Anyone here have a wedding for less than $10,000

mrs.april

Tell me all about it! please!
We are originally from Toronto, but wouldn't mind having it anywhere between there and Hamilton and would like to save money anywhere possible without loosing out on fun.
So tell me, where did you have your ceremony and reception? I plan on doing alot of DIY but am not having any luck with venues. wouldnt mind either indoor or outdoor (but we are planning for Oct. so we would need space for a tent) I just need some sort of starting point!

Thanks so much for any help!

Littlin

What's your guest list number? Venues alone downtown will run you around $10K+ with a dinner unless you maybe do an afternoon reception or evening not Friday or Saturday, depending on your numbers. You are probably looking just outside the city as a best bet.  There is also a Toronto-Canada board where you may have some more luck with the area.  Welcome to the board!  Feel free to share some of your DIY projects.

clailey1

Hi ... we're also trying to stick within that budget.  But the more research I do, the more I realize how expensive everything is.  We're likely going to hold the entire event in our yard ...we're fortunate to have a large property, so we can put up a tent if need be. 

Will likely go casual, but classy.  Hiring a BBQ caterer to do chicken and ribs with lots of great side dishes. Having friends put together an ipod with zillions of songs ... one set for the ceremony, one for cocktails and dinner, one for the afterparty.  Most of the decorations will be DIY and the evening bake/snack table will likely be donated by friends and family .  And likely a giant bonfire later in the evening to keep folks warm, to make smores and for more relaxed, mellow time ...

Maybe its cuz we're over 40, but this sounds like the perfect venue to celebrate with our friends and family.

Good luck and congrats on your wedding !

Madisonpenny

I'm having my wedding in Ottawa.. and everytime i got a quote for the ceremony and reception venue and dinner (this is inc. linens, chairs, tables, dinnerware and on occasion centerpieces). I was making myself incredibly anxious on where in the world i was oing to find the money to afford a wedding of my dreams.. that was until i started searching golf courses... They are the most affordable of all places I found (specific event halls, hotels, golf courses). Try something like that, you might feel sudden relief when you do . BTW, some places were charging upwards of 10K and once I looked at the golf course its was less than  1/2 the cost, including food!!!. This is for a guestlist of approx. 60 ppl.

[Deleted User]

Well, I'm getting married in Saskatchewan so prices could be quite a bit different on things, plus we're doing it in really small towns. (ceremony in one town, reception in another).

Our reception will be held in the town's community hall.  It only cost $300 to rent, and we'll have it all weekend.  Of course then we have to supply everything ourself as there is no staff employed there, but that is making it super easy to cut costs too.  We know enough vendors around the area we only are paying our DJ mileage, and he gave us a really good deal on that.

I have also discovered Etsy and VistaPrint, which has been a huge help in saving money for us :-)

So yes, our wedding will be under $10000.

mrs.april

Thanks so much guys!
We have pretty big families (and this just includes aunts and uncles and cousins we talk to) and will only be inviting close friends and our guest list seems to be hovering at around 90.
Clailey1 what you are describing sounds pretty much perfect. I WISH I knew someone with an amazing (and by that I mean BIG) backyard! That would be a perfect spot but we just dont have those kind of connections, but I will definately be looking into golf courses.
I just wish we could find some sort of mini mansion weekend rental and just throw a party in a big house! If you know of that sort of thing let me know

[Deleted User]

Again, being by Saskatoon, I might not be able to help, but here you are allowed to use the parks in the city for the ceremony and pretty sure that's free.  You just can't "book" them so the park will still be open to the public.  But I don't know, seems like a pretty decent idea for an outdoor wedding.

simplebride_24

tiffbot who is your photographer?  I am in Saskatoon as well and I love your picture.  

[Deleted User]

Thanks!

Her name is Colleen. She is a friend of mine, and does amazing work!

Here is her page:

www.photographybycolleenniska.com

My siggy was taken under the Broadway bridge

Oh, and I saw in another thread you are friends with Chris from Magic Monkey.  We are using his company for our wedding!  I hope he DJ's for us!

SACONNEX

We are a BBQ Caterer that does location weddings.

We specialise in doing a Whole Pig for around 90/100 guests including the 3 salads,potato`s with garlic and herb dressing,bread and butter and  a dessert.

Vegetarians are also catered for.

This works out at about $22.50 p/person baded on 100 guests.

Crockery and Cutlery are extra,but you have the option to do that yourselves to save.

