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MAJOR BUDGET WEDDING

ddchase87ddchase87 member
First Comment
in Maryland-Baltimore
My fiance and I are basically the only people paying for our wedding. We reside in Baltimore, MD. We figured it would be easier having the ceremony and reception in one place but finding a hall for up to 100 guests within our budget is really tough and so very frustrating. Any ideas or suggestions are all welcomed. Thanx in advance =)
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Re: MAJOR BUDGET WEDDING

  • ddchase87ddchase87 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My fiance and I are basically the only people paying for our wedding. We reside in Baltimore, MD. We figured it would be easier having the ceremony and reception in one place but finding a hall for up to 100 guests within our budget is really tough and so very frustrating. Any ideas or suggestions are all welcomed. Thanx in advance =)
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  • horsevaulterhorsevaulter
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I would post this on your local board. Maybe a park or something.. Good Luck! :)
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  • kellya01kellya01
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    You'll find a LOT of help from many brides who are paying for their own weddings on these boards, so you've come to the right place!  

    1.  Guest list.  More guests always means more expensive.  Are there ways you can trim that down to just your immediate family, closest friends, etc?

    2. Venues and Vendors.  Anything you can find that might cost less, embrace it.  Almost free venues are great too -- try local parks, churches, public picnic shelters, historic buildings.  Don't be scared to say "no" to a vendor if they cost too much.  You're never roped in until you sign that contract. 

    3. Some DIY projects can save you $$, and some won't.  Price it out.  If it involves printing (like print-your-own-invites), remember to include ink toner  or ink cartridge cost into your price comparisons.  

    4. Surf the boards for free things like free postcards, free pix when you order so many, and also don't forget about the wedding classifieds board -- gently used stuff for sale all the time on that board, just pick through and find what you need.  

    I'm sure many others have suggestions that can help too.  Good luck!! 


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  • ally1218ally1218 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I totally understand your pain! We are having a small wedding on a small budget. We are having our wedding and reception at the church I went to as a kid. Usually churches won't charge as much for members. If you don't want a church, you can usually go to a state park or an old historical landmark and not have to pay as much. Hotels and some bigger resturants are popular too. I've even seen it at a symphony hall or at the zoo! Google it and look around. You have more options than you realize! If you want specifics, I would def. recommend you posting this on your local board. Good luck!!
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  • ddchase87ddchase87 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thank you everyone!! We really appreciate the advice and we're taking it all. =)
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  • hgiusti35hgiusti35
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I had friends last winter who were in the same situation.  They were paying for it all themselves.  They chose the Peabody Library on a Sunday in January (great deal for sunday and it is really slow in January) and had a light brunch after the ceremony.  Their centerpieces were trays of bite size desserts.  It was great to have the ceremoney and reception at the same place since it was so cold out that day.
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  • islandblondeislandblonde member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Try Overhills Mansion in Catonsville. It's a gorgeous historic mansion. We're having our ceremony and reception there in May. The site rental -- including things like tables and chairs, setup/take down, and an extra hour at night -- is about $1,500 for a Saturday night in May. It's much less expensive if you would do it out of season or on a weeknight. Also, they have a reasonably priced and good caterer on site.
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  • cdstadlercdstadler
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Hey there, I am in Baltimore as well. Im not sure what your budget is, but i absolutely agree with having the ceremony and reception at the same place...it does save money. Our wedding is about a year away and we are having both ceremony and reception at The Cloisters in Lutherville. We decided to have it on an "off" month which is February so that it would be cheaper. So look at that option depending on the month that you are planning for. For us, it was about $2,000 cheaper!!!  We also paid in full which they gave us a discount for doing so. So we saved about $600.00 for paying in full. So see if thats and option as well. (Alot of places do that. We saved $500.00 on our caterer becuase we put 1/2 down at signing.) Also, check out the knot wedding classifieds. I just bought tons of candles and vases EXTREMELY cheap from other people.
    And dont forget the DIY things. I dont think of myself as "crafty". However, when im saving hundreds of dollars, i get crafty. Its actually been kind of fun and rewarding doing it myself. So, thats always an option as well.
    One last recommendation...fake flowers instead of real. I was always the type of girl who thought that real flowers were a waste of money..but thats just me. There is a site called water me not.com. Check it out. The flowers are so real to the eye and the touch that you would never even know that they were artificial.

    Good luck with everything!!!
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  • marysteuartmarysteuart
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Checkout the Rusty Scupper on the Inner Harbor.  They only charge $100/hr for the space and the food is really affordable.  We are doing our ceremony onthe deck and an appetizer reception for 100 people and our total food/beverage only comes to about $6K  If you limited alcohol a bit more, you may get it down even less.
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