Budget Weddings Forum

Re: Name

  • Everything @LondonLisa said.  Nobody owes you anything for the wedding.  It's totally your and your Fi's responsibility.

    Do you need to have a big guest list?  If your budget is really only $2000, even assuming you have a dry wedding and spend fully half of that amount on food, you are still looking at less than $10 per person for food and drinks.  I think the only way to pull that off is to have a cake and punch reception at 2pm.  Choose a park or your church hall so you can minimize your venue expenses.  Get your attire at non-bridal shops so you aren't paying top dollar for a full-on wedding gown.  Choose simple, in-season flowers for your bouquet and skip most of the decor (you don't need it).

    Alternatively, you could keep the guest list to you immediate families and serve a lovely sit-down dinner at a restaurant.  Or if you can cut the guest list to around 50-75, you could have a morning ceremony and serve brunch.
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    "I'm not a rude bitch.  I'm ten rude bitches in a large coat."

  • You can cut the budget by a lot of it you cut the guest list down. I understand wanting to invite your entire family but if you can't afford to host your 2nd cousin on your Dad's side then I'm sure they'll understand.

    Other than that, you can have a courthouse wedding and have a cake and punch reception as PPs mentioned or have a nice dinner at a restaurant assuming you've cut your guest list.

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  • You have a wedding. Its not that hard. You cut back where you can cut back as the PPs have said is the guest list. If your parents are not OFFERING (note, I did not say you asked them for money and they're unwilling to help) to give money towards your wedding, they have no say in the invite list. None. And your Dad offering to pay for the cake is well beyond anything he's required to do. He's not getting married, you are. You are making an adult decision, you gan pay for it like an adult. Don't let the old etiquette "rules" of the Brides family pays for everything and the Grooms family pays for the rehearsal dinner etc have you thinking otherwise.

    You can have a lovely wedding on $2000. I am interested though, you were at a $5000 wedding but after the considering the honeymoon, you changed it to $2000. Where are you going for $3000? The honeymoon is another luxury of a wedding. You dont have to go on one. But if travel is your thing, maybe a destination wedding would be better suited for you. It would also greatly help with your guest list. And they tend to be all inclusive.

    Good luck :) don't sweat the small stuff!

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  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited December 2014
    We skipped the expensive honeymoon.  Didn't miss it.  Now that we have been marrried for years, we have taken lots of romantic trips together.

    This is what you need for a wedding:  bride, groom ,license, officiant, witnesses.  Yes, this is a REAL wedding!

    Want more?  Add guests.  This means that you need invitations, a seat for every guest, and you must have a reception.  If you have an afternoon ceremony, you can serve cake and punch.  (Very traditional!) The cake can be a sheet cake from the grocery store - those fancy tiered caked cost a lot!   You will probably want to wear a wedding dress.

    Still more?  You can add bridesmaids and groomsmen.  The fewer you have, the easier on your budget.  Serve a full meal.  It can be as simple as hamburgers and hot dogs in the park.  Brunch or lunch is much less expensive than dinner - about half the cost.  If you want dancing, try pre-recording your music on an IPOD instead of hiring an expensive DJ.

    Dinner receptions are the most expensive, and since you are on a tight budget, you should cross this off your list.  Alcohol is always optional, but beer and wine can be affordable.  Good venues might be mens clubs like Elks, Lodge, Moose Lodge, firehouse (My cousin was married in one!).
    Tuxedos are only appropriate in the evening after 6:00 PM.

    Helpful hints:  Stay away from wedding TV.  Those programs, like Say Yes to the Dress, are not realistic.  Ditto for wedding magazines.  Their purpose is to make you want to spend more money.

    Get the word "perfect" out of your vocabulary.  No wedding is perfect.

    Do not compare your wedding to other weddings you have attended.  You don't have to have seven bridesmaids just because your cousin had them.

    My sister was married in a city park.  They served picnic food and beer and sodas from a cooler.  The kids ran around and had a great time.  She borrowed her dress from a friend.  Nobody knew or cared.  Music was a cousin who played the flute during the ceremony.  The cake was sheet cake from the grocery store - yum!  My DH took pictures with his fancy digital camera.  Great wedding!
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  • Well that was rude!  OP, nobody was snarky to you, and you were given some good advice.  Why the DD?  Methinks we have a speshul snowflake?
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  • @chibiyui OMG I'm dying at the saran wrap cat!!!

                                                                     

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  • @chibiyui, love those gifs!
  • "Name" is a very weird title for a DD
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