Budget Weddings Forum — The Knot Community

Flower Budget/Cost

[Deleted User] — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 19:23:27 +0000

Hi there ladies!

I'm looking for what a reasonable flower budget is in New England (getting married in Central Mass next September) - I realize of course that region plays a huge part in the budget.

I will need the following:

- 1 bridal bouquet
- 6 bridesmaids bouquets
- 7 boutonnieres (5 GM, 2 fathers. no living grandfathers)
- 3 corsages (2 moms, 1 living grandmother)
If the budget allows, some small and simple mason jar centerpieces (the venue is a beautiful barn, it doesn't need much and I don't have the budget for large extravagant centerpieces).

The colors are burgundy, blush, creams, and a LOT of greenery.

I am not at all picky about flower type except that I would like some silver dollar eucalyptus. I also love roses. Whatever is in season in my colors that looks nice together I'm happy with.

I received a quote from the venue's main florist (he does NOT have a shop so I think the lack of that type of overhead allows for good prices) for all of the above, a couple of ceremony pieces that would later be used in the reception barn (I was originally going to get a couple large burgundy mums), and some pops of color (so a few small arrangements across the tables - they are very long farmhouse tables) for $800. I believe that this is a good deal but want to check in and see if there's places in central mass to look at, and what a good price is for flowers.

Thank you!

Hire DJ vs. having friend DJ?

knottiedbc342592354c3d2 — Sat, 13 Apr 2019 19:53:19 +0000

Okay, so we are torn between recruiting a friend to DJ or hiring a DJ. We are on a tight budget and our venue would charge an additional $200 to have a professional DJ there. We are on a tight budget and would rather avoid that absurd fee if possible.

That said, we also don't want this friend to feel left out at the wedding. We would of course ask and make sure he is comfortable with it (but he is a very jovial, outgoing guy and might enjoy the role), but we're still not sure. We would offer compensation and give a gift as well. And we already have music picked out, so there wouldn't be additional responsibility beyond announcing dances and keeping the music going according to plan.

Has anyone had a friend DJ? Did it go okay or would you advise against it?

We're just worried because we don't think we can afford a $200 fee on top of what the DJ charges.

Thanks for any input you can provide!

Where to put a tent?

Knottie4a85f59858e751aa — Sat, 07 Mar 2020 05:52:30 +0000

Im looking for Places to put a tent in the Tri-State. Has anyone found a cheap area where you can put a tent? I found a beautiful tent to rent but no place to put it! I'm on a budget so the location has to be cheap but not in a park where anyone can just come. Unless the Park has its own private area. I want to do a DIY wedding.

Bartending vs Alcohol Catering

knottie3babf06281cf9d92 — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 03:00:12 +0000

Hi all! I am planning a wedding for next May and my fiancé and I are having a hard time deciding whether or not to buy our own alcohol and hiring someone to bartend it (venue requirement) or have an alcohol caterer who prices it per person. We’re having around 175 people and I know for a fact at least 40-50 won’t be drinking. Any advice out there/ what you found worked best? Thanks!

Guest list dispute

knottie7228a9243a6c3e34 — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 04:21:41 +0000

Hi everyone,

So my fiance and I are (hopefully) planning on getting married this fall. We initially had a set budget for our wedding and we had an equal amount of people we could invite. My fiance and I come from big families, so we got some push back from our parents on not inviting our extended families.
My fiance and I told both our parents that if they wanted the extended family at our wedding, they would have to pay for it. My fiance's parents don't have much, so they are not able to invite any extended family. However, my parents were able to afford the extra cost, thus we sent out save the date cards to all my extended family that my parents are paying for.
Initially, I thought my fiance was okay with this as we mutually agreed to have our parents pay for any additional guests, but he recently told me he feels upset that I will have my extended family there and not his. I have been trying to figure out a way to solve this. On one hand I want my fiance to be happy and on the other hand I don't think it's fair for my parents to uninvite the guests. I also really don't want to dip into our savings.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? I would really appreciate some advice on this.

Thanks!

