Overwhelmed by Budget

i2012do · July 2010

I’m starting to feel very overwhelmed by the cost of the wedding--- I Feel like RI is so pricey. I sometimes go on other boards and I see people from other states (like down South) with gorgeous wedding and they are talking about meals at $39pp.---OMG! That is so cheap.

I feel like I am doing so much of my OWN stuff and that it should be cheaper. But food alone is like 70% of the budget.
I don’t want to sound like a waa—waaa I know we are all going through this, but I seriously don’t think that a wedding on our budget is feasible. And believe me, its not a small budget, its like a nice down payment on a house.

My parents are helping us which is awesome- but the economy sucks, and money is tight! I don’t feel like I am not an “average” joe—as far as my paycheck and finances go—but I feel like every time I see a post or reccomndation on here--- I check about a photographer or event planner, etc on the boards…they are hugely over my budget… (where are you girls getting this moola haha)

What are some things that you girls are doing to save, cut costs, and be budget conscious?

I am starting to think I am spending too much money on my venue—and not budgeting enough money for a photographer, band, etc.

I just wanted to vent- because its super discouraging.

angiem33 · July 2010

Your right RI is ridiculously expensive! Where in RI are you having the wedding? That can change a lot finance wise too.

Things I am doing to cost cut - DIY'ing what I am comfortable with (Programs, having a friend make the centerpieces - I got lucky she used to be a wedding planner) I also bought all of the bouquets at whole foods, their floral shop is great the the people are awesome to work with. I have a friend making the favors so I only had to buy the supplies for them, and a lady my FI works with used to be a cake baker so she's offered to do the wedding cake for us.

If your biggest cost is the venue - cut the guest list, it might be difficult but chopping out 10 people would save me $1,000.00 that's a big chunk!

I have also worked with my vendors to stay in budget, if a quote is to high I say thank you but your out of my budget, most of them have negotiated with me.

KB_RI · July 2010

I hear you. We're paying for about 95 percent of this ourselves. We both have second jobs that go right into a wedding fund.

I used one of those bridal book budgeting tools that suggests what percentage of the budget each thing should be and then adjusted for our priorities and what was more realistic for us and this area. For example, it said our photog budget was like $900 based on what we wanted to spend overall, but that's really not reasonable around here, so I adjusted that. Our splurges were food/venue and photography.

Some places we're saving money:

* DIY invites (I found pocket-type stationery at TJ Maxx and matching notecards for RSVPs, so our invites come to about 79 cents apiece but still look really nice) and STDs, which were scratch-off lottery ticket-style cards that everyone loved but cost us about a dollar each.
* My dress - I had a $500 budget and found something I love
* My shoes/accessories - No $250 veil or designer shoes for me!
* No transportation or videography - I'd love both, but we just can't swing it
* A suit for FI - instead of renting a tux, he's buying a suit he can keep for work for about the same or a little more
* Flowers - I bought about 75 white milk glass vases at Salvation Armies across the state for less than the cost of one CP every florist I met with quoted me, and I am seriously considering doing my own flowers.
* Hiring a DOC - this sounds nuts, but she actually saved us $1,400 by suggesting a vendor we hadn't checked into so she already paid for herself.
* Favors - we didn't save a ton here, but we made blueberry jam and it came to about $1.50 a jar. They also will serve as our escort cards, so there's a paper cost savings there.
* No wedding party - We're only having FI's niece, which has saved us a lot of money in flowers, gifts, rehearsal dinner, etc.

I was going to do my own hair and makeup but caved and hired someone. I never wear makeup so I really did need a professional.

The good thing is that it seems from your screenname that you have until 2012 to save! I really wish we had been more serious about saving earlier on instead of saying "We have time ..." and then splurging on stuff we really didn't need to do with money we could have been saving. But, live and learn!

i2012do · July 2010

yes! We have until August 2012
Which is why I purposely did it
.
I just get discouraged becuse I feel like I have a decent sized budget but then I read the average wedding is RI costs about 35,000

that is not what Im looking to spend at all.

