We've got our date (20-May-11) and venue (Reflection at the Buttes) nailed down with a deposit, but in order to sign the actual contract (which needs to be done by 06-Apr-10), I need to have an estimated guest count. We've put a fair amount of work into our guest list, and have pared it down to the "must have's," but before we sign the contract, I want to have a better idea of how much I might expect to spend for the other "big ticket" items. Particularly alcohol (as we must provide our own for about 100 adults), photography, attire, and flowers.
If it's not asking too much, can some brides share with me how much they spent on each; if the wedding has already occured, some hindsight opinions would be great. (e.g., "We spent $1,000 on photography, but wish we wouldn't have skimped." or "I only spent $300 on my dress, but was lucky to find it during a mega sale.") It'd be great to hear Tucson vendor recommendations as well, along with your personal experiences.
Signing the contract with the "estimated guest count" seems to be a pretty big / stressful commitment because from what I understand, if you over-estimate, you still have to pay for the total estimated amount. I'm worried because our pared down guest count is a HUGE chunk of our budget, but I don't know how we can possibly cut it down anymore...we both have large families.
I guess I'm just asking for any sort of budgeting advice for a Tucson wedding. As broad as that may be...
Thanks in advance!!! :-)