How can I afford a nice wedding at a decent price?

Question

I am usually a bargain shopper but I don't have a clue of where to begin for my wedding. I have never been to one and I want to have a nice wedding at a decent cost. The most I can afford is about 10,000. Can anyone provide me with an idea to lower the cost for this wedding next year.

And by the way, thanks so much to all the answerers. Your ideas and answers are very much appreciated.

Answer 1

Hey girl!!! I know what you mean because I did it for my wedding. I used my husband's family's church with the reception hall in the back. And since his family was a member we did not have to pay. His mother cooked for the reception and each of his relatives brought some food. NO ALCOHOL TAB! That is what costs at weddings. Good luck!!

Answer 2

Sit down with your fiance and make 3 lists. First list is the things you absolutely must have. Second list is things that are nice to have but you can do without if you have to. Third list is things you don't need or want at all.

Stay away from anything that is marketed 'wedding'. You can get the same things that are higher quality and much cheaper if you get them anywhere other than the wedding section of the store.

Having the reception at a non-meal time is a big cost cutter. If it must be at a meal time, contact your favorite restaurant. Most of them are more than happy to cater and are much cheaper than any wedding caterer's base price.

You can get fresh flowers much cheaper than any silks from www.freshroses.com if you're willing to make your own bouquets. Use candles for centerpieces. Rent whatever you can from a local party rental store or your florist. Things like hurricane shades or votive holders, if you can't get them from florist which is rare, buy them locally from places like Walmart or Joann's since the online shipping prices are very expensive and will negate any discounts you may find.

Do not go the 'fake display cake with sheet cakes' route for your cake. Many people will try to convince you this is a cost saver but in reality it is not since there is much more work involved on the baker's part, even if people tell you otherwise.

Do not skimp on photos because that is all you really have at the end of the day other than your new husband.

If you must have alcohol, get it in bulk from Costco and you can return anything that has been upopened. Make sure your venue allows this though. And make sure that the alcohol you get is something your guests will actually drink. Meaning don't have a beer and wine reception to "cut costs" if no one drinks either of those any other time.

Skip the champagne. Most people hate it and only take one sip to be polite and leave a full glass. Allow your guests to toast with what they already have in their hands.

If you purchase anything on Ebay, always read the fine print of the shipping charges since many people like to charge more for shipping than the actual item costs.

Shop around to get the best deals. Don't settle for the first thing you find.

Answer 3

Find a ceremony site and a reception site that allows you to bring your own food and your own liquor. Then hire a team comprised of culinary students to cater your wedding. It's much cheaper, yet the students are so eager for good references that the food is amazing! Also, hire a bartender for the evening. Buy your own liquor, but keep the options to a minimum. Talk to your bartender beforehand, and set up an alcohol beverage menu of about 10 different drinks (not including beer, wine, champagne, etc.). That way, when your guests sit down, they can be greeted with a menu detailing the scrumptuous food in store for them for the evening, as well as listing the select alcoholic and non alcoholic beverage choices. It's ultra classy, yet you get to keep costs down by limiting the options! Additionally, become a do it yourself bride. Florists charge a ridiculous amount for wedding flowers, yet bulk flower growers will sell you the same flowers for much cheaper. I've seen bundles 500 roses for 200 dollars. Imagine having a luncheon with your bridesmaids the day before your wedding- as you tie up bouquets, boutonneirs, corsages, centerpieces, decorations, etc! The trick is to keep them cool, though. Additionally, you can find students majoring in music the perform violin solos or piano solos throughout the evening. When its time for dancing- plug in a pre-programmed ipod into a rental music system (they run around $250). The possibilities are endless, you really just have to take these things into your own hand. Refuse to pay others for what you or others can do for much less! This is what I'm doing, and I'm having an amazing wedding at a beautiful Rotunda with a seven-course russian-service meal for- get this- under $5000. People say it can't be done, but that's only for people who are too lazy to do it themselves.

Answer 4

I just got through paying for my daughters wedding. It ended up about 12,000. I think it was quite sophisticated and beautiful. Had it in January just after the first of the year. She found went all over Oklahoma City looking for a wedding dress and finally found exactly what she wanted and it was only about $600. The front of the church had roses, tulle, and greenery. Unity candle in the middle. On each side of bride and groom and minister were 8 feet tall silk "Christmas trees" illuminated throughout with white lights. More white lights were woven withing the roses, tulle, and greenery behind the minister. A white carpet went down the cente isle with tulle draping from pew to pew with roses at each pew.

