Planning a Wedding? Small budget?

Question

I have no clue on how to plan a wedding. My BF proposed a couple weeks ago, and then decided to leave everything up to me! All I have in mind are colors (lt. baby blue and obviously white) and season (summer). I have no idea how many people but it looks anywhere from 150-200 people. Its in NJ. Does any one have any ideas on everything? Including locations?

Wedding planner costs more money. Having friends help. Do not have a big back yard. But do have offer on a backyard for reception: problem, location. Not sure everyone can get there or even fit!

Answer 1

I would suggest using an internet search engine to find things near you. TLC (a cable channel) also has a show called "Bridezilla" where they show women before their weddings so you may want to check that out too and see what they do right/wrong!

Congratulations!

Answer 2

Being that you don't have a convenient location for a backyard wedding, I will give you a few ideas. Why not try the banquet facilities of local fraternity organizations such as The American Legion Hall, The Veterans of Foreign Wars, The Knights of Columbus, The Sons of Italy, The Moose Club. These organizations rent out their facility for weddings, anniversaries and other parties. That would be a good place to start. Also, sometimes if you have a relative who has access to a clubhouse of a Condo, ask them if you would be allowed to possibly have a wedding there. Now if you can afford a wedding banquet hall, I am sure you can find some in the yellow pages of your area. One I know of is called The Manor. Look that up. Now you must book your church wedding at your church. When that is done, then start lining up a photographer. But make sure you find one who has a good reputation. Maybe your fiance knows a friend who is an amatuer photographer and will do the wedding for you at a much lower price than a professional photographer. Ask your newly married girlfriends if they could recommend one. Then a DJ or a band. Bands are very very expensive, so maybe you should go with a DJ. Discuss with DJ the type of music you want etc. Also ask around at colleges if any college students are DJ's on the weekends, as they will be less expensive too. Then once you book the wedding facility, then you discuss menu. Then about six months before start looking for your wedding gown. Look on line for wedding gowns, as they are much less expensive. Try Victorias Bridal on line. That site has georgeous wedding gowns. Select your bridal party asking friends and also your maid of honor. Hire limousines. Find a place for Tuxedos for the groomsmen and your fiance. Also select a florist with a very good reputation. I would ask girlfriends about this too, as I have been hearing about horror stories of flowers being delivered half dead and wilted. So the recommendations I gave is just a start. Also go to Borders and try to find a book like "How to have a wedding on a budget". Best of Luck

Answer 3

First of all, Congratulations on the engagement!!!
Tips to plan a low cost wedding---
Reception Location: you can find a local community center to rent out usually about $300 (that's probably the cheapest you'll find). If you have a lake nearby see if there's a beautiful park you can rent out, even a park without a lake would look pretty and wouldn't need much decor.
Food and Drinks: these cost the most so if you want to cut the expense do something low key. You can do just punch and cake but you may want to do a lil more. Maybe hors d'hourves and a dessert bar. If you want to feed a full meal the buffett option is less expensive and that will help the guests to get up and mingle. Make sure you have the reception time before or after meal time if you don't want to serve a full meal. If it's not a big deal to you don't serve alcohol it will drop the costs plus you won't have crazy friends/relatives embarassing you and themselves on your special night. Also if you are going to have kids at the reception try to stay away from alcohol. Maybe sparkling cider for toasts. If you must have alcohol do a bar for only a portion of the time or a limit on drinks (guests get punchcards) or just have champaign for toasts.
Dress: look at consignment shops to get a discount. or go to a local bridal salon and ask to buy the sample that you try on, if they let you-it'll be cheaper than having to order it from the manufactuer. Or if a family member has offered a dress that they once wore, it might be a special touch to wear it for yor wedding.
Flowers: get flowers that are in-season and local, that will cut out shipping costs.
Cake: get a small professional cake made then serve sheet cake of the same flavor and filling. Or have a friend take a cake decorating class at a nearby craft store (do you have Michaels around?) and make one for you but make srue they make a practive cake before-hand. or have a grocery store make the cake for you.
Invites and Programs: if you can get a computer program or have a friend that has one see if you can make your own and print them at a local copy shop. You could go to a close community college and ask for design students to make them for you - you'll get a discount since they are looking for experience have them print a couple extra to put in their portfolio.
Music: If you don't want a live band or hire a DJ you can rent some equipment and have a friend play some songs from an MP3 player. That way you can choose which songs you like.
For some great ideas and helpful hints check out www.theknot.com
It's definately been my best friend since starting to plan my own wedding.
Good Luck and God Bless

Answer 4

Well you should go to the local halls and churches and see what the prices are for each one and what it includes. Then get online and just type in wedding planner or wedding planning help. Ive found using some sites really helps as much as you think it would.

Go to davids bridal to get a dress. You can even find one during the $99 sale!

Try making your invites and favors that will cut down on the cost.

If you decided to do it in your backyard call a catering company. You need to make a guest list from each side of the family. And then start cutting it down.

