How do you plan a wedding with a $0 budget?

Answer 1

Hi. I am hoping what you meant was a very, very SMALL budget. Obviously, you cannot do anything with $0.

However, with a very small budget you can have a wedding!

~ Do you belong to a church? Speak with your priest or minister. Most churches do not charge to use the church itself, but you need to pay the minister/priest. Most are willing to cut their fee if you explain your circumstances. Ask them! If you do belong to a church, you can simply have a little reception with cake, punch and coffee after...easy!

~ Don't belong to a church? Fine also. What about having something at someone's home, someone's backyard, or a public park?

~ A marriage license will be about $30. Then you will have to pay a justice of the peace or minister....again...see what they charge? Many are willing to negotiate.

~ Borrow a dress...or look on Ebay! I love the "vintage" ones on Ebay and some go for $10! They are so pretty! Another option is to go to a thrift store. Or simply buy a nice dress from a regular store on the "clearance rack."

~ You DON'T need to carry flowers. Perhaps if you know of someone with a garden, you can simply pick a few flowers...or look for some wildflowers.

~ All you really need for a wedding is a bride, groom, license, and someone to marry you. Everything else is just "stuff."

~ If you do want to have something a "little more"....see if you can enlist the help of family and friends. Do you know of someone who can bake? Maybe they would make you a cake as a gift? The same goes for maybe a small reception. You can do something as simple as finger sandwiches, assorted cheeses and crackers, fruit tray, nuts, cake, punch and coffee. This can be done simply and elegantly.

~ Look outside the box. Buy things at Dollar Stores, Walmart, etc. Go on Craigslist....maybe someone is giving away a bridal gown....you never know!

You can have a very simple, elegant, and intimate wedding without going over $300 if you look around!

Answer 2

If you want a wedding ceremony with people there then you start buying now. You may not have a budget per say but can you afford to buy 10 dollars here and there. Stop doing the unneccesary and save that money. Make it small and only invite immediate family and best friends. The dress is what will hurt your pocket. Go to davids bridal when they have the 99 dollar dress sale. Have your family bring a dish for your reception. If your family are close with you then they will not mind doing this for you. Have your mom make a ham or turkey or something then have someone else bring potatos and corn and stuff. Make is simple but something you will remember.
Dollar tree has wedding supplies. When you have a lot of stuff accumulated then you set your date for sure. If it is only family and close friends then you can set it a month or two out and it won't be a big deal.

Good luck and I hope you get you dream wedding.

Answer 3

Well, for a little more than $0, you can get married at your local courthouse. All it costs is the price of the marriage license. I got married at the courthouse myself and have never regretted not having a big wedding.

I did have an additional reception, and my mother in law gave us the catered food (simple fare like sandwiches and sheet cakes) as a wedding gift. I had to pay for the hall, but it included beer for the guests.

If you are on a tight budget, you could host a reception at someone's home or forgo a reception in lieu of an informal party. You could even just meet with your friends and family for drinks at a local bar if you are so inclined.

My original idea was to provide a hall/beer/soda and ask guests to bring "a dish to pass" in lieu of a gift, but that horrified my mother in law. My only advice is to do what you want to do. Keep others' feelings in mind, but be firm about it, especially when it's your money that's being spent.

Answer 4

Like the others have said, you at least need enough money to pay for the marriage liscence in order to be married by a Justice of the Peace. If you want something a little more than that, ask a friend to get ordained online so you can have a small ceremony. Borrow your dress from a friend or family member, and just have a cake and punch reception. You could do it all for just $200 if you're careful.

Answer 5

thats a problem. i think your budget needs to be increased. $50 for the license. I don't know what a courthouse wedding would be, but I'd say another $50 to $100 for the officiant. So you need to spend at least $100 to $150 to get married.

Answer 6

Ummm... The marriage license costs money... so you need $ for that at the very least. The rest of the day can be done for free... if you have very nice friends and family.

Borrow a dress or wear something you already own.
Get married in the courthouse.
Have a potluck with closest friends and family.
Bake your own cake.
Have a friend take the pictures.

Answer 7

You may have to spend a little but here are some ideas for a nearly expenseless wedding, it may be a little nontraditional but here goes:
- Have a picnic wedding where all the guests bring their own picnic baskets of food
- Have it at a local park or beach or lake where there would be no charge for a group of people to gather
- have a friend become ordained online and marry you
- borrow a dress from a friend or female relative
- if it is springtime rob some flowers for your bouquet from families gardens
- use a portable stereo (one that takes batteries) for the music
I think this idea could be very cute and unconventional. Not to mention fun. The only thing you may have to pay for is the invitations, As this type of wedding is more condusive to a small wedding the cost for some do it yourself invites would be $50 or less plus postage. For wedding rings find some nice sterling silver bands, they sell them everywhere, i.e. Walmart, Target, local swap meet, online:
http://www.amazon.com/Solid-Sterling-Silver-Wedding-Band/dp/B000A0D8EA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=jewelry&qid=1196371800&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Solid-Sterling-Silver-Wedding-Band/dp/B000A0GTOQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=jewelry&qid=1196371922&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_n_3?ie=UTF8&rs=16014541&sort=price&rh=n%3A3367581%2Cn%3A16014541%2Cp%5F3%3A%240-%2424%2Cp%5Fn%5Fmaterial%5Ftwo%5Fbrowse-bin%3A114276011%2Cn%3A3890601

Answer 8

Get married by a Justice of the Peace and eventually have the wedding you want.

Answer 9

It will cost you at least the marriage license and the cost for the officiant, and rings if you choose, and gas for transportation (or the price of a bus/subway ticket)

here is my wedding budget:

marriage licence $ 40
his wedding ring $750
her wedding ring $500
cost for officiant $???
dinner after the vows...$100

living happily ever after....priceless!

Answer 10

i am planning one on a budget like that. we are having the wedding/reception at my moms, a friend of ours is a justice of the peace so he's marrying us free, we have friends that DJ, we are making all of our own food, having my parents and friends take pictures with their digital cameras and just sending us the copies later, and i got a dress off craiglist for $200, and everyone else is buying their own outfit. all we had to pay for was my bf's tux (which costed us $40 thanks to a deal with the tux place), and we have to pay $120 for the marriage license. So it can be done!