Inexpensive wedding ideas?
I got engaged back in March 2010!!! 
I am a college student and he just went back to college a year ago after being in the workforce for a few years. All that to say... Wedding on a budget! We are not even buying rings (just to give you some perspective) I have never been a big 'spender' but some of this stuff is just crazy! Wedding dresses, tuxedo, cake, honeymoon, catering, ceremony halls, etc. Any words of advice or suggestions for inexpensive options for any of these things? We still want it to be nice but smaller scale to suit our budget!
Thank you all!! :drinker: :drinker:
I am a college student and he just went back to college a year ago after being in the workforce for a few years. All that to say... Wedding on a budget! We are not even buying rings (just to give you some perspective) I have never been a big 'spender' but some of this stuff is just crazy! Wedding dresses, tuxedo, cake, honeymoon, catering, ceremony halls, etc. Any words of advice or suggestions for inexpensive options for any of these things? We still want it to be nice but smaller scale to suit our budget!Thank you all!! :drinker: :drinker:
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Depending on when you are getting married... shop for a white prom dress right AFTER prom season in May. You can get them SUPER cheap. Or shop David's Bridal $99 wedding dress sales. Or find a secondhand bridal store and check that out.
Depending on where you are getting married... if you're getting married in a church, ask about having the reception in the fellowship hall. Many times it's less expensive to rent the fellowship hall than to have a reception at a hotel or private club.
If you're eloping, check out the deals Vegas hotels offer. You can usually get some sort of packaged deal that includes the ceremony, officiant, photographer and reception. However, that also involves flying to Vegas, so that might not be an option.0 -
Dress - Davids Bridal--as low as $99
Tux - Rental for as low as $50
Cake - Walmart or Publix--as low as $60
Misc. items--Oriental Trading.com0 -
Backyard wedding. They can be absolutely amazing, and VERY cheap at the same time. Have some family members cook and just have a small picnic wedding. Most parks are free, sometimes just a donation are all they want to hold the park for you. Go to a local department store and but a cute dress- does not have to white and enjoy it all! Its the love you to have for each other that matters. Not the place or the dress!0
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Oh boy do i know the feeling of a wedding on a budget! First off, CONGRATS on getting engaged! Now then down to business lol. For wedding dresses, go to bridal stores and and try to buy off the racks, i got a beautiful hand beaded gown off the rack for 60% off. Don't let the bridal boutiques intimidate you, you can find great deals at little independent places and better help than shopping at a place like David's bridal. As for the tux, my hubby went with a suit from burlington coat factory. When it was all said and done it was cheaper for him to buy a suit than it was to rent a tux AND he gets to wear it more than once. Cake and photography, look for something local, check out craigslist and ask for friends opinions. And to save tons of money on a banquet hall or location, try to book your wedding on a Friday or Sunday. We saved 50% just by moving our ceremony from a Saturday night to a Friday night.0
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awww, Congrats!! Because my mom is one of those super thrifty and super creative people my wedding was really cheap. I found my dress for $69 at JCPenney's outlet store (not there anymore, but definitely shop around), my aunts were my "caterer's", my baby brother and a friend were my djs, my grandfather made my cake, and my mom and I bought the flowers from Kroger and did all the arrangements etc ourselves. Don't know if you have anyone who can make the cake (the grandfather was a chef) or do the flowers (mom used to own a flower shop), but talk to your families and friends, there are bound to be a few talented people in the mix.0
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I agree with tkrall...back yard wedding. Or some places (like where I live) have some beautiful local places that you can book for free or super cheap for an outdoor wedding. In 2004 my husband & I renewed our vows on our 25th anniversary using a nice gazebo along the river. Then have the reception at a park or someone's home. I also thrift shop a lot and I have seen some absolutely perfect STUNNING wedding dresses at thrift stores. I saw one recently that was so beautiful I was tempted to buy it and save it for my granddaughter! And they aren't always used (although really who would know or care). Sometimes they are donated by stores. Also, call on family/friends to help with food and decorating for the reception.0