Military Discounts Tri-State

Knottie4a85f59858e751aa — Sat, 07 Mar 2020 05:44:51 +0000

How do we use the most of our Military Discount? Does anyone know any Venues in the Tri-State that give the discounts? Not just on hotel rooms.

20% Admin fee!?

Knottie4a85f59858e751aa — Sat, 07 Mar 2020 05:43:15 +0000

Anyone know a place with low to no admin fees up to two hours away from NYC? Tri-State. Ive seen one place Hollow Brook Winery that has 10% and 50$ a person and that gives me hope that theres a place beautiful like that for that price but i have not found one yet. Hollow Brook is too far for our guest.

Kleinfeld Store Credit for sale !

kashaunandlenise2020 — Sat, 24 Aug 2019 06:09:32 +0000

Good Morning Everyone
So I am a bride to be ( 09/19/20) and I am currently selling my $3,500.00 Kleinfeld Store credit for $2,000.00. I am no longer interested in using the credit since there was a slight personal issue with my gown.
It would be nice to sell my credit and at least save a bride to be $1500. Please feel free to contact me !

Bride on a Budget-new here

knottie04c62e9c802de2ad — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 18:34:53 +0000

Hello brides! My fiancé and I were engaged on November 2. We are in our late thirties, he has one child and I have three. It will be my second marriage, his first.

A little background on what we have planned so far for our wedding: we have booked a place just north of Charleston, SC (we are from KY) as a venue for our wedding and reception. We paid $800 and this price includes tables and chairs. I also already have my dress and have picked out my colors.

Other than that, we have nothing else planned. We just bought a house and new furniture, so are wanting to keep the wedding as inexpensive as possible, but also nice and a good time for the 50 or more people that we expect will make the trip to SC. We scheduled the wedding on a Monday due to prices being quite a bit less on weekdays. We also found out that we can provide our own alcohol. We do want to have a DJ and photographer.

I guess what I’m looking for most would be tips to make the space look nice without breaking the bank. Also, how to save on food costs as well as flowers (I’m leaning toward doing artificial flowers). I’d love to keep the cost under $3,000 if at all possible, but I’m thinking there probably is no way to do that with everything we want to include.

Thanks in advance for any tips!!

NJ Wedding Venue Help

howering_k — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 13:38:25 +0000

Hey Everyone!

My fiance and I are looking to get married in October of 2021. We are in Morristown, NJ and are willing to travel up to two hours. Our budget is $20,000 for the venue (less would be nice). We are looking to have no more than 125 people to keep the cost down. We both do not the like big ballrooms with "gaudy" chandeliers or legitimate barns. We have looked at Perona Farms Reserve, The Ryland Inn, The Stone House at Stirling Ridge since those are out style. They are out of our budget ($130 pp w/o taxes and gratuity) and the only one that was in our budget that we liked was The Hamilton Manor and The Mansion at Mountain Lakes. We could not meet the minimums for Friday or Sunday. We are open to a Friday, but Saturday is ideal and most venues have 150 minimum. I know The Knot does not have EVERY venue, so any suggestions would be great. I really like that industrial chic look (wood floors, bright rooms, brick, etc.)

Help San Diego Wedding Planner

knottie01cf761cd387db24 — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 17:41:30 +0000

Hi All,

I am getting married labor day weekend next year, we are in Boston getting married in San Diego. We are from San Diego and are out here for military reasons. That being said, I am already struggling planning and coordinating with vendors and such. Does anyone know of any event planners or wedding planners? Maybe some that are starting off and are more affordable? Our budget is very low and we cant afford to spend a lot on a wedding planner. Figured I would talk to you lovely ladies here and maybe someone knows of someone. I am open to any suggestions. Thank you ladies!!

Best,

Melissa

$1,877 Kleinfeld Store Credit for $1,500 OBO

l-martin-914 — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 21:57:30 +0000

Hi everyone!

I recently purchased a dress at Kleinfelds Bridal in NYC for my July 2020 wedding, but found another dress I loved more and canceled my order at Kleinfelds. I am looking to sell my store credit of $1,877 for a discounted $1,500 OBO. That’s a savings of $377 off your new wedding dress!

