priorities, then research, research, research. Keep your guests comfort in mind, and forget about the little things that dont matter (grand centrepieces and favors, for example) and instead, focus on the major things (the food and drink, music). Figure out your budget and THEN make your guest list– not the other way around. Too many brides come on here freaking out because theyve already invited over 100 guests and realize they cant afford it.
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By fizzy stuff on Jan 23, 2009

My husband and I had a huge wedding, something like 300 people, and spent a little under $4,000 total – and that included my dress. We had to make a lot of sacrifices to get it to work but it did. We got married outdoors at a park, where it's free, and changed the time of the wedding and reception so it was later in the day. Our wedding started at 7, right at sunset, and the reception at 8 so we only served finger foods and the cake. We had a cash bar but 2 free kegs. The reception was held at a hotel that offered to cheaply rent their decorations along with using ones I had provided – and I must say, as far as weddings go, mine was the most gorgeous and perfect wedding I've ever experienced (but I'm biased, haha!).
The best way to do it is make a list of all the things you think are important to have at your wedding then put them in a list in order or what you think is more important. Take care of the things at the top of the list first and then work towards finding a way to take care of the rest or throwing it out. Buy a wedding planner from a book store, Target has really good ones too, and start a time line of things you need. There's also a book called Bride Budget or something like that that has a bunch of really great ideas on saving money. Your wedding is going to be perfect because you're going to be in it, don't stress everything will be fine.
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By ajester on Jan 23, 2009

Save a little bit from every paycheck. I know you are both still in college but you can still have a part time job. Even if you only save $50 each out of your paychecks, that will add up to quite a bit in 3 years.

Also cut out what isn't important to you. Some people seem to be doing things at their weddings just because everyone else does. For example, we had no interest in having a videographer. They are expensive and we decided having nice photographs was all we wanted. So we saved money there.

Also, consider when the wedding will be. Getting married on a Saturday night will be more expensive than on a Friday night or a Sunday. You can save money that way.

Good luck!
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By Jess ♥Happy to Be Mrs. G♥ on Jan 23, 2009

Hi and congratulations on your recent engagement and upcoming wedding!

I am in total agreement with fizzy stuff.

I believe that you have already fallen victim to the "perfect wedding" idea. But, ask yourself…..exactly….what does that MEAN? Does having loads of guests and spending loads of money on a wedding mean that it's "perfect." I think not.

You are already off to a good start as you already realize that the billion dollar a year bridal industry has created this false sense of "a perfect day." The bridal industry's translation of a "perfect day" is exactly as I stated above…..loads of guests, loads of money spent on a gown, flowers, food, centerpieces, alcohol, favors, limos, etc., etc.

Now….you can still have a beautiful AND elegant wedding within reason. The FIRST thing you need to do before you do anything else is to set a budget….THEN go on from there. As fizzy stuff said….research, research, research. You have lots of time (2 years) so give yourself time to do the research. You will be surprised at what you can find.

There are so many ways to save and still have a beautiful day! Everything from your gown to the photographer can be purchased at a reasonable cost if you are willing to do some research.

Yes, it's hard to save while you are in college…that is for sure. The key thing would be for both of you to put money away each week for the wedding (if possible.)

Good luck!
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By iloveweddings on Jan 23, 2009

Ours cost peanuts!
We married in the City Register Office, on a Monday morning.
I made my dress in silver blue – longish but not full length and had pale blue shoes because that was his favourite colour.
We told all our friends about the ceremony, when and where, but didn't actually invite anyone.
Had a fair few well-wishers (friends and family) turned up – about 2 dozen
After we had "tied the knot" we all piled into cars and went to a local steak bar and when we had finished eating and drinking, everyone accompanied us to the local railway station and pushed us onto a train bound for Cornwall amid showers of confetti and a lot of laughter..
It was a fabulous day and we celebrate our Golden Wedding this coming August.
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By Veronica Alicia on Jan 23, 2009

I suggest using what you have around you for starters.

LIKE – is there a hairstylist in the circle of friends or family? or a makeup artist?
Someone that you know that is in a photography class or can just take really good pics?
What about looking at getting people to help sew, decorate or do the cake?
If you use what you have around you then it becomes more special because your family and friends helped PLUS you save a ton,

But remember a $10,000 wedding does not mean that they are married any more than a couple with a $4,000 wedding
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By purlie on Jan 23, 2009

I was married in September. Not counting venue (at $400) and DJ (at $300) we spent less than $1000 on our dream wedding! And that INCLUDED not only OUR attire, but the attire for the entire wedding party, flowers, food, decor, invitations, programs, attendant gifts, rehearsal dinner etc.

