Pennsylvania-Pittsburgh

No time!

We need major help! My fiance and I are planning an August wedding for this year! We have our colors picked out, the dress, guest list (150), and the budget (small - 5000). That's it, though. We really need to start planning, and now. We've been looking for inexpensive locations and everything is taken... we're set on saturday too... any advice? Thanks for any help you can give us!
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Re: No time!

  • cgyvhucgyvhu member
    Combo Breaker First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011

    What are you trying to have at your wedding?  If you are going to need to book a lot of vendors (DJ/florist/photographer) and you want affordable ones, they may all be booked by 6 months out.

    I'd say look at firehalls or park pavilions in your area of the city... but it would help to have more info like what specific area in pittsburgh you want, indoor or outdoor wedding, etc.)
  • katiechappelkatiechappel member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I'm open to anything at this point but i would prefer...
    outdoor ceremony gazebo would be nice but not necessary
    indoor reception - firehall is fine 
    i want a casual feel and like DIY - also have no problem with DIY DJ

    I guess my main problem is dealing with all the opinions - I said i wanted a sunday - no one was happy - I said i wanted south park, no one was happy, (washington area is the current focus)
    there are too many opinions going into this crazy mess lol...
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • pantherRNpantherRN member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Honestly, August of this year and on a Saturday is going to be difficult. South Park was going to be my suggestion, specifically the duck pond since they have that gazebo and house nearby.

    Broughton Fire Hall is nice, and you should also check out this previous post.
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  • edited December 2011
    Shew... that is going to be difficult for you. First off, it is YOUR wedding. Yes, you want to appease family and friends as much as possible, but if you have to get married in August then people might just have to accept a Sunday or Friday wedding. August is in the middle of wedding season. Stuff books up fast.

    Is there a particular reason you guys picked August? I understand wanting to do it in warmer weather for an outside wedding, but if you had it the first couple of weekends in September it would still be nice and warm out (without being too hot). I don't know if it's an option for you but it might be easier to do something outdoors in September as opposed to August.
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  • katiechappelkatiechappel member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    September is also an option - August is just the preference - South Park was perfect too, all their saturdays are booked in June, July, August, and September, though :(
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • carcrashheartcarcrashheart member
    First Anniversary First Comment Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    at this point you're going to have no choice but to be more flexible in your plans. with 5-6 months to go and a limited budget there just aren't going to be an excessive amount of options. you're going to need to consider having it on a friday, saturday or sunday and you're going to need to consider ANY location(s) that have dates available. if you continue to listen to everyone else when it comes to making decisions about when and where then you're running a risk of being literally dressed up with no place to go.

    and remember-not only are you looking for a venue to be available but also the rest of your vendors. an officiant is the first important vendor that comes to mind. caterer, photographer and dj come next (maybe you decide to DIY some of those items, maybe not. either way, you need to make a decision on all of those things much sooner than later).

    GL.
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  • katiechappelkatiechappel member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Easier said then done :( I have no problem with any day - heck i'll do wednesday - the fiance and his family seem to think you "can't ask people" to come on any day but a Saturday and refuse to believe otherwise
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • edited December 2011

    Once you and your fiance have spent considerable time looking and if you still haven't found a place, he won't have any option either but to move it to another month (like September) or to a Friday or Sunday. Both Friday and Sunday weddings are becoming quite popular.

