Recession Wedding

scajina

I have been hit by the recession and I am currently laid off, although my fiance is working we will definately need to be financially conservative, but still would love to maintain the elegance and dream wedding feel.....any ideas??

katieanne85

small guest list, decide on a solid budget before you dream about your dream wedding, always start knowing what you can afford that way you wont get your heart set on something you dont need and cant afford and be disappointed. do not buy bridal magazines either. lol
There are lots of ways to save, have the wedding at a non-meal time, and you dont have to serve a full meal, DIY as much as possibly, since you will have the time
Do research to find the best deals
casual weddings can be very elegant, but are less expensive
go for an off peak day of the week or month
get creative with the venue, mine is at a (very small) private park, we have a beautiful  ceremony area, covered pavilion for reception indoor kitchen and bathrooms for $350, for the whole day and night before, and included is use of an old fashion jukebox, so that takes care of music, the whole place has a rustic campy vibe.
Paper flowers are saving us a thousand dollars
there is so much more

Cray.anita

It really depends on what you consider a budget wedding.  Alot of people on here will tell you to do a backyard BBQ reception (I personally hate that idea for several reasons).  FI and I were both laid off in February.  I luckily have started subbing at a local school but sub pay isn't that great.

We are having a guest list of 225 people with a full meal at a banquet hall with a DJ for a total cost of $5800.  We are doing fresh flowers because we found them to be just as budget friendly as artificial.  My gown was originally $1800 but I got it at a sample sale for $400.  It was missing one sequin on the bust which the bridal shop replaced before I picked it up.  We saved money by shopping around....ALOT.  Never take the 1st price someone gives you.  If you live on the edge of a large city try going 20 miles out of town to a smaller town to find vendors.  Our caterer charged less then 1/2 the price of local caterers but she is located 35 miles from our venue.  She agreed to travel with no additional charge just to try and build her client base in our area.  Our florist is 30 miles the other direction but was $180 total compared to the $850 quote I got from our local florist.  An aunt is meeting the florist 1/2 way to pick up the flowers.  Be creative, you can pull it off without sacrificing much.  We only cut out things like the photobooth and videographer (a friend is setting up their camera, not that important to us)

lvariyvett

I would say shop around a bit. I too am on a very tight budget and found some great deals by just asking.  I went to the local culinary school and asked a student to bake my cake free of charge for her class project.  I went to a local non profit agency that teaches people how to become cooks and work in team. They agreed to cook the food ( i did have a tasting and it was delicious) at  cost only. The students are happy because this will be their first real test of dressing up in their whites and presenting to us.  I picked an off day to get married because it is cheaper. I omitted the limo's becasue we are having it all at one location.  I went to the local store and got cameras for each table so that way we can have candids because we omitted the professional photograher. We do have a student at the local high school who is willing to take pictures for us.  Centerpeices we are doing ourselves with tall vases from tj maxx, marshalls and home goods very cheap. We will fill them with coffee beans since our colors are brown and blue. I also hit every clearance section in walmart target kmart and anywhere else i could find. to get some great ideas.  target had brown flip flops in its dollar section so I was able to get some for people who's feet were hurting towards the end.  The DJ is a friend of ours.  Our rings are from the flea market and no one has to know until we are able to afford the real ones.  My dress I got at a local thrift store in our area called SAVERS.  shoes I got off line at 6pm.com which is one of my favorite sites to by cheap discounted high end shoes.  Hope this helps

Audrey&Austin

If you want the dream wedding, it might be best to push your date back. When you're laid off, its tough. If you can do it, then go for it, but it might be best to push it back until you can afford the wedding of your dreams.

[Deleted User]

Ditto above post.

scajina

Thank you everyone for all the replies....definately helped me bring alot of things into perspective!

graysquirrel

I have also been hit by the recession. I think that a lot of people catch dream wedding syndrome. A person does not need to spend a whole year's salary on a wedding! As long as you feel good about what you do, then who cares? The two best ways that I am cutting back is to keep the guest list small-- I will not be inviting very many casual friends. I am also planning on having it after dinner so that I wont have to give people a full meal. Desserts are fine and can be even more elegant than supper. I also have to remember what is absolutely needed and what it silly stuff that people get caught up in. For instance, I don't need to buy a whole bunch of crap that says "bride" on the booty or spend a ton on tanning. We aren't buying really pricey rings either. I don't like the inflated, curel diamond trade but love colored stones, so I am getting a sapphire instead of a $10000 engagement ring. I em so excited to wear it when it comes in! Good luck with your planning!

tommyandy

A week night wedding is way cheaper than a saturday night wedding.

Start the guest list with the must haves- parents, siblings, SO's of each, your kids.  See how many people that is & don't forget to count yourselves in the total.

Our must have head count is 15 people.  We added the cost of a courthouse wedding and a small bouquet and wedding rings and dinner at a fantastic restaurant for all of us.  That is our biggest small budget - $1500.00, our smallest small budget is just the courthouse with no flowers or rings or restaurant - $120.00.   We just want to be married at this point, we don't really need the big party.  If we had the money we would have the party.   HTH

hilbot

We are getting married in the morning and having a brunch reception with the only alcohol being champagne... this was much cheaper for us but we're still able to have everyone there that we want to be there.

futurepivko

I agree about the photographer. This is something you shouldnt want to skip out on! I would also look for venues/banquet halls that are free for use (some are free over a certain number of people).

Make a list of what is important to you and what isnt.

About the photographer, try to have the photographer stay for a good portion of the wedding and ceremony, then for the rest of the night put disposable cameras (theyre cheap when you buy in bulk) on the tables, and have your guests take candid shots of your wedding...they may get photos that your photographer may not have been able to get.

When looking for a dress, ask for any discontinued styles that may be in the store. I happened to fall in love with a discontinued style dress, and ended up getting a $1000 wedding dress for $199.99! When its discontinued the store is more negotiable about getting the dress out of the store.

I love the idea someone said about a culinary student making the wedding cake. same can go for your hair and makeup. Find a beauty school in your area (there are lots) who will do your hair, wax your eyebrows, do your makeup, etc. for a reduced rate, or sometimes nothing at all! They just want the experience!

Get creative, shop around, and you will be fine. I dont think that "holding off" the wedding will do any good, especially if  date/season is what you wanted.