ENGAGED...now what?

Invitations are expensive if you get them custom made, but it's worthwhile to go to a place first if only to get a better idea of what you want before starting to look online.

It helps to NOT be in New York

DIY is great...if you have the time. If we had the time we'd be doing that for the favors.

Men's wearhouse ended up being a pretty good place for tuxes. Mine is free and I think one other since we have 7 other people renting.

Drunk buses are expensive.

We skipped the videographer and will be buying a personal camcorder for one of my buddies to use day of, invested that money instead in a photographer since they can make or break the day.

theknot.com

My biggest piece of advise is to sign up there and get to know the women who are planning weddings in your location. Lots of them have already sussed out which vendor is the worst waste of money, who is amazing and cheap