We are looking to get married in Newport- -which yes, is pricey. But at the end of the day, his entire family is coming from out of town, and we didint want to go with a local CC (plus im not really a CC type of bride-- as I want something a litlte more non-traditional)....instead we opted for a place that could also be a location for tourists.

I considered providence but the Renaissance and Biltmore were just as expensive as the locations I have looked at in Newport.

My other option right now is the Towers in Narragansett, its an affordable, beautiful location.

I love the menut hat Morin's gave me but they quoted me 130pp... at that price I'm looking at 15,600$$ in food alone without taxes.

I really wanted to budget $10,000 for a band, photog and dress and accessorites.

Im trying to save, by making my own centerpieces-
We also don't need any transportation if we get married in Newport, because evyerhthing (from the church to the venue) is esentially walking distance,,, so we can just walk, or drive cars-- or rent a trolley for an hour.

Luckily, I love Vera Wang dresses but they are out of my budget-- but guess what? Shes doing a line for David's Bridal.

Im into clothes and fashion so the dress is a big thing that I would splurge on. Lukcily, I have been saving since my 15th bday-- (yes seriously) for a wedding dress, and have about $1000 bucks saved just for that.... so that helps....

I just dont want to start our the first years of our lives together off in debt

alisongolden · July 2010

We are paying for most of the wedding ourselves. Per head, we're spending about 24 on food. Crystal Lake Golf Club in Harrisville/Mapleville RI. There are definitely cheaper places in RI, you just gotta look. Naturally waterfront is going to be much more expensive. Country Clubs are going to be cheaper - it depends on whether you want to spend less, or have it reflect you. Depending on how many people you are planning on, Whispering Pines is affordable, Independence Harbor in Assonet, McGoverns by the water in Fall River, etc. you just gotta shop around

AmyRI · July 2010

We spent less than $15k total on our wedding. That included our wedding rings, but not my e-ring or our honeymoon. Everything else fit in that budget.

I would have loved a unique location like you, but honestly, having our wedding at a Country Club where they have a designated Maitre'd to run the ceremony and reception was absolutely the best thing we could have done. We invited less than 75 people, found a place with a low minimum, and saved a TON of money for it. We DIYed everything possible. Just prioritize what you want and start there. We had a lot of guests that were out-of-town, but they were much happier to spend $90 a night at the NYLO in Warwick for 1 night than have to shell out $250+ for 2 nights minimum to stay in Newport. Newport weddings aren't just expensive for the Bride and Groom, it's a big imposition on your guests.

It can be done on less, you just have to pick and choose which is more important to you. We didn't want to spend the money. What mattered to us was having the people most important to us there on our big day to celebrate. We had that, and it was perfect. I would have regretted spending more money on one day.

angiem33 · July 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_rhode-island_overwhelmed-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:122Discussion:fe4125db-e594-4536-9fd4-3adebd0106afPost:2c134a49-8268-434c-a59c-29edf9ef5767">Re: Overwhelmed by Budget</a>:
[QUOTE]yes! We have until August 2012 Which is why I purposely did it . I just get discouraged becuse I feel like I have a decent sized budget but then I read the <strong>average wedding is RI costs about 35,000 </strong>that is not what Im looking to spend at all. We are looking to get married in Newport- -which yes, is pricey. But at the end of the day, his entire family is coming from out of town, and we didint want to go with a local CC (plus im not really a CC type of bride-- as I want something a litlte more non-traditional)....instead we opted for a place that could also be a location for tourists. I considered providence but the Renaissance and Biltmore were just as expensive as the locations I have looked at in Newport. My other option right now is the Towers in Narragansett, its an affordable, beautiful location. I love the menut hat Morin's gave me but they quoted me 130pp... at that price I'm looking at 15,600$$ in food alone without taxes. <strong>I really wanted to budget $10,000 for a band, photog and dress and accessorites</strong>. Im trying to save, by making my own centerpieces- We also don't need any transportation if we get married in Newport, because evyerhthing (from the church to the venue) is esentially walking distance,,, so we can just walk, or drive cars-- or rent a trolley for an hour. Luckily, I love Vera Wang dresses but they are out of my budget-- but guess what? Shes doing a line for David's Bridal. Im into clothes and fashion so the dress is a big thing that I would splurge on. Lukcily, I have been saving since my 15th bday-- (yes seriously) for a wedding dress, and have about $1000 bucks saved just for that.... so that helps.... I just dont want to start our the first years of our lives together off in debt :(
Posted by i2012do[/QUOTE]

I didn't believe the $30k + for a Newport wedding either, but no matter what is scrimped on... I couldn't do it under 30. I booked same year, so I have venue discounts and on a Sunday which allowed for vendor discounts and I am STILL over 30k with about 120 guests.

