what is a classic yet cheap way to get married?

Question

me and my boyfriend are not even close to having enough money for a wedding, whats the cheapest way to get married?

Answer 1

The cheapest way is to sign papers at the courhouse. If thats not your style then keep in mind you can:

Choose a location that is naturally beautiful ( like a park or beach) this saves you on decorating.

Have only a small guest list (your immediate family and a few friends) this saves you on the reception which is usually 50% of your total budget.

DIY as much as possible, Food, favours, invitations, anything really. Its usually cheaper.

Answer 2

I had two ceramonies. One in a Manor House .. The legal one then a ceramony. I managed to spent $6000 for both. That includes 8 dresses, food, dj, flowers, rent ... Everything but my invotations, cake, and the guy tux's.

I had a lot of freebi's instead of gifts since I live in the UK and my wedding was in the US.

I bought pretty much everything for my wedding on Ebay .. If I saw something I liked I looked else where til I found it as cheap as possible and usually its cheaper in bulk. So like Sams Club, Ebay .. so on
I had all my dresses made and waited til the material I wanted was on sale .. It was like $400 for 6 dresses and 200 for mine.
I designed my own invitations on photoshop, I ordered chocolate kiss roses and fake flowers, cheap vases at the dollar store that were the same online for $20 a piece ... Really who looks THAT closely

I booked an old mansion that was in the process of being made over for $200 for the whole week and family offered to cook food and make my cake ... But I had to pay for the ingedients.

I didn't hire a photographer because everyone now has a digital camera so why bother?

I have to admit the DJ was the biggest waste of money .. If you know someone with a good laptop and some speakers do it that way theres no point to paying that much for someone who does nothing. Remember to ALWAYS accept help and free gifts, they really help.

Answer 3

I would say at home, going to vegas is not that cheap as some might think. Ask your mother, grandmother and aunties if they would be kind enough to help with food and decorations. See who has the nicest and largest house out of all your family and ask if you can hold a wedding there. That would work out very cheap. Hire a celebrant and they can come to the house and you can get married in the back yard if it is nice. Or else go to a park nearby for the ceremony and come back to the selected house for the reception.

Answer 4

I don't know where you live but in the UK the cheapest way to marry is at the local registry office, you can wear whatever you like so if you really have to have the dress then that's not a problem, you could then have a reception at a friends house or in a restaurant with a few close friends and family.

Answer 5

$6,000 cheap????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dress nicely, take a couple of friends with a camera if you desire, go to a Justice of the Peace, go out to dinner together. Cost: $15 to $50 depending on dinner.
++ Buy a new dress that you would not other wise justify that can serve you for other nice occasions. Talk to your church about being married in a chapel. (or to a chapel about their weddings). Do a reception for a few friends. $150-$500.
+ If you have friends who will celebrate your getting married, ask them about doing something, either with a minister coming into the living room or after you go to the JP

Answer 6

Do a family wedding. I did for my daughter. I cooked all the food, lots of casseroles and salad. We had a karaoke friend bring their music.

We did rent a church, but a out of the way church in the country so it didn't cost that much.

She even borrowed a beautiful dress.

It was a very nice, down home wedding and there was no food left over to speak of.

Answer 7

Buck tradition. I read an answer by a cute girl once who suggested having a pajama party reception. How cute is that??? Instead of a big to-do, find a hall where you can show videos, serve pretzels and cookies, and goof off all night in your jammies. It's so different from your typical "wedding", but that's exactly what makes it so fun--and so affordable!

Answer 8

It really depends on where you live in terms of what is considered cheap. Where I live parks and beaches are not cheap, because you have to get a permit to hold a wedding on those locations (the city/state has to get their cut, it's not free). Therefore, you will need to investigate the charges for holding an affair at these locations.

If you have a person in your family with a home or a garden that can hold a small gathering, perhaps your family member can offer their home as a location. Otherwise, try to rent out the most basic of basic halls and look at it as a blank pallet waiting for your artistic touch in terms of decorations. If you are willing to invest the time, you can make many of the decorations yourself. Check out the dollar stores or craft stores for supplies.

Ask others (family, friends) if they would be willing to help you prepare the food for the occasion. Depending on your budget, you might want to have one basic meal and then expand upon it. You know your guests best, so you will be able to plan the menu accordingly. For example, if most people like chicken, have a chicken dish with various non-meat sides (chicken is one of the cheapest meats where I live). However, if you and/or your family and guests are mainly vegetarian, try to prepare dishes that use vegetables and fruits that are in season, which will make the cost less expensive. Also, alcohol is expensive. If toasts are required for the wedding, you might want to consider sparkling cider or sparkling grape juice. You might want to consider having a non-alcoholic wedding.

In terms of wedding dress, it again depends on where you live as to what is considered cheap. Here's something to consider-if your heart is not set on the white train dress you might want to check out non-bridal shops for formal-style dresses and shoes. If your fiancée has a nice suit, perhaps he can wear that for the wedding, otherwise he might want to buy a new suit that he will be able to wear again to other formal events (versus renting one which has to be returned in a couple of days).

Also, if your guests bring their own camera, that's fine. However, my experience (and that of others that I know) with the disposable "wedding cameras" that they have on various websites specifically decorated for weddings have been a waste of money, as the pictures do not develop well-please do not fall for that trap. If you're thinking of providing cameras for your guests (since not everyone has digital cameras) in lieu of having a photographer, I would suggest getting a package of regular disposable cameras that you can get at a discount store (like Costco or Sam's Club). They may not look fancy, but they'll do the job just fine.

If you know someone that can provide music for your wedding, you might want to consult with them as to how much they will charge you or if they will gift you the service (if they're a friend or family member). Otherwise, if you're having a small, intimate affair might I recommend foregoing the music? I've actually been to a wedding where there was no music played (due to the groom's religious beliefs) and it was just fine.

Do not forget to include the fee of the officiant into your budget, as well as the fees for the marriage license. Hairdressing fees should also be considered, or perhaps you have a family member or friend that can do your hair?

The day and the time of the day that your wedding is held will also affect your budget. Weekday weddings are usually the cheapest. Saturday is the most expensive. Holiday weekends can be "iffy" in terms of price. Also, your decor, dress, food and music will be affected by the time of day. For example, if you hold a wedding during the day on a Friday, you can actually serve less food, such as appetizer sized quantities, dress less formally (yet still beautifully, of course, in your classic, daytime formal, non-bridal shop dress) have the room decorated to reflect the time of day and people are less apt to want to "party-hearty" thereby saving you money on the dee-jay. If you have your wedding during the evening, people may expect a heavy meal as it will replace their dinner, more entertainment, and heavier decorations.

Please remember that simply because your budget is not huge does not mean that you cannot have a classic wedding. It will just take time and creativity to create your classic wedding and it can be done.

Congratulations and best wishes!

Answer 9

put on a pretty dress, get your hair done, throw him into a suit, don't forget the wedding bands, a small nosegay and head down to the justice of the peace and get married! marriage is between two individuals - it doesn't need to be fancy or huge to work - its about the love you share and the vows you will exchange!
good luck!

Answer 10

Go to a park.. hold a small ceremony there... hold the reception at the park.