My fiance and I have been engaged almost a year. We want so desperately to get married but seeing as how we both work full time and go to school in the evenings, neither one of us has much money left over after all of the bills (student loans, helping family with $). Nor do we have much time to plan one.
I've thought about just going to city hall but I'm afraid one day I will look back and be sad I didn't have a pretty wedding and the pictures to go along with it. I dont need anything extravagent - I know a marriage is not defined by the ceremony or reception. I just want a special day with him.
Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to have a low-cost wedding that I will always remember?
2007-09-11 03:58:53 · 29 answers · asked by luckgirl924 1 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
Hi and congratulations!
There are many people here that share the same ideas! You don't need to go overboard with costs to have a beautiful wedding that you will remember. It is good that you are thinking ahead, instead of just, like you say, going to city hall and then regretting it. But....don't worry....there are lots of ways to save! I wouldn't do a Vegas wedding or a destination wedding as some have suggested -- that is not saving!
The biggest way to save is to have a very small (or relatively small) guest list. Limit it to about 50-75 people tops! Another way to save: only have 2 attendants (a maid of honor & a best man). That's it! Maybe a flower girl if you want.
You can save lots by just thinking ahead. Do you want a church wedding? You don't say. If you do, perhaps something around Christmas time would be nice. The church is already decorated beautifully, so you wouldn't need to do anything there. And, most churches have fellowship halls that you can use for free if you are a member. You could have a simple ceremony and then have a small reception following with "finger foods" or just have cake, punch and coffee. I think it would be so pretty to have a night time candlelight wedding. I went to one last December and it was the most beautiful wedding I ever attended! Very small and intimate with candles in the windows and everyone held a candle! After, there was a small dessert reception with a variety of desserts, champagne, punch, and coffee.
Do you want something outside? Again...cheap! Look at parks, lakes, etc. Just call the city or county where the park or lake is to inquire about fees and policies. Get a justice of the peace to perform the ceremony.
Your dress: look at consignment shops, second hand stores, or, even buy one off the rack. Most bridal stores have "clearance dresses" - go to that rack!
Invites: Save by printing them yourself. Go to Michael's or Walmart. You can get a box of 50 for about $30 - maybe even cheaper. I've even seen some at Dollar stores!! Yes, dollar stores!
Photography: get a friend. Or....you say you are students....most colleges have students that are going into photography that are looking for extra money. Check it out!
Cake: Get a sheet cake from your local grocery store - NOT a bakery. Again, if you live by a Walmart - they have nice ones!
There are soooo many ways to save. Look on other sites for low cost wedding ideas. And remember, a "budget" wedding is NOT a "cheap" wedding. There is a difference! You can have an elegant wedding on a budget! Good luck!
2007-09-11 14:13:59 · answer #1 · answered by iloveweddings 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My husband and I were just married a couple of weeks ago. Since it was not the first time for each of us, we decided to keep it especially low-key. The ceremony was performed in my parents' back yard and the guests were just limited to our immediate families. My aunt, a photography student, took pictures.
Afterward, friends and other family members were invited to a party. We provided the food, and some of the guests offered to bring a dish to share - my sister even made us a wedding cake!
For music, we made a playlist on the laptop and plugged in some speakers. We kept the decorations simple: tablecloths in bright colors with potted flowers on each table. And it was fun because the little kids were able to play on the swingset n in the sandbox or run around the yard and have fun.
I think what I liked best is that, compared to the big, all-out wedding I had my first time around, this one was really, really low-stress. I was able to relax and enjoy the day without worrying about where the DJ was or what was going on with the caterer, etc.
PS: The reception is the expensive part. I think my whole wedding from start to finish cost a little less than $500. And for our honeymoon, we went camping in the Back Hills, S.D. in a tent with our three dogs for a week :)
2007-09-11 04:17:49 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I know so many young people that have this problem and I am feeling very charitable today so if you are close to DE I will marry you for free.
Then just have a blow out at home. I am sure people will appreciate the fact that this isnt a stuffy wedding but rather a fun place to go and blow off some steam.
As for a dress, you can buy a really pretty white dress at any store. It doesnt have to be a formal wedding dress. Buy something simple. Then have a friend take digital pics for you. or if you have lots of freinds, ask them all to take pics.
Sounds like the perfect wedding on a budget to me..
2007-09-11 12:24:22 · answer #3 · answered by psstoffagain 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are both working, figure out how much you can set aside from each paycheck. Even if it is $20-50 per check. It will add up. Ask family members how much if any they would or could help you with monetarily. Add those together and that's your budget. Pick a date about 8-10 months down the road so you can build up a little savings for it.
If you are members of a church, usually it is free to use it. Ask! If not, call the dept of parks & recreation in your area and find a location that way. The cost is usually very minimal. Plus, if you have a pretty outdoor location, you don't have to decorate it!