The band I would forget about unless someone is giving it to you as a gift, there will be a huge savings to you if you do DJ instead. The bands I found that were decent quoted me a minimum of $3,500.00 that was to take a Sunday, where an original job fell through and the band was suddenly available. So the $3,500 was a big discount from the original price. The DJ I got I am very happy with and he is charging me $1,200.00 Big savings over the band.

i2012do · July 2010

Ya I have pretty much decided that I am going to have to go with a DJ in order to save.

My out of town guests are traveling over 3,000 miles so they are making a vacation out of it. I feel rude to be liek "here come stay in the suburb and now you ahve to rent a car"
so im not giving up on a newport wedding. thats where I will not budge.

My other thought, is that if we have it at the Towers- - they can rent a 5+ bed beach house for abotu 1600 a week, divided by 4 families its about 400$ for the entire week.

Has anyone done this?

i2012do · July 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_rhode-island_overwhelmed-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:122Discussion:fe4125db-e594-4536-9fd4-3adebd0106afPost:a6655b37-4397-4f97-a5a5-5c13ccc22397">Re: Overwhelmed by Budget</a>:
[QUOTE]We are paying for most of the wedding ourselves. Per head, we're spending about 24 on food. Crystal Lake Golf Club in Harrisville/Mapleville RI. There are definitely cheaper places in RI, you just gotta look. Naturally waterfront is going to be much more expensive. Country Clubs are going to be cheaper - it depends on whether you want to spend less, or have it reflect you. Depending on how many people you are planning on, Whispering Pines is affordable, Independence Harbor in Assonet, McGoverns by the water in Fall River, etc. you just gotta shop around :)
Posted by alisongolden[/QUOTE]

I didint think of Whisphering Pines- I am def. going to look into it.

I don't even know where Assonet is, and 50% of my guests are from out of town- so I dont want them staying in a place im unfamiliar with... plus- our wedding is all about "Rhode island " Which is too bad beuse i saw pics of independence harbor and its Gorgeous!!!!

jlsimon56 · July 2010

Independence Harbor IS gorgeous! My friend got married there and I was blown away by the grounds. The photo ops there were amazing. The food was decent, too. Friendly staff.

Almost my entire family had to fly in for the wedding too and they were glad we had room blocks in Warwick. They all had to rent cars anyway, so they were glad the hotels were affordable.

We had 100ish people and I looked everywhere for a caterer that was under $100pp. We ended up at like $85pp with open beer&wine with Atomic Catering, I was really pleased. There were some negative reviews out there when I booked so I was worried, but everything went smoothly.

i2012do · July 2010

I think we talked about ATomic on another board.
If I could come in under 100pp on the food from atomic---- so say thats like $13,000 that would be more affordable.

Ive cut my guest list im "inviting" to 125 assuming that liek 30 wont show.

I feel like having $13,000 for food and then another $2400 (if we book that the towers) seems to be more reasonable and give us some wiggle room on the rest of the stuff.

