Is it possible or am I nuts?!

Crewsgirl2110 · July 2011

Im trying to plan a small 60 person guest list for my wedding on a 6 or 7K budget. Am I thinking realisictly or am I going nuts?

mbcdefg · July 2011

A girl on this board a while back had that kind of wedding, and it looked quite classy and fun from her photos. And my friends are planning something similar and I think their budget is close to yours. It can definitely be done!

I would start by finding a restaurant that'll cater your reception for about $40-50 per person, which would take up about $2500-3000 (spending half of your budget on the reception is normal for any budget). You could just serve beer and wine rather than a full bar. Maybe ask for a lunch or brunch menu if the dinner menu is too expensive ... and people will drink less with brunch/lunch, which will cut down on your bar bill. Or skip alcohol entirely. Or find a BYOB place.

The other biggie vendors would be photographer, a DJ, and a videographer. If you don't want dancing, skip the DJ and just plug in a laptop/iPod (and people might very well dance to this anyway). We didn't hire a pro videographer and we don't regret it at all, but if you love home videos then you might want to do this. If it were me I would try to get a good photographer for maybe $2k and skip the DJ and videographer.

A Friday or Sunday wedding, or a Saturday afternoon wedding, might be cheaper than Saturday night. A weekday evening wedding will probably be even cheaper than that. And if you're planning something for six months from now or less, you may get late-booking discounts. It'd never hurt to ask.

You can get beautiful gowns on eBay, Craigslist or other websites. Check department store websites and Jcrew.com for pretty white gowns, or order a bridesmaid's dress in white, or wear any gown in any color that you love. eBay and Etsy.com have inexpensive veils and jewelry, or borrow something from a friend. There are tons of resources for inexpensive invitations out there, including DIY kits from Target.

For flowers, get them from a supermarket florist. Maybe consider skipping a bridal party, or do one attendant apiece. Skip the limo and drive yourselves. Have a friend ordained online and marry you, or ask your church what their fees are.

Just set your priorities early, and skip anything you don't absolutely need or want. Your guests will be happy if they have decent food and a place to sit. You can do it!

NJhousewife22 · July 2011

It absolutely can be done! The budget board always has good ideas. Doing an off-time/day as mbc suggested will help a lot or doing a dessert & cocktails reception. If possible keep your bridal party small as well, that will help with additional costs.

Crewsgirl2110 · July 2011

Thank you so much! The bridal party is gonna be my sisters and my best friend of 15 years so thats 5 girls and 5 guys. my fh son is going to be our ring bearer. I just want something nice and calssy and not to expensive lol. The other problem i may have is my guest list, both me and the fh agreed to 60 people max, alot of my family had to be cut to make room for everyone we REALLY want to invite. So that may start a fight with my mother. But its just me and the fh paying for the wedding no help from anyone. Ugh i just wish planning could be quick and easy haha

cindyn9178 · July 2011

First off, if you would be inviting 60 people, you will have less than that number actual attend the wedding, so that will be more money available to you.

I think you can most likely find a place that will include an open bar and still meet your budget. I personally wouldn't suggest eliminating an open bar just to save that money. The money can be saved in other areas. Sunday weddings (and sometimes Friday nights are usually cheaper, as well as picking a month in the 'off season").

I'm not sure what areas you are interested in, but I might suggest somewhere like Costa's in Roselle Park. It is a restaurant that also has a banquet hall and their prices are very reasonable. Your wedding doesn't have to be in an actual restaurant.

From your post, I'm not really sure if you are just looking to keep the lower budget and smaller guest list, but still have a typical big wedding as far as everything else goes, or are you wanting a smaller more intimate type of affair, where something like a DJ wouldn't be necessary? DJ's can get expensive, but if you eliminate all of the lighting packages, etc, you can definitely find one that is less expensive.

Another idea.. if you know anybody that lives in a condo complex, many times they have a banquet room that you can rent. The ones that I've seen are actually pretty nice, and can be decorated nicely. It is definitely a couple steps up from using somewhere like a VFW or American Legion.

Keeping a smaller bridal party will help cut costs on flowers, and try to use centerpieces that don't require real flowers. All of the flowers for my wedding cost $600, so I don't think you need to use grocery store flowers, or fake flowers in order to save money. I am using Apple Blossom florist in Scotch Plains.

I would definitely skip the videographer and shop around for a photographer that will meet your budget. That will probably be your biggest expense, aside from the cost of the actual food/reception. You can probably find one that offers an "all digital" package, and then either opt to not get an actual album, print one yourself, or get one made at a later time, when you have the funds available.

You also don't necessarily need to buy your dress on Craigslist, Ebay or a department store. While David's Bridal doesn't always come with the greatest feedback, they do have pretty inexpensive gowns, and it is worth looking into. Or, try to find a location that includes free alterations - that will save you a ton of money. I got my dress from Hollywood Bridal in Kenilworth. It was $800 including free alterations.

MCRM22011 · July 2011

Fi & I are having an 80 person wedding for a little more than that. However, I did spend money on some extras that weren't entirely necessary (Future Mrs. shirts, extra votives, makeup artist, favors, $50 centerpieces, etc..) We are having it at a restaurant with a private party room on a Saturday evening for $31.25/pp for apps, soup, full meal, & dessert. However, we are only having wine, sangria, soda, tea, and coffee with that price. You may have to forgo the alcohol or find a place that will let you bring alcohol in so you can buy it cheaply. I suggest buying a dress off the rack, at a consignment store, or at a blowout sale at David's Bridal or other place in the city.

I purchased 50 invitations, 50 response cards, 50 reception cards, 100 placecards, & 140 address labels for $100 at vistaprint.com. You *may* be able to DIY cheaper, but probably not by much. Perhaps having the guests RSVP by phone or email will allow you to eliminate the stamps and cost of the response cards.

Hope some of these tips help!

shoebie · July 2011

What part of Nj are you in? I just paid off my 90 person wedding with top shelf open bar for $6,680

Raeven79 · July 2011

For a bridal gown, check out Cherished Bridals in Wayne, NJ. It's a bridal consiginment shop although not all their dresses are previously worn. This allows you to get a dress that would have retailed for a lot more for a more reasonable price. It's a small shop, but they are very helpful there and lowkey which is exactly what I was looking for.

Crewsgirl2110 · August 2011

Right now im in Howell. And there is no way I can not have an open bar i think half my family would either not come or kill me. We are a big irish family haha. As far as the invites and stuff like that I have a degree in graphic design so im making it all by myself at home and printing it out. Me and the fh were looking at one place in Stockton, its called The Stockton Inn. I like it ALOT so im hoping when we go there we can set something up to make it not to expensive. Im not really looking for something big. I dont want Limos, Im def not having a video and the photos we arlready agreed that we would get the alacarte package and have them there for the ceremony and for about an hour after so we can have the nice picture. Once again thank you ladies for all your information this is really helping me to not go nuts! Haha

Is it possible or am I nuts?!

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