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  • edited December 2011
    I am getting married on a friday....I figure, anyone who actually cares about me will find a way to be there....if not, then I guess they weren't that close to me anyhow!
  • katiechappelkatiechappel member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    That's what I figured too, and I tried to explain that to him but we "can't ask people" to take off work on friday (doesn't listen when I explain friday evening weddings), we "can't ask people" to come on sunday because that's their day of rest before coming back to work - and we "can't ask people" to come to a wedding on sunday and get all drunk when they work the next day - we can't ask people to travel too far we can't ask anything apparently 
    Also, we apparently can't ask people to be responsible adults and plan to have a designated driver if the live far or if they're coming on a sunday - and when I explain earlier daytime weddings, I am ignored (not by FI but his fam - they're talkers)
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • edited December 2011
    You're inviting people to come, not asking them to and it will be their decision whether they come or not. Is it critical that the wedding take place this August? Since you have a bit of wedding "wish list", can you wait until next August so you have more time to find what you want and also have it on a Saturday as his family is insisting? Also, is anyone who is giving this input paying for the wedding? Just some rhetorical questions to ponder since it sounds like you are being bullied and not being heard, which isn't cool.
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  • katiechappelkatiechappel member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I've thought about those things - I'm just tired of pushing it back... and as for paying who knows - I wish I could just hand out bracelets at the door to DDs and then they won't be served at the bar or they'll only get one drink haha - yeah, right...
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • LilyWater09LilyWater09 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    May I ask what the rush is?  Why not put the wedding off until next year if a Saturday in August at a venue really close to you is that important and not attainable at this point? 

    If you are this flexible and they are so rigid, ask them nicely to be a great part of the active planning process - not just the active opinion/negativity process.  Have a group meeting, make everyone aware that you have struggled to find a venue with the current parameters you have set.  Tell them you all need to make a list of what is important with this wedding - must have, want have, not have.  Try to get them to be active in the solution process. 

    Good Luck!
  • edited December 2011
    I agree with everything said above. While it's nice to include people in the decision making process, it is you and your fiance's wedding. That's it!

    I think it's so easy to get wrapped up into the "We have to do this. It won't be acceptable if we don't do that" mentally when it comes to wedding planning. Everyone has an opinion, but the one that matters most is the consensus you come up with between you and your fiance.

    If people love and care about you, generally they will come to your wedding regardless of if it's on a Friday or Sunday (extenuating circumstances not withstanding). So, if they don't come because it's on say a Sunday and "they can't get drunk", maybe it wasn't that important to invite them anyway.

    My FI and I have been to a ton of weddings over the past few years together and separately. I've been to weddings that cost over 60,000 dollars and a few that cost under 5000. One of my favorites (as a guest), was one of the under 5000. She got married at an outdoor pavillion outside of the city on a FRIDAY in July because everything else was booked up for months for Saturday in her price range. Even though I was working over 70 hours a week at the time with very limited flexibility, I got off of work early on Friday to be there early for the wedding, which was about an hour's drive away. It was a fantastic day, on a Friday, and furthermore it didn't cost an arm and a leg. They had an inexpensive caterer for 200 or so? people and the food was good. They brought in their own alcohol, got sheet cakes, had a friend who was a photographer take the pictures, borrowed centerpieces from a friend who had recently gotten married, and had a friend DJ. Her dress was $300 and was perfect for the venue and season. So, it can be done but particularly this close and with a lower budget, you and your fiance have to be flexible. Other people will adapt if it's important to them.
    Married since May 12, 2012
  • carcrashheartcarcrashheart member
    First Anniversary First Comment Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    you can keep allowing your FI and your guests to stop you guys from making a decision, but it isn't going to help matters. whatever dates that are still available today are not likely to be available come next week, so you're only shooting yourselves in the foot. if you HAVE to have a saturday wedding, then you're going to have to take whatever venue you find that has an available saturday, regardless of what month that saturday is in. you simply don't have the luxury of options right now, and you're making it worse the longer you wait.

    i agree with pp-if august is so important, then why not push it back a year?

    why would you buy a dress, decide on colors, etc without having an actual venue booked, or at least knowing a venue that you had looked at and had the date available?

    you're going to start running in to issues where you are going to have complications finding a venue & vendors that are all available for the same day. stop spilling excuses and trying to humor everyone and start looking in to your options and making decisions. if people want to be there, they will, regardless of the day. if they don't, then that's a few less people you have to pay for.
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  • katiechappelkatiechappel member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    For anyone who is waiting on an update - you won't believe it - I found a Saturday, in august, at a fire hall, when my caterer is available - amazing - thanks for your advice - I did have to get some ppl to compromise a little on location but it will all work out in the end :)
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • carcrashheartcarcrashheart member
    First Anniversary First Comment Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    good luck!!
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