Hi everyone,
I asked a question a few months ago about having an affordable courthouse wedding. My wife and I were in a bit of a hurry, as we are moving out of the country in a few months for a job opportunity, so we had to get married fairly quickly to ensure that our paperwork could be submitted. While we were not unhappy with our ceremony, my wife has expressed that she would like to hold another ceremony that would be a little more intimate, and a bit more inclusive for family and friends. I can understand her concern, as it wasn't the most ideal setting in the world to be married at the front door of the courthouse.
Now the good news is that we already have all of the legal paperwork and official ceremony taken care of, so we aren't concerned about having to pay for licenses, officiants, etc. The bad news is that we really don't know where to go from here. We have both agreed that we would like to keep our celebration simple and affordable, but we have slight different visions for what we should have, and how much it should cost. To be specific, my wife has been looking into wedding services that will provide pretty much everything that we will need. For around $4,500 we would receive an officiant (which we don't technically need), some catering, cake, decorations, photography, and a venue for about 15 to 20 people. She also expressed interest in looking into a wedding planner that might be able to help us make these plans. On the other hand, I am more interested in the DIY approach. For less money, I feel like we would be secure to find a decent venue, pick out someone who could officiate the ceremony (even if they are not necessarily ordained), and a photographer with a little left over for basic catering and cake. The value in my head is somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000, which I understand may not be completely realistic. One of the venues that I've looked at charges around $150 for four hours, so I'm basing my estimate around having a more affordable venue. As for a reception, we're really not interested in having one. We might go out to dinner with family our friends, but we don't need a complete catering service. Either route we choose to proceed, there will be SOME basic catering, but nothing that will involve a full "sit down" meal. at our venue Additionally, a wedding dress won't factor in, as my wife's best friend is planning to make her one.
To make a long story short, I would really love to hear your input! Please let me know if you think that we are being realistic. I plan to take advantage of the budget calculator on this website to simply this process.