Wedding Ideas?... How can we have a nice wedding for cheep?

Question

We would like to get married Vegas style - quick and easy. We want to focus more attention (and money) on the reception. We want to get married here in Michigan - any ideas?

Answer 1

You can get married very cheaply if not free at City Hall, I believe. Then you can rent a hall somewhere in your community. You can decorate with Balloons. If you go to a wholesale place, you can get them fairly inexpensive and rent a helium tank. Have close friends or family fill them. A fantastic decoration is Pink balloons and white balloons or silver with a pearl finish. You blow them up and just let them go to the ceiling with long ribbons on them so people can have fun with them. They look beautiful with the ribbons coming down.

Hire a bartender and stock the place with what you want. Get the liquor at a Sam's Club or similar discount place. You could have a family member do the DJing, too if you have equipment for that. You can have a list of songs that must be played, and a format too. Introduction as man and wife, First Dance together, Cutting the Cake, a Toast, The Dollar dance, And the grand finally where you get whisked off.

I can tell you that simplicity is sometimes more beautiful than a lot of fancy things. I have a balloon business in LA and that's how I know about the balloons. I went to a NY eve party once and there were hundreds of balloons just free on the ceiling with ribbons. It was perfect and was the only decoration in the hall. At first everyone just admired them, but once we were all drunk, we wound up playing with them all night long! The whole place had fun with them. The key to having them look beautiful is to get only two colors and not primary colors. Like, you could get all silver with pearl finish and all white. Or all Silver and the other color is whatever your bridesmaids wore. Like that. Make the ribbon all the same color.

Just an idea. Hope that helps you! Congratulations!

Answer 2

here are some tips:
1. just invite immediate family and closest relatives and friends to limit the guests (and to make sure that you know all the guests and that you will solely be surrounded by people who will really be happy with your new life)
2. let friends help you decor for the reception venue
3. make it a potluck reception, advise your family and friends to bring food of your choice (or assign it so there won't be duplicates)
4. advise your girlfriends that instead of getting you a separate gifts, they can probably chip in all for a honeymoon or a hotel accommodation.
5. do-it-yourself stuffs such as the souvenirs, bridal bouquet, accessories, etc (there are a number of websites that can advise/assist you on these)
hope this helps =) and no matter how simple or extravagant a wedding will be, remember that it's the sanctity of the marriage that counts most.

Answer 3

I got married about 9 months ago. If you can make anything yourself, Do it....I made my own vail,center pieces,party favors,and the bridemaides bouquet and all the guys Boutineers. Dont do it all yourself make it project to do with you wedding party. You will be suprised what you can find at the doller store. Depending what you want.. look out for sales. One more tip, ebay. Make sure to always look around, do not settle on the first one you see, I found my reception hall two weeks b/4 our wedding,not saying wait till then but do your research. As for my dress, i bought a 900 dlr dress for 300, and yes it need some adjusting do to it was to big. so i made a deal on alterations price b/4 i bought the dress.. Just remember to stay calm and have fun.

Answer 4

Look into civic locations - historical buildings, gardens, parks, meeting halls - to rent for the ceremony and/or reception. These can be super cheap!

Choose flowers that are in season. Use the same flowers for the ceremony and reception. Or just skip the flowers and find a cheaper way to decorate.

Find friends and family who have skills they can put to use as wedding gifts. I sang for my sister's wedding and another sister did the photography.

Answer 5

We eloped to a little chapel in Branson, Mo. For less than $700 we got the ceremony, music, witnesses, pictures and two nights at a bed and breakfast. We then registered and had a reception at the Machine Shed (like Craker Barrel). Family style food and less than $12 per person. Oh, and we got gifts.

Answer 6

My dress was David's Bridal,during their $99 sale. My husband wore his Navy Military uniform,we had our ceremony at a War memorial with a justice of peace.
But our reception was at a bar/restaurant.Dinner and drinks were negotiable.
All together our wedding was around $5000.

You did not say what your budget was,but have a barbeque in someone's back yard....have people bring a dish to pass.Have someone bake a cake.
It is not what you spend that makes a great wedding,it's you and your hubby's day.
Good luck.

Answer 7

Instead of having the wedding on a saturday you can choose a day like friday or sunday. Peak months are considered may thru sept. consider a less popular month. Have the ceremony at a local park where you won't have to worry about the decoration as much.Good Luck!!!

Answer 8

Elope, then at your parents home have a nice reception. The brides family had to pay if you go by traditions. Use velvet flowers instead of fresh- then you can decorate your new home with them to,, and have 1 small decorated cake for you and the new hubby to cut,,have mom/ grandma bake flat sheet cake for the guests, and ice them white...Hope this helps a bit...

Answer 9

I'm gonna cut and paste an earlier answer. and congrats!!!!!
___________
get the book bridal bargains! best book I've ever seen.


if you do a dessert reception in the afternoon you could do a super cheap wedding if you wanted. 2pm wedding. 2:30 dessert reception: cake, cupcakes, pie and drinks: coffee, tea, juices, champagne.

jcrew has nice wedding dresses cheap. here's a link: http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod73877491

you could make a veil from Michael's: http://www.michaels.com/art/online/static?page=wedding


could get flowers from costco or safeway even.

could do informal invitations on nice paper at kinkos. . . martha stewart has a wedding dvds set to show how to make bouquets.

could burn a cd for the ceremony, and another for the reception. . .

cheapest invitation is one panel with black ink. you could decorate it with a stamp you like and embossing ink and embossing powder to match the ink with an embossing tool (all about $40.). and use this on favors, programs, everything. cheap favor: tulle circles with 3 or 5 or 7 jordan almonds.
make your own programs: 2 pages of text typed on a word program copied onto one page and reduced at kinkos, then copied onto nice paper and folded like a book. then decorated with embossing stamp on front and back.

macys.com in the bridal registry section has examples of ceremonies if you're writing your own. . .

best of luck to ya!

Answer 10

invite just close family to the actual ceremony..... have a justice of the peace and keep it simple...... wedding party can dress up, but make it known that guest can come casual ... send out invites to the reception....... have a DJ instead of band..... if you are NOT worried about gifts..... include the idea of giving money to help pay for the party instead..... keep the menue low key and simple...... have someone Bar-B-Q ...... let friends make the side dishes instead of gifts...... talk to those who are close to you about these ideas..... some ppl are into it now days..... saves the mind boggling and stress of trying to figure out the perfect gift....... have some fun !!!!!!!!!! make it a day you and they will always remember..... God bless