cheap wedding can it still be nice ?

Question

we live in texas and most of our family would be traveling would have approx 100 people there my first his second just need some really good ideas please wedding is sept 2008

Answer 1

by their very nature... weddings are already perfect.. no matter how they go. At least that's my opinion.. so I've never understood why people have wanted to spend so much money on them to "make" them perfect.

whatever you do.. it will still be a perfect day.

Answer 2

Your first wedding so you should definitely have a pretty memory. Get a white gown and veil. I am superstitious about borrowing a gown, truly believe that a "temporary dress" means a temorary marriage. Every bridal salon has a clearance rack, look there first. SEARS catalogue has lovely gowns for less than $400. They are really nice,too! Decorations are cheapest from dollar stores. They vary from store to store so be careful. If you marry in a church, their hall is generally cheapest and usually the hall rent is free if you use their ladies' group to cater - again , this is your best deal and the home-made food will taste great! Need to tip the cleaner $100, though. Outdoor weddings are risky. In Texas, a windstorm , rain or even snow can appear in September when you least expect it. Do you know any friends/people/employers who have a dream house? You may be surprised to learn that many rich people LOVE to have weddings or other events at their home so they can show off their decorator's skills. My husband's employer has hosted two weddings at his estate this summer already and didn't charge a dime! The bride's parents offered them $500 for cleaning and they even turned that down so when they sent a sincere thank you letter, they included a lovely framed photograph of the bride and groom taken in front of the grasnd entrance as a keepsake. 100 people fit in very well to a large estate-size home. Just keep the booze down and set definite time limits. Wealthy people often have a live-in cook or chef who would prepare the food for cost of the ingredienst plus maybe $200 for his/her time if this is not a sit-down event. There are so many options for you. Good luck!

Answer 3

Here's some cost cutting ideas . .

Have a Friday night wedding or a Sunday afternoon wedding, there are many places that apply a discount to Friday or Sunday events.

Have breakfast/brunch instead of lunch or dinner. Have your ceremony at 10AM followed by a wedding breakfast. Breakfast is always less expensive than lunch or dinner. And there are many places that put on a fabulous brunch for a reasonable price! Also, if you have breakfast or bunch you do not have to serve liquor except for a toast to the Bride and Groom.

Control the amount of liquor that is served (beer and wine only) and how long the bar is open. Wedding guests love FREE liquor and they will take advantage of your hospitality. Only have the bar open 30-60 minutes before dinner is served . . close the bar during dinner . . and then only have it open for 60-90 minutes after dinner.

Ask for small bridal or attendants' bouquets or just a single rose.

Ask for one flower bouquets (all roses, all carnations or all mums).

Serve sparkling cider in place of sparkling wine or champagne.

Control your guest list . . everytime you add another name the cash register rings and you have to pay for another dinner.

Do not invite small children. There is no need to invite children under twelve years old to a wedding especially when you have to pay full price for their dinner (which they will not eat).

Limit the number of people in your wedding party. There is no need to have nine bridesmaids and nine groomsmen. You will have to buy nine bridesmaids' bouquets and nine bridesmaids' gifts and that expense adds up quickly. Just have a Maid of Honor and a Best Man.

Dont' buy wedding day cute or clever items like feather pens or guest books or printed napkins or unity candle sets or fancy white hankies or ring bearer pillows or "something old, something new." All these items add up quickly and before you know it, you have spent $500.

Don't buy or make table or wedding favors. Favors only work in two categories . . something to eat (preferably homemade, like cookies) or something useful (bud vases, candlesticks or candy dishes). Other than that, don't waste your time or money or effort. "Cute" table favors are either left on the dinner table or thrown away with the guest gets home.

And here's some other useful information . .

Don't buy or make silk flower bouquets or arrangements. Real Brides only carry REAL flowers. You will never regret carrying real flowers "down the aisle."

Do not have a CASH BAR. When you host a wedding you are responsible for both "the food and drink." There are ways you can control the bar bill but you should never ask your guests to purchase their own drinks (rude, cheap and inconsiderate).

Do not buy a wedding cake from a "large grocery or discount store." A store that sells truck tires and ladders and trash bags is NOT an expert in baking wedding cakes.

Neither the Bride nor her attendants should wear flip flops with their gown. Rubber shoes and silk gowns are not compatible.

Make sure all the parents "get dressed up."

