Is there such thing as a low budget wedding?

stbmrsosorno · July 2010

I've been trying to find a reception venue that will not cost us more than $10,000.00 I'm losing faith. I'm the only girl in my family so this wedding is a pretty big deal for everyone, but my dad is having minor heart attacks with prices and planning this wedding has been something I've been avoiding. It was exciting at first but now it's too stressful. I want a nice wedding but I don't want it to cause my parents to go into debt?? Any ideas or places or advice you can think of?

Angie.Lapkov · July 2010

Where are you planning your wedding? At least it will give us some ideas.

stbmrsosorno · July 2010

Tampa area. I live in Wesley Chapel so anywhere in downtown Tampa or North Tampa, amybe even along the water would be nice.

khornack · July 2010

You want to do the whole reception for $10,000? Totally doable. Rather than tell your father what things cost, you need to ask what he is willing to spend. If you go over that, you pay, or at the absolute bare minimum offer to pay (and mean it). The big aspects of the wedding need to be planned before you can really start looking into prices. What you can get for 60 people is very different from what you get for 250 people with $10,000.

You may have to do some more research and think a bit outside the box. How many people are you planning on inviting? Do you want to have the ceremony someplace religious, or at a hotel, in a garden, or on the beach? Do you want it Saturday night, or are you more flexible and able to do Friday night or Sunday afternoon? Do you want to have a sit-down dinner, buffet, heavy hor'derves, or just cake and cocktails?

stbmrsosorno · July 2010

I have always dreamed of my ceremony being in a Catholic Church,but can I tell you...they're not easy to deal with. I thought the church would welcome us with open arms and it feels the opposite. Also, being that I'm the only girl and we have people coming from across the country and overseas, our guest list started at 250, but we're trying to trickle it down. We found that a sit down dinner was cheaper so we're into doing that and we were open to a Friday wedding, but I'm not so sure, people have to ask off, get here earlier from out of ton and beat traffic in the evening. The quotes we've been getting range from 12,000-25,000 and things are seeming hopeless. I wanted something by the water or something with a gorgeous view. Tomorrow I'm checking out the Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club, I wonder how cheap that will be. I'm probably dreaming. I would like it to be in a hotel, just because having a room the day and night of would be really convenient.

g8rbride2010 · July 2010

i ran into the same thing with the church! it was worth it though!

khornack · July 2010

Do you already have a church in mind? Little Harbour near Ruskin is nice, view of the bay, they have their own beach and hotel rooms as well as condos for anyone wanting to stay a bit longer, BUT it is in the middle of nowhere. If you have a church already, that has to be your starting place, don't go too far. No one wants to drive 30 minutes between locations.

Where is the church? If it's in Clearwater I don't want to recommend someplace in Tampa.

M1ssJ · July 2010

with that cost for 250 people I would say consider doing a brunch or lunch wedding , Rusty Pelican, Feather Sound CC are TOTALLY affordable and there are a number of places that you can get a 10,000 budget working. Consider halls or places that allow outside catering like the Powel Crosley as well

bnlchic03 · July 2010

You can definitely do that - I did! We only invited 120 (about 100 attended) and ours was in Clearwater, but we spent $8,000 for everything. My suggestion would be to look into public gardens, community centers, etc. where you can bring in your own vendors for food, flowers, bar, etc. The Davis Island Garden Club is lovely and on the water but it only holds about 200 people. The garden at the Ybor City Mueum is extremely cost-effective and very pretty, and has enough room for the number of people you need, but it's not on the water. If you're willing to go to Pinellas County, Boca Ciega Ballroom and the Clearwater Beach Rec Center are both on the water and affordable.

For all of these places you need to be willing to do the extra work it requires to then hunt down budget caterers, but it will really help you a lot if you can negotiate a good deal on both ends. (Bonus, the food can be whatever you want and will probably taste better than a hotel/country club because they're only cooking for your guests, not yours + the other guests. I loved our food and it was $16 a person!) I also DIYed a lot but I know that might not interest you. GL! You can make it work.

PS Sorry about my obnoxious sig - I'm a nestie who popped over looking for some info for a friend and my sig is formatted much better for the nest than for the knot!!

kelllly55 · July 2010

For so many reasons I am in the same boat as you but I totally agree with bnlchic03! We have been engaged for 6 months now and finally feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If you have a church in mind, I suggest setting up your meeting with the priest and go from there. I wanted to get married at St. Cecilia (in Clearwater) so bad, but it just wasn't accomodating to find an affordable reception place nearby. We recently discovered St. John's (St. Pete Beach) and met with their priest. Now we have a couple possible reception places in that area to check out. I highly highly recommend checking out St. Cecilia if you are set on Catholic and can swing doing it in Pinellas. Its an amazing church and supposedly the oldest in the area. Its beautiful- see it in person not just online.
Good luck!

TTnoles · July 2010

It is totally do-able. All of these suggestions will help too! With 250 people you might have to get a little more creative about what you serve. Really think about things like open bar (which will increase the cost signifigantly), having abrunch, lunch, or just cocktail hour will also dramatically reduce the cost. Things like centerpieces and invitations can really start to make the cost rise so invest the time to think about doing them yourself if you are able to. Enlist the help of ANYONE who offers

Please continue to post questions here because the ladies on this board KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING! They are fabulous and have helped me out so much.

In addition, check out the other community boards like DIY and budget weddings. They should have some suggestions too.

g8rbride2010 · July 2010

kelly...from what I remember st johns did not allow non members. Guess I was wrong! We went with st. Pauls in st. Pete. You just have to bring your own priest. They have been wonderful to work with!

stbmrsosorno · July 2010

OMG Thank you so much for all of your help. Great suggestions and I'm going to check some of these places out that you've recomended. Any cheap yet yummy caterers you know of would be nice if we end up bringing in our own. Also we were thinking about just doing a beer and wine bar with maybe one or two cocktail drinks. I got excited today because I think I might be able to get my reception done at Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club, which is gorgeous and she said she can help us keep it under $10,000. A long time friend of the family happens to be a very important member there! Yay for connections. But again thanks everyone so much I will definitly be posting questions here again for your help. Xoxo!!!

ktwish · July 2010

The Catholic Church does require some prep-work, but everyone we encountered was great. I am Catholic and my FI is not, but people couldn't be nicer.
I live in the New Tampa area but was having a hard time finding the right reception venue. So we choose St. Jude's Cathedral in St. Petersburg. It's the cathedral for the diocese, so anyone is welcome to get married there. (I went to mass at many churches in Pinellas trying to find the right one and loved the stained glass of St Jude's.)
By moving our ceremony to St. Petersburg, we were closer to a LOT more reception options. We are also getting married on a Friday to help with costs. Also, we will be having a lot of OOT guests and a Friday wedding will give them time to enjoy Tampa all weekend.
I would love to talk to you about this if you'd like (either through email or over coffee), just let me know!
*KT

TimsGirl10 · July 2010

$10K is low budget? *faint*

Is there such thing as a low budget wedding?

Re: Is there such thing as a low budget wedding?

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