i2012do · July 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_rhode-island_overwhelmed-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:122Discussion:fe4125db-e594-4536-9fd4-3adebd0106afPost:425c9087-dffd-4677-adee-0e01f3403c1d">Re: Overwhelmed by Budget</a>:
[QUOTE]We spent less than $15k total on our wedding. That included our wedding rings, but not my e-ring or our honeymoon. Everything else fit in that budget. I would have loved a unique location like you, but honestly, having our wedding at a Country Club where they have a designated Maitre'd to run the ceremony and reception was absolutely the best thing we could have done. We invited less than 75 people, found a place with a low minimum, and saved a TON of money for it. We DIYed everything possible. Just prioritize what you want and start there. We had a lot of guests that were out-of-town, but they were much happier to spend $90 a night at the NYLO in Warwick for 1 night than have to shell out $250+ for 2 nights minimum to stay in Newport. Newport weddings aren't just expensive for the Bride and Groom, it's a big imposition on your guests. It can be done on less, you just have to pick and choose which is more important to you. We didn't want to spend the money. What mattered to us was having the people most important to us there on our big day to celebrate. We had that, and it was perfect. I would have regretted spending more money on one day.
Posted by AmyRI[/QUOTE]

A wedding for less than $15 K you are my idol.
Who did your photos and flowers?

Did you get married at like Warwick CC? or Quidnessett?

[Deleted User] · July 2010

RI is expensive however there are other places that are much more. To be honest I'm glad I eloped a while ago. However after having children I'll be paying for their weddings.

If you need a photographer let me know and I'll work with your budget.

http://www.pictage.com/photographers/listing.do?n=hfrymark-design-studio&studio=HF022

massetobe · July 2010

I'm probably not the best person to answer since i've totally blown our budget but I can share where I was able to save!

First, I wanted to share to be careful about thinking people may not come to newport. 100% of our guests are out of town (and we started with 250) and we're probably ending up around 200! it's a lot higher than I expected given people live ALL over the country. oiy vey!

I love flowers but they are pricey. We're using Jay from Golden Gate and he worked with our small budget. To save money, we're alternating centerpieces. Since we'll have around 20 tables Jay is making 20 centerpieces. We bought these great black/glass candle lanterns from idea (they are $6.99 each) and pillar candles. We're filling them with pillar candles and river rocks and alternating between those and the flowers. If you have the help you can definitely do flowers yourself. just make sure they are reliable. my friend did DIY flowers and people bailed her on her the day of the wedding and she was so stressed and a mess.

We used stefanie o'dell for our invitations and we saved SO much money. she can work with many different ideas and is very responsive. she'll do anything from simple to elaborate. She does this from home and is also a wedding planner on the side so she has great ideas to share! we LOVE our invitations.

use escort cards that double as favors. we were going to have little mini nip size alcohol with a ribbon (giving name/table) but we decided not to do it last minute. my friend did that and it was great bc it was an escort card that was unique and doubled as a favor.

cake: if you can, have a small formal cake and have a "dummy sheet cake" in the back with the same flavors. this can often save on the cost per person.

cut your list: this was not an option for us (oh the pain) but i still have dreams that i could have! if you can do, do it.

hope this helps! there's a lot of other ways but these are a few I am doing or considered.

rhode island is expensive. i'm over budget and it sucks! but i'm still excited.

BrittanyPie · July 2010

i2012do, i know how you feel! My fiance and I are mostly paying for out whole wedding so we're trying to work with a $10,000-$15,000 budget. I got super high quotes from the different caterers that I contacted. While this made me really discouraged because I too wanted a "different" kind of vendor, it is forcing me to look around at other places.

I did look into Quidnessett, and their prices are super reasonable. And I figured that by saving some money on the food/reception venue, I'll probably be able to have more money to put into some cool upllghting and decorations to really dress the place up. I have an appointment to see Quidnessett on Sunday, so hopefully I like it.

I also read about The Andrea Hotel in Westerly. They have a $40pp minimum, it it seems like a place to have a fun beachy kind of wedding. On Style Me Pretty, I found photos of a wedding that took place there:
http://ww.stylemepretty.com/2009/08/03/beach-wedding-inspiration-from-rhode-island/

i2012do · July 2010

Good idea on the escort cards doubling as favors!!!
Originally I was going to do the mini coffee syrups as favors- but instead i am going to just put those in the Welcome boxes.
WE are acutallly making a donation to ASPCA for our favor-- but in addition we are using white Seed paper as escort cards (hangind from a crystal tree that i am making myself Oy!)

on the back it will say how each is plantable.

