We are getting married in washington state. the reception will be a bbq at my aunts house. but we want a small and cheap cermony and need ideas to know how much we need to save and what our budget will be. My fiance is in basic training in the army so i am doing this alone, any help please!
2006-06-08 19:44:01 · 11 answers · asked by anika_white 1 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
My husband and I were in the same predicament our house just caught on fire and lost everything. Had to let my deposit go on my gown to pay for hotels all this 3 months before our wedding date. Our little nest egg whittled away to nothing. What i did to prepare i opened up the yellow pages (phone book) and started searching for someone to marry us. Bingo! I found a place that will draw up the papers for me and come to my location to perform the ceremony for $175 total. Not bad at all i thought Great! now to find a place .. Hmmmm We thought long and hard, went to our favorite park over looking San Diego bay for a walk .. OMG i thought this is perfect, we came here on our first date, he brought me here again when he picked up the rings and asked me again as the sun was setting to marry him. Yes that was the place a casual outside wedding over looking the bay. We had our reception there as well same as you bbq :-) and to allow us to have alcohol in the park i went to the city and paid $25 for a permit allowing 50 people to drink on that date and time. Out of pocket we didn't spend much, we also got married in April best time of year to find a dress.. Graduation gowns go on sale ;-) i got a really nice pale blue gown for $80.
Pick somewhere special between you and him somewhere you don't have to pay to visit and you will know your place. Good Luck in your search and your new future.
2006-06-08 19:56:51 · answer #1 · answered by ToYsTeMpTer 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
If you are affiliated with a particular religious denomination, getting married in a church (probably even a synogogue) doesn't cost that much. I had a wedding and a reception at my church, and the total bill for the wedding, dress included, was about $3,000.
We cut corners on several things... flowers, for example. People spend a fortune, but if you are willing to buy flowers wholesale and put together your own bouquets, or to buy a "spring flower mix" bouquet, you can save a lot of money.
If you are seeking music, call music departments at local colleges or universities. Chances are there are plenty of poor music students who would play at the ceremony for $50-100.
If your fiance is in the military, could you find a chaplain who would perform the ceremony? That probably wouldn't cost too much money.
One thing you can really save a lot of money on is photography. My friend had a great idea for her wedding! Although a family friend was appointed as her official "amateur photographer" she asked everyone to bring their digital cameras and to snap lots of photos at the wedding and the reception. At the reception, someone was stationed at a laptop. The laptop was attached to a device that could read several types of digital camera cards. The DJ reminded everyone to stop by the laptop so their pictures could be downloaded before leaving the reception. This worked wonderfully! If you were to do this, just remind people to turn of their flashes during the ceremony. That can really be distracting! My friend and her new husband had great pictures and didn't spend a dime to hire a photographer.
Other ways to save...if you want to wear a veil, can you borrow one from somebody? You wind up paying a ton for a piece of tuile. Do you really need an expensive wedding cake? Could you feed everyone cheesecake or cupcakes instead?
Just some ideas! Good luck.
2006-06-09 21:17:13 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to a Justice of The Peace in the Court House. You don;t have to have a big elaborate ceremony to start with. At the Cout House, just have family and the witnesses. You will save here in church and clergyman expenses and decorations. Have some pictures made outside in the Gazebo, as most courthouses have one right outside. Skip the photographer, and let someone with a very nice camera take some pictures there.
Still want a church wedding? Does any of you belong to a church? Normally, you won;t incurr into big expenses if it's in your own church and people tend to be happy to help and pitch in. Churches have decorations, candle holders etc.that you could borrow for the ocassion.
A reception barbq is perfect. Have beer and punch and a nice cake. Decorate tables with checkered pattern tableclothes, this patern is very unexpensive and you can buy it inbulk a the local craft shop or Walmart.. For favours, you can give bbq sause or preserve jars wrapped in the same linen as your table clothes,. it will be adorable! Skip the florist and make the bouquet and boutoniers yourself. Enroll the help of your family and friends. Skip the DJ and burn a cd with fun music and let it play inthe background.
Congratulations and good luck
2006-06-09 08:55:44 · answer #3 · answered by Blunt 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a good way to get away with not spending so much on a cake. I had a small 3 tiered wedding cake made for the pictures and then had a sheet cake made to feed my guests. Also for wedding favors I put a few Hershey kisses and hugs in white fabric circles cut with pinking shears, tied them with a ribbon and attached a strip of paper on which I had written our names and the wedding date. ALSO a friend of mine gave out 10 disposable cameras to some family members and guests. She didn't even use a professional photographer and she got great candid shots of everything.
2006-06-10 09:06:05 · answer #4 · answered by beckini 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
have it outside if possible and keep it small.... start making your guest list now so you have the numbers...... limit the amount of ppl... that is where the cost is.... feeding them.... a bar b que is a good starting place...... if you are not a fancy person you can make all your own arrangements, bridal bouquet and all.... go to a craft shop and start looking around....... you can buy as you have the money....... as for your dress there are sales or used clothing shops...... some dresses may have never been worn......there are mags with great ideas in them...... get on the net ...... you can have a wonderful and beautiful wedding below 1000.oo if ya want or even under 500.oo if ya realy put your mind to it......... read, look and listen.......... ohhhhh, I almost forgot this part, if you are not to picky about gifts you could also go to ppl you know real well, such as best friends and aunts and grand parents , etc, and instead of gifts they could provide the cake, punch, etc......... make it a family thing........ God bless
2006-06-09 02:55:56 · answer #5 · answered by Annie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The option that my wife and i went for when we got married was the good old fashioned justice of the peace down at the courthouse. Then we had a reception for the whole family, and it was a lot of fun. Let's face it, 99% of the time, weddings are dull as sh$# anyway, so skip that part for the family and just let them join in on the fun. And keep in mind...the whole point of having friends and family at your wedding is for them to demonstrate how happy they are for you...no matter how you actually do the deed.
2006-06-09 02:53:50 · answer #6 · answered by jasoninvividcolor 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ceremony itself doesn't have to be huge, people remember the reception moreso than the wedding anymore. Have the wedding at the same place, rental places usually have gazebos, decorate with flowers, and lights, take sparklers and place them around the gazebo, have 3 or 4 people light them as you are saying your I do's.....sparklers...not fireworks! (lol)
I did our wedding for 1000.00, but that included a hall for the reception/cake. I did my own invitations, own centerpieces and my family helped with making a dish to pass. And we had a friend with a wide array of music cds to be the dj, uncles bartended...
2006-06-09 02:53:37 · answer #7 · answered by rdhedhottie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Outdoors in a gazebo is the best idea. You barely have to do anything to decorate.
Another idea is ask friends and family to help. Don't be shy or feel like you're inconveniencing them. I love it when people ask me to help!
Best of luck--I'm sure whatever you do it'll be a day to remember.
2006-06-09 10:51:33 · answer #8 · answered by irishharpist 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simple wedding is much beautiful.The important thing in your wedding is that all the important person in your lives will be present on that day..But of course don't forget cameras and videos.
2006-06-09 09:04:27 · answer #9 · answered by sky 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
instead of getting presents ask woman to bring a plate and men to bring grog.
just supply beer and wine byo spirits have soft drink and juice available.
don't worry bout decorations just hang fairy lights around.
just invite close family and friends
thats my ideas good luck
2006-06-09 02:50:26 · answer #10 · answered by nis 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