Plan a wedding that would be doable within the time frame. Oh yeah, since you just found out, you have no savings to go on! You have only $5000!
Describe what you are planning and how much you spend on what.
2007-02-27 06:15:14 · 17 answers · asked by hambone1985 3 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
by the way...it's not a real situation...just a question to make you answer
2007-02-27 06:33:11 · update #1
We got engaged on Christmas Day and had been planning a large wedding for November, but due to the high costs and immigration issues to boot, we moved the date up to March 31st and have very little money because my family won't help and his isn't rich.
I bought a medieval dress pattern off eBay for $15. My future mother-in-law can sew and she'll be sewing the dress. If you go with cotton rather than satin, the fabric is very reasonable (about $2.95 yd) and it'll only cost about $50. Spend another $30-50 on trim because the fancy trim is more noticed than the fabric.
Make your own veil by purchasing a $20 rhinestone tiara from the Wal-Mart craft section, and attach a couple of yards of some gauzy veil-like material to it ($10). Or for me, I'm just making a headpiece out of a small pearl circlet and some lily-of-the-valley.
For the cake, go to Michael's and sign up for a cake decorating class like I did. After 3 classes, I can make roses, borders, lace patterns- everything needed for a wedding cake and it cost me $17 for the class and about $100 for supplies. Since you'll be baking it, you can control how many people you feed without an exponential cost increase from a designer.
Its really too late to mail out invitations unless the family is in the same town as you. I'd just call everyone and spend $100 on nice programs to provide a keepsake.
Buy silk flowers because they're cheaper and that way your bouquet will be fresh forever. Make one to keep; one to toss.
Use Sears or Walmart for portraits because you'll only spend like $150 for a large package, whereas anything with the word "wedding" attached to it will triple the price. "Wedding" photographer=$500.
Do your own make-up, but do go to a salon for your hair and nails because its worth the cost and you'll feel pampered.
Skip the fancy golf course. You can get a hotel conference room for around $200-300 and do the decorations yourself. We're having centerpieces made using large round fishbowl type vases first filled with crumpled cling wrap and then filled with water. Put enough cling wrap so that you can set a tealight candle in the middle. It produces the effect of a flame set within ice crystals. I know it sounds cheap, but try it out and see for yourself. Its very cool. Usually audiovisual equipment comes free in a conference room, so you got your sound system and microphone.
Skip the DJ and burn your own music onto CDs, then have the best man or some other guy to announce events like the cutting of the cake and the first dance.
Serve buffet style fingerfoods and small sandwiches rather than a plated meal. Set a limit on the cost of alcohol by prepurchasing a set amount and distributing "drink tickets" that guests can redeem and then provide a cash bar.
Help your guests save money by arranging a hotel block of rooms. Usually they'll get a discount for being part of a large group.
Get the flower girl and ring bearer outfits at a local pageant shop or consignment store.
If you want tons of bridesmaids, ask them to purchase their own dresses. Otherwise, just have a maid or matron of honor and pay for her dress.
Spend your money on your rings (which will be on your finger forever) or on the honeymoon (because the ceremony will be a blur but a week in the Bahamas is memorable.)
Handmade Dress= $115
Handmade Veil = $30
Cake (classes and supplies) =$150
Photographer =$150
Hair and nails =$150
Conference room for reception= $300
Handmade centerpieces =$10 each x 5?
Silk Flowers = $200
Programs=$100
CDs for music= $5
Fingerfoods= $300
Flowergirl/Ringbearer clothes =$100 each
Maid of Honor dress= $100
Grooms tux=$100
--------------------------------
Total= $1950
2007-02-27 06:59:00 · answer #1 · answered by NDO 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
$5000 is more than enough for a beautifully simple wedding. What will cost the most is catering and flowers. (But remember, the simplier flower arrangements you have, the better) Some wedding dresses are overrated- just remember to keep it simple, yet elegant. You're definitely going to have to pick and choose your guests and try not to exceed 100-150 people. I'm against halls, so you can have a nice backyard, garden, or even a park reception in the summer. This way, you won't have to worry about too many centerpieces. You can make your own invitations and programs. As far as catering, you can do a light lunch menu, or just have appetizers.
You're main goal is to bring your families together and have fun! And maybe you can save some of that money for your honeymoon.
Don't forget about your family members- they're always willing to help, with money or decorating.
Congratulations!! Good luck!!
2007-02-27 06:24:12 · answer #2 · answered by candy- capped 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You can do a simple wedding for that. Just don't get a planner. go to a wedding caterer place where they have backdrops and centerpieces and things, and tell them your budget. I have known people who get disposable cameras and set them on the tables for the receptions and let the guests shoot pictures of the reception and the couple. I hired a really good photographer for about $400. I did not need a fancy album or anything like that, I did that myself. I got one of the least expensive packages and we could always go back and get any extra prints that we needed. Now that one advantage I had, was that I did not have to pay for the minister, I had not rental costs for the ceremony or the reception centers my church just lets us use the buildings for no cost, the wedding officiaters in our church also do it as a service for us. But I did my whole wedding for under $1,000.
