no money need ideas?

Question

ok me and my fiance have run into some financial trouble for our wedding, and we dont have the money for a normal wedding, i came up with the idea to just have a JOP marry us and then we can have a formal get together/reading of our personal vows for the people we were planning on inviting to our wedding....so do you have any ideas on how to make this day even more like a real wedding? HELP ME I ONLY HAVE LESS THAN 4 MONTHS UNTIL OUR PLANNED WEDDING DATE

Answer 1

If you're going to have a get together then you can have a wedding. Wherever you're having your reception all you need is a focal point for the ceremony.
Michael's will be running their lighted $30 arch on sale again here in a week or two. That and 16 yds of tulle from Joann's or some other fabric chain 2yds/$1 and you're good to go. All you need then is a coupleof pew bows.
While you're at Michael's grab a handful of silk flowers, some ribbon & you can whip up a hand-tied bouquet & boutonniere.

One this though, people will remember how you pledged your love more than whether the groom wore a green or a purple cummberband. Concentrate on that.

To find an officiant type into Yahoo your city, state & wedding officiant (no 's' on the end) You will have a few to choose from, usually on the 2nd page. The larger bridal sites seem to get top billing. If you do go to the bridal sites, please visit the site of someone you think you might like. Those bridal sites make vendors & officiants pay for your contact info so you may not hear back from someone you'd hoped.

If you need anything else, give me a shout.

Answer 2

Weddings are outrageously expensive. Figure out a budget and stick to it. There are several options for how to cut costs. You can get married and then wait a month or so (until you can afford it) and have a reception then (what most people do when they have a destination wedding). Or don't get married until you've saved up enough.

If you want it to be more like the real wedding than make it the real wedding. Have the JOP marry you with everyone present but don't try to do a "reenactment". The point is sharing the special day with people--if you don't wish to share it with them, just play the video.

Casual weddings are more inexpensive than formal weddings. You can rent a hall like a shrine club that has an outdoor/indoor area. A reception hall at a church. The biggest expenses to having a wedding are the caterer (especially if you have alcohol) and the flowers. A very inexpensive flower arrangement is to float a large flower in a bowl of water, that you could grow like hydrangea or sunflower. Probably someone you know has a hydrangea that you could cut blooms off of the day of the wedding. Don't bother with bouquets for everyone. Perhaps buy a dozen roses and have bridesmaid carry one, groomsmen has one as his boutineer. You carry the rest as your bouquet. Roughly $20 that way and you don't have flowers all around as that quickly takes the cost up several thousand.

Caterers are also a great expense. Don't serve alcohol which will save at least several hundred. Have family each bring something. Pasta is real cheap to make if you want to have salad and spaghetti. Or just do cake and punch. Or do a BBQ. One of my friends did that and a friend had a smoker and cooked the hog as her gift. Beans, slaw and potato salad are all rather cheap and can be bought in mass. Shouldn't run you more than 100-200. That way you can have all the food for less than 500--near impossible to accomplish if you hire a caterer.

Cheap favors are a good way to save money too. Most people don't like the favors anyway and they are very expensive. Just do small bags of Jelly Bellys or M&Ms in your wedding colors. Larger candy stores often have bins that you can fill up with the individual colors. One per couple/family instead of individual.

But I'd make this your real wedding and share this special day. You could have the wedding at a gazebo outside or a nearby one in a park. Many parks have a permit fee but if you don't have many guests and it's casual--you could probably get it over with without buying the permit. Or if you do it in the park and just say it's a family picnic (instead of wedding) usually the fee is waived or significantly cheaper. Either way most outdoor sites don't need much decoration and already have some form of focal point like an arch or gazebo that you can use for the quick ceremony. Then go to the hall for the party.

Four months is plenty of time for a casual wedding. Prices are cheaper in the afternoon than evening. Good luck!

Answer 3

I have the same problem because I have kids to support from a previous marriage.
You can check with local parks and rent a gazebo for a small fee- you can use your back yard- you have lots of options.
Keep in mind that a JOP ceremony is only 5 min. long. You can have a friend get certified online for cheap and they can marry you. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Ask friends and family to help.

Visit your local Goodwill and see if they have anything you can use (arch, etc.)

Use inexpensive flowers (like carnations).

Ask a local church to let you borrow some chairs and have the wedding at a local park

Have a BBQ or light appetizers as opposed to a sit down dinner.

Have a late afternoon reception. You can decorate the park with lights. They are inexpensive and beautiful.

Answer 5

I'd still have the wedding & reception together. Use a chapel and a community room or something like that. Even a park could work - don't deprive your guests of getting to see you say "I do"

Answer 6

I have seen many on here have a cake and punch reception where the cake and tea/punch/coffee is only served. That's inexpensive. Why can't you have the JP marry you are oyru location--backyard, park? You'd have to pay for 2 officiants, which would cost more.

Answer 7

Go have your jp wedding, then just have a reception later for your family. You can't really have what you are thinking of.

Answer 8

if it`s going to be in a summer month have a reception at a park , do your own food , it sounds cheap and maybe a bit tacky but u make the day yours , its the same as a hall but outside , i am sure you can make it good , good luck on the marridge

Answer 9

Yous should never mary with financial troubles. Fix them first then get married

Answer 10

get some help from fam and friends and try to decorate the place with ribbons and lace!! you could also gather pics from fam and friends to make a photoboard!! it will be fun and make the time more memorable and unique!!