What Should I Do?

Question

Ok, if you all are familiar with my questions you know I'm planning a wedding for September. However we want to move the wedding up to April. But, if we move it to April, our finances will not allow us to have a really nice big wedding. My fiance was thinking maybe we could go to the Court House, and then have a nice reception afterwards. But, I really want to wear a wedding dress and walk down the aisle and all my family and friends are there. I want to have memories of my wedding day, do anyone have any suggestions on what we could do in order for us to still have a nice small wedding instead of just going to the courthouse. Please any suggestions are good to me.

Answer 1

Cant have your cake & eat it too.Weddings cost money so if your finances cannot support a wedding in April, then just wait the 5 months & have it in September.Then u can have the nice wedding u want & the nice reception too. Unless there is some really critical reason that u must have it in April. Remember that this is your big day & even though I as a man really dont mind the Court House thing, I know how sentimental women are & how special that wedding day is to you. So my advice would be to just wait.

Answer 2

I attended one wedding once were the wedding took place at the reception. The tables were set up so they all faced the front, with an aisle downt he center. It sounds weird - but it was actually very nice not having to run from one place to the next.

As soon as the ceremony was over, the couple retired to a side room for about 20 minutes for spend some time together quietly while the guests were served their food. (Pictures were done before the wedding) The nice part of doing it this way is that it doesn't cost anything more then the reception would have cost anyway.

I also know of one wedding where the ceremony took place at the reception hall because it was supposed to be a garden wedding and it was pouring rain.

Answer 3

Why don't you have two weddings the court house wedding which will be small and affordable and then later you can have the big wedding that you want with all your family and friends there and you can walk down the aisle and have it exactly the way you want it.

Or why don't you contact any of the nice nearby hotels and ask if they would be able to cater for your wedding. Or could you have marquee in your garden or the garden of your parents and do it that way.

I realise that you are in love, but is there any reason why you want to push the wedding forward. September is a lovely month to get married (that's when I got married) and the weather is beautiful at that time of year. April isn't as predictable

Answer 4

You could do something cheaper like get married in a park or where ever you find a beautiful location that wont cost you an arm and a leg.
I never had a big wedding. I never even had a honeymoon. We couldn't afford any of that. I was married by the justice of the peace. That was 16 yrs ago. I plan to do something bigger for my 25 anniversary. Like renew our vows and have a reception. I still wont go all out because I think for me it is a waste of money.
It's a shame the prices they charge young people for weddings these days.
I think it's all about what you really want. You will make the right decision.

Answer 5

If it is very important to you to walk down the aisle and have a memorable wedding versus the courthouse, I think you should
definitely make small sacrifices and make it happen. Will a four month difference allow that much more of a change?

You do NOT want to regret it later down the road and you don't want to resent or blame your fiance for forcing you into that decision.

Although weddings are very expensive, there are plenty of ways to cut costs on the details. You don't have to be extravagant. Make a list of all the things that are a priority to you for your wedding day and take care of those things. If your cake or flowers are not as important as your dress, chat with the bakery or florist on affordable, but nice options.

Also, see if you can borrow items or find discounted materials to make your wedding day special.

You only get ONE chance to make it special, so go for it.

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

Whatever you do, do not go into debt for your wedding. It's not worth it, it's a terrible way to start a life together, and who knows how long it will take to pay it all off. If your invitations haven't gone out yet, chop your guest list. I don't know how many people you're inviting, but cut it waaaaaaay down. Guests will be your biggest expense. Why do you want to move the wedding up? I'm not familiar with your previous posts. Serve desserts and appetizers instead of a full meal, have a friend photograph instead of a prof photographer, and don't take on any extra expenses like a string quartet or something. You can do it.

Answer 7

Why not try to have the wedding at the hall? You already have to rent it & decorate it, so why not have the hall perform double-duty? For a photographer, check with your local universities or community colleges to see about hiring a student who's about to graduate from the photography program. If your wedding is relatively small, you could try to make it a potluck wedding by asking the guest to bring an appetizer, main course, side dish, salad, or dessert (write a specific category on the invitation so you don't get 20 crockpots of meatballs).

Answer 8

YOu can have a small ceremony at the courthouse with close friends and family. My husband and I eloped, but were given the option to have family present. When you get your license find out if they have a small chaple room for guests. This way you can still wear your dress and have the special memories you want. Keep the invite list short, moms, dads, bros, sis', and who you picked for maid of honor and best man. Then you can have a nice big reception later. You can wear your dress to the reception, too.

Answer 9

My hubby & I had a small inexpensive wedding at our church. Generally, if you are a member of a church you don't have to pay for the building. We also had our reception in the Fellowship Hall. The downside to that was we couldn't serve liquor but that saved us a ton of money. We also did most things ourselves. Hubby & I printed the invitations & programs. My Mom & I did the food for the reception and I did all the flowers myself. If you are willing to do a little work you can save tons of money. Good luck, I hope you have a beautiful wedding!

Answer 10

It's not the wedding ceremony which is expensive, it is the reception. You can still have the ceremony at the church, with all of your family and friends there, but then maybe just have a cocktail reception instead of a full sit down dinner.