Plus I used a template I found online to make water bottles-- with our names and will hand those as people walk out.

i am making all my BM bouquest and centerpieces myself. although. I might actually hire a wedding coordinator for FEAR that my friends will back on on helping me as MASSTOBE mentioned!!! thats a nightmare. my friend was doing her own DIY weding stuf funtil 3 am the night before her wedding, she got up at 6 am to finish.

its mostly the stuff I cant seem to save on thats stressing me out (becuse there dont seem to be less expensive alternatives)-- like music, and photography

are there less expensive --- good musicians?

I think its easier if I'm upfront, my budget is about $25,000

AmyRI · July 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_rhode-island_overwhelmed-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:122Discussion:fe4125db-e594-4536-9fd4-3adebd0106afPost:f9677d36-0191-427f-b1b0-f24b9120ba8c">Re: Overwhelmed by Budget</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Overwhelmed by Budget : A wedding for less than $15 K you are my idol. Who did your photos and flowers? Did you get married at like Warwick CC? or Quidnessett?
Posted by i2012do[/QUOTE]

Gabrielle Marks was the photographer, flowers were Twigs in Cranston. We got a great deal on flowers because they are a preferred vendor with Alpine CC, which is where our ceremony and reception was. We DIYed centerpieces that were favors instead of flowers, which also saved a lot. Because our guest list was under 90 people, we had their Grille room instead of the ballroom at Alpine and it saved us TONS of money. Their food was great, and somewhere around $30 pp.

shanlubey · July 2010

I think to get what you want for your wedding, you'll have to make sacrifices, get second jobs, lower your expectations. Also, I had lots of people travel from abroad and not one complained about not being in Newport. You'd do throw yourself a meaningful wedding, no matter the location and people will talk about how beautiful it was, not just how great the location was.

My point is just because it's your dream, doesn't make it a reality. We had Rosecliff on our top two locations before setting a budget. I had to quickly rearrange my priorities of a 300 person (family) wedding that was local to an 80 person wedding there. Don't feel like you are letting your guests down - they won't complain about celebrating with you!!

devcipps · July 2010

I cut costs by hiring some vendors who were starting out in the business and therefore came with cheaper prices. There are a few vendors on this board who get amazing reviews and who generally are much cheaper then their competition. When we met with All4you they were offering $800 for the reception but then they were booked so we went with our dj who is going to be $1500. Luckily for you 2012 is far enough away that you should have your pick of the vendors. You should also give Barbara a call over at Glorious Affairs and tell her what you want to budget on food. She works with all budgets and is amazing! I also got a pretty good deal with using Shemry over at Corby cakes for my wedding cake. She was about $200 cheaper then the other quote I got. If you do decide to go with flowers you should give Florals by Alisa a call because they work with really low budgets and do beautiful work as well. As for photographer, I paid a little more there but you should check out Mandy Mayberry I think she is about $1800 for the day.

I think you can have a unique beautiful wedding with your budget but you will just need to put in a little more price shopping with your vendors.

RoyalOrient · July 2010

Great response so far! Love reading how people are saving on their wedding. We are paying about 95% of our wedding too. This is what we are doing to save on cost.

Savings

Reception: We choose a holiday Sunday night rather than a Saturday night reception. We saved $3,250 on the site rental.

Catering: Dinner is served family style which includes a 7 course meal + dessert. Cost per table is $285 - about $34 per person (not including taxes) We are going with an Asian restaurant in Providence so prices are more flexible.

Alcohol: Our venue allows us to bring in alcohol. No high cork fee there.

Dress: I'm hoping to score a dress at ROTB if not I hope to find a dress for under $600 (my budget). My alterations budget is $200, hope to stay within it.

Invites: custom design invites on etsy in a pdf. file which we DIY. The invites came out to $1.17 each not including postage stamps. (Most of them will be hand delivered)

Flowers: My MOH and BM will be carrying hand fans that I purchased for $2.75 each. I am doing half flowers and half plants. The plants are curly bamboo arrangements that cost $12 per table (works with my Asian theme) I purchased the floral containers for $4 a piece for 11 tables. This should cut my floral budget in half especially since the vendors I am considering are known to be reasonable with budgets. (Golden Gate, Florals by Alisa, ect.)

