any ideas for a weding for 125 guest that will keep budget under $6,000?

Answer 1

be creative. do things on your own. dont hire a planner they will just cost that much more. make your own cake. rent a tux and dress. its not important what your cake tastes like, how much your dress costs, and how nice of napkins you have for your guest it is about the bond of two people, its getting married. a budget of 6,000 is perfectly enough! just shop smart if you want an big wedding!

Answer 2

Is this budget only for the reception or also other expenses (dress, invitations, flowers, etc). I am assuming is only for the party. I will recommend you having it in a house, (patio or yard) that way you save at least 3,000 for a hall. You can invest the money to decorate the place, the tables and chairs. Some catering companies will charge between 20 to 30 per person, depending on the season and the type of food you want to have. Or depending on the area you might be able to have a nice hall if you have family and friends help you make and serve the food. Try to visit some wedding planning web sites. www. theknot.com gives you a lot of ideas. I know is not easy, my best advice is to relax and shop around as much as you can. Congratulations!!

Answer 3

My first advice is going to sound very silly, but BE OPEN & get out your thinking caps! =)

I would brainstorm any and all small and large, local or regional groups or associations that may have a hall, "party room" or a facility that can accomodate your group. For example, where I live I am a member of my community Rec Center -- they rent out the facility to members for events (membership is SUPER cheap). OR, do you volunteer with a charity or non-profit group? I bring this one up because my local chapter of the American Cancer Society has a large facility, and I think if you work or volunteer there, they would consider a reasonable (or free) fee for you to use the place. Lastly, are you active in a church or faith community? Many churches and congregations have the capacity to hold a smaller reception for a nominal charge or even for free!

Another plus about the above options is that you could -- most likely -- supply your own bar! That's better than to have to pay outrageous prices for beverages, both alcoholic (if you are having them)- and non-alcoholic.

This may sound strange, but when it comes to food -- premade has come a long way! Maybe you could purchase those large pre-made lasagnas from Sam's or Costco and bake 'em up at your house -- and use your neighbor's oven as well. Buy BIG bags of the "bag salad" and pick a veggie. Plate that up on the finest "dollar store" glass plates (sometimes 2 or 3 for a buck) and hire 3-4 people to pass 'em out. PRESTO -- you've got a sit down dinner! =)

There are LOTS of ways to save -- do your own flowers - or some of them. You can buy fresh flowers for the bridesmaids the day before from Costco and prune them and tie them tight with ribbon. Rent a large van instead of a limo. Do your own invitations. If your guests are technically savvy, have them RSVP online (NO return postage that way!).

Best of luck, and remember to have fun. My wedding budget was a BIG source of stress for me until I started to think outside of the box!

Have fun! =)

Answer 4

Check you hotels for what they charge for receptions, Buffets,DJ's & a home baker for the cake are usualy they way to go. If you go with the hotel for your reception let them use their default decorations instead of you buying or renting your own, Their decorations are nice & eligant. Once you know if your reception will be at a hotel & if your guests will be travels block most of your rooms at that same hotel - some of the hotels will give the bride & groom a bigger discount with the more people & money their event will bring in. Do not have an open bar if you plan on having alcohal, people will drink more of the expencive drink then. Buy you dress on Clearance or online after you know what size you will need (wedding dresses are sized different) Use fake flowers instead of real- you can find these on sale for 50% off at craft stores several times a year. Craft stores also have wedding supplies of 50% off sales a few times a year too. Make your own favors. If you marry in a church - the church usualy is already decorated for the weekend so you can save some money by not having to worry about the church.

Answer 5

definitely get it catered buffet style. And look into renting a fire hall or some other hall that doesn't normally do weddings. Have wine and beer only, or a signature cocktail. Do whatever you can yourself. Right now I am making my flowers out of tissue paper bought at the dollar store. Check out marthastewart.com/weddings for instructions. Skip the limo and ask someone with a suv to drive you. Do all decorations yourself,centerpieces can be as simple as a candle on a mirror with rose petals sprinkled on table. google frugal weddings, and do tons of research. Check out orientaltrading.com and wedcraft.com. Michaels and ac moore art stores have tons of supplies too. My wedding is 106 people, and I spent almost $7,000. Just do your research and never make a decision right then and there. Sleep on it. Oh and book in the off season. Mine is march 31, which is the last day before the official wedding season starts, and the caterer and banquet hall cut me a bit of a break. good luck

Answer 6

Have it at your local church or at someone's home..
I second the family caterer thing.. Try to find someone who can cook that is a family member or family friend.. that will cut the cost WAY WAY down.. I'm saving thousands because my fiance's MOM is a caterer.. how lucky am I?