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Not sure how you feel about a dress (some ladies are particular) but you could try a resale or consignment shop--I'd research a good tailor too. Might sound kind of cheesy and not sure when the date is but you could check prom type fashions that are available in white/off white. Check out the local tux shops...sometimes if so many groomsmen rent the groom will get his for free. An option (depending on time/location) a nice suit (could be borrowed) may work instead. We eloped so skipped all the added expense of a big old wedding. With the honeymoon I'd make a list of places you may like to go. I'd contact any hotels directly...a manager at the desk can do more for you than the chick at the reservation center. Sometimes they have packages that include wine, dinner, etc. Cake...maybe think non-traditional. You could do a smaller centerpiece type cake (for you and your hubby to be to cut) and cupcakes. I'd talk to a few cake shops and get their take. Ceremony halls...try Knights of Columbus, etc...anyone in the family in some sort of group or association--they might get deals? Some towns have a hall/facility they rent to local residents fairly cheap. Catering...hmmm....depends on time of wedding. Could do a brunch deal...less expensive. I'd contact a couple local caterers and pick their brain. If you don't ask you'll never know and I bet they've all worked with couples on budgets so they understand...might even have a few other ideas for you. Good luck and congratulations!0
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I know what you're going through... My wedding is over budget in nearly every category. I found a lot of really reasonably priced things on etsy.com
Etsy is a community of artists, so everything is handmade. All the people I worked with personalized things (such as guest book, cake topper, and the fascinator I bought to go with my veil), right down to colors and putting our names on the items. Most of the vendors are willing to work within your budget to help make something totally unique that you'll love. You should defnitely check it out!0 -
Have you gone on theknot.com yet? That is an awesome place. Everyone on there for your area will be able to tell you the best deals. I love it.0
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My hubby and I went on the VRBO website, where people who own cabins rent them out when they are not using them. We rented a large cabin (cabin my hiney, it's three times the size of my 4-bedroom home!!) on a great lake and got married there. We had a fall wedding, so we used pumpkins for centerpieces and had people over the night before the wedding to carve them, which was a lot of fun and super cheap. We also used gold spraypaint on some of the pumpkins and leaves to make it feel a lil' richer. We also just bought a cheap-o arbor and covered it with the fall leaves for decoration and we stood under it when we said our vows. I've had so many people tell me it's the best wedding they've been to, and we ended up getting more $$ in wedding gifts than we spent.
Oh, and congrats on your engagement, what an exciting time!!!! Don't sweat the small stuff.0 -
Sorry, me again, most larger cities have great public parks that you can book for free or very low cost, but you normally have to do it pretty far in advance!0
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Don't go with David's Bridal! I cannot stress that enough! They screwed me beyond belief! No money back (it's in the fine print) ....check them out on the BBB.Org (I haven't, but I am sure they are loaded with complaints as I have browsed the web and seen other very similar complaints). They ordered the wrong bridesmaids dresses, one of which came literally as if someone took a box cutter to it. They refused to replace it. We were out the money and had to order another one, on our dime. It's in the fine print. I put money down on a dress, they never ordered it. Then that dress they were supposed to order and never DID, went out of stock... they refused to reimburse and they would only credit that to a new dress... they wouldn't refund. Oh the horror. I spent less money at a little boutique.
SOOOO, CONGRATS on getting engaged, I didn't mean to blow that aside You can make your own unity candles, plan candles with ribbon of your choice (then add decorate pins, jewels, etc). Very inexpensive. Lots of cheap easy things to do for favors, but depends on the theme, colors, what time of year, how big the reception, etc... The one thing you want to spend money on, unless you know someone, is a photographer...that is something you don't ever want to regret not doing "right"...since that will last forever 0 -
Beach weddings are cheap, no decorations, no shoes, less formal clothing, lots of fun!
Or, do what i did, and have a back yard wedding (or at a park if you/family/friends don't have a good yard). We were on a budget too. We called in favors from friends and family, and accepted help with wedding/honeymoon instead of gifts. My mom did our flowers, very simple. I made all our party favors cheaply myself (craft stores, bulk candy, etc.). Find a friends who's got a nice camera, or is interested in photography semi-professionally and have them take your pics. We set up outdoor speakers and made a playlist of our music and just blasted it for the reception, but i asked a family memeber and a friend who played instruments to play for the ceremony. See if you have a friend who likes to bake and ask for a cake at cost or as your wedding gift. Just decorate it simply with a few fresh flowers. Have it be a pot luck wedding, and just set up tables for the food! Do it in the arfternoon so it's a lunch afair; no lighting needed, and less formal so people can stroll around so you won't need to rent tables and chairs. Go to a second hand store or the salvation army and buy cutlery and glasses, or suggest that people bring their own picnic paraphanalia. Use nice paper plates and napkins in your wedding colors. As long as you are surrounded by family and friends, and get to share your love for your partner, you will have a GREAT wedding!!!0 -
Beach weddings are cheap, no decorations, no shoes, less formal clothing, lots of fun!