Dessert Buffet: no cake which also means no cake cutting fee. We are serving 50 cupcakes plus the top tier for cutting and an assortment of Asian pastries and sweets from Pastiche Fine Desserts. High impact for a small cost. Total: $375

Decor & Linens: My relatives in Cambodia are making my tablecloth since they own a fabric company and labor is relatively inexpensive. Satin and silk tablecloths that cost $6 each. I plan on reselling them after the wedding. We also scored the already inexpensive paper lanterns for a great deal and I got a great deal for my flameless candles from JohnnysBride2010.

Favors: $55 - specialty cookies made in the shape of lotus flowers and temples of Cambodia.

Hair & Make up: My make up artist is really reasonable for the service she provide ($75 per head). Charges no travel fee for travel to our location and myself and my girls will be charged the same. Sam C. is my hair stylist and her rate is $40 per head (2011 rates) and she charges the same for the Bride and BM.

Accessories: I paid $50 for my Kelis Dagger sandals on sale at Amazon and $75 for my bridal hair piece from etsy which I will attach to a birdcage veil ($6 from save on crafts)

Live Band: Free, paid for by our family

Every little bit helps especially working with quality vendors who will work within your budget.

Splurges

Photography - 3,250

Uplighting - we need12 uplights, not sure who we are going with yet but quotes ranged from $700 to $1200

DOC - $700

oh I forgot to mention my wedding is in Newport too. And my budget is under 20 grand for 200 people. It can be done.

JessiTess · July 2010

For photography I believe Cregg Anarino had the most reasonable packages that I've seen (http://www.itakeyourphotos.com/).

We decided to not do a videographer - but I know someone who is starting out and his fees are very low. I recommend working with someone who may be a bit less experienced if you are trying to keep your vendors on a strict budget.

I would also recommend that you really ask a lot of questions as to what you are being charged. I'm living in FL right now - and I can definitely attest that things are cheaper down south. But I remember in the early planning hearing that a relative's meal were $68/pp for her wedding - well yes the meal was, but that didn't include the cocktail hour, pass HDs, site fees, etc. Keep that in mind when you hear others talk, and on the flip side, when you get a quote that's too high - ask if that's the base price or if it's negotiable. For example, most venues include a champagne toast, but it can be removed to save money.

We have a decent florist budget, but that was one thing I was adament about not going over because flowers arent a big priority for me. So I spoke with one of the florists I really liked, and we settled on renting a portion of the centerpieces. So my guests can't take them home (which I never really understood anyway), and it is significantly less that to buy them.

Good luck! It's a scary process, but you do have a lot of time to plan.

anne.azano · July 2010

Savingsceremony music: acoustic guitarist george leonard... very reasonably priced.Reception: North beach clubhouse in narragansett... very cheap and a beautiful location. It's not a ballroom, but that didn't matter to me.Catering: Amalfi catering... roughly 75 a person for a passed hors d'oeuvres, a grilling station, a seafood station, smores, tea and coffee...Alcohol: Our venue allows us to bring in alcohol. We're only serving beer, wine, champagne and signature cosmos and gin and tonics.Dress: ebay... $90 bucks, and I love it! Invites: invitations on etsy, jgriffindesigns. for about 150 dollars I got lovely beachy invitations, reception inserts, rsvp cards, thank you notes and all the envelopes.Flowers: Grandiflora designs... they're family friends and are giving us a bit of deal. Dessert: no cake... my aunt is making cupcakes. and smores from the catererDecor: bought lots of candles, starfish, sand dollars etc on ebay. Favors: photobooth prints.Hair & Make up: Sam C for hair! She charges only 35 a person... I splurged on Krystal Treanor though. Accessories: going to get dyeables shoes... in the $70 dollar range and I'm borrowing my veil and necklace... earrings are new and I'm probably gonna splurge on a corset for under my dress.DJ: Suzanne from moondance, very reasonably priced with good reviews.Photography - family friend who is a professional and doing it for about 1000.DOC - sister's friend who is just getting in the business and comes very cheap.
Don't be afraid to haggle with vendors. I've saved hundreds of dollars just by asking them to lower the price a bit.
Splurgesphotobooth - I had to have this!limoschool bus for guests...
If you want that beach location and to save a ton of money, consider the north beach clubhouse. The towers are really beautiful though. Narragansett isn't quite as nice as newport, but it's still pretty gorgeous! Good luck, it's possible!