For anyone not comfortable with an electronic payment, I am happy to meet at the service counter inside the Kleinfeld store and do an in-person transfer of the credit.

Food Gratuity

knottie9be6768dfb0b4a32 — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 08:27:01 +0000

i am going through an approved caterer for my venue. They charge 28% service charge/tax (20%/8%) not including gratuity. It’s buffet style. If I provide a 20% that is 48%!! I’ve looked online and they make $16 bucks an hour not including gratuity. What does everyone recommend for tip?

In search of a budget friendly photographer

knottiecf535362dcfdddf5 — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 14:11:13 +0000

My fiance and I are getting married on Friday 04/03/2020 in Aledo, Texas. We live in Wisconsin so I don't know any of the photographers in the DFW area. Does anyone know of a good photographer that won't break the bank? We wouldn't need engagement or bridals. We only would need coverage on the day of our event.

Total Opposites

knottieff6955ffbdf81f61 — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 20:05:59 +0000

I need advice and fast! I always knew that when i got married I'd have music and dancing at my wedding because that's just the person I am. My fiance and his family however are the exact opposite. When I told my mother-in-law about my plans to have a dj her response was "A DJ?!?!?......uhh...ok..." I know for a fact my family is going to want dancing music, but my fiance says his family will perfer a quartet which i don't like for several reason. For 1)how tf do you dance to that? 2)my fiances brother had a quartet at his wedding and im not trying to recreate their wedding and 3rd) we are on a very strict budget and for the same money we could get a dj to play the cocktail hour, ceremony and reception, seems like a waste to. Does anyone have any suggestions for compromises keeping in mind we cannot hire multiple performers per the budget.

Rehearsal Options

knottieffd308519aec5b27 — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 17:48:57 +0000

I know I posted another thing about rehearsal dinner, but we are still looking at our options. My MIL offered to pay for our rehearsal despite her limited funds. My fiance and I are concerned about her covering the cost because she is also paying for his brother's rehearsal dinner and the brother is getting married 5 weeks after us. My MIL told my mother she was thinking about $15 a person for our rehearsal dinner. I am not sure what type of places to look at because we would like to have a nice sit down meal. A lot of the places where we are getting married are at least $25 and up per person and that doesn't include alcohol which my fiance and his friends want. I could careless about the alcohol because I don't drink. Our venue is in a highly popular area with a sky resort less than 20 minutes away so we are kind of limited if she wants to spend $15 a person. Based on all of the research and calls I have made, I don't think it will be possible to spend $15 or less per person. What do you suggest we do? She won't let us cover the costs.

Rehearsal

knottieffd308519aec5b27 — Sat, 19 Jan 2019 19:44:52 +0000

For our rehearsal dinner we are looking at a place that is BYOB. We are having approximately 30 people for the rehearsal dinner. I don't think it is right to expect the bridal party and their dates to supply their own alcohol so we would supply it ourselves. How much alcohol do you think would be necessary for approximately 30 people? I do not drink so I have no clue.

Moved: for Sale!!! Sophia Tolli - Y21441 Geraldine, Size 10

ShesSoCold — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 18:28:24 +0000

This discussion has been moved.