In keeping with my family tradition, my grandpa made the cake, and my mother, who is an expert seamstress, made the dress, so we were able to cut costs that way.
You can also go to a local paper supply store or party store like Zurchers and many times, they will have paper that you can print invites on. The paper is good quality and you can do it on your own printer and that can save you some money there as well.
2007-02-27 06:34:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd call a resort in Mexico and book a trip for a week; I'd add on the wedding package...so that's about $3,000 gone at my favorite resort. Then I go to the bridal store and purchase an informal dress off the rack ($300) and have it altered ($100). Then I call up my maid of honor and best man, and give them the details. I would of course pick a maid of honor and a best man that would make the trip. Then I'll buy some invitation kits from Walmart ($15) and mail them to our closest friends and family. Then I'll talk with the photographer for the resort, and work out a picture package ($1,000). I'll still have $585 left over to buy little odds and ends and to plan day trips for the honeymoon, like snorkling.
2007-02-27 06:39:42 · answer #4 · answered by Pink Denial 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OK, plan the wedding in DH's dad's back yard. He built a beautiful gazebo back there that will be the backdrop. Remake a prom dress into the wedding dress. Since the prom dress was denim bodice and white lace top buy DH a new set of jeans and a white dress shirt. Tell his bro and my sis to wear classy casual to be the wedding party. Have mom and grand mom do the flowers. Have step-MIL do the decorations and arrange the reception at her restaurant. Get DH's uncle to do the wedding ceremony. Thank God for mail order ministry authorizations. Have DH's mom take the pictures. Thank God she's a great photographer. Ummm....Come in with about $4300 to use to start your new life. Shoot, really could have used that extra money too but I have pictures to prove how wonderfully the rest turned out.
2007-02-27 08:28:21 · answer #5 · answered by Critter 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Funny that's exactly what we did. Got engaged on Thanksgiving last year and got married on January. It's not that we were rushing but we've been together for 6 years. I just invited family and had a civil wedding. Cost us $15 for the marriage license and $40 for the judge. We must have spent less than $1,000.00 for everything including our formal wear, a bouquet and luncheon with our family. Our family wants to throw us a party later on. We want a ceremony by the beach but can't afford right now.
2007-02-27 06:29:52 · answer #6 · answered by justme 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
invitations from the discount store depends one how many u need 50.00
rent a hall with food included in buffet style 1,000
decorations for the hall 500.00
dress,suit etc rented 300.00
have the wedding in the hall just before the reception ( pastor 100.00)
if its summer rent a pavilion in the park and its cheaper cook the food your self like a pot luck and just have fun don't sweat it don't go into to debt for this stuff its better to have the money for getting life started ,buying a house etc...
2007-02-27 06:28:05 · answer #7 · answered by raindovewmn41 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'd go to the fabric store armed with my coupon, buy the fabric i'd need to make my dres... about 30-40$ for that, fabric for my fiance's pants, about 15$. he already has shirt/vest...i already have patterns. figure out who in the family has the biggest house, ask them for permission to use it for reception...free!! ask my parent's minister about the church and cost...not sure how much this'd be. ask my mom to use coupons/employee discounts for flowers and decorations...most likely about 100$ and close family members if they could prepare a dish to pass....free!! ask my friend to cater the rest, as a wedding gift perhaps.....free or 200$ ask my former roomy and the girl across the hall from me to be photograhpers... i'd pay for developing/and or film....about 110$ we already have rings, and cake cutting set/goblets. burn ceremony music/reception music to a few cds...free! put together favors...use coupons about 7$ for the other pack of stuff we need. make my bridesmaids decide on a dress, make it for about 10$ /each for their gifts..make groomsmen decide on outfit, make for same. ummmm.........oh!! book the honeymoon!! 3000$ oh yeah, and 40$ for the license..........i think that's it really........ and about 10$ to print out the invitaions too.
surprisingly, that's not all that different from what we are doing...lol. only it'd be cold and rainy here in a month and we want an outdoors wedding, so we'd have to look into that...hmm...this made me think of what the necessities really are. thank you for the reality check!!^-^
2007-02-27 10:11:58 · answer #8 · answered by Duelen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1-Use a park, or someone's yard.
2-They have company's you can rent for like $200 a couple tables, chairs, linens, and a tent canopy thing they set up and take down.
3- Get a bunch of simple finger food catered (Grinders, Subway...)
Make your own invites....
Man with that you don't even need $5000 which is still GREAT considering you have no savings!!
2007-02-27 06:27:12 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Civil ceremony for the wedding, with just a few attendants (parents for the most part).
Spend all the money on the party, so that you can include more people in the event!
2007-02-27 06:19:50 · answer #10 · answered by Jarien 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