How can you not spend an arm and a leg in your wedding?

Question

I want a decent wedding, but I won't have the amount of money I think I'd need. What can I do to save some money without becoming Steve Martin in Father of the Bride?

Answer 1

The most important things are to create a budget and cut your guest list. If you have an ideal of what class level you want your wedding to be, cut the guest list until it gets to a point that you can afford it. Remember, 10 people treated well is MUCH better than 100 people forced to sit on lawn chairs in someone's backyard.

If you don't have the cash to do it, then do a much smaller low key private service and reception. Nothing says you have to have $5000 in flowers, a $1500 dress, $1000 in linens, and 10 attendants each. To have a good party, you just need you, some close family and friends, good food, good music, and good drink. This way you won't be stressed about how much you spent, your guests won't want to show up and bail immediately, and everyone will enjoy being in a low pressure situation. : )

Answer 2

Stop watching wedding shows and reading super fancy weddings featured in wedding mags. Weddings have gotten way expensive. Your final cost will depend on how many people you will invite and what time of day. If you have a large wedding plan a 3:00 wedding, this way no one is expecting a meal with the reception. You can also have a late night wedding starting at say 8:00 and serve desserts only (this is great because many people don't eat a lot of sweets, make sure there is a veggie tray as well for diabetics or dieters). I have always liked this idea because you can have it at night with a party feel and a DJ and dancing. Food, cake, alcohol, flowers, and photography are the big money eaters. Put more into the photography than the flowers. If you want a wedding that has everything limit the number of guests. People will say things to you like " oh don't forget to invite me" respond with, "I think we are going to keep it really small, we are just now thinking about it" This way you won't feel like you have to invite everyone. But if you want a lot of guests, spend time looking for a place that has a very low rental price and is willing to help you keep cost low. Also tell your bridesmaids and close family that you have a small budget ask them if they have item you can borrow here is a list of common items they may have for you to use:
Veil- these can cost alot and most girls don't mind you borrowing
krinolin- (spelling?)
toasting glasses- your caterer can provide two glasses, just tie some ribbon on
cake cutting knife
shoes- really, who wears their bridal shoes twice? Use shout wipes if they are dirty
jewelry

Also when close friends ask you what you really want for a gift, tell them bank gift cards. These can be used on your honeymoon. Or to buy groceries after the credit card bill come in.

Answer 3

First create a realistic budget and do not go over the budget. You need to take out a piece of paper and write down every expense and keep close track. Decide how many people you want to invite and keep it small. Try to invite only immediate family and only a few close friends (not so and so from work that you dont see outside of work, etc).
Research weddings. Buy your wedding dress online, make it yourself, or try to get a dress at a big sale at a bridal store. If you pay more than 450.00 dollars then you didn't do your homework.
I good tip I heard for the wedding cake is that instead of buying a BIG wedding cake to feed every guest buy a small sized fancy decorated wedding cake and then ask the caterier to make sheet pan cakes of the same flavor cake (they do this when they make samples for people to try. It cost less to get sheet pan cakes from the same baker because they dont fancy decorate them, but they taste and look about the same as the fancy decorated one. Your guests will have no idea that it is not from the fancy looking cake, unless you tell them.)
Or find a place that sells package wedding receptions (cake, food, etc all included.)
Another tip would be to have the reception at your own house in the backyard when it is warm (rent large white party tents which dont cost too much and hire a caterer or have pot luck buffey style wedding. Maybe all your close relatives would make a dish and bring it over, if you have a lot of aunts, cousins, etc who can cook).
Saving money all depends on how much research you do and what you are willing to live without/ what style wedding/ reception you want.
You could also have a wedding and not have a reception if you dont have much money.

Answer 4

Keep your guest list small. Get family and friends to help you with everything. You can make a lot of things that will save you money. Don't go overboard on flowers, find them cheap at a flea market or do something different for centerpieces (like floating candles). And you could even put together your own bouquets for cheaper. For pictures, a good idea that I've seen on here is to take the bridal party to Glamour Shots before the ceremony, it's a lot cheaper. And then just have someone take pics of the ceremony and the reception with a good digital camera. You could also get a friend to videotape it and make that their gift to you. For food, go with a buffet. This will be your most costly thing. Get some quotes from caterers, tell them your budget and they'll tell you what foods they can serve for that price. If it's still out of your price change, get party platters from restaurants. You could do stuff like wings, eggrolls, chicken fingers, ribs, mashed potatoes, salad, Italian, just about anything. They'll supply you with huge servings of whatever food you want. You would still want to hire some servers to clean up and set up the food. You don't want to worry about that on the big day. And if you're serving alcohol, get a bartender. Letting guests serve themselves can cause a big mess. Buy your alcohol and sodas when they're on sale. You could even serve only beer and wine to save more money. Get your cake from Publix, they're reasonable and it's good. For wedding favors, shop around on the internet, then check out Ebay for the same items and compare prices. I found the same exact stuff on there for cheaper than other websites. They also sell wedding invitations which is how I found mine. You could also have the ceremony and reception at someone's house or a park. We did ours at a park overlooking the water, and they had a hall that we rented for the reception. Also, David's bridal has cheap wedding dresses. I got mine at Dillard's, but we were having an informal wedding. Good luck!