Close Post please

be_braver — Sun, 02 Dec 2018 14:56:04 +0000

So I live zero waste, and want to minimize my wedding's footprint. It will be a winter wedding in Early March 2020. Here is what I have so far... Am I missing anything?
Using my friends wedding dress for mine
Online rsvp
Using a secondhand dress
Packing up all left over food to donate
Daytime wedding
All real china/cutlery
secondhand decorations OR decorations that can be given a second life
Lots of natural decor
Plan to resell everything I used
Flowers only for the bouquets
Consumable favors-vs trinkets that will be thrown out
Asked the bar not to give out straws in cocktails/drinks
Working with companies that are also eco-conscious
Not having a gift registry-asking for funds to help us adopt instead OMG FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO TELL ME TO NOT ASK FOR MONEY RELAX! I know what is polite and if you MUST know this is how I worded it on my registry webpage;
"We are so excited to begin our lives together as a family, and are honored to share our special day with you! If you would like to help us on our journey as a couple please know we do not have a gift registry as we are blessed with all we need already. If you still would like to contribute to our family we have started "The Leo Fund" to help finance our future plans to adopt."
I'm not actually saying "yo give me money" I don't need people policing me about how I word things in my post here, or what I should or shouldn't do... I was just looking for ideas... I didn't realize how judgemental people were on here or I wouldn't have even posted this... and that's why I'm trying to get this thread closed.

Eco friendly wedding

Glasshalfempty — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 08:36:54 +0000

Just trying to keep the wedding as eco friendly as possible. Having a venue that's on board with this helps. So far we're only doing email invites. Leftover food is donated to charity, flowers are wrapped up for guests to take home at the end, not doing any favours etc. What else is there that we could do that maybe I haven't thought of?

n/a

knottie8337758a4ace9d04 — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 15:55:44 +0000

Open Bar Cost?

[Deleted User] — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 13:06:42 +0000

Hi there! I'm looking to get an estimate as to what our open bar will cost. The wedding is at Salem Cross Inn in Central MA and it's for 150 people (well, that's the "minimum" number of plates we have to pay for - likely we'll have 140 people show). Bar is based on consumption. Prices are as follows:

Mixed Drinks $6.00 to $8.50

Wine $6.00 to $8.00

Beer $4.00 to $7.00

These might go up slightly by the time we get married (it's in the contract for very minor price adjustments). So for 140 people, some of which are *very heavy drinkers, while some are light drinkers, how much do you think we'll pay? They estimated $30 per person but idk if that's $30pp plus tax and tip? Then we're looking at almost $40 pp. Ahh, I'm excited/nervous to hear what you guys think!

Originally we were going to do just beer and wine but with the liquor prices where they are, maybe we'll do $6 signature cocktails to keep it a bit lower!

Thank you!!

First Joint Account

[Deleted User] — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 14:51:02 +0000

Hello, all!

Today, my FI and I are opening a joint bank account (both contributing the same amount as an ACH directly from our employer, and only used for shared expenses). We will be keeping our own personal checking/savings as well, for our own individual expenses, and a joint savings for the wedding.

I am very excited, because it makes being engaged feel so real! (I proposed to him, so most things this far have been very non-traditional). Any tips/tricks/advice from other knotties?

Thank you xx

Rustic/Barn Wedding Venue - Northeast/Mid-Atlantic

knottie346834b8652b9a63 — Thu, 04 May 2017 22:18:20 +0000

Hi everyone! I'm newly engaged and hoping for your advice. I live in NYC and am on a tight budget for my Summer/early Fall 2018 wedding - $30k all in, so ideally $20k or less on venue + catering/booze. The guest count will be 150 max (hopefully more like 125). I am willing to travel anywhere in the northeast or mid-atlantic regions.

I was hoping to host a rustic wedding somewhere scenic or perhaps at a barn. I was thinking: outdoor ceremony and indoor reception at the same location. We just want to have something fun and relaxed in a pretty setting. We were even thinking of setting up beer pong, giant connect 4, giant Jenga, and other games outside if the budget allows.

I am open to a classic package that offers catering and everything included at the venue or the DIY, bring everything in and just rent the space method - whatever saves us the most money. Do any of you guys have venues like this to recommend? Or even just advice about the DIY vs all inclusive method in terms of cost-benefit.

Thanks so much in advance for your help! I thought I would love wedding planning, but now that I'm actually engaged my head is spinning and I don't know where to begin.

I’m Stuck !! XP

StressedOut2ndtimeBride — Sat, 16 Jun 2018 03:36:10 +0000

Ok Ladies I need some help as my brain is roadblocked right now. I need 1-2 more songs for guests to arrive and an upbeat song to leave the ceremony. Here is what we have planned so far.