Either rent cheap china or use fancy paper/plastic plates and glasses and silverware ..

Or cut out the sit-down food completely and have appetizers or just desserts.

Use the internet to find the best deals.
Check out www.theknot.com
Although usually theyre more high-end references - you can dig and find some bargains.

Have it on a day that isn't popular for weddings - such as a Friday in November.. unless you just can't avoid a Saturday (which is usually the case - you want people to come after all !!)

Some coordinators/planners will help you do things like hand-make invitations, hand-make favors, find you cheap vendors, help you decorate with cheap flowers..

Don't get a florist - go to Vons or your local grocery store.. or the floral district or buy silk flowers online.

Answer 7

1) Get married on a Sunday - most places have cheaper prices on Sundays.
2) Skip extra costs where you can. You can cut back costs of flowers by making you own bouquets and altarpieces.
3) Keep your wedding party small.
4) Don't get a limo
5) Have a small cutting cake for your pictures, and a large pre-cut sheet cake in the back for your guests. It saves time, and a LOT of money.
6) Have a buffet dinner rather than a sit down dinner.
7) Ask for an adults only reception. This will keep your headcount lower.
8) Cash bar
9) Do your own hair and makeup. Make your veil.
10) Don't spend a lot of money on wedding shoes. Just get simple balerina flats. They're more comfortable anyways.

Answer 8

Try to avoid using the word "wedding" when your negotiating with vendors. They charge more for wedding services. Get your friends & family to help make the wedding favors. You might want to also look into printing your invitations off of your computer. You can get the invitations anywhere Walmart, Staples, Office Max etc... & then you can embellish them with whatever you want. If you have a good cook in the family you could ask them to cater your reception. At the reception you could serve light refreshments instead of having a sit down dinner.

Answer 9

Have a late morning wedding with a brunch reception. If you are having your wedding at a church, you could probably use the reception hall at the church (assuming there is one), and maybe the ladies of the church can prepare the food. You won't have to worry about serving alcohol, and after the reception you would have the rest of the day to spend however you and your new spouse would like! Congrats and best wishes!!

Answer 10

Shop around, be thrifty.

*Look for an officiant who will do it for little to no cost (generally you can find one if you look hard enough).
*Get flowers from your local grocer (or your own or a friend's yard if possible) and hand tie them with ribbon or go with silk flowers if you prefer. You really only need these for your wedding party - for other decor fabric and candles (not together) are generally cheaper
*If you want centerpieces for your tables, think RENTAL! You can usually rent even cheaper than buying if you shop around (if you cant, then look at dollar stores... nobody will know if that plain glass vase with decorative marbles came from Dollar Tree or a designer store) Great centerpieces are usually simple yet dramatic (think candles in glass holders on a mirror tile).
*You can get rings in silver for about $25 for the pair (upgrade to gold later when you can afford it) or go with no rings at all.
*Depending on where you live the license will cost anywhere from $15 (in NE) to $65 (the highest I have personally seen)
*For the reception food, host a BBQ or have a potluck and have everyone bring a dish instead of a gift, or have a "sub" sandwich (cold cuts reception) from a local deli sliced into smaller servings (usually very inexpensive) Buffet is generally cheaper than sit-down because you dont have to pay labor, but I would suggest hiring a few "servers" for your buffet to help limit serving sizes
*Limit alcohol or cut it completely
*Play your own music from a CD or MP3 player and have a family member play Master of Ceremonies (change music play lists or CDs by your predetermined order, announcing you, announcing dinner and dancing, etc)
*Print your own invites (put that artistic talent to its best use!)
*Have a friend or family member take pictures for you
*Are you Honeymooning? Think creative... turn off your phone, lock your door, get some nice candles, and turn your home into a retreat. Or if you are "outdoorsy" go camping and forget to tell everyone where. Think of things you havent done or seen in your area and become a tourist in your own city! Its amazing what you can miss in your own "backyard".

Here are a few sites to help you along :)
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/stylepage.asp?order_num=-1&RN=85&RNT=8&IPP=8
http://www.orientaltrading.com/application?namespace=browse&origin=home.jsp&event=catalog&categoryId=377344&tabId=PartySupplies
http://www.paperdirect.com/Wedding+Invitations+Accessories/cid=163/shop.axd/Category
http://www.collectionsetc.com/Item53035.aspx

If you need further help email me and I will do my best to assist