Aron Ramu: That's my budget! I learned to cut corners, and used my craft skills for many expensive things like invitations, programs, floral arrangements/bouquets, etc.There are so many ways to cut the costs of weddings, you just need to decide on three things that are paramount to the day, and compromise on the rest. For example, photography, ceremony venue, and reception venue were the three where I put the most money. Add up your monthly earnings, subtract expenses, and then see what's left. From there decide how much each of you can afford to save.Here are some of my money-saving tricks:Ceremony: Have an early ceremony (around 2 o'clock). *Your guests will have already have eaten lunch, and won't be expecting a huge meal. You then can serve light food such as finger food and desert. This is the only way that my fiance' could manage to feed our 180-200 guests without going way over our budget.Wedding dress: I found a beautiful gown at http://www.groupusa.com/ for a li! ttle more than $300 (my splurge). They have beautiful gowns by wonderful designers from affordable to extravagent.*Try places like GroupUSA, David's Bridal, and even eBay for knockout deals.I just found this eBay store http://myworld.ebay.com/gianinarbridalOne dress is $39! Brand new. Add $89 for shipping from China and you have some knock out deals.Bridal Jewelry: I found my crystal wedding jewelry at no other than Wal Mart. Originally I had been looking at genuine jewelry from big name stores, but decided to scrimp here to save money for the wedding gifts my fiance' and I plan to get each other.*Don't forget retail sortes like Wal Mart and Target. My headpiece, earrings, and necklace by Crystal Collections came to $21.Wedding location: I have four choices, a lovely place on the property of a family friend, the beautiful garden of a local inn, a church that has a SMALL fee and goes well with my wedding style, or on the mountain where my grandparents' grew up, married, and ! live.*Look for unconventional venues; they'll be cheaper or ev! en free. I opted for the for the garden for my English Garden theme.Reception Site: I have two options here, one of which is the brand new mansion-style library in our town. It would cost only $199 ($100 refundable damage deposit, and $40 for a library worker to stay on site). The other would be our local arts building of the town center. They have several large and beautiful rooms and are roughly the same amount as the library.*The same rule for venues applies here.Caterer: My friends and family are fabulous cooks, and are going to provide a buffet-style meal for the wedding guests.*Friends and family can really cut down on wedding expenses!Cake: A friend of my fiance' and I is a baker, and would only charge us the price of the ingredients.*If you don't have anyone who can provide this. Go for a two or three tier cake, and then have sheet cakes to cut for the bulk of the guests. That way you end up saving several hundred dollars. You can also have a two-tier cake, serving ! that only to wedding party, parents, and grandparents and serve guests with a cupcake tower.I'm simply having a three tier cupcake tower and forgoing the cake.Flowers: I am making my own bouquets. Flowers for a 30-stem wedding bouquet, toss bouqet, six 20-stem bridesmaid bouquets, arrangements, and 18 centerpieces (five flowers a vase would only run $288 before shipping costs from http://www.theflowerexchange.com. I am having a family friend do the arrangements for a fraction of the cost.*Do as much as you can on your own! Http://www.theknot.com has videos and step-by-steps on how to make your own bouquets and arrangements.Favors: For get then! Most of the guests toss these expensive trinkets.*Instead I am making a candy buffet--something even my smallest guests would enjoy. You need a small table, glass vases shapes and sizes, candy from a bulk store like Sam's (in your wedding colors, if you like), scoops, and little bags or favor boxes. Mine will come to about $60.Childr! en: Do you want children at your wedding, but want the adults to enjoy ! the reception worry free?*If so, enlist a teenage niece, cousin, or friend. They may help as a wedding present, or simply be happy with $50 or so. They can keep the children happy and occupied with toys or color books in another room. Alternatively have the kid's table covered in a paper table cloth with crayons at each place setting. Invitations: You can purchase nice paper, envelopes, and an emblam, and an ink cartridge and make your own for about $50. OR you could go to http:///www.invitationsbydawn.com.She has great deals and some of them come to a total as little as $100.*Instead of $250-$350! Do what you can on your own, or look for budget-conscience resources like the one above.I am making my own invitations using beautiful, old postcards from the early 1900s. One-of-a-kind, over a century old, and inexpensive at a total of $90.DJ: My fiance's brother is a DJ, and will save us $975 by doing the reception as a wedding gift.