Or, do what i did, and have a back yard wedding (or at a park if you/family/friends don't have a good yard). We were on a budget too. We called in favors from friends and family, and accepted help with wedding/honeymoon instead of gifts. My mom did our flowers, very simple. I made all our party favors cheaply myself (craft stores, bulk candy, etc.). Find a friends who's got a nice camera, or is interested in photography semi-professionally and have them take your pics. We set up outdoor speakers and made a playlist of our music and just blasted it for the reception, but i asked a family memeber and a friend who played instruments to play for the ceremony. See if you have a friend who likes to bake and ask for a cake at cost or as your wedding gift. Just decorate it simply with a few fresh flowers. Have it be a pot luck wedding, and just set up tables for the food! Do it in the arfternoon so it's a lunch afair; no lighting needed, and less formal so people can stroll around so you won't need to rent tables and chairs. Go to a second hand store or the salvation army and buy cutlery and glasses, or suggest that people bring their own picnic paraphanalia. Use nice paper plates and napkins in your wedding colors. As long as you are surrounded by family and friends, and get to share your love for your partner, you will have a GREAT wedding!!!
Why weren't you my wedding planner several years ago?! 0 -
If you want live music during your ceremony check out your local Jr. College music department and hire a student. Make your own favors, try ebay for deals on supplies or wedding gown. Let your family and friends know you need help and you will be surprised how many offers you will get. I don't even know you and I want to help:laugh:0
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We had a fairly inexpensive wedding as well, and I've picked up other ideas along the way. It all depends on where you are willing to compromise!
I've seen people make their own invitations (MUCH cheaper than having them printed)
Clothing...I actually rented my wedding dress. I had no reason to think I'd hang on to it for years or that anyone else would wear it and I just didn't see the point in spending that much money on a dress for one day! For the men, you can rent tuxes or just have them wear nice suits. I was fortunate enough to have someone who made my bridesmaids dresses and just wanted to be reimbursed for cost (about $25/dress) and my bridesmaids wore whatever they wanted for shoes. I've also been in weddings where the bride just specified a dress color and let everyone pick out their own dress.
Location... we got married at the church I attended at the time, and that was free. I've also been to weddings in chapels or in public parks or botanical gardens (LOVE that idea!).
You can have photographer friends do pictures as a wedding present to them (my advice if you do that: make sure they are a really good photographer and get some pictures that aren't just snapshots! I didn't have a friend do my wedding pics but they were NOT GOOD and I so wish I'd splurged on a different photographer!). Same for videoing (we just had a family member who had a video camera video ours)
For food.... I guess it all depends on what others and what you want. Here in the South it is not uncommon to just have some hor d'oeuvres or even just wedding cake. But people also go all out. And I've been to at least one potluck reception. Personally, we paid for a wedding cake and family and friends made the rest (or we bought things like a fruit tray).
For music... we just had a CD player and a friend to get everything playing at the right time.
Congratulations! Don't stress out over the wedding! 0 -
My husband and I married while still in college (right before he graduated) and we were on a budget too. I got my dress from David's Bridal ($99) and he wore his ROTC uniform. His best man and our ushers were also ROTC so that made their outfits free (we even got the ROTC saber drill team to do the arch as we left the church)! My maid of honor chose a formal dress she already owned and we incorporated that color into our color scheme, and having only 1 person each with 2 ushers made the wedding party very small and cheaper to afford (think flowers!). We got married in the church where we were both members of so there was no building rental fee, same for the reception. Our cake was made by a great family friend who'd made a living making wedding cakes and came out of retirement to make ours and only charged us half as a wedding gift! We made our own invitations so it was way cheaper and more intimate. We bought the plane ticket for my husband's cousin to be our photographer (she does that for a living), and since our reception was in the fireside room, it was a cozy, intimate reception, so no expectation of a dance floor/DJ/etc. And it was only cake and punch since it was early afternoon and people weren't expected to be hungry. Overall, we were under the budget my parents gave us which made us happy (to go over would've been out of our pockets!)0
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Beach weddings are cheap, no decorations, no shoes, less formal clothing, lots of fun!
