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Planning A Wedding

The joys of planning a wedding on college budget have proven to be not so fun. I know several of you on the boards have been married/are married and have, most likely, gone through the headaches of spending money on everything from the wedding to the reception.

Do you have any advice for money saving tips? Do you have any other suggestions not necessarily related to budget? Did you use any sort of wedding planners to organize anything?

Help me! I'm drowning!

Wedding Planning

Well, I'm probably the biggest expert on the Forum, having been married three times! I never had a wedding planner, always did all the planning myself, for better or for worse. So, take it for what it's worth, here's my free advice:

Don't get caught up in the "Conspicuous consumption" trend that young couples have disastrously done for the past 10-15 years, going way over their heads in debt. I've seen couples spend $10k, $20k, even $50k on their weddings and receptions, and then get divorced within a couple of years. Keep it simple, I.e. Cheap!

Hold the wedding out of doors, in a park or at the beach, or at someone's home. You don't have to rent it, you don't need too many flowers, and you can rent chairs and a carpet runner for the "Center aisle" very inexpensively.

Make your own dress, if you have that talent and the time. You will save hundreds of dollars (I made two dresses, the second of $27 a yard bridal satin, and it still cost only about $300, including lace trim and a veil). If you can't make it yourself, consider a local dressmaker who may be able to look at a photo of a dress in a magazine and give you a quote for about 1/4 the price. If that's not an option, hunt for discount stores nearby or on the internet. Also, lots of weddings never happen; check the classified ads in your local newspaper for "Never used" wedding gowns -- cheap!

Receptions generally have to be held somewhere large… but why not in someone's backyard? Do you have a relative or friend with a lot of property attached to their home? Or instead of the pricey country club, look for other party halls (VFW, Moose Lodge, restaurant banquet areas) that may be just as nice, or even places specifically designed for weddings and receptions. For example, there is a "Mansion" here in our little town that provides accomodations fairly reasonably, and it's very posh and beautiful. Look for deals!

Consider having a friend or relative photograph or video the events. But I wouldn't necessarily recommend this if you don't actually know someone who does this sort of thing. It can be inexpensive, but you may get very poor quality, or nothing at all, and problems can lead to life-long quarrels. THIS IS A VERY PERSONAL DECISION, and not one to make lightly.

Flowers should be kept to a minimum, and very simply designed. Next to the location itself, I think this is the next highest cost.

Food should also be kept to a minimum. Consider the time of day for your wedding and reception. Is it lunchtime? Dinner? If you can time it in between, cake and beverages should be sufficient, unless you *want* a sit down event with all the trimmings.

Finally, don't let other people boss you around! This is YOUR wedding, YOU are paying for it, and the decisions are YOURS. So what if someone else thinks you shouldn't be barefoot in the park? It's YOUR wedding -- make it your own.

BabyBlues, my dear, I wish you great good luck. And I honestly mean this: I'm happy to help in any way that I can!

Roz.

Planning A Wedding Reviews Consumer & Travel Family Culture

We have already decided to do it in our church because it will be free. Our church doesn't charge members anything to use it, and it charges non-members a $30 cleaning fee, and that's it. But, we're both members, so it's free of charge. I wanted an outdoor wedding because I thought it would be absolutely beautiful, but since it's in the Spring time, I don't want to risk being crashed on by Spring Showers and the like.

My aunt is a professional photographer, and while we won't be asking for her services, I will ask her to recommend somebody. She would probably give me a huge discount if she did it, but I would rather her be able to go to the wedding as family and not because she's working.

The dress is one thing I am willing to dish out. I have relatively simple taste, so I am not going to be going to spend two thousand dollars on a dress. I have only sowed one item, and am not about to attempt my own wedding dress. I would butcher it. I'd be better of just walking down the aisle with the fabric wrapped around me.

I have a few ideas on little ways to save money. Instead of paying $20 for a unity candle, I'm going to buy a $2 candle and decorate it myself. I don't have to pay for music because I have so many people around me who are musically inclined. My mother can make the groom's cake, so that's price cut right there.

Thank you so much for your ideas! They gave me some things to think about.

Wedding Planning

I've always been worried about the cost of weddings. Even though Prince Charming is making a decent salary, and even though I can hold my own, I imagine that it will still hit us pretty hard when the day comes!

I've always been the type of girl that wants it all. I don't want to skimp. (Curses!) So these tips aren't extreme. Many people won't even notice that you're trying to save money.