jlsimon56 · July 2010

Our budget was $20K and we could not fit a live band into that, so we went with a DJ. You should be able to find a decent DJ for around $800. If a live band is important to you, you can make cuts elsewhere.

The thing to remember is how much the little things add up. Having water bottles for your guests with your names on them is nice....but an extra $100 or so. Just keep an eye on the little expenses. :-)

We also didn't factor in tax and tip at first. That can add up too.

And halfway through planning we decided we HAD to have a videographer. We made it work.

My husband got a $800 ring, that he lost within a month. His replacement ring cost under $100. If you have a guy who loses things....might not want to spend too much on his ring. :-(

We saved on:
my dress (50% off b/c it was a discontinued model)
my veil - my mom made it with $2 of tulle from Joanns
my jewelry - I wore things I already owned.
photos - we hired a newbie who was awesome. (her prices have tripled in 1 yr.) We also didn't buy the album yet. We figured we can do that later when we have the cash.
only 3 BM and GM - fewer gifts to buy (but enough to get free groom tux rental!)
family style reception - all the food was on the tables. People could eat what they wanted, and leave what they didn't. In retrospect, we could have nixed centerpieces since they had to be removed to make room for the dishes of food. Might be an idea for you? Less to DIY?
ice cream truck pulled up as the ceremony was letting out. This was ~$200 and people are still talking about it. Guests hung around the church so we were able to do one less hour at the reception, saving on site rental, DJ, and open beer/wine costs.

We splurged on:
open beer/wine all night (extra $14pp)
my shoes - at $100, they are the most expensive shoes I own.
my ring. :-) I didn't lose it yet!
flowers. But like I said, we could have nixed them. Oh well, they were GORGEOUS and my fav pics are of the floral arrangements.
Saturday night wedding, even though it was a holiday weekend. I would not budge on this.

You got a lot of good advice here. Good luck with everything.

fitnessgirl630 · July 2010

It is possible to have a beautiful wedding in RI without breaking the bank . My total cost was $7800. I cannot stress enough choosing a Friday or Sunday. It allows you to compromise with venues and vendors. I also bargained with the venue to have reception start at 2pm so we could receive 'luncheon prices' instead of dinner. I paid under $20\pp.

i2012do · July 2010

jlsimon- good thinking on the ring.

My FI wants a tungsten w/ the carbon fiber ring-- luckily, I work with chinese vendors all the time at work and one guy does all the men's jewelery orders for Kay. JB Robinson, Belden. etc...

He added in my fiances ring to a Wholesale order he was doing and it costs $48.00!! (this is with his markup just so you know ho wmuch stuff is marked up)

Things like the waterbottles, Im doing on my own- I will print the labels on the no tear paper (which I got at staples for $2) and I am going to buy walmart bottled water at like Walmart for 3.99 for 24. I am figuring just under 120 bottles. So it will have cost me $25 to do them.

Thanks for the suggestions on SAM C. when I read the reviews online I figured she was liek 120 a person. I think that is so reasonable. I'm definetly calling her to book her!

I also want to contact All for You. I think they sound great and they have oustanding reviews-- If I can't make way for a band i'd love to try to get them for a DJ.

I;m having a hard time finding an affordable photographer so I'll def. use the suggestions above.!! Thanks ladies.