*If you don't have someone like this, conside! r cutting the cost by having premade CDs of the music you want, and have someone man the player.Attendant Gifts: Try places like http://www.exclusivelyweddings.com*I found my 7 attendants gifts for $35, because they were having a sale on freshwater pearl and silver bracelets =]Centerpieces: Something simple. If you're having a fall wedding, vases filled with slender branches painted gold or silver is beautiful and inexpensive, and branches of berries can be added for winter. Spring or summer, simple vases with a few flowers.*I found short, square vases and am putting five gerbera daisies in each. Total cost for 18 tables is $99, and they look gorgeous!Have your bridesmaids' pay for their dress and shoes, and have a family friend who's good with hair or makeup help with that on the wedding day. Be sure to get them nice gifts!If your attendants are on a budget, go to a place like http://www.groupusa.com for dress ideas. My attendants dresses cost $119 each, and they're someth! ing they can wear again and again.We did a lot on our own, I made a lot! of the more expensive items, and some talented friends have offered their services to cut down on vendor expenses.My fiance' and I aren't overly traditional, so we kept a few traditions, and added personal touches to the rest. it's going to be a unique, beautiful, elegant garden wedding =] We're having 185-200 guests, and have a wedding part of 15 (not counting ushers). I see nothing wrong with a bride wearing color on her day. I'm a virgin and considerer wearing a red and black corseted gown until my fiance' and I decided on a garden wedding with a softer color palate.A bride can wear whatever she likes. Brides did not start wearing white until Queen Victoria wore it on her wedding day, in the same way that women did not lie down against gravity to have babies until fat old Henry ordered his wife to so he could watch from a chair. Prior to Queen Victoria's fashion statement white was a symbol of poverty, not purity, and brides wore dresses in color (the brighter the bette! r since dye was so hard to come by). They chose color beause white was far too impractical for daily wear, and they couldn't afford a one-day dress....Show more
Ninfa Asby: My wedding was very inexpensive, but was quite a few years ago -- I have no idea how it would average out today.I wore my mother's wedding dress that had a lovely ivory shade to it so many years later (ivory was perfect since it was my second marriage). I made my own veil -- which isn't as easy as I thought it would be! Also made my bridesmaid dresses -- and got exactly what I wanted! I splurged on the bouquets, and used them as flower centerpieces during the reception. Did not decorate the entire church, just the pulpit area and used those same flowers for the reception also. I had a very simple reception with just cake, punch, mints and nuts (very common in the day!) and had a personal reception for family at my parent's house with finger food and mixed drinks. It was very very simple -- bu! t very elegant. I splurged on the flowers, cake and napkins and tried ! to economize in other areas.Back then, our wedding cost us (parents didn't help) $800.00. It was a big church wedding, with about 150 - 200 guests.And I think a pink wedding gown would be absolutely lovely....Show more
Lupe Sancen: i had a 4,000 $$ wedding and it had all the bells and whistles and none of the $$$$$$$$$$. i did all my own flowers i love to garden and arrange, we got married in a local park surrounded by the flowers that grow there every year, we had a buffet instead of a served dinner and we had a bar tab for our wedding party not an open bar. my hubby got a free tux rental for renting all our party tuxes at the same place, my dress was the single most expensive piece 600$ from david's bridal but it was sooo worth the extra. i did all the decorating and everything. i wouldn't have spent more if i could have....Show more
Danica Timperman: My two cents. Don't cut down on the guest list. Have all the people you want there - always defer to more! people, rather that less people with more "stuff" (fancier food, favors, decorations, etc.) people are ALWAYS more important than stuff. Don't bother with digital cameras. Those won't be good photos. Hire a professional photographer, but not a "wedding photographer" - Look on Craigslist for one that will shoot for just a couple of hours, and have a list ready of the must have photos - Then have the photographer just give you a disk with the photos on it. There are many inexpensive places to have photos printed or you could wait until you have the $$ to get them printed very professionally. Chances are most people won't know the difference. Skip any videos. Skip favors. Skip limos. Skip bubbles. Skip unity candles. Skip the rehearsal and dinner. Do your own flowers from roses from the grocery store or Costco, tied together with ribbon. Buy large arrangements from Costco for the altar area. Cut down on the price of the veil. That's truly a carazy amount to spend on a yard or! two of tulle. You'll not find a decent, new, in style dress for much l! ess than $350, unless you borrow a friends. Most people don't sell their wedding gowns or donate them to a thrift shop until years after they've gone out of style, so I wouldn't even waste my time with that. But I would look at David's $99 rack. You never know.......Show more
