Late in the game and Light in the wallet

DominiqueandFranklin

I apparently picked the worst day of the year to try and have our wedding. June 1, 2013 in Dallas. And I'm apparently very late in the game when it comes to planning.

We don't have the $50,000 budget every girl would love to have - we're working with about $5,000 total. I can't afford much, but that doesn't mean a girl can't dream right? I want my oh-so-clichéd fairy tale wedding. Glass slipper-esque, horse drawn carriage, and a touch of magic without the excessive cost.

So I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on planning, venues (that allow outside catering because venue catering is expensive!), or any DIY/wallet-relieving ideas, etc.

It would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

professorscience

A lot of girls here have gotten married on similar budgets.

First of all, determine your guest list.  You are going to spend the most money on food and drinks, so you need to decide how many people you are inviting.

Some of the most budget-friendly options out there are

Winfrey Point (although please, for the love of your guests, don't have an outdoor wedding in the summer)

Filter Building (see above)

YWCA Ft. Worth

We also have a vendor sticky with lists of lots of ceremony/reception venues.

cwaggoner07

Is there any possible way to move your date and save up going forward?

fallbride1109

Keep your guest list as small as possible would be my first piece of advice.

You can DIY alot of things.  The DIY board is a very good source of helpful information.  You can DIY invitations, cake toppers, programs, table numbers, etc.  You can even DIY your flowers.

Do beer and wine and maybe a signature cocktail instead of a full bar.

Consider an afternoon wedding instead of nighttime. 

Realize that you are not going to get a $50K wedding on a $5K budget but it can still be lovely and at the end of the day, you'll be as married as anyone else.

nextrightthing

I would also recommend moving the date up if you can.  You will have longer to save, and you might save money by having a less popular date.  Another tip is brunch and luncheon weddings are way cheaper (that's what we are doing, and we are able to get a lot of things much cheaper than at dinner).  Ditto PPs - limit alcoholic beverages and have a small guest list.  Everything is priced per person, so the fewer people, the cheaper. 

Good luck!  Check out the vendor sticky above, too.

Bierfrau

I would not spend the money on invitations or table numbers,programs or give away's. All the things people throw away after the wedding. You can do it personally, email , phone calls. The Knot has many tools to help with that.  Have a Buffet instead of  dinner.  Keep the wedding small and don't over due flowers. Reuse ceremony decoration for reception. Get friends to help. Friends can get ordain, they can be the DJ and they can be the Photographer or bake cake's or muffins. Yes its nice to be able to afford everything but doing it in a smaller circle with people who you really care about can mean a whole lot more.

vdam

I don't think you're late in the game at all! I got engaged in April and getting married this upcoming Nov. 4 and I'm almost done with everything. And honestly, I started planning in June. However, I wasn't picky with dates. I'm doing it on a Sunday, which when I looked for venue, every place was open. Plus, it's much cheaper and so much easier to book everything else bc every photographer, florist, baker, etc. I contacted was available on that date. I ordered my flowers from Market Street and making some myself, like boutonnières for family. Honestly if you have lots of help, I say just order them in bulk and DIY. My friend did it that way and her whole decor/flowers cost was under $300. At the end of the day, nobody will remember what kind of flowers you carried or had at the tables. If you want a sit down, a brunch wedding might be the best option. That way, you don't have to worry about serving alcohol. I've been to a few of those and always loved it. It's much cheaper too. Do away with invitations and returned RSVP like someone here mentioned. Evites are just as effective. But the most important thing to realize is that there's no way a 5K wedding will look like a 50k wedding. It'll look nice, just don't expect The Four Seasons wedding style.

outboundforever

To keep it under budget, you may want to look into a community center.  I have just recently gotten engaged two weeks ago and wanted to keep things under budget so that we had some extra cash to travel for the honey moon.  I found this place in the River Oaks area of Fort worth.  Its nice, clean, and simple but for $80 an hour and a capacity of 300 I booked it.  So far I have my venu(for both ceromony and reception), cake, dress, food, and save the dates for 800 so far.  Cake and food are going to be made by family since one is a cake maker and the other a cook.  Dress I found online for 130.  Save the dates I am going to print at Staples.com since they have a special of 100 for 9.99.

I know the City of Fort Worth community centers run about 50 an hour.  So check with the area your in and see if there is a nice place in your area.

This is for the community center I booked.
http://www.riveroakscommunitycenter.com/

Good luck and God Bless!