My mom also suggested the Meadow Brook Inn-- has anyone gotten married there?

i2012do · July 2010

RoyalOrient-- Who is doing your uplighting?
I am thinking of buying the lights myself-- but If i find someone economical I will def. go with them-----

I am looking at Easons Beach tomorrow!! One of my close friends got married there and it was so fun! IT was also a Sunday night wedding! Goodluck with the planning

RoyalOrient · July 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_rhode-island_overwhelmed-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:122Discussion:fe4125db-e594-4536-9fd4-3adebd0106afPost:d8dd42f4-2dc1-4619-bafe-4518b4e90d81">Re: Overwhelmed by Budget</a>:
[QUOTE]RoyalOrient-- Who is doing your uplighting? I am thinking of buying the lights myself-- but If i find someone economical I will def. go with them----- I am looking at Easons Beach tomorrow!! One of my close friends got married there and it was so fun! IT was also a Sunday night wedding! Goodluck with the planning
Posted by i2012do[/QUOTE]

I have not decided yet as I want to meet them first but RC Uplights was really reasonable. They also get rave reviews. However, they do charge a small travel fee to Newport. You might also want to check Music Mixers DJ and Couture Bridal Co (<a href="http://www.couture-designs.com" rel="nofollow">www.couture-designs.com</a>). Boston Uplights was the highest at $1200 for 12 wireless LED uplights. They are though really one of the best in the business. Golden gate Florist also has uplights too (if you go with them as your florist, might score a better deal). G.L and happy planning!

btw if you plan on buying the uplights, check out save on crafts.com I know they recently had a sell on uplights. The Rotunda needs a minimum of 12 uplights (should that be your choice of venue :-)

Jdolce · July 2010

We're definitely on a budget, too, and I had the same overwhelming feeling about a month ago. I began to wonder why we didn't just have a big barbeque in someone's yard, but I find that using a budget planning tool helps to keep us on track. Honestly, I picked up an extra job this summer and have another lined up for the fall to help us save, too.

I would consider looking at the Village Inn. Their Friday and Sunday night packages are very reasonable, and I don't think the base packages for Saturdays are exorbitant either. I know it's a bit more than Quidnessett but not by much. You have several options for the bar, and they're generally quite flexible with their packages. If you go with the Towers, I would look into them as well for catering as they have a lot of experience there.

We've decided to not have flower centerpieces. Instead, I'm making a candle centerpiece in a hurricane shaped glass with sand and seaglass in the bottom with some tealights around. I've estimated that I can make these for about $150 for all of our tables as opposed to $800 allotted in our budget tool.

I'm 99% sure I'm going to purchase my dress from AriaDress, and my bridesmaids will be purchasing their dresses through there as well. Some gowns are as low as $200, which is a great price.

My fiance and I have decided to go with silver wedding bands. I know this choice is not for everyone, but I definitely think that it's just a symbol and we can always decide to replace them with more expensive rings for an anniversary if we'd like.

Michaels Crafts has some very nice DIY invite packages, and we'll likely be going with those for our invites (or a vendor on etsy). I'm also looking into doing our escort cards, menus and programs on VistaPrint or 123print. Both are very affordable and offer coupons regularly by email.

Hope these ideas help!

i2012do · July 2010

Thanks
I didint think of Almalfi for catering.

I would consider the village inn but I have an aversion to it since I had EVERY SINGLE event EVER in college there and being in there reminds me of being at a Frat formal haha

alisongolden · July 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_rhode-island_overwhelmed-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:122Discussion:fe4125db-e594-4536-9fd4-3adebd0106afPost:713a18d5-f952-4c42-899c-c449dcfb5393">Re: Overwhelmed by Budget</a>:
[QUOTE]jI also want to contact All for You. I think they sound great and they have oustanding reviews-- If I can't make way for a band i'd love to try to get them for a DJ.
Posted by i2012do[/QUOTE]

<div>
</div><div>We booked All4You and LOVE them. Cannot say enough good things about them! We also booked David Bibeault (dbwedd.com) for photography. Super reasonable, and when you meet with him he also offers discounts depending. For instance, our package was 1695 for 8 hours and full rights, engagement session, discount on prints and 2 photographers. If we choose to go with 1 photographer, it takes $400 off. So, 1295. Then, because we booked when we met with him, we received $200 off our package. So, 8 hours, rights to the pictures, included engagement session, credit toward photobooks, etc, for 1095. Can't beat it! and he is so, so friendly. </div>

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