Wedding on a budget?

Question

What can I cut back on? Any experiences...how did that turn out?

Answer 1

Really it depends on where you are getting married if you want to have a dinner and how much you are willing to spend. I spent 3,500 on my wedding. Everyone loved it. I used fake flowers instead of real flowers and saved close to 400.00. I decorated the church the day before the wedding with my bridesmaids and groomsmen before the rehursal. We had so much fun and it looked great. We used tulle and white christmas lights down the asile on the pews it was amazing. Also, check with friends and family to barrow things that you will only use once like the cake server. Use the one that you mom used at her wedding that will mean a lot.

Answer 2

Walk the Aisle in Style--and on Budget
Don't let your dream wedding become a financial nightmare. The Whose Wedding party planners are here to help you save big bucks on everything from locations to invitations to flowers and more. The best part? These tips won't cost a thing! Get started with the info below, then check back throughout the new season for even more budget-friendly advice from our latest crop of wedding wizards!

Kevin Covey
1. Consider a civic site such as a city park or garden for your ceremony. They're often available for a very small fee, which can save you a gold mine.

2. Create your own invitations, programs and place cards using one of many commercially available software packages. You can purchase all your materials at your local office-supply store and print everything out on your own computer printer.

Jung Lee
3. Hold your wedding on a night or time of year that is in less demand. For example, location fees for Friday or Sunday evenings are often less expensive than Saturday nights.

4. Hiring an incredible deejay over a mediocre band will definitely save you money--and the broader range of music will also be a better entertainment choice.

Steve Kemble
5. Use candles in lots of beautiful shapes and sizes to inexpensively create drama on your special day.

Answer 3

♥ There are so many things you can do to cut back on spending so much money.

♥ First off, I'd say forget the limo...although its a nice touch, really no one sees you in it and its an unecessary cost when you could be spending that money on essentials... Secondly, buy all your food at Cosco's or Sam's Club. There you can buy in bulk for a cheaper price. Thirdly, make your invitations... you might have to have them printed, but if you add the bows or wutever to them yourself that can cut down on cost alot. Fourth, try to make the favors... something simple but inexpensive. Fifth, flowers take up a lot of your budget so use some fake flowers because that will cut wayyy down on the cost. If you, as the bride, really prefer real flowers then have your bouqet be real and the other flowers fake. Sixth, get a dj because a band will be more expensive. Seventh, recruit family & friends to help you in all of this planning & bargain shopping.

Hope this helps! Good Luck & Congratulations!

Answer 4

Buy your cake from Wal-Mart. They actually have some nice cakes which tasted pretty good.

Have family and friends serve your food or set it up buffet style.

Close family and friends can cook and set up the table. My sister bought a 6 foot sub from wal-mart that was a big hit.

Sit down and make your own part favors. Get your supplies at a party shop. This you can personalize them more.

Invitations and Thank you cards. Do this on your computer take a copy to the print shop (Kinko's etc.) Have them print them off on nice paper and trim. You fold put in envelopes and send them out. The thank you cards at the party shop get a bag of those plastic rings and sit and roll thank you notes and insert in the ring. Place them in a nice basket. Look thru the wedding books and copy the text. You can personalize it some to fit you. But get your ideas there.

Table decorations look for a friend or relative who knows how to do flower designs and sk them to make your table decorations or make them yourself. You will just need to buy the supplies. Same with the bouquets

Now you can't be afraid to say no thanks. Many people claim they can do something and they really can't. You end up with something tacky and not wanting to hurt their feelings. So if some you know has no talent and ask to help give them another task or just say you have someone in mind.

Everything went well for us

Answer 5

We're making our own invitations, thank-you cards and programs (very easy with a home computer and just a little creativity). We're also making our centerpieces, and I'm making my veil (if I decide to wear one). An earlier poster is right on about being able to find favor items very inexpensively at orientaltrader.com (and they're good quality). We found that food was by far the largest expense. We were able to save about $10 a plate (that's $1000 for 100 guests) by working with the catering manager at our venue on a customized menu. We didn't start out trying to save money, but it turned out we got more of the kind of food we wanted (and that we thought our guests would enjoy) for considerably less money. We also didn't want a photographer traipsing around after us all day for $1200+, so we found one who will charge by the hour and come to the ceremony with a few family pics after for about an hour, saving us about another $1000. We also found a DJ who works with our venue frequently. Because he's so familiar with the place and the people and the set-up, he reduced his fee by $150. I bought my dress on-line for $98 (it's really a fancy bridesmaid dress, but is perfect for the style of my wedding). I have a nice, convertible car, so we're going to use that instead of a limo. You could skip the favors all together. Guests won;t really miss them. My advice is to start early, do whatever you can yourself (or with the help of friends--a crafty friend helped design my invites), don't get pressured into spending money you don't need to, and work with your vendors. Remember that you are probably the only one who is going to notice the small details, so don't stress about them. People who are coming to your wedding are going because they want to celebrate with you, not to critique every detail. It's okay to cut corners. Have a great wedding and a fabulous marriage!