Answered by: A Certified wedding specialist / A Professional bridal consutant / A Wedding ceremony officiant

Answer 4

We had a very inexpensive wedding. We found a local park with a lake with a little pier that was very lovely and had huge gazebo type picnic areas. It was a county park and no one had a wedding there before. We only had to pay $150 for the use that day. We rented a few nice padded chairs for the ceremony and had it at the little pier. Then, we decorated the gazebo picnic area and had some finger foods brought, little fancy sandwiches, fruits, veggies and some sparkling cider (the park did not allow alcoholic beverages). It was not a very fancy affair, it did turn out quite simple and elegant though. Since the wedding and reception were outside at a very lush park, we did not have to decorate much, the surroundings were so nice. We found a good bargain on the photographer and just used a violinist for the ceremony music. Oh, the only other thing was that we paid for the guests parking since they had to pay to enter.

Answer 5

There are many ways to cut the cost of a traditional wedding.
1. I am not sure of the place you are looking for but check out community centers, backyard of friend, or family member...that's up to you.

2. get married in the evening and have a coctail reception. You don't have to have a sit down expensive dinner with tables, etc. Have bar or bistro tables around and serve lots of appetizer or tapas (small bites) like foods. And for dessert. A small cake for you to cut, but a chocolate fountain with fruit adn pound cake and marshmallows, etc for the rest of the guests. And no bar. A signature drink, and wine and water, and sodas. we had sangria in champagne fountains. Red and white, that we made ourselves.

3. go to your cities flower district. Find someone who knows about that. We went to the flower mart in Los Angeles for my wedding (where all the florists pick up there stuff wholesale) last year. It's less expensive and you can put your own arrangements together.

4. make your own favors. They are not so important anyway,. do something cute that reflects your style.

5. Make your own invites. It can be less expensive, but more time consuming. (I do custom invites. I could do the job if you'd like. I've got great, simple inexpensive ideas! Plus, save the dates)

6. Do all your own decorating. You can do elegant things inexpensively, without just going to an art store and buying those big ugly bows.

7. Spend the most money of a good photographer and ask family members to videotape instead of hiring one. The pics you will have forever. Video won't be watched as much as the pics will be viewed in your house.

8. DJ is important too. OR download all the songs you want and keep them playing (lots of songs so there is not a break) and just appoint an emcee to announce things.

Most of all have fun. Don't stress out too much. Remember that something will happen that won't be according to schedule. Roll with the punches. MOST IMPORTANT!!!!!!---It's about the marriage...not the wedding. Don't forget that!!!

Email me for any ideas or if you need help!

Answer 6

How about a late evening wedding/reception? You can get away with a cocktail reception instead of the full dinner. That's very classy, and less costly. An earlier reception can be brunch or a luncheon depending on the time of day. Or a reception tea in the early afternoon is a nice idea as well.

Nix the open bar. Or choose a "cut-off" option, such as Open Bar until the tab reaches 'x' amount, and then it switches to cash bar. Of have Open Bar for the first hour, cash bar thereafter. You can also consider having beer & wine open, cash for mixed/call drinks.

Favors aren't a neccessity. Most people I know who do catering throw away tons of favors at the end of a reception while they're bussing the tables. If favors are a must, consider something homemade, like cookies or chocolates.

Do as much as you can yourself. For instance, you can buy kits to do the invitation, instead of sending away to a printer. Try googling for "do it yourself wedding" or "wedding crafts" and see what you come up with. There are gorgeous centerpieces you can make yourself in a snap that look like a professional made them. See what you can do, and what you feel comfortable with doing.

Consider less "conventional" places for cakes and flowers. Head to your local "chain" grocery store. Hit the floral department and the bakery for samples of their wedding arrangements and cakes. Often times people at the reception won't know the difference between boutique and grocery store.

Remember that you're only going to wear your dress once. Try checking consignment shops for wedding dresses. Most are in excellent condition, because they've only been worn for 8 or less hours, and they're a fraction of the cost of a "new" dress at a bridal store.

Check out your local dollar store. The Dollar Tree in our town has a whole wedding section full of packets of tulle, confetti, bubbles, etc.

Set a budget, stick to it, and plan plan plan. Being well organized will be one of the keys to keeping your wedding budget (and your bank account) on track. Not to mention your sanity!

Answer 7

Of course an inexpensive wedding can be nice! My beloved and I spent about $2000 fourteen years ago on a wedding people still speak of fondly, and I've been to several lovely weddings that cost less than mine did.