Leticia Laiben: Mine was a town hall wedding, the officiate was the town judge, and we has a very small home reception afterwards-a very nice cold buffet with lotsa nibbles & dips & chips, sandwich fixin's, salads, cheese & fresh fruit platters...and a beautiful cream cheese ice iced carrot cake al la my second eldest daughter (she does cake decorating) for 20 people (imediate family) Ran a little under 2,000.00 total-for a second marriage, inlcuding a two night stay at a very nice local hotel..... for two 50-somethings it worked.....I wore a formal three piece chiffon pants suit-the knee length 'jacket' was heavily beaded...in deep garnet red!So why can't a bride wear pink?...Show more
Hip! olito Rightmire: Our wedding's not for another year yet, but we expect to come in well under our budget of $5000 (and that includes honeymoon expenses like passports, our rings, all attire, decor, food, beverages, entertainment, photography, and even the rehearsal dinner.) We are having a very laid-back, casual wedding, but that is not to say it will be cheap or tacky by any means. Our guests (approx. 75) will be served excellent food and have access to an open bar for the first three hours or so of the reception. Where we decided to cut costs was in places that don't directly affect the guests, like decor, for instance. Since we're getting married in a lovely little outdoor pavilion by a small lake, we felt that additional flowers or decor would sort of clutter the ambience of the natural setting, so we saved money there. Also, we have shaved off some cost by enlisting the help of our friends for services that usually involve vendors. For instance, my brother is a cl! ub DJ by trade, so we just asked him if he'd DJ our wedding as a gift. ! We still plan to "tip" him about $100 for his trouble, though, and of course, he gets free drinks all night long. Also, my fiance's co-worker is an amateur photographer with all the fancy cameras and darkroom and all, so we're just "tipping" him $100 as well, to take some pro-bono wedding pics. So I would say, start brainstorming about any friends, relatives, or acquaintances you may have that could help you with any aspects of the wedding (florists, bakers, restaurant owners, etc.) We even went ahead and got my mom's BF ordained online so he could legally perform our ceremony. Not only did it save us several hundred dollars for an officiant fee, but it means a lot to us to have someone we care about say the "magic words" to make us married, rather than just a random minister.Next, look at your locations- anywhere that normally does weddings and receptions are a part of the wedding industry and will jack up the prices on everything once the word "wedding" is mentioned.! Instead, think of unconventional places to get married and have the reception. Our little pavilion I mentioned is technically the property of the Colorado Parks and Recreation department, and they're letting us have it for $75, which is fantastic! Then our reception venue, which is a very chill, very fun Mexican restaurant which I've been going to with my family since I was a baby, is letting us have the entire downstairs atrium area for FREE as long as we purchase the buffet-style catering for everyone, which we were going to do anyway. And of course, since it's a restaurant, it comes with all the wait staff, linens, plates, and silverware. Compare that to a reception hall or hotel ballroom, which is basically a big room with nothing in it- not only do they charge you like $500 at the very least to reserve the room, but then they make you pay a lot extra to rent the tables, chairs, linens, waiters, etc. The restaurant's a lot cheaper, and in my opinion, a lot more fu! n! And easy too- since the restaurant is already decorated so colorful! ly, I've decided to forego any additional decor, so no expenses there. With all the money I saved on not having to put down a deposit on the reception venue, I can afford to book their in-house mariachi band to serenade the guests as they eat dinner, which I think is going to be totally fun and WAY more memorable than some dorky centerpieces or whatever.I also want to mention that we're having 1 MOH, 1 best man, 3 bridesmaids, 3 groomsmen, a flower girl and a ring bearer. We're just letting everyone wear whatever they want, though, because I know how much bridesmaids detest spending money on a dress they inevitably hate and won't wear again. I just want everyone to wear what they feel pretty/handsome in. I never understood why everybody has to match each other anyway. We're all individuals here! Also, my groom and I aren't doing the big white dress/tux thing. I can't see myself paying even $300 (which is cheap for a wedding gown) for a dress I'll only wear once in my! life and then shove in a closet. I got a cool, off-white hippie sundress, and my fiance's going to wear a white linen button-down shirt and some khakis, and we're both going barefoot. Also, since daisies happen to be my favorite flower (a good thing since they're so darn inexpensive!!) I'm just going to buy bunches and bunches of them from the floral department at the grocery store and tie them into bouquets myself with some ribbon. That will save a TON on flowers!!The actual ceremony and reception themselves will cost us about $2700, and that includes our ceremony venue, buffet for 75 people, open bar, champagne toast, cupcake tower (in lieu of a wedding cake), and entertainment.Now about the pink dress- TOTALLY cool- you should do it, I think it would be awesome, and have the bridesmaids in white- LOL!...Show more
