If you only had $5000 to work with for your wedding (including the reception), how would you celebrate your special day?
2007-02-08 20:48:00 · 14 answers · asked by ladymai21 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
Congrats on your upcoming wedding!
I'm in the process of planning a smaller inexpensive wedding for myself and my fiancee as well. Here's what we're doing and we have a 125 guest list, but are pulling it off for under $1600 total...
2 things to remember to pull it off....
1-UTILITZE YOUR LOCAL DISCOUNT/DOLLAR STORES!!!!
2-GET WITH ALL OF YOUR "CRAFTY" FAMILY/FRIENDS AND PUT THEM TO WORK! LOL Seriously though, some will even offer their talents and/or craft as their wedding gift to you. I did that for my sis-in-law, she wanted silk flowers so I did all the bouquets(11) and boutineers(11), coursages(5), cake toppers(4), guest book, and centerpieces(20) as my gift to her. She was MORE than grateful as w/it being such a LARGE wedding, which I was also IN, it would've cost a small fortune just for those items!
3-Always make sure to check the clearance/discounted areas of your dept. stores. I found all the necessary (perfect) fabric I need to wrap the inner-columns of the tents I'm using for .75/yard on clearance!
4- And this is the most important one...START SHOPPING EARLY AND KEEP AN OPEN MIND!! Have your basic ideas of what you want and how you want it to look, but don't cement yourself on any ONE particular idea, it's a HUGE stress causer when it doesn't seem to want to work out "quite that way" for you. You'll be SHOCKED at how easily things just fall into place and how easily you just happen to "find" things here and there. Certain amts of the stress that go along w/planning a wedding is unavoidable, but why make it worse worrying about what in the end will be little things..
But here's how I'M doing mine for under $1600--
A>(NO SITE FEES)
We're having both the ceremony AND reception at my parents house. I found party tents complete w/the windowed side walls on Ebay for $69.99/10x30 and $49.99/10x20...they each had about $70 shipping, but it's still cheaper than renting...after you use them, you can re-sell them and make some of your $$ back! I'm getting more than one to house my guest list, but with yours being much more intimate, you may be able to get away w/just one. THAT'S if you even have to have it outdoors, if you have a family member w/a large enough home, you could have it there.
B>(NO RENTAL FEES)
Our church is going to "loan" us their tables/chairs for a small donation to the church rather than a rental fee. It helps out both the church w/a donation and us by not being as much as rental fees.
C>(NO CATERER!)
We're hosting a "Family Favorites" buffet in which we're asking certain family members who have a dish that they are always asked to make for family functions to provide that in lieu of a gift. Then I'm going to print up little table tent cards to place on the buffet infront of the dish listing what it is and by who ("MaryBelle's Potato Salad")
D>(NO DJ!)
If you're having music, load up an mp3 or such and hook it up to some speakers. (Have a computer savy friend do it as thier gift, or do it yourself) I've been to 2 weddings that did this, and it was even for a larger crowd! Worked great!!!
E>(DON'T PAY FOR "PROFESSIONAL" INVITATIONS!)
Print your own. I just found the most beautiful ones at an Ollies discount store in my area, I got 2 kits for a total of 5BUCKS! There's enough for 80 and that includes the invites/mailing envelopes/rsvp card/return envelopes/foil seals + practice sheets and suggested wording for various situations....and also got an 80 pc pk of matching thank you cards for $5
F>(KEEP THE FAVORS REALISTIC!)
Who REALLY keeps them anyway? In a box maybe, but really why spend a fortune on them...do you really want THAT to be what they remember most??? I'm doing mine for about .90 per person, but they are going to look very elegant. I found chocolate shot glasses at out local caterer/party retailer, you get 60 for $18, so I'll get 2 pks. Then from m&ms online, I'm ordering 2 custom color @$5.99/3lb bag to fill the choco shots with. Yeah I could get "REALLY FANCY" and get the personalized ones, but they are $11.99 for 7 OZ!! Nobody really cares what they say anyway, and they're gonna be eaten! I'll wrap the little filled shots in tulle tied off w/ribbon-both of which to match my colors. Then from Oriental Trading, I'm getting these little cards for $4.95/50..they have a heart shaped cut out w/little bell hanging within and has a "..wedded bliss....share a kiss..." type message on it. Look in Oriental Trading for favor ideas...they sell in bulk and really aren't that expensive.
I have other ideas....but I don't want to send you a "book" here! If you have any other areas of the wedding/reception that you'd like some cost cutter ideas, please feel free to email me! I'd be happy to help you out..I love to plan weddings!!
2007-02-08 22:33:58 · answer #1 · answered by secret_oktober_girl 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well i Would have a small ceremony with just family and friends with a reception at a nice resturant. If there is enough for a honeymoon i would do that to. I would also then throw a celebration house party when i return for all my friends. I would then start saving like crazy so that on our first anniversary we could have the huge blowout. Not exactly traditional but it worked for me! I had less than $5000. The party is next week and 300 people are coming. There is the added bonus of no wedding debt to start your marriage!
2007-02-08 21:04:31 · answer #2 · answered by nkate14 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think I'd try to ask other people for help - but in a way that involves them and makes them feel a part of it, rather than just going begging.