The cake - flavors, fillings, and frostings jack the price up. Stick to one or two flavors and a single filling. Something basic that you both like - vanilla, red velvet, or chocolate.

The flowers - It's always cheaper to buy the flowers when they're in season. Also, going for a single variety - all daisies, for example - will cut back on costs, because your florist won't have to do LOTS of arranging and discussing with you. Also, using mini bouquets tied with ribbons for your attendings can be beneficial in two ways...They won't have to lug around an enormous pile of flowers all day, AND your guests will be able to admire the dresses that they've spent so much money on! Heh.

The food - Instead of spending $15-$60 on a plate of food at dinner, I suggest having the reception at brunch. Your guests shouldn't be starving because they've stocked up on breakfast that morning. Instead...and I've seen this in a Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, so I'm not crazy!...pack a pretty package of food - fruit scones or muffins, juices, milk, and monogrammed napkins. You can take regular cardboard boxes and decopauge them with fabric or a wrapping paper to match your decor. (Bake the muffins yourself!)

The booze (if you're having them) - Cash bars are a no-no. To me, that's like inviting someone out to dinner and then insisting that they pay for their own meal. Stick to what you know. It's not necessary to buy the local liquor store out! If you and your sweetie love white wine, serve white wine to your guests. Even if it's not their favorite, it's not like they're going to complain. Everybody already knows that this is your day, and what matters is that YOU are happy.

The accessories - You seem to already know what you're looking for in a dress, so I'll go over accessories. Your shoes, bag, and hair accessories can also add up. If you look in any bridal magazine, a simple tiara can be up to $300. Ouch! Instead, shop at a local accessory shop like Claire's. A note on your shoes...Don't spend $100 on shoes that you'll only wear once. Also, take into account that with your beautiful, flowing dress, few people will see your shoes. Don't buy three inch heels and expect to be dancing all day long. Ow, ow, ow.

I've got more, but I'll leave you at that! If you need any more help, feel free to contact me.

Amy

Wedding Planning

If you're looking for a 2,000 dollar dress, I recommend eBay. I paid $91 for my dress and it looked gorgeous. Most dresses can the website include the measurements and most are made to be sized up or down. I wanted a big, poofy dress but didn't want to pay $2000 for one. I didn't want to spend $2000 on the entire wedding, much less sink that much cash into an item I would only use once. So I took a chance and tried eBay. I couldn't have been happier. The dress fit perfectly and I didn't have to have it altered. The dress looked great in pictures.

I actually planned the wedding and honeymoon on the Internet. bwren and I decided (or let's say I decided) to just have a small wedding with the two of us. So I found a wedding site in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. For $300, they provide the minister, music, flowers, unity candle, photographer, prints of the pictures in a frame, DVD of the ceremony, and negatives of the pictures. I booked our honeymoon cabin in Tennessee off a website that include pictures of the cabin.

I couldn't have been more happy with how the wedding turned out.

Planning A Wedding

*smile* Hmmm...I wonder where the idea for a cabin in Tennessee came from.

I have my dress picked out, and it's roughly $400, which is $200 less than what we had set for budget. We also just found out that his grandfather wants to pay for our honeymoon, which completely blew both of our minds.

We're going to make our invitations, which will be a huge money saver. Also, my matron of honor is incredibly artistic, so a lot of our decorations we're all going to sit down and make, and since we're almost definately moving our wedding to December, then the church will already be somewhat decorated.

I don't think I would be comfortable even touching a dress that cost $2,000. I would probably ruin it. . ....

Planning Wedding

My best advise would be with the flowers. We went very simple with our flowers, and in the end it saved us a bunch of money. The cake can also get very spendy, so try to be frugal with that. It doesn't have to be cheap, just simple, and elegant enough. Are you going to have a wedding party, ie, bridesmaids and groomsmen? If so, are you also going to have a rehearsal dinner? For our rehearsal dinner, we went to Olive Garden. It saved us a lot of money. Or you could have it at someone's home and have homecooked food. That is even cheaper. Good luck!

Planning Wedding Culture Family Travel & Consumer Reviews

Yes, we have six people in our wedding party. I have a maid of honor, matron of honor, and a bridesmaid. Then he has his two groomsman, and his best man. Really small, which is what we wanted. We considered maybe just grilling out, and not just for price sake. It will also be a more relaxed atmosphere.

I am definately going to use the flower advice. I never would have thought of that.