How much does a fairly cheap wedding cost?

Question

I understand that my question is vague, but I recently got engaged and I have no idea how much anything costs or what I have to consider. I would like to keep it on the less expensive side. Your answers will help me create my budget.

Answer 1

Weddings are for the bride and groom. There is absolutely no reason it has to put anyone into bankruptcy! I get so heartsick when I read about $40,000 weddings and the divorce occurs the following year. I've been married over 35 years and we had a nice church wedding with a reception in the social hall for a nominal amout (Probably $4,000 by today's economy.)That included my wedding dress, which I purchased at a shop with discount dresses (last year's styles, but new........and what is last year's style in a wedding dress, tell me?) Anyway, If you want to spend less money, invite fewer people, or have the reception alcohol free, or have it in the church social hall with punch and cookies and tea sandwhiches. A D.J. costs less than a band, but you can skip dancing and just have someone play the piano or guitar or harp during the reception for background music. Flowers can be kept simple: every attendant carries a lily or a rose, or elaborate. The fewer bridesmaids, the less the cost, too, because while they pay for their own dresses, you need to provide the flowers, a bridesmaid gift, etc. Some brides pay for their bridesmaids to get their hair and nails done the morning of the wedding. Most reception places charge "by the plate" for sit down or buffet dinners and lunches. Lunches are cheaper; buffet is cheaper than sit down (fewer servers needed). On average, $20-30 per plate. You can spend $500 or $30,000 for a wedding with 100 guests. Don't overdue it. It's one day in your life. It will be special because it is your wedding day; you don't need to spend a fortune. Save the cash for your first house, first baby or honeymoon. Congrats.

Answer 2

I understand your question to be not, "How can I spend the least money possible?" but rather, "How much can I expect to spend and still have an actual wedding?"

There have been some helpful and some less than helpful responses to this. I planned my brother's wedding, and all expenses included, we spent about $5000 for around 50 people. That included the dress and accessories, the flowers, the cake, the reception hall (where we had both the ceremony and reception), A/V equipment (I did the music myself), the officiant, invitations (I printed them myself), favors, and food/drinks. The biggest expense is the location and the food/drinks, though she did spend a pretty penny on her dress and tiara.

Of course, you can ultimately spend as much or as little as you want, but I would say you should budget about $5000 for a "cheap" wedding. Mine will be significantly bigger than my brother's, and I'm still trying to be economical, but I expect it will end up costing us around $10,000, but we're going to have around 200 people, so again, the majority of that will go towards food, service, drinks, and the reception site.

Good luck, and congratulations!

Answer 3

The minimum amount would be what ever the cost of the license and the performance of the ceremony either by the JP or your religous representative. Everything after that is extra and depends entirely on what you decide to do. Don't get caught up with the fairy tale version of a wedding and you'll do fine. Throw a party if you want to and can afford it. Ditto for the dress and everything else.

Answer 4

A license is pretty inexpensive. The reception is where most of the money goes. Here are some ideas:

- Have your reception at someone's home or on a Thursday, when it's cheaper at most venues.

- Don't do a full meal. Have appetizers and wedding cake.

- See if you can get friends to pitch in with making floral arrangements, photography, etc.

- Do the invitations yourself. They are easy to make with inexpensive programs.

This should help save some money. My brother and his wife had a nice reception for $250 so it can be done. Congrats on your engagement!

Answer 5

It really depends on where you live and the vendors that are available in your area...if, for example, you live in a large city (NYC or DC) things are going to be 2-3 times, if not more, more expensive than if you're living in a small county (in South Dakota)...someone from SD might be able to pay $30 per person for dinner while someone in DC is going to have to pay $120 per person and up...

The national average cost for a wedding is around 25k...in a smaller area, you can pull off an elegant affairs for 10k, while in a larger city you might need somewhere between 40-50k to make it really nice.

Answer 6

JP - $15-40 depending on where you live, Vegas - airfare+hotel+wedding license or a small wedding $500 and up

i have seen some very elegant weddings done on a budget of $5000, the cost all depends on how resourceful and/or how creative you are

Answer 7

You can go really cheap and just get married at the registry office (cost varies from place to place) but I think you could do a fairly nice and not expensive wedding for about £2000 UK money, maybe less if you really cut back.

Answer 8

That last answer was very thoughtful........

but I would like to add "it depends on what part of the country you are from"

Here in Northern California, we're seeing averages of around $10k just for the RECEPTION.

But the fact is, you can have a very inexpensive wedding reception by doing some very creative "cutting corners"

One way, for example, is the "FAKE CAKE" (a real 2-tiered cake is purchased for around $50, and then the bottom tiers are fabricated with round pieces of cardboard, spray painted white and then slathered with gobs of cheap white buttercream frosting. The entire 6-tier cake "looks like" a $700 cake, but the real cakes are the $13 Costco sheet cakes that are cut up in the back kitchen. (Amount saved = $600)

There are dozens of other ways to have a "dream wedding" without spending a fortune.

Just don't skimp on the ENTERTAINMENT.

a good DJ-emcee will "make or break" your party.

Most brides only spend 10% or less of their budget on this very important item, yet the DJ will produce over 60 to 80% of the success of the reception.

About 2/3 of all brides, after the fact, wish they had spent more money on their entertainment.

Answer 9

You could get really cheap. Go to the court house by the marriage license go see the judge and done. You dont have to dress up or anything. From there you can do a little ceremony in your house or back yard and have a pastor or priest come. Basically anyone that has a license to marry you. Also you could go to Las Vegas and so it cheap and have fun the court house is open 24/7 there.

Answer 10

lol thats really hard to say what is cheap to you can be different to someone else. I had a $10,000 wedding and I think that is pretty cheap because they say that the averagge wedding costs about$20000
We put together every detail of my wedding and it looked like a $50,000 dollar wedding when we only spent $10G. You have to do all the leg work though to make it work. It takes alot of planning to make it right. email me if you want any tips on venders flowers decorations photographer and djs
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