Davis Zou: These are in NZ$ but... NZ$1 = US$0.75 ishWe are having our wedding for $6000 tops - at the moment it's sitting around $5500. Everything is! going to be at FMIL house in her garden with 40 guests. ceremony to en! d of reception is 7pm to 11pm (we're getting photos done before the ceremony so no one has to wait around)We're spending the most money on:Dress $107 - it's being made in China - fingers crossed!Cupcake tower - $150Music $800 harpist / singer/ plays guitarPhotographer $1600 (splurge!)Food $700 = $17/head - a dinner of nibbles, half done by caterers half by myself. Alc - ... buy when a good special is on.Celebrant $250Rings $400 ( I know a jeweler)Flowers $3 - a packet of seeds. I'm going to grow my own flowers. I'm not the type of girl that wants a garden on my arms, a small bouquet of poppies is perfect.I suggest making a list of your top 5 priorities and stick to that. eg, ours were. A wedding under 6 grand, good food, good music, good photos, having it outside. Good luck!...Show more
Claude Gloden: Our wedding was around 2500(not including rings or honeymoon), and it was beautiful. We cut alot of corners and we had lots of help.The cake - a friend of the family ma! de it for us, my husband mom paid for the ingredients.The decorations/center pieces - were supplied from a lady from the church, she already had them in the color we choose. My dress - was my splurge, I spent 600 on it with the bra, veil, and then another 276 for alterations. Just FYI, ask what alterations are going to cost before you buy the dress.Tuxes - I used Tuxedo Junction, luckily I got in there in the nick of time, they were running a special. My groom got his for freeChurch - We paid 150 for the use of the church.Bouquet - I used fake flowers for mine and my husband's best woman - got them for 12.99 at Micheal's already hand tied.Invitations - we printed them ourselves, I got the on clearance at JoAnn's fabric...but if you sign up for them or Michaels they send you 40% off coupons all the time.Wedding Book/Pen/Flutes(Toasting) - I got these 40% off at JoAnn's.Flower Girl Dress - I picked her's up at TJMaxx for 39.99, it was a communion dress. It looks just like! the expensive dresses that David's bridal sold. Plates/forks/peanuts/! cups/party mints - I picked these up at Sams. We didn't serve sit down meal only cake, punch, some cheese, peanuts, and strawberries dipped on Chocolate.Boutineers - I made these myself, very easy to do and they looked very professional.Hair - I also splurged on my hair and my daughter's, but still got out of the salon for less than 120 for both our hair.Flowers for corsages - we got these at Kroger (grocery store) instead of an expensive florist. Flower girl basket and pillow - I got these both 50% off, just gotta hunt around at the craft stores....Show more
Sammy Kar: My budget is $7,000, but that includes engagement ring and 10 day honeymoon. Wedding will be between Christmas and New Years since many of the grooms closest relatives are in town for Christmas. Having a morning wedding with lunch reception can save a lot of money.Even though we are dithering between an elegant restaurant (wedding and reception) and a small chapel with appetizer reception, our cos! ts will still be roughly the same to feed 35 people. In both cases, the places will already be decorated with Christmas flowers, so I have to only get a bouquet. I'm just asking that people don't wear jeans and sneakers as I have some relatives who are not well off and I want them there. I'm making my own dress (about $60), primarily because it is difficult to get something that fits a busty, short woman. I also didn't want to wear white, so am having a gold and burgundy dress. No tuxes, but groom will be wearing a vest that matches dress. I'm doing the invitations myself with a lot of suggestions from Y!A posters. I am a 'retired' cake decorator, but plan to just use an ordinary sheet cake if I have the reception at home, and the restaurant will supply a tiered cake for $30. I just feel it's too much hassle to make a cake myself the day before a wedding, but who knows. I may change my mind.I think a pink dress is wonderful! My sister's first wedding was also low co! st (50 attendees), used a chapel that was already heavily decorated wit! h flowers and had her reception at a restaurant. If you want background music, it is SO much easier today with Ipods and Mp3 players.Photography is one place that you have to seriously consider before doing-it-yourself, but you can save a lot of money if you have someone who can take a good wedding portrait. I'm considering just giving a camera to several guests who are good with photos and then just having a wedding portrait done at a studio the following day (our honeymoon isn't until January)....Show more
Hai Biggart: We are close, 70 guests, restaunt private room so no room fee, friend doing photos and dj
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