Last Minute Budget Problems

juliefolk423 · November 2013

We have planned this tiny, short wedding. We are only having 28 guests, including the people who are providing services. You would think that would make it very inexpensive. But, no. It's still a $10,000 wedding. And now as we are just two weeks away, We have a financial crisis. A tree fell on our house and the last payment is due next week. We have shop rent due next week. We have a shop full of trucks to fix, and we always pay for the parts up front, then get reimbursed. We are owed $9,000 in service fees, which is only about $3500 in profit. I don't know if we will get the money back before final reception payment is due. Also, i have to pay our marketing firm their signing fee and our insurance company a huge payment. I am very concerned that there will not be enough money to go around, and we will not be able to pay for everyone's dinner, or maybe not be able to pay for the tuxes. I don't really have anything to sell to try to find some extra money. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thank you,

Julie

tawillers · November 2013

juliefolk423 said:

We have planned this tiny, short wedding. We are only having 28 guests, including the people who are providing services. You would think that would make it very inexpensive. But, no. It's still a $10,000 wedding. And now as we are just two weeks away, We have a financial crisis. A tree fell on our house and the last payment is due next week. We have shop rent due next week. We have a shop full of trucks to fix, and we always pay for the parts up front, then get reimbursed. We are owed $9,000 in service fees, which is only about $3500 in profit. I don't know if we will get the money back before final reception payment is due. Also, i have to pay our marketing firm their signing fee and our insurance company a huge payment. I am very concerned that there will not be enough money to go around, and we will not be able to pay for everyone's dinner, or maybe not be able to pay for the tuxes. I don't really have anything to sell to try to find some extra money. Does anyone have any ideas? Thank you, Julie

How?

PirateBarbie · November 2013

you could sell your body to science.

Doesntplaynice82 · November 2013

Take out a loan is all I can suggest. That is why it is good to keep an emergency fund in place for such events. Sorry I'm no help

RebeccaB88 · November 2013

Nix the tuxes and have the guys wear a suit they already own. Change the dinner menu to a less expensive option. Eliminate alcohol, or serve wine and beer but no hard liquor. Reduce the amount of flowers and/or use cheaper ones. Eliminate extras that you haven't already paid for - favors, limo, professional hair and makeup (do your own), accessories. If it's not too late, change the reception time to mid-afternoon so you don't need to serve a meal, just cake and beverages and munchies, or change your location to something less expensive or free.

thejucheidea · November 2013

Yeah, exactly where do you live that 28 people = $10,000?

HisGirlFriday13 · November 2013

Dude, $10K for 28 people works out to almost $360 per person. HOW are you spending that much?

If you can tell us where your costs are -- both sunk costs and owed costs -- we can probably help you figure out where to cut, but without more information, we're not going to be any help.

CLI242009 · November 2013

HisGirlFriday13 said:

Dude, $10K for 28 people works out to almost $360 per person. HOW are you spending that much?

If you can tell us where your costs are -- both sunk costs and owed costs -- we can probably help you figure out where to cut, but without more information, we're not going to be any help.

(stuck in quote box >.<!!!)

I hadn't done the math, so your estimate almost made me spit my water out.

Unless OP is doing something like June bride in NYC at the Plaza, Ritz, Four Seasons it should NOT be that much for that many people.

PirateBarbie · November 2013

HisGirlFriday13 said:

Dude, $10K for 28 people works out to almost $360 per person. HOW are you spending that much?

If you can tell us where your costs are -- both sunk costs and owed costs -- we can probably help you figure out where to cut, but without more information, we're not going to be any help.

here's an idea:

we'll say $100/plate (including bar) *28 = $2800

flowers - a few bouquets, arrangements for ceremony location, a few centerpieces, boutonnieres - $750-1,000

church ceremony + officiant + tip = $500

DJ/Band - $500-2,500

Photographer + photo package- $1,000-3,000+

Location and rental fees $500-1,000

Dress + alterations: $1,000 (random number, obviously this could be a huge range)

Tux rental or new suit: $100-$300

Favors: $200

Paper (invites, STD, TY cards, etc.): $100-$1,000+

obviously there's a way to cut a lot of costs in all of that, but it would be pretty easy to get $10K and only have 28 guests, especially if you have expensive taste or splurge on a vendor or two.

WonderRed · November 2013

Yeah, it's really not that hard to get to that total, even for a small wedding. We spent about that amount for 30 guests, high end food and premium bar being the bulk of it.

