My daughter has just informed me she is getting married in 2008?

Question

It is going to be a big affair and i am worried about the cost. Any tips in cost cutting would be appreciated.

Answer 1

You don't have to pay for everything. Figure out what you are willing to pay and let her know. That way they can decide on the budget and guest list.

Besides that start saving now and get a couple of wedding books for the bride and groom to be. This can help them decide how to spend the money.

Answer 2

Discuss this with her. Perhaps she does not want as big a wedding as you think!

When I got married, we had 100 guests - but only a lunchtime do! So all we had to pay for (okay, so my dad!) was the lunch. No dinner, no disco!

I would set a budget and ask your daughter what she wants to do for that. Remember all the things you have to buy - as well as food and drink, there is the bride's dress, cake, room and so on. Get a magazine and start pricing! Then show her what it is going to cost and explain that, as much as you want to, you can only afford a lunch do. And don't forget the Bride's Mother's outfit - perhaps including a hat! She will have to pay for the wedding dress, bridesmaid's and pageboy's outfits and so on, if it is too expensive. I decided that I wanted a really good lunchtime do than an all-day crappy and cheap-looking one!

(I was going to rent a frock until I found one in a shop that was perfect - and was £120! It was the last in the shop of that style. We found a pattern for bridesmaid's outfits and paid for the material - they had a choice of 3 dresses from the pattern - they chose the same one, but it would not have mattered if they had not because the material - and the basic pattern - would have been the same.)

Answer 3

Find a hall that doesn't have a liquor license. It's much cheaper to bring in your own, typically they mark up liquor 100%. Also, to really save money, only serve beer and wine and soft drinks. A buffet is usually cheaper than a sit down dinner and it's nicer. Everyone can pick what they want to eat instead of getting whatever shows up on the plate. I usually starve at sit down dinners, because they're usually something I won't eat.

Don't let the florist talk you into $50 centerpieces. Not necessary, there are lots of centerpieces that can be done for less than $10. Go to your local arts and crafts store, buy a glass bowl, fill part way with water and float some blooms in the water. Much less than a typical florist arrangement. If the bowl is shallow enough you can also put a pillar candle in it. Check out the neat centerpieces they did on Design on a Dime wedding, link below. Walmart also has great vases and bowls for less than $10.

Don't buy a four figure wedding gown. I have seen a $5000 gown up close and personal and I'm here to tell you, it doesn't look that much better than a $500 gown from Davids. You can't tell the difference at all in the pictures or on the video.

Don't rent limos or any other kind of transport, they're a very expensive, waste of money. I went to my wedding in my dad's pickup (it looked nice, not a beater). We left the church in my mom's car, she has a nice Cadillac.

I will say that you should spend as much as you can on a photographer. This is the only part of your wedding that is permanent. Go with the best person you can afford.

Don't buy really expensive invitations, no one but you and maybe your mom, will keep them. I ordered mine from one of the companies that advertises in the wedding magazines. Send away for all those catalogs and order from one that you like.

Order a small tiered wedding cake to cut, instead of a cake that will serve everyone, and have sheet cakes in the back that the caterer can serve to guests. Also, a good place to get a cake that's not too expensive is a grocery store with a good bakery.

Skip favors all together or go with something simple and inexpensive. Wrap up some Hershey kisses in tulle and your good to go.

I hope this was helpful, have a good wedding. Another course of action you might want to consider is a destination wedding on a cruise or at an all inclusive resort. You get your wedding and honeymoon all in one, plus you can invite whoever you want but you don't have to pay for a reception because it's all inclusive. Friends of ours did this in December, it was fun and about 40 people were there. We got a 4 day vacation and a great wedding on a beautiful island. I don't remember how much it cost us, but it wasn't bad, since we got a vacation out of it. Not everyone will come if you do this, but I'll bet the people who would complain the most (parents and siblings) will come. Good luck

Answer 4

The date works out in you favor! You will be able to compare prices and know just what you can afford. First thing is call on as many favors that are owed to you, I was able to get my limo's for less than half price from friends who knew the owner of a limo place. My sister in law made my wedding cake (I lucked out because she did this for a living) so instead of going to a bakery where they charge up the wazoo, find someone who does this out of their home. Make your own flowers, you have alot of time to learn how to do it. Lock in a price at a hall or with a caterer this year, prices go up every year and you may be able to lock in 2006 prices if you put a deposit down, BUT make sure it is refundable if anything should happen. Don't go overboard on the photographer, pictures are beautiful but they don't need to be the fanciest things in the world, and their prices are just outrageous. Unless you have gobs of money, the reception doesn't need to be huge, serve the soup, salad, pasta and entree and have the wedding cake for dessert, forget the hot and cold appetizers, the sundae bar, the cheese and cracker bar and the champagne on every table, people generally want a fun night out with a good meal, an open bar and good music to dance to. Some of the best weddings I have been to have been the most inexpensive to put together because it wasn't 'stuffy and formal'. Have fun planning!