Answer 5

lower than 15 men and women - so I'm guessing no reception corridor, proper? What you may also desire to do is preserve the rite (park, seaside, church...and so forth) at any place you would like and comply with it through an upscale eating place (wherein you will not must fear approximately offerings) if feasible, uncover one with a are living band...and so forth - i have no idea wherein you are living, however this may occasionally readily rate you approximately eighty% of your funds. Another choice goes to a play/exhibit (broadway) - once more, i have no idea wherein you are living, so if that is an choice- it might be very stylish - and opt for a quality at ease and stylish position - however once more kill your funds What I noticed on TV and idea it used to be distinguished used to be that they held a marriage ceremony social gathering (reception) at Medievil Times - this has meals and amusement and if i am not fallacious it expenses $50 in line with character, however there are organization reductions! You will have this entire medievil subject matter - i feel the entire factor lasts approximately one million hour or so - you'll be able to after meet at your residence (offered you could have the distance) for a few beverages and a marriage ceremony cake (no meals due to the fact you might have already eaten) and you'll be able to provide out favors there. This is an overly a laugh thought - GOOD LUCK!

Answer 6

1. Your photographer could be a student from the local college who has been studying art and photography (they are actually very good photographers). You can bargain with them to get a good price.

2. If you get married at an off time for weddings (like Lent), that is a slow time for business that depend on weddings to survive. You can get some better prices from them. Like DJ's.

3. Skip the bouqet of flowers for throwing and throw your bouquet. The flowers will just be dead or dying when you get home. Let someone else (a single woman) deal with the flowers.

4. Use your church for the wedding. The only thing you have to pay for there (at least with my Lutheran church) was the pastor ($50.) If your churches reception area is big enough (again my Lutheran church) would let you use it free for the rehearsal dinner and reception (my church wasn't big enough for reception).

5. Use VFW halls for reception. They aren't that bad and their prices are more reasonable than a lot of others. Some of them you can bring your own wine and you just buy 1 or 2 kegs of beer. If people want the hard stuff there is always a bar on the other side of the hall and they can go there and buy it themselves.

6. You can go to a small printer and they often have deals for printing your invitations. Better than some of the bigger better known places.

7. Use a smaller bakery over a better known or big named one (like Busken Bakery.) You can get better prices from them.

8. When you hire your caterer for the reception, hire him for the rehearsal dinner as well. Some of them like having two events from the same place. It makes it easy for them. Rehearsal dinner, they just come in and set it up. Reception, they set up, serve and clean up.

Good Luck.

Answer 7

Elope.
Weddings are the single biggest wastes of time, energy and money on the planet. Why start a young marriage off with all the stress of a wedding that EVERYONE hates and spending enough money to buy a house??

Answer 8

One of the most expensive items in a wedding is the brides dress. I ordered a beautiful bridesmaids dress in ivory for my wedding dress, at a quarter of the cost of a brides dress.

Answer 9

Check with your County Courthouse regarding a civil ceremony.

Call local VFW halls for your reception. An alternative would be if you know anyone that has a large enough house/yard to hold all of your guests. You could also make the food yourself or ask friends and family members to help (ie: potluck). http://allrecipes.com/

Check out Dreams by Renee. They have some absolutely gorgeous dresses PLUS they can do custom work based on a drawing/picture at extremely reasonable prices. http://dreamsbyreneebridal.com

Are you (or do you know someone willing to help that is) crafty? Check out Michaels for decorations, floral, favors, etc. It will help with your budget if you can do as much as possible yourself. I used to be an Instructor/Event Coordinator for them and we had alot of classes for wedding related items. Plus at this time of year, they are discounting the spring and summer florals to get ready for the fall and winter florals! http://www.michaels.com

As for invitations, I'm a rep for Regency Thermographics. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. http://aphroditescreations.regency.ac

Good luck!

Answer 10

My husband and I were in the same boat as you are. What we did was find a wedding chapel place, that takes care of all the details. They did decorating, flowers, catering , etc, all within our budget. We just told them the money we had , and they worked it out with us what we could get for that. It really worked out beautifully, and was not at all "cheesy".