We have other menu`s to choose from on our site:www.southafricanconnexion.com

If this is what you are looking for and are on a budget,give us a call.

[Deleted User]

Mine definitely  won't be under 10, but my good friend and BM is having hers for under 10.

She's having it at Lakeland Centre in Confederation Park in Hamilton on the water. It's a building that looks like a lighthouse and it is very cool inside. It's run through Carmen's. If you keep it a buffet, it cuts costs. She isn't having a late night buffet either. She is having about 120 guests.

Her ceremony is going to be in Cuba, so that will cost $100. So all she's paying for back home is the reception. Her dress she got from a pre-used store, and it's beautiful. She got it for $350.

I really suggest doing something along those lines!

Oh, and she is having it on a Friday.

PaigeMcC

I'm on the East Coast, so I'm sure the prices vary, but ours will end up being about 8K when all is said and done.  We're doing it in a local boutique hotel (just finished their renos) and we're doing a lot of DIY/deal hunting.  Don't be afraid to DIY (but check your costs and make sure it IS cheaper to go this route). Negotiate with your vendors, they're usually willing to work with you.  And look around at different venues, don't settle but again negotiate and don't be afraid to move on if someone isn't willing to accommodate you.

For example: 

- My FMIL is doing our flowers as a gift.  She's done several weddings before and I feel confident that she can make this happen.  It'll also be a fun bonding experience for her and I.

- Our photog is AMAZING and we negioated the price down from $2,500 to $1,500

- Our cake is going to be made by a small, new, local bakery.  Newer is sometimes great b/c they're hungry for business!

- I designed our invitations and they are being printed by the local UPS store (only $50 for 175 invites) and then I'm going to stick some cardstock on the back ($60 @cards and pockets) and ribbon/belly band (about $20-30 at Michael's...use the coupons!!). And our RSVP cards are the free postcards from VistaPrint (just pay shipping- about $10.)  Sooo that's about $140-$150 for 175 invites. 

- We're getting married on a Sunday, instead of a Saturday, because the venue was willing to give us the ceremony and reception room for free and throw in a glass of free house wine for each of our guests. 

That's all I can really think of right now but as long as you're willing to do some research and the leg work involved in having a smaller budget I see NO reason why you couldn't do a wedding for under 10K.  

blush64

I am in Toronto and I have not been able to find anything for under $10, 000. I trying to keep it near there too and I am having a hard time.

I would say look more to Hamilton than Toronto to save money. Carmen's is a nice place and although more than $10,000, it's not much more. (they include a lot)

Cindyllou

I tried keeping my wedding of 90 guests under $10,000 but splurged on a few items bringing me about $2000 over.  It IS possible.  Ways that I kept costs down were having my ceremony in a park: free!  DIY invites, finding a reception venue that doesn't require any further decorations other than the tables, a photographer trying to build up her portfolio: a big risk but turned out to be the best thing we did because her prices have sky-rocketed since booking, a decorator who does it "on the side": saved a lot of money.  Another idea I heard while at Costco this weekend was to pre-order flowers from them for centerpieces: great way to save money and to have fresh flowers on every table.
It can be done!  Takes a little more research and work but putting on a classy, elegant wedding under $10,000 can be achieved!!  Good luck

MEMSJQ

My goal is to have my wedding for less than $10,000... the costs that places attach to things is ridic!!!

I am in Mississauga, just outside Toronto, when I got engaged in 2009, I started researching in 2010 for a 2011 or 2012 wedding, and the $$$ was crazy, then ppl were getting added to the guest list that I didn't even want, and all of a sudden I was looking at a 100+ guest list and lord only knows what sorta cost that would be.

Then crap happened, job loss, accident, etc, and a venue which is now run by Carmen's that totally turned me off weddings in general and I told FI, that is it, I am putting it off until I know what to do and make it reasonable $$$ wise and I do not want X amount of ppl there! He agreed.

So I was looking at November 2013 or early 2014... I am looking at Quebec City, Niagara Falls (Cdn side) or Las Vegas... I will have a budget of $5k for wedding related stuff... and if I can include flight and hotel in that, then great, otherwise, I will only spend $$$ extra on travel costs... and that is it!!!

Bottom line... any budget is possible, just know what you want, spend where important and do what you want.

I now have a list of 12-15 ppl, no more, and I want it to be intimate but fun.... my biggest challenge now.... getting places to host a wedding for my small party, intimate in the wedding industry means 50-75 ppl! LOL