Maybe ask a friend who's really good at baking to make the cake, for instance; or have a kind of picnic for your reception, where everyone brings and shares the dishes they make best? There are tons of things people could be roped in to help with all kinds of things, which would also make your wedding really personal and special. You could hold a sort of party with a few friends and make the invitations yourselves, ditto table decorations and things like that... Maybe everyone coming to your wedding could bring a few flowers from their own garden, and someone could be responsible for making you a bouquet that would be really special and meaningful to everyone there? Stuff like that. That way you can use the money you have available to its best effect, but more importantly I think everyone involved would feel really a part of your wedding, and enjoy it all the more.
Best wishes for your big day!
2007-02-08 21:01:32 · answer #3 · answered by Marzipan 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would elope and save a bundle from buying expensive clothing, the price of a limo, bride's maids' dresses, tuxedos, shoes, hair appointments, etc. I would then spend it all on a bang-up reception. Get a DJ, not a live band, and you can either have the option of an open bar or pay-only bar. But $5000 can cover alot, fine meal, cake, DJ & tax and tips for the facility and its waiters. Limit the invitation guest list if necessary--also request monetary gifts instead of home products.
2007-02-08 21:00:00 · answer #4 · answered by gone 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i would go down to the church and have a simple wedding. or if you aren't religious, you could get married at your house, or your parents' house!! You could also have the reception there, where you could have a friend cater, and spend whatever money you have left on a dress (buy them secondhand or go out to the country where they tend to be a lot cheaper than in the city) and the rings. really, if you want a glamourous wedding, I recommend that you wait until you have enough money to put together your dream wedding, if that would make you happy. It is, after alll your big day. good luck!! :)
2007-02-08 21:54:10 · answer #5 · answered by jemm4president 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well depending on how many people you are having you can really celebrate a unbelivably rich wedding. Starting out with your dresses for you and the bridesmaids. We in our town have a few local shops that have these amazing sales on gowns. usually around 99 dollars and up. Or you can check with your mom or your fiances mom and see if they have a gown that they would love you to wear. Second is looking for a local community center such as a Knights of Columbus or some type of community group that owns a meeting building. Usually they off their halls for around 300 dollars for the weekend. You can do what my husband and I did and do the food as a pass around dinner. What this means is we asked everyone instead of a gift could they bring their favorite dish to pass. Everyone loved the idea and we still got alot of gifts. Or if you are just having a intimate wedding then you can usually get a local catering company to take care of you for around 1000 dollars. As far as music goes we hired the local college kids that were studying music and entertainment. THey had their own equiptment for DJ music and we loved it. All we ended up paying them was 200 dollars for their time. And this got them credit on their college classes. Decorations believe it or not the local dollar stores have amazing wedding stuff. It looks very rich and we used our older nieces and newphews who love ddoing the decorating. Pictures are really one of the big things you shouldnt skimp on..we hired a pro photographer..but we were lucky a friend was one and she did it for the cost of the film and through in the developiing and putting together of the albums for a gift ...if you do not have this then by all means hire a pro ...and that should still leave you with money to do other things you may want to do...good luck
2007-02-08 21:06:04 · answer #6 · answered by busy_softball_mom 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would combine the honeymoon and wedding into one. Have a destination wedding. Most resorts have packages for this. Tell anyone who wants to come the hotel information and they can book and pay for their own trip. There are plenty of places to get an inexpensive dress. You don't really need a tux if you get married on the beach. Some resorts even supply the photographer. you should check into it.
2007-02-09 01:23:36 · answer #7 · answered by Steph E 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
welcome to my wedding lol...I have less than that to play with. We have invited just our family and close friends, less than 20 attendees, we are marrying at the registry office, and my friend is lending me his car, it's not a posh one, just a normal car. My b/f and his friend who are both chefs are cooking the meal and making the wedding cake which will be a stack of profiteroles decorated with spun sugar, we will also then serve these with coffee after the meal. My dress is not a wedding dress, it's just a nice suit. My fiance and his best man are wearing kilts, they are just hiring them for the day. I am having a hand tied bouquet of a few Calla lillies, just 5 stems tied with ribbon. no bridesmaids, no favours, all the decorations will be candles which are really cheap in Ikea. It can be done, honestly, my whole day is costing less that £2000. We are lucky in that my sister in law is letting us use her house for the party and the meal after the service.
2007-02-08 21:25:33 · answer #8 · answered by sparkleythings_4you 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
cook your own food, have the reception at a friends house or your backyard, use garden flowers. Or maybe rent a room in a bar/restaurant for reception. You can buy a wedding gown used or David's Bridal is quite inexpensive. Get preprinted invitations.
2007-02-08 20:59:17 · answer #9 · answered by uknowme 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would have a small intimate wedding, just you, the groom, the officiate, both sets of parents, and brothers/sisters and their kids.
Have the wedding at a park, or someone's house.
Then go on a nice honeymoon.
2007-02-09 03:43:47 · answer #10 · answered by Terri 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what you want more; a big ceremony or a big reception.
If you want a great party then a small intimate ceremony is the way to go.
If you want a big ceremony then spend the money on the dress and flowers.
forget both and take a great honeymoon.
2007-02-08 20:58:14 · answer #11 · answered by Gabe 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