Answer 5

Hi i just decided this year i was getting married next year so, it was a bit of running round to do. Its up to you what budget you want to give her, there are always cheaper ways of doing things.As with planning a wedding all this year i know a bit about it. The best thing to do is shop around, as most places compete with each other and so you will get stuff cheaper. The only thing that may cost you a fair bit, is your daugthers dress as she does have to look beauftiful. Just make a list of what she wants and then go through your yellow pages and ring round. Dont just go for one place. It like when i went to book my flowers, some places wouldnt even see me unless i had left a deposit so i am commited to them to get my flowers. When i asked the price it was a lot of money. On looking about my town for flowers i popped into a flourist on one street and looked in the window where they had a wedding dislay of flowers. I thought here we go these will be expensive. When i went in and asked they told me the prices, and even gave me a price list which no other flourist did, i then asked the price and the size, it was £40 pound not £100 and it was a decent size too. Sorry for rambling on but im just trying to prove a point. Congratulations by the way.

Answer 6

after 2 weddings in 2 years I have got to be the expert at this!! Preferably ask the couple to choose late afternoon wedding, 4pm is great, book a hall, bar, and disco, have the bar open at 4.30 so folk can buy their own drinks, do your own buffet and have it ready for when the wedding party return to the hall, you will have time to do toasts, speech etc; before the evening lot arrive, hire suits, dresses etc and carry bible instead of flowers. I guess you can fiddle with ideas but something like this is good. our 2 daughters had the whole lot and it costs a mortgage and the rest, of all the people who came they probably see about 2 dozen on a regular basis, the rest, well never seen them since!!if I had another daughter, I would positivly encourage her to marry in secret with a few folk present and throw a party the following week to announce it, see who turns up then, it will only be the true friends. Good luck.!!

Answer 7

I am also getting married in 2008.

If you would like, can email me and we can discuss some ways of doing so.

You didn't say her plans, so really can't give too many tips since it all depends on what she wants to do.

The main thing is they can set a price limit they can afford and got plenty of time to save. I recommend them making a limit and then dividing that limit into the counting months to their wedding. Take that and place that in a savings account.

Like my limit is like $ 7,000. Divide that by 16 months, which will put adv of 450 in our savings a month .

(actually we will put about 150 cuz we can make up the difference when my fiance gets double his pay when he goes to Iraq. So we focusing on paying our truck payment and my schooling right now. Priority).

For dresses, always shop around looking for deals. Especially the $99 ones. Wait to buy the dress cuz she might gain or loose weight or better sales can go on later on in the year.

Go to a few fashion shows and enter sweepstakes. Never know. Could get lucky!

Answer 8

Don't worry about it too much 2008 is a long way off, best tip for saving money let them live together and they will learn the cost of living and the cost of loving!

Answer 9

Start saving now...

The essence to having a low cost beautiful wedding are really not all that hard to accomplish.

Your biggest expense would be flowers, they are outrageous. So if she wants nice flowers, suggest going with some artificial ones. You can buy ones that look real from Hobby Lobby and make your own boquets. The great thing about them is they don't look fake, AND you can keep it FOREVER...a huge bonus!

For invitations, make them. I have done three weddings for my friends where I made the invitations, RSVP cards, thank you cards and programs. This saved them each around $500 alone.

You could always do a "theme" wedding if they are into themes at all. At Christmas and Easter, if you get married two weeks before the holiday, most churches have their Church flowers out...lillies at Easter and poinsetta's at Christmas. that way you don't have to buy extra.

I have many more tips...as I love helping people plan low cost weddings...it's a hobby of mine :)

Good LUCK!

Answer 10

I get married in 5weeks time and i have cut costs right down it`s so easy.For my 3 tier cake i bought it from Tesco costing £30 instead of £150,i bought my bouquet and bridesmaid bouquet for £6 off our local market and bought ribbon to dress them myself (too expensive for real flowers so decided to have fake ones).For the mens button holes i bought a small fake bunch of flowers and cut them up myself,also i made my own favour boxes out of card,bought our invitations off eBay which cost under £10 and our cake topper cost less then £5 off eBay.In total my wedding cost two and a half grand.It is cheaper if your daughter gets married in a hotel like i am,as you have the ceremony,wedding breakfast and evening reception all at the same place.The only expensive things were my dress and wedding breakfast (£30 a head),but remember the evening reception buffet you must pay for either 90% of the guests or all of them..........Good luck.

Answer 11

Never have being any where NEAR a wedding, I'll have to say ask a wedding planner. They are the experts on how to run a wedding, so there is a good chance they will know how to cut costs. Good Luck with the wedding, and I wish your daughter all the happiness in the world!