Look for the sales at the bridal shops; almost all of them have dresses on sale all the time, even if they aren't advertising a sale! Only look at dresses in your price range; you can find a great one!
If you want attendants, have them wear similar off the rack black dresses; they don't have to match to look good! Buy pre-made silk bouquets at Michael's or Hobby Lobby.
Find a photography or journalism student at a local university to take the pics digitally and then give you the disc for $200-500 total.
Splurge on the cake from a regular baker, but only have that and punch for refreshments.
You can do it on a budget!
2007-09-11 05:03:04 · answer #4 · answered by valschmal 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
If you want somewhat of a ceremony to look back on as well as keeping it low cost you could do it in your backyard...or where you first met (that would be romantic) You could decorate your yard the way you want it at a low cost...invite a small amount of people and hire a justice of the peace. (I'm having a justice of the peace for my wedding) they are on the cheaper side. Have a family member take pics for you as well. Ask everyone to bring a dish of food and even make a cake. Then you will have a ceromony with pics and family & friends there. Remember to have fun, its your day and it doesn't have to be expensive as long as you have the ones you love around you!! I wish you both luck and I hope I was of some help to you.
2007-09-11 04:07:13 · answer #5 · answered by fairylover 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We got married at the courthouse. I bought a summery dress off the Dillards Summer Clearance Rack in the jr's department (only dept. that had white dresses in August lol) for $24.00, got a bouquet from the flower shop and boutenieres for my husband and son, and got my hair done at the college of hair design for $30. it was simple and quick. We hadn't told any of our family about it, and I called my best friend 15 minutes prior just to tell her. Our officiant was a judge, and our witnesses were my husband's coworkers. (He was a correctional officer next door at the county jail, so our witnesses were co's still in uniform).
We did it spur of the moment, and were really broke too. We are going to have a vow renewal soon so we can do the whole wedding thing, since we can afford it a little better now, because he actually feels bad that I didn't get a "real" wedding. It doesn't matter to me either way, because the thought of having to plan a wedding is not fun lol. I have 3 kids- way too busy.
No matter how you end up doing it, you will have memories from your wedding. Mine are fun to talk about and they make me laugh, others are shocked that I got married at the courthouse, but most people say way to go.
2007-09-11 04:14:51 · answer #6 · answered by frogfairy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look into going to an all inclusive resort. A friend of mine got married in Jamaca that way. She and her husband booked at an all inclusive place that took care of all the details and then they told their family what they were doing. If anyone wanted to attend it was up to them to book a flight and room at the hotel. Then when they returned they had a party at a parents house to celebrate their marriage with everyone who didn't attend the wedding.
My sister did something similar in Vegas. She and her husband got married there and then my parents had a BBQ style wedding celebration afterwards. The chapel she got married in was very beautiful and she also found a good photographer (who wasn't too expensive) to take them around the city afterwards for pictures.
Another option is to do the low cost city hall wedding now and then in a few years renew your vows with a wedding that is more elaborate.
Although you can also higher a JP for not too much who can marry you in a local park or backyard. You also really don't need a lot of money to get married....I used to watch a show on TLC in which people would plan a wedding in a week with only $5000. Which had to cover everything - wedding dress, food, flowers, favors, invatation, music, etc. They used to plan some pretty spectacular and extravagent looking weddings.
2007-09-11 04:13:42 · answer #7 · answered by Irish 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
My bf and I plan on having a "real" wedding but with only immediate family present (our parents and siblings) as well as one attendant each and his/her significant other. There would be 12 guests plus the two of us.
We want just a small, intimate ceremony outside somewhere (I really want a "real" wedding gown but it's easy to find inexpensive ones these days) and then for the reception we'll just have a nice dinner at a small restaurant.
My friends did something similar two weeks ago, but for the reception they held it in her parents' backyard. It was a stand-up reception with small finger foods and cake and champagne. They saved a lot of money on that but it was beautiful!
2007-09-11 05:02:12 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can find dresses fairly inexpensively if you're willing to get either a used dress, or a white or cream formal instead of a traditional wedding dress (I got a beautiful beaded formal at www.therosedress.com for $98--they had dresses as cheap as $24 on clearance, or shop sales at department stores--clearances after Homecoming season, Christmas/New Year's and Prom season). A wedding at someone's home or backyard is inexpensive and intimate. You don't have to have a full-blown sit down dinner for 200 guests. A small gathering of close family and friends, with cake and punch is a lovely wedding.
2007-09-11 04:16:06 · answer #9 · answered by Trivial One 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The city hall thing will only cost you about $30 to $50.
So you guys could get your marriage license and have it officiated by someone.
And then do a garden/outdoorsy -type wedding with just your family. You could even do it at one of your houses. Invite the family over and eat something at home, get a couple of bottles of champagne and have someone make the cake for you.
A wedding does not have to be this huge affair.
2007-09-11 04:04:50 · answer #10 · answered by Mimi 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