If you need any help please email me:
[e-mail]

Answer 5

Do you guys have a date yet? If so, go online and start looking at smaller locations in your area (i.e. small old time hotels, bars, resturants) they will usually have a much cheaper price and you'll need to start e-mailing them right away to see if you can look at the location and ask if your date is available. Since you have 200 guests, you may be spending more than you are willing to. Make a guest list with your finace and break it into "Family" "Friends" "Aquantances" This way you can visiualize who on your list you actually would like to invite, and who you may only want to send a marriage announcement to. For food, if you have a large family, you can ask some if they'd like to cook for you. Pick a dish you think everyone would enjoy, and all you need is some salad and vegetables. My husband and I got some fried chicken (200 pieces), potato salads and salad and salad dressings at a local grocery store for under $200. Cakes can be bought for a very low price at most grocery stores. Bakery's will over-charge. If you know someone who is good with flowers, you might be able to pick some up at a Sam's Club or Costco and have your boquets made the morning of the wedding with ribbon in your wedding colors bought at Wal-Mart or a fabric store. My flowers cost $85 dollars for 4 dozen Pink and Red Roses. Drinks, just buy cases of soda's, a few gallons of water, Beers and some cheap champagne and pop it into some ice chest, or if you can find a troph (some rental companies might rent troph's) fill it with ice, and put it in. Plates and decorations and other things can be found at any party store.

Answer 6

I didn't get married in NJ, however I did get married with a small budget and around 100 guests. I ordered my dress from a Bridal Catalog "stripped" and my mother did all the bead work by hand and made my headpiece. We got married and had the reception at the same location (a yacht club.) with a beautiful room that needed very little decorating. Keeping your wedding party small will save money and we had a evening wedding with a cocktail buffet reception to save on the food. It was a small but very nice wedding. Congratulations and good luck!

Answer 7

Are you getting married in a church? Most churches have a hall that you can also get for the reception. Face it, If you're on a tight budget, you won't be having something real lavish. You can decorate it almost anyway you want (if it's ugly, rent plants to hide the walls and such) Weddings cost so much anymore, I'd encourage every couple to elope and then come back and have a great, and I meant GREAT party. Good luck

Answer 8

First things first. GET A PLANNER. Trust me, you will need one to keep everything together. If you get a wedding planner from the bookstore, they have all kinds of helpful tips.

Tip: Rent an art gallery. Then cater the reception. They take care of fine details for you so you dont have to stress over the small stuff.

Tip: Do everything you can ahead of time. Finalize everything you can a month before so you can enjoy your engagement together without stress!

Relax. Everything always works out.

Answer 9

first of all if you have a samll budget you need less people, the more people the more it cost, cuz you have to buy favors, rent chairs, rent buliding big enough to hold the people, food, table setting, place cards, invitions they more people the more it cost bottom line i would start cutting down the guest list to about 100 people then that would cut your cost in half for the most part, i think a sail boat theme would be cute since you are doign white and light blue, derco could be seashells, sand little sail boats and favors could be little shovles and pails, and invvitons could be flipflops and the place card holders could be little seashells or they make tiny lauge chairs that hold pictures and candles you can find them online, your flowers could be roses or tulips they are my favoite they also come in diffenet colors too, the grown could be what even you perferre because with sea theme you can do tea leght casual dresses or formal any one would be nice, and the tux can be white also or they would wear khaki shorts with nice white dress shirts, and also instead of unity candles you can get a family member to get colored sand and pour in a vase and one of his family members like mom or dad to pour colored sand until a vases and then both of you pour the famiy sand into on vases together use colred sand and then after the wedding place the vases with sand in it ona shelf as a keep sake from your wedding and it remebr you all the time of your wonderful weddign day

Answer 10

well, i don't know about locations, but a few things you can do if you have a small budget. I bought my wedding invitations from Staples, you make them up on your own computer, as well as the name cards for the place settings. I bought my wedding dress on ebay. *Not it was not previously worn* as well as my veil. we got our wedding bands on sale. and as for the best place for a reception, if you are planning on having alot of guest from out of town, have the reception in the hotel where everyone will be staying, makes it easier on everyone. i'm pretty sure that it's cheaper if you have the wedding and reception on a week day, because it's an off day and not alot of people get married on a weekday.

Hope this helps.

Answer 11

Make sure you get a couple of prices on everything. We had 3 prices of flowers and ended up saving about $250 between florist and my daughter still had all roses like she wanted. Also check around to see if someone knows someone who is into photography as a side line, it is much cheaper than a professional, also get a photo cd and make up your own album some lovely engraved one out there online and much cheaper. My daughter married in Sept 06 and I did about 6 albums for Xmas gifts at $20 for grandmothers, maidron of honor, aunts etc. We ordered engraved albums from Oriental Trading online, wonderful wedding goods. We had the photos done on Snapfish and also you can send them to long distance relatives through Snapfish. Also, go to some local resturants and ask for prices to cater instead of through wedding planners and wedding websites. GOOD LUCK and enjoy.