I'm a professional seamstress so I made all of the wedding party attire, shopping for bargains on fabrics on eBaby. That's not an option for most, so I suggest checking resale shops for wedding gowns. (one of your biggest expenses!) I've seen gorgeous gowns at the Good Will Thrift Store for under $100.

http://s126.photobucket.com/albums/p117/tammyjej/My%20Wedding/

Shop clearance sales at stores like "DEB" for Bridesmaids gowns. And keep the shoes cheap too. It's not YOUR expense, but I could never understand how a Bride would ask her closest friends to pay $400 for a dress they will never wear again, never be able resell and then spend another $100 on shoes dyed to match.

For our flowers I checked (and rechecked) our local Dollar Store every single week. And managed to do all of the flowers myself. (It's not hard and you can find a lot of instructional videos on YouTube). For my center pieces I shopped local thrift stores and bought mis-matched clear class vases at less than 25 cents each. I filled them with assorted Dollar Tree flowers.

I made all of our paper products myself. An invitation kit at the local Wal-Mart and a printer are all you need. (I even got the invitation kits on clearance for $8.00 for 50 invitations with envelopes as well as all pourpose cards that we used as RSVP cards.) The programs were also made myself, using colored card stock and pretty ribbons.

http://s126.photobucket.com/albums/p117/tammyjej/?action=view&current=WeddingInvitationScan-1.jpg

It CAN be done. Use your resources. Are there family members that sew? A crafty Aunt that could help with flowers? A freind who happens to be a beautician?

Best Of Luck To You!!!
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By tammyj_1971 on Jan 23, 2009

The best way to budget is to learn where the needless expenses are and then get rid of them as best you can. For example, "save the date" cards are generally an unnecessary expense. You have the cost for the card and then the postage, too! Generally speaking, those that will need to know that far in advance to be able to plan are few, and a simple telephone call or word of mouth through the family works just as well and saves the cost. Another area where you can save money is by making your own wedding reception favors. Vendors generally sell favors for ridiculous prices for what you get in return. If you decide on a favor, chances are you can find the supplies you need to make it yourself and buy in bulk online.

Some people make their own invitations, too. I did this and was able to design my own style. The only thing was that the cost saved was minimal compared to buying invitations from a vendor – maybe $25? Still, my design wasn't comparable to any designs available from vendors, so it was worth it to me to make my own.

Another consideration is eliminating costs of the tables, chairs, tablecloths, etc. for the reception. This can be done by finding a hotel with conference rooms large enough to meet your needs. They will likely be able to provide the tables, chairs, etc. at no extra charge. They also might be able to cater it for you as well, which eliminates the need for a separate caterer.

Keep in mind that for the flowers, the cost will depend greatly on whether the flowers you want are in season or not. If they aren't, and you're adamant about having them, you will pay more. So when you pick your wedding date, look into what flowers are in season to see if they mesh with your colors, etc.

Definitely go to the bridal fairs to pick up coupons for stuff. I was able to knock a chunk off the cost of my wedding gown by doing this. I found my gown at a vendor that just happened to have a coupon. Then I found a different vendor that would match the price -and- store my gown until the wedding free of charge. A lot of times you have to pay extra to store the gown, so keep that in mind, too.

Hope this helps!
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By Angie29 on Jan 23, 2009

There is a way!
There are lots of things you can do.
#1 you really have to prioritize
You CAN NOT have everything and anything. That's #1 Because of course if you want everything. Because everything cost money.

*Now you can do a lot of DIY (Do it yourself) things.
If you go to Michaels or Michaels.com (the store has more to choose from) They have very beautiful wedding invitations that you can print off yourself. Many of them are better than those in the catalogs.
*Use Silk Flowers- they are beautiful as well. Make your own Flowers, They are not that hard and you can also buy those things at Michaels.
*Go to bridal shows- I actually just went to one yesterday. There are many ideas there and lots of discounts (i got a $100 gift certificate from Davids bridal). I also won a wedding cake knife and server This set retails at $69.99.
* Have someone make your wedding dress, or you can even order off of ebay.
*If you have someone who bakes cakes in your family, see if they can make your wedding cake maybe as a bridal gift for you and your husband to be.
*DJ- make your own music, Have a family member or friend be your DJ, A friend of mine had lots and lots of songs loaded onto her laptop and had a family member play the songs she wanted, just hooked it up to lots of pro. Speakers.
*Have an Adult only reception. Or have an early wedding. Where at the reception you can serve small finger foods. Or try to find a reception site who allows you to bring in your own food.
*Find a photographer who has a set rate. Not one who charger per hour or per shot. This may be a little hard to find but THEY ARE OUT THERE. I know a few where I live (Columbus, OH) do this. One charges $450 edits, and touch ups everything she does, and put’s it on a disk then gives you rights to print them yourself. Or go to your local community college and ask a photography student to shoot your weding. Lots of people do this and the kids love it! (Also try this for your wedding cake)