$120 per guest food and beverage + tax and gratuity = $4500 (includes all site fees/set up)
Ceremony music & officiant = $600
Cocktail musician = $150
Reception band = $1700
Photographer = $800 (and we got a screaming cheap deal from the gal who does our family portraits ever year. This would have been 3x as much, if not for her.)
Dress = $350
Suit = $200
Flowers = $120
Invitations = $200
Misc. Decor/favors = $500
His ring = $300
My ring = ???
Car service = $300

Total = $9700ish

But OP, there are plenty of places we could have made cuts at the last minute if we'd really had to. Very painful cuts but cuts, non the less. The $1200 balance owed to the band. Eating the $1000 deposit on our expensive venue and finding a park location for free or a nominal fee, followed by dinner somewhere much less expensive or a BBQ reception. Nixing car service for us and our families. Not having live cocktail hour music.

Wzz · November 2013

at this point, anyhting floral could be cut and no one would ever miss it. you can get a bouquet of roes from the grocery store and everyone carry one each. cancel the cake and get a sheet cake instead.

people here are not sure where you allocated your money to suggest where to make cuts.

netskyblue2 · November 2013

It's not hard to rack up - especially if you're including rings in that budget!

Our venue is $2200 for the space, and the photographer we chose is going to come to around $3000 for the package we want. OUR CHOICES, totally, but they are expenses that are not really tied to the guest number. Whether we'd invited 200 or 20 guests, what we'd chosen to spend on those categories wouldn't have changed.

MrsMuq · November 2013

Our wedding cost $28,000 and we had 120 guests, but the budget for guests (meaning cost pp) only totaled about $11K. The rest was our own stuff - photos, DJ, officiant, flowers, tuxes and dress, rings, etc.

MrsMuq · November 2013

netskyblue2 said:

It's not hard to rack up - especially if you're including rings in that budget!

Our venue is $2200 for the space, and the photographer we chose is going to come to around $3000 for the package we want. OUR CHOICES, totally, but they are expenses that are not really tied to the guest number. Whether we'd invited 200 or 20 guests, what we'd chosen to spend on those categories wouldn't have changed.

Unless you're buying diamond encrusted, platnium Tiffany rings, rings are not THAT expensive. Even with the cost of gold as high as it is. Not compared to something like a photographer and videographer.

netskyblue2 · November 2013

I don't know - I work in a jewelry store. Our average engagement rings are in the $6 - $10k range (.75 to 1.00ct being average), average ladies' diamond wedding bands $800-$3000 (average being between .25 and 1.00ct total weight), and men's gold bands $1000 - $2000. Alternative metal bands being between $75 - $400.

Certainly not necessary to spend so much, but LOTS of people do.

The matching diamond band to my e-ring is over 3k (before my employee discount) but I'm opting for a $150 plain band. While I would LIKE to have the matching diamond band, if I had to sacrifice the photos of my favorite photographer for the diamond band, I wouldn't be happy with my choice. We can buy a third ring down the road, but I can't take wedding photos in the future. If our budget allowed, we'd do it all, but, like most, we're not made of money and we have to choose where to spend and where to save.

shaylagirl · November 2013

No lies; I cheaped out on my ERing and Wedding band.

Bought a set off Craigslist that came with all the original paperwork for $525 for both.

HIS ring, however, was like $415 before tax (Tungsten Carbide ring); much nicer than the stainless steel Harley Davidson ring with the flames and SKULL on it he originally bought (and I made him promptly return).

But yes, there's ways to slash and hack a budget on a wedding if you truly want to.

[Deleted User] · November 2013

Call your vendors immediately and explain your situation. Maybe your florist can change your flowers around to still give you something beautiful but less expensive. Also consider changing your menu and bar options if it will help.

Depending on how many hours you booked your photographer for, cut that back. For example if they are suppose to be there from when you are getting ready to the end of the event, have them show up after you are ready or about to put your dress on & cut them shorter an hour.

Rings, consider getting less expensive rings (or check out overstock.com) and you can always upgrade down the road.

Really look at the things for your wedding and see where you can make cut backs. Good luck!!

thejucheidea · November 2013

Our rings were very inexpensive. I think my wedding band was maybe $125 and his $175. The resetting of my engagement ring was only $600, but if we'd bought the diamonds, it would have been closer to $4000 to buy new. Yay for heirloom, but if we'd not been given the ring, I think we would have chosen something very inexpensive.

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