Ok so I am not even engaged yet but I just have a question about money!?

Question

So my family doesn't have a ton of money and I don't either! I was just thinking about this the other day though because I will probably marry my boyfriend in this next year or at least get engaged in this next year. Where do you come up with all the money though if I don't really have much to save and my parents don't have tons of money? Do you get a loan or what? I mean I don't want a big extravagent wedding. Really just close family and friends. But still it WILL cost some money and I don't know where we would get it from so I just wanted to know what others did becaus I KNOW not everyone has money to throw around with out saving for years!

Answer 1

There are many ways to throw a nice wedding without going broke. Unless absolutely necessary, don't get a loan. Don't start your life together in debt. It'll just be one more thing to handle and manage as you learn to become husband and wife.

I would suggest that you start putting away some money, whatever little you are able. And also look for deals. For example, winter is usually less expensive to get married. Many places will give a much larger discount if you get married between October - January. You can always get friends to help out with the invitations and the flowers and the favors. And instead of an all out wedding, perhaps get married at a local church or at a nice garden. Then host the celebration at someone's house.

I didn't have much money either when I got married. In fact, both my husband and I were laid off for 6 months right before our wedding. I found creative ways to keep our cost down. I made my own favor boxes, my own veil, swag and pew bows. If you're handy, check out Michaels or a craft store for ideas.

In terms of getting money, perhaps think about getting a job in the evenings like babysitting or at a retail shop.

Hope this helps a little. Also, congrats!

Answer 2

DON'T GET A LOAN!!! Set a budget and work within it.

I did my first wedding for about $1,000. And that was the most expensive of all the girls in my family. You can save money by making your own centerpieces, keep them simple.

Part of my expense was deferred because I have a family member who makes cakes, we are allowed to use the church for no cost, we are just responsible for the cleanup and I did not have to pay clergy. The church building has an area where we can hold the reception- so there was also no cost for the hall.

You may still have to rent the hall, Check into the cost of halls, or if you have a relative or friend with a nice yard, you could use that offer to arrange for all the cleanup.

Get your family and friends to help you. Most people I know, and most weddings I have been to are done this way. Siblings and extended families are great they will usually help out. This will save the cost of catering. There is no need to serve a meal, just light appetizers. I have seen, cake, mints, nuts and punch. Classy but simple. There is really no need for wedding favors- most people don't keep them anyway. Not serving alcohol at your reception will cut the cost back alot as well people should not even notice that it is missing.

Keep the number of attendants down, so that you don't have to furnish a lot of dresses and tuxes. You could even just have a best man and maid of Honor.

Make your own invites- You can go to a paper store and there are lots of options to get the paper to print your own announcements. from your home computer. This will cost less money. The paper is usually made for announcements. You could also collect announcements over the next few months that come, and use those ideas to make your own. One I have seen that may be less expensive is where you have the announcement printed on velum paper and then a picture of the couple behind that. Simple and easy you and your family could do that. A scrapbook or craft store will have Velum paper, you might could get it in bulk at a paper store.

DIY weddings can turn out very nice, but take a lot of time on your part and on the part of your family. But in the end, if you can save money, it is well worth it.

Answer 3

Don't get a loan. It's not worth the interest.

My family does not have a lot of money either. However, I was taught, if you want something you need to work for it. My parents are helping to pay some costs (like buying my dress-my present) and his parents his attire.

I'm planning on waiting tables a few weekends a month to make some extra money. The restuarant I interviewed w/ has a lot of girls working there doing the same thing.

My Fi is also setting aside a certain amount of money from his paychecks each week (he already works more hours then me, so I would not expect him to get a second job) .

I would pick a date a year in advance and pick a budget. As a waitress you can make about $100 in about 5 hours. Not bad money. If you wait tables twice a week, that's $200 a week or $800 a month. In a year, that will be about 10K. Not bad. If your Fi contributes about the same or 1/2, you'll have about 15K-20K to play with.

Seems worth is to me to work an extra 10-15 hours a week and have a 15K or 20K wedding.

Answer 4

Don't start married life out in debt. Definately don't get a loan. I'm getting married in a month and luckily, we have saved enough to have an intimate wedding with close friends and family. Figure out what kind of celebration you want and start saving. It doesn't have to be thousands of dollars. You could get married in a park and have a small dinner at a friend's house or restaurant afterwards. There are many ways to wed affordably. Also, maybe sit down with both sets of parents and talk about financial arrangements. See if they could help pay for some things. My fiance & I waited 7 years to get our money and lives together before we decided to make it official. We always knew we would get married, but everything has to be set first. Good luck to you. I hope you figure it all out!