If you need anything else let me know. I have many other ways to save!!!
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meeee

By **B2B 07/11/2009** on Jan 23, 2009

dont get wedding stuff!!
if you rent a hall for an event it will cost an amount but renting the same area for a wedding cost twice as much!
same with everything, chairs, tables, linens if they are for a wedding they are a lot more!
also a backyard is great or in a park,
keep the guest list small,
do a buffet instead of a sit down dinner (we had a local bbq place cater it was great)
for the cake bake it your self or have someone who wants to help out bake it, it doesnt have to be a enormous thing just a yummy cake,
most of all shop around!!! i talked to multiple people before i picked some one to do the wedding and they ended up being the cheapest, but they were who i like the most anyways, same thing with music i went on gigmasters.com and found a wedding singer, just a guy and his guitar to do music, it was cheaper then a band or a dj and we lived it.
for invitations i went to a party store and bought pretty blank ones and a new ink cartridge and printed them myself, it cost me about 1/5 of the price of ordering them.

our wedding was small, calm and casual and cheap but we just watched the wedding video and it was perfect, i got to talk to everyone and we all had a wonderful night
congrats and good luck
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By due 1/29 on Jan 23, 2009

Here's some advice – hope this helps!

1) Get married on an "off" day and month. Getting married on a Sunday in February (like President's Day weekend) or in March would probably save you tons. Our venue offers wedding packages for half off from January-March.

2) Use "do it yourself" invitations from Target, Michaels, or Wal Mart. You can get DIY programs, save the dates, etc. Do them on your own computer and save tons of money.

3) Buy your wedding dress from craigslist or ebay. You can get new ones on there, but you can get GREAT deals on used ones. I bought a used Maggie Sottero gown and got it for $140. It was originally $1200.

4) Hire a professional florist for the bouquets and boutinierres, but do the centerpieces yourself. You can get flowers in bulk from Costco or Sam's Club and do a very very simple centerpiece. There are tons of great ideas on theknot.com and Martha Stewart Weddings.

5) Consider having your wedding at 3:00 so that people aren't expecting dinner. That way you can serve heavy appetizers. If you need to serve a meal – buffet is going to be cheaper than a plated dinner (ours if $24.95/person for the most expensive buffet option, but the cheapest plated dinner is $34.95/person).

6) Consider hiring an art student with an eye for photography as your wedding photographer.

7) Use an IPOD connected to a speaker system rather than a DJ.

Have a close friend get certified to be the officiant at your wedding! They can do it online and it would be special for the two of you and save you some $$!

Alright – hope that helps!
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By Corey A on Jan 23, 2009

hi well done for setting a budget ,i got married 4 years in sept 09.we had a budget wedding shop around for your outfits first then venue book reg or church flowers small posies buttonholes for hubby and best man both set of parents that cuts a lots of money costs out also food get family to help cook do a buffet i no its not to everyones taste but theres lots out there u can buy and do a lovely buffet next music shop around on internet for dj or see if u have a friend with a karoke machine that can b fun and enjoyable hpe this helps good luck
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By fuzzybear on Jan 23, 2009

Yes a wedding can be very nice for $5,000. Do a lot of research. Find unique places to have it. The time of day and day of the week effects the cost. There are frills that are not necessary, it is your day. Figure out what is important to you. Not his parents or your parents but the two of you.

Congratulations and Good Luck
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By El Junque on Jan 23, 2009

Well what can I say? You have some great tips here from all the previous posts. Here is a page that we have on this subject specifically http://onlineweddingadvice.com/wedding-planning-and-preperation/budgeting-a-ideas
I hope it helps.

Best of luck
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http://www.onlineweddingadvice.com

By Online Wedding Advice on Jan 23, 2009