Pre-Ceremony Music
LOVE - Nat King Cole
Moon River
When I Fall In Love

Moms, Guys, and Wedding Party
Stand By Me - BB King

Me - Walking by myself
At Last - Etta James

Please help us win videography!

knottie2b34941f87f51cd0 — Mon, 14 May 2018 00:13:16 +0000

My fiance and I did not budget videography into our small wedding, but decided we wanted it and have had the opportunity to be finalists in a contest to win it for free!

The final winner is being selected with instagram likes, and we really need everyone's help to win! Here's how:

**Removed for ToS violation**

Contest ends at 10pm tonight. Thank you!

Backyard wedding dance floor dilemma! (Pics)

knottie10468204e07f6975 — Thu, 03 May 2018 15:51:38 +0000

Hey everyone, looking for some advice.

We are having our wedding in our backyard (backup plan in case of rain already in the works), cocktail/station style, so our tables will be scattered. However, most of the yard is quite sloped, so while it's okay for yard games, it doesn't really suit a dance floor. There's a sizeable flat section close to the house (pictured, both before and after that cedar bush was trimmed back) that I would like to use for both the ceremony and reception. We would get married on those steps, then have the music and dance floor on the bottom level.

Trouble is, the dance floor would go directly in the middle of that flat section, which means it would get in the way of the ceremony foot traffic and chairs (my "aisle" goes from the cement pad closest to the house to the steps, so right over where the dance floor would go). My question is this: Would it be too much trouble to assign people to move chairs and assemble the dance floor between the ceremony and dinner, or should I just skip it and go with just grass? Alternatively, I could use the deck as the dance floor, but I'm trying to avoid that. We are already requesting guests not wear heels.

Rehearsal Dinner: Do I need one?

Knottiecfcb5b00838ffbd5 — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 21:19:58 +0000

Hi all!

My SO and I are going to do a small church wedding with immediate family (just parents and siblings) a few weeks prior to our "real wedding."

For the "real wedding," we're doing a short, simple ceremony at our reception venue. We each have 3 people in our bridal party (so 6 total) and my uncle will be officiating. It will be really simple and short, so I don't think there is any need for a rehearsal dinner.

Here's what I was thinking instead...

SO and I take my uncle & his wife out for dinner a week or two before the wedding as a thank you and to walk through the day.

On the night before the wedding, I will take my bridesmaids and mom out for dinner as a girls night (we'll all be staying in hotel together), and my SO will take his groomsmen and parents out for dinner. We can both talk about the logistics of the next day with them; plus, we'll have a day-of wedding coordinator.

I want everyone involved in the wedding to feel special, so don't want to skip out on a meal entirely but don't think a big rehearsal and rehearsal dinner is necessary. Plus, we are definitely on a budget so would prefer for my SO's parents to put the money towards other aspects of the wedding.

My question -- is this okay? All three of my bridesmaids are coming from out of state (two driving distance, one flight distance), so is it okay if they don't get to bring their significant others to the dinner? Our wedding doesn't start until 5pm the next day so their significant others could always come the next day.

Would appreciate any/all advice! Thanks!

I am looking to rent or buy my wedding dress

knottie6864dc82c4654946 — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 01:05:05 +0000

I am looking to rent or buy my wedding dress. Anyone have experience with evdressau.com ? I have looked up multiple reviews by googling around and it doesn't sound promising. I found a dress that looks good online and in their customer pix. Of course the reviews on their site are all positive. My date is coming up soon (10/27/17) and I am worried I haven't found a dress yet. I am not looking to spend more than the range of prices they have on that site. The dress I want on there would put me out $300 that's too much for me to gamble on. Anyone have a better site recommendation? Again, I'm not even looking to keep my dress, I am interested in renting or purchasing. Thanks in advance.

One glass for the night

bloomtobe19 — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 00:03:48 +0000

I want to do the one glass for the night and have guests keep them as favors. My question is how does this work logistically? Does it work out with guests switching from wine to water to beer, etc...? Do you typically serve water in bottles? Do you have a station to wash out your glass?