Answer 5

Whatever you do you should not take out a loan to pay for your wedding. You want to remember it because you had a great time, not because you and your new husband are arguing from stress trying to pay off the credit card bills that are coming in the mail every month.

Go ahead and start saving now. If you save as little as $100 a month in a year you will have $5,200 to spend on the wedding. Cut corners in small ways if you don't have alot of excess. For instance switch from name brand to the generic when you are grocery shopping. Offer to clean someone's house and do one house each week/weekend. That will bring in $50 or more right there.

Remember that it's about the marriage and not the wedding. If you don't have 30k to spend don't worry about it. You will be just as married to the love of your life regardless of what the final price tag is.

Answer 6

You don't need money for a wedding. Tailor the wedding to suit the situation and the money. And don't postpone it till you have money, either.

What do you REALLY need?

If it's a church wedding, you need the clergyman and possibly the organist. Ask for the very simplest wedding possible. You can probably do the flowers yourself and get flowers from friends' gardens or even wild flowers in some area.

You need the state or locality fees to have the wedding registered.

Make the wedding reception and meal a potluck affair.

I've been at many weddings in many countries and the most memorable, in a positive sense, have always been the minimum-cost ones.

Answer 7

I know it is hard to save money but it is worth it if you can avoid a loan. Owing money is not a great way to start out your married life. Especially after the wedding day, when you suddenly realise you are going to be spending years paying off this one day.
Realistically, he hasnt even proposed yet. You have time up your sleeve. Set yourself a budget and put away a set amount each week. If you cant trust yourself not to touch it, get your mother to open a special wedding account. Maybe she will be able to spare $20 a week? Every little bit helps and at the end of the day it will all add up to a tidy sum.
When your man does propose, the first thing he will have had to save up for is rings. Once that is out of the way tho, talk to him about also adding to your wedding account. Get him to give you a set amount each week, maybe he can even ask his parents to contribute a small amount. If you save this way for a year, you will be amazed at what you will have.
Some girls on here are really lucky and have parents who are willing and able to finance a 20K wedding for them. Dont base your plans on this....we are not all that lucky.
You will need to plan out the type of wedding you are wanting and budget accordingly so you can afford it.
We are paying for our own wedding and as we bought a house first, we are on a really strict budget. Our wedding is a year away (6th July) and we are planning to hold it in our backyard, on the grass by the pool (lucky for us it is a nice backyard) or up at a lookout just down the road (decisions, decisions)
The celebrant is a lady, who is costing us $500. That includes all the legalities, paperwork, she provides a decorated table for signing the certificate, and decorations to the venue.
I am having a family friend take pics.
I am catering at home, borrowing a big marquis type tent to go over the patio, (free) borrowing some garden chairs and trestle tables, also free. I have to buy some white table cloths but will probably just get the fabric or buy off ebay. Whatever is cheapest. I will get decorations off ebay, they have some awesome white bali flags that will look amazing out by the pool.
Food I will cater for myself.( fancy finger foods, meat and cheese platters and a big pasta dish and crusty breads) and I am looking forward to doing it. My sister is helping me and I think it will be fun.
Cake and dessert and wine and beer and punch..... I think I can do it on just a couple of thousand. Just think about all the ways you can save and be creative, and have fun doing it.
Good luck

Answer 8

I guess my first question is....do you have a job? Because you really need to have one.
When i was younger....I worked in a sporting goods store for minimum wage. I worked my butt off....I paid for my entire wedding. (my mom bought my $300 dress) You have to budget & do it responsibly. Start by writing down things you need. the basic stuff. There are lists you can retrieve online i'm sure. Jot down the prices of things. Find the cheapest route possible. You can do it....but like i said...you have to spend SOME money...or go get married w/some family & friends at your local courthouse. My brother got married in a park...nothing big...& it was the most beautiful ceremony EVER! I would just buy things here and there..with every paycheck...a little at a time...whatever i could.

Answer 9

Find a job and start a savings account. Usually it's your parents that pay for the wedding and your fiancee pays for honeymoon.

Don't get a loan to pay for a wedding or use credit cards if you can help it. You could always just go to the court house and get married.

Answer 10

My husband and I just saved, just totally cut down on personal and entertainment expenses, and we paid for 200 guests ourselves for a traditional wedding. You just figure out how long it is from the engagement to the wedding date, and plan how much he and you can afford to spend on the celebration, and make plans according to how many people you can afford to host and how.