Or, do what i did, and have a back yard wedding (or at a park if you/family/friends don't have a good yard). We were on a budget too. We called in favors from friends and family, and accepted help with wedding/honeymoon instead of gifts. My mom did our flowers, very simple. I made all our party favors cheaply myself (craft stores, bulk candy, etc.). Find a friends who's got a nice camera, or is interested in photography semi-professionally and have them take your pics. We set up outdoor speakers and made a playlist of our music and just blasted it for the reception, but i asked a family memeber and a friend who played instruments to play for the ceremony. See if you have a friend who likes to bake and ask for a cake at cost or as your wedding gift. Just decorate it simply with a few fresh flowers. Have it be a pot luck wedding, and just set up tables for the food! Do it in the arfternoon so it's a lunch afair; no lighting needed, and less formal so people can stroll around so you won't need to rent tables and chairs. Go to a second hand store or the salvation army and buy cutlery and glasses, or suggest that people bring their own picnic paraphanalia. Use nice paper plates and napkins in your wedding colors. As long as you are surrounded by family and friends, and get to share your love for your partner, you will have a GREAT wedding!!!
I recently attended a wedding in a park on the Huron River. It was a small gathering - maybe 25. Food was pot luck with the bride's family providing some basics (groom's family was not in attendance). They rented tables and chairs. Dress was casual, the atmosphere was informal and everyone had a wonderful time. Friends pitched in to make it all work, but at the same time it was the MOST guest friendly wedding I've been to in some time.
My wife and I got married at the courthouse, went to lunch with our parents, and held a very informal buffet reception.
My bottom line: Your wedding is your day. You make the rules. If you want tradition, find a way to incorporate tradition. If you want a meaningful event on a budget, work with friends and family to pull together something that will be meaningful for you and your fiance. (maybe calorie friendly food :bigsmile:).0 -
a good friend of mine had hers on a sunday evening cause it was 10 dollars a person cheaper for a PLATED reception dinner(three courses} She also had the ceremony on the dance floor. t was very small and low key and was just a genuine show of their love for each other instead of a big to do0
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Congratulations!! My husband & I have been married 2 years, and I definatly learned to save money, and the biggest wedding cost slasher for us was EBAY!! I kid you not, I got my tiara & veil from e-bay, and they were very similar to the one I tried on in the bridal store. Were they real swarovski crystals? Meh, probably not. Did anyone know the difference? probably not. and for my veil and tiara combined, it was about $20.00.
I also got my bridesmaids gifts from e-bay, beautiful pink crystal pendants.
Try it! and congrats again!! :flowerforyou:
edited to say we also did a potluck that both families and we received so many complements on the meal, there was a little for everything - cabbage rolls, homemade perogies, ham, turkey, pasta...it was awesome! Also, we did homemade wine on the tables. Saved a few hundred bucks there!0 -
P.S. One of my friends has EVERYTHING for a wedding with pink and brown theme... I kid you not, EVERYTHING... bridesmaid dresses, table decorations, favors, wedding dress, etc. that she wants to sell. She had a large wedding all planned and then decided to have a very small family wedding, so the only thing she ended up using was her wedding dress. Everything else is brand new. Let me know if you're interested and I'll put you in contact with her!!0
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We had a beautiful wedding and it was pretty reasonable about 12,000$ maybe more here and there. Got married outdoors under gazeabo and had the florist used hanging plant garlands and topiaries using lots of greenery and some flowerheads. The flowers are the most expensive there. A lady made my cake from her home $150.00. It was just what I wanted. I knew her though and knew her work, tried samples the whole works. You would have to be careful there and get references if you didn't know the person.Hired photographer alot are great that work from home, again beware and get references and word of mouth. Horse drawn carriage $400.00 for my ride to the altar. We made our own favors and they turned out nice, not chinzy looking, you can find some great DIY sites for that. Venue: We rented a small venue that catered , hired a DJ to play the music we wanted open bar, it was a FUN wedding and still very stylish, just more us. People still talk about how fun it was. My husband and I had about 75 people. We wanted a church wedding but with a great outdoor location , nature is the most beautiful setting with minimal decor. Just a thought.0
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Definitely make your own invitations. Computers now-days do such a nice job. You can have a custom invitation for a fraction of the price. Also, keep the reception simple- many restaurants do catering for a very reasonable price. Also, If you or someone you know is at all craft, you can save a ton on decorations, flowers, etc.0
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bump0
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The biggest money saving on a wedding will come from having the most concise guest list possible! So try to get the numbers down and invite some groups of friends without partners if appropriate ie one of my uni friends invited the uni girls without partners knowing we would all have a great time together (its not like we knew each other's partners anyway!).