The reception was planned for 300 and was catered at a local university's ballroom by the university catering service. Since we used the University's catering service there was no charge for renting the ballroom for the night. Had stuffed mushrooms. Fruits. Cheeses. Vegetables. Two chocolate fountains. One milk chocolate. One white chocolate. Strawberries and pineapple. Etc. Had a DJ for the night with dancing on the ballroom dance floor.

Had a professional photographer for the bridal portrait, wedding pictures, and video.

We paid quite a bit for the reception dinner and went pretty big with the photography so by minimizing a little bit here and borrowing a dress there you should be able to get it done for about $10,000. Talk to several people and get bids on everything. Good luck.

Answer 5

I have been to very expensive weedings with food, dancing, live music etc. and very simple wedding at someone's house. I don't think the wedding really has much impact on the success of the marriage so if you can keep from getting caught up in what others want you should be able to do sometnhing for under $10K. A friend of ours got married recently for abou $8K.

Some things you might consider:

1. Have the wedding at someone's home rather that renting a church or temple or whatever you might rent.
2. Limit the food to cake, punch and some simple goodies.

Good luck.

Answer 6

Here's a little tip that might helps you, you may actually save a lot of bucks on wedding dresses by "renting" one, or by buying one from online. Some of which are very decently designed. Go check out at

http://www.whiteangelsbridal.com

They're very European style oriented, they personally design the bridal gowns for "individual" brides at very reasonable cost. I got two dresses there for myself, one cost me $350, and another is like around $700. They also offer something as low as $150 or as high as over $1,000.

In terms of other costs, reception for instance, you can avoid choosing large famous hotel brands for your reception. Instead going to some of the nice designed restaurants with good views would be great. Usually, costs of restaurants are much cheaper than those of the ball rooms in the hotel.

Congratulations babe.

Answer 7

Shop around and get several prices for everything. Ask around for someone who knows of a person who does photos as a side line and check out their work. This says alot and ask for a cd and you can order albums online and order photos online for 12 cents each. I did small engraved albums for my daughters wedding party, parents, and the grandmothers this way for about $20 each. Oriental Trading has some lovely wedding stuff this is where I ordered the albums. Check prices for flowers the difference between florist was $300 using the same flowers. GOOD LUCK

Answer 8

We saved a lot of money a few ways

1) I bought A LOT of things on ebay. If you can wait it out you can find good bargains!! I went to David's Bridal to see what I liked and then searched for that stuff on ebay. I got an $85 tiara for $15. That's just an example.

2) Find a photographer that does it for a hobby and doesn't want to make moeny off of every single picture. We asked that we be given the cds which has allowed us to print off our pics and make our own album. Some photographers want to charge $800+ to hand over the cd. We just kept looking around.

3) Have your reception at a place that doesn't specialize in "functions" especially weddings. They ALWAYS charge a bigger price for weddings. We found a BEAUTIFUL place, our local Elk's Lodge that was nicely kept up, and since they didn't specialize in weddings they didn't have a list of prices. They just charged us exactly what the wedding cost them. We have GREAT food and it was cheap.

That's a few ideas. Good luck and have fun planning!! Congrats!!!!!

Answer 9

Ebay is a fantastic option!! Anything you can make or so on your own, also is a fantastic option. I am also planning a wedding. I was fortunate to find an aspiring photographer that is just as awesome as an experienced one. I am paying $500 for that plus costs of pics I want printed. The costs of thes pics are the same as Walmarts prices, but with a lot better quality. I also don't pay him until I have my proofs and copyrights.

I got approved for a David's Bridal card $3000. I have used almost all of my limit, BUT...All of my girls are paying me back for their dresses and I have 2 daughters in the wedding that I am paying all of their costs too.

I am paying for a church $435

I have someone making all of my flowers...$100 for all of them

I might spend $500 on a buffet (I am making the food myself)

$200 on 2 cakes

I plan to only spend about $100 on the reception decorations

So....at the most I am spending $5500

Anyways, this is just me, I just wanted to show you that your dream wedding can happen at a fraction of the cost!!

Good luck to you!!

Answer 10

SHOP AROUND. The internet is wonderful. You just have to have the patients to look around and compare. I found my champagne glasses for $45 when everywhere else was $99-125. If you have friends or family willing to help dont be ashamed to accept it. My husband and I paid for our wedding and we spent about $18000.00. That included everything for 650 guest and we live in Hawaii where people and services are limited (so sometimes expensive) but we made do with what we had and it turned out beautiful.