Here's how you do it:

1: prioritize. Sit down with your intended and decide on one or two things each where you don't want to compromise. These can be literally anything. The gown, the flowers, open bar, getaway car...anything. In my case they wound up being live music, enough food for everyone to be fed within an inch of their lives, the site and I wanted to make the lace for my wedding gown. Once you've got your priorities, look at everything else and cut back or cut out anything that isn't legally required, important to at least one of you, or tending to the comfort of your guests. Feel free to forgoe limos, but don't skimp on enough food or chairs.

2: DIY is your friend. You'll be amazed at how much you can save by doing things yourselves or asking crafty friends and family members to help out. Tying simple bouquets is easy and anyone can make a reasonable looking centerpiece. I've even known couples who grew their own flowers, printed their own invitiations, dyed the fabric for the bridesmaid's dresses, and we self-catered with no hassle.

3: Don't be afraid of alternate resources for things. I've seen gorgeous wedding gowns going for less than $50 at thrift stores, and eBay has stores where you can get custom made wedding and bridesmaid's gowns for a pittance. Dollar stores often have items you can use for decoration for next to nothing. And if you see the perfect ring pillow going for a quarter at a garage sale, you win!

4: Don't get personalized ANYTHING. A bit of personalized ribbon doesn't cost that much. A few matchbooks with your wedding date aren't a lot...but once you add them together and perhaps a couple other items, you'll be amazed how quickly it adds up.

5: Pick a really pretty site. It will save a ton on decorations. For instance, my guy and I were married in a redwood grove. Who needs crepe paper and balloons when you've got the glory of nature all around you? If you choose a place that's already attractive, you can rely on it to speak for itself without tarting it up.

6: If it says 'wedding' on it, you can get it for less elsewhere. Trust me on this.

7: The single most important thing to a fun wedding is a bride and groom who interact with their guests and are having a good time. People will forgive a host of other minor ills if the bride and groom actually make sure to say hello and spend a couple minutes with everyone. So make sure you find a way to relax before the big day and have a good time at your own reception.

I'm sure you and your intended will have a wonderful wedding without breaking the bank.

Answer 8

it can be WONDERFUL the reasons that weddings get expencive is because people go over-the-top and crazy with decor and EVERYTHING they can think of. for my wedding, get some food some folding chairs tables preist some flowers and a simple dress and pretty much good to go. the nice part of the wedding is what it represents and the celebration of being together and haveing your friends and family and god(s/ess/esses) recognize you two as being together. the rest wont matter years from now, and fretting over it will only ruin the occasion and make you miserable.

Answer 9

All of my cousin-in-laws have had "cheap" weddings. All were married in their church and threw their receptions in the local high school cafeteria (one exception for an abandoned warehouse.) In addition to the "cheap" reception halls all of the food was pot-luck/homemade, the decorations were minimal (a few candles and fake flowers), and the music for dancing was provided by rented speakers attached to a good-old-fashioned-cd-player with pre-mixed c.d.'s the couple's burnt on WMP. I believe all of my cousins spent $2,000 or less on their weddings - and I enjoyed all of them.

It is my firm belief that faith in the couple being married, the company of excellent family/friends and general atmosphere make for beautiful weddings. It would definitely be nice to have a dream wedding with all of the bells and whistles, but in the end being surrounded by the one's we love is all that matters. Tasty food and good music don't hurt either, and you definitely don't need a fancy-over-the-top caterer or dj for either.

Answer 10

absolutely weddings can be inexpensive! When I got married, we had to pay for everything ourselves.

We didn't want to cut back on the number of people coming to the wedding but we absolutely had to cut back on expenses.

One of the major expenses we cut back on was the cost for catering. Sounds crazy but this worked out fantastic.

Our invitations said ".....would you like to join them in a celebration of their marriage at 7pm ....". The formal invitation invited everyone just to the reception...after dinner.

We got married earlier in the day, then had a private dinner party for ourselves, our wedding party and our parents. It was really, really nice. Everyone else joined us after dinner and we had a terrific party with a cash bar. No one complained and most people got together and went to a nearby restaurant for dinner before the reception.

I just made sure that I called almost everyone and I told them they were all very welcome to come to the wedding but that we were having a private dinner with just wedding party and immediate family. Almost everyone joined us for the ceremony too. It was a blast!

Answer 11

cheap isnt always good. My aunt got married in the middle of town in a gazabo for free. bought ALL or most of her wedding stuff at the dollar store, and her reception was at a local buffet and everyone paied there own way. it was very tacky.