Try to keep flowers to a minimum because they are so expensive, you could use single flower (like cala lily) bouquets for bridesmaids for example. Oh and consider artificial flowers if you more want them to look pretty in photos (haha that's all I want!) because even high quality ones can be much cheaper than real ones and you get to keep them!
Try to think of things that aren't that important to you on your day... like for me, I really wanted an awesome photographer but couldn't care less about fancy cars that cost $1000 for an hour or so.
I would say make your own invitations but it depends how fussy you are, I have definitely spent more making my invites than I would have spent having them printed... but I got to have exactly what I wanted so can't complain.
One of my friends had a gorgeous kinda buffet roast meal at her wedding, just 4 different types of meat with all the trimmings. They just had it in a big warmer at the back and people took their plates up and it was served by family. It must have been so much cheaper than paying caterers, waiters etc
You could also request that people pay for their own alcohol instead of bringing a gift if you wanted. Or have a dry wedding if you aren't much of a drinker?
We had quite a large budget but now the pound is rubbish and worth about half as much as it used to be in Australia where we are getting married! Looking forward to hearing other people's ideas.0 -
bump
(going thru this right now.. i'll send ya some ideas later tonight.. got tons of them ) 0 -
You have gotten some really great ideas here and I wish you and your intended all the best. But take it from someone married over 25 years -- don't skimp your budget by not buying your wedding rings. They do not have to be fancy; I wear a very thin plain gold band that cost us $50 when we married. It is more precious to me now than when he first put it on my finger. It represents where we were in life at that time - like you -- in college and broke. Is it engraved? No, we couldn't afford it. You may not think it means much now, but it will later.
(Why do I never see teh spelling till I post it?? :grumble: )0 -
Also, we're getting married in Costa Rica (in 38 days, oh wow!). The major expense is just getting there, once you're actually in the country everything in SUPER cheap. If you want a small wedding, desinations are a great way to go. Plus you're already at your honeymoon locale 0
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I just got married last weekend. We did a small ceremony in our backyard. And an open house type reception, pot luck brought by family.
My dress is a bridesmaid dress from the clearence rack at David's Bridal, $40
I got my flowers from Costco. Flowers can be very expensive, so really think about how much you want.
Vases from Goodwill, $1.99 each
We got 2 sheet cakes from Costco, $16.99 each. And had family serve the cake.
We had a friend take pictures with her digital camera, but we did not want a formal photo album, just a couple pictures to put on the mantel.
We had a friend perform the ceremony (in CO you do not need a minister or justice of the peace, etc.)
We rented tables and chairs, this was $200
We borrowed market umbrellas from family/neighbors instead of renting a tent.
You do not need to spend a lot of money to have a nice ceremony/reception. Make sure your quest list is appropriate to the amount of money you want to spend. The more people, the more money you'll spend.
Don't skip the rings, it's important to "look" married, even if it's just a band. You may not be able to get the ring of your dreams, but not many people can these days.0 -
You guys are AMAZING!! Thank you so much! You all gave me the brain storming power I have been needing! He has a very small family. Just his Mom, Sister and Dad. And me, well, its just me!
I would love to hear any other words of advise or thoughts as well!!
Thanks again! Alot of this was very helpful! :drinker: :drinker:0
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