Answer 6

Don't cutback on the important things. The food/cake/ for the bar only have the basics... Wine (red/white) liquers middle quality- Vodka, Scotch, Gin, Whiskey, Rum... and juices/mixers, beer

Our rings were purchased wholesale by a friend who's a jeweler... My rings normally were $3000, my husband paid cash and got all our rings for under $1000.. My rings are platnium a bit over 1/2 carat total weight

We opted to not have a bridal party...Saving us/friends lots of hassles and money..

You can cut back on flowers by trying to find someone that does the work from home... Go to local florists and see if someone does work from home...Or if you don't want flowers get floating candles/clear bowls...

We paid for our own wedding so it was a really tight budget.. We got married/honeymooned in Las Vegas.. has a reception for 180 people when we got home..About 160 people totalled showed.. Are wedding w/ honeymoon was about $5,000

Our cake was made by a professional baker, but she worked out of her home as well... our cake in the store would've been $700 we got the same cake delivered for $350...

Our flowers were done by a friends mother who's a florist from her home.. I got the containers (casino buckets) and she supplied the flowers 20 arrangements/delivery $60 + tip

My dress was from a bridal resale shop... Including alterations my dress was under $400 the original price of dress w/ train.. $1000
I had my hair done at a salon in vegas ($60) it was awesome, and my make-up done in the mall inside our hotel "free" I didn't have to, but it was so awesome I spent $50 in products I use anyway... When I returned I did the same thing so I wore my dress twice...
We bought our liquer from a local bar at cost and returned any unopened bottles saved about $200

Bought wine from local winery.. $10 a case.. If you have a Trader Joes by you I would suggest getting Charles Scwaub aka. $2 buck chuck.. It's good and it's roughly $2 a bottle depending on where you are from...

That's about all I can think of that worked for us anyway....Be creative just because you're on a budget doesn't mean your wedding can't be fabulous....

Answer 7

There are so many ways to cut down cost of a wedding. I am a consultant and could give you some good tips but I would need more information about the kind of wedding you are wanting. If you would like you could email me and i might be able to help you some more.

Answer 8

Everything. That is, EXCEPT a good wedding planner. Don't skimp on the wedding planner. They're fabulous resources for finding ways to save major $$$.

Guests - Unless they're immediate family, don't invite guests who have to travel more than 8 hours to get to your wedding. Especially those relatives/friends with children. That saves them hotel bills - and your guest count.

Yes, this means fewer gifts - but gifts are not why you invite someone to celebrate a wedding.

Dress - see if you can't rent/borrow before you buy. What are you going to do with it afterwords?

Bridal party - Maid of Honor, Best Man. Period. 6 bridesmaids etc. can be more than expensive.

Flowers - Make the church flowers double as reception decorations - your wedding planner can help you with this.

Menu - lighter fare, cocktail food - as opposed to a huge sit-down dinner - and promotes people to mingle and have fun - but not stay forever either.

Drinks - either no alcohol or stick to one mixable drink - as in mimosas or lemon drops or something that can be made in a pitcher and circulated. If no alcohol, at least make the punch drinkable - as opposed to those lime sherbet concoctions worthy of the witches in Hamlet.

Venues - If your church has a fellowship hall, see about using that for the reception (hint - probably no alcohol served).

Answer 9

I am too planning a wedding on a budget, a couple things I have ran across is to get your own food, like from Sams or Costco. Then have some of your girlfriends help set it up so you don't have to hire a caterer.
Fake flowers are cheaper than real...
Find a photog. that maybe is just starting out, or even a student, they are way cheaper.

Good luck!!

Answer 10

For the REAL info on what is needed and especially, what ISN'T needed, go to the etiquette books of Judith Martin aka Miss Manners. Unlike "The Wedding Industry" she has nothing to gain by sweet talking you into buying unnecessary frippery and frills. For example, Miss Manners tells us that handwritten invitations are more formal and proper than mechanically produced ones. She can also tell you how to give a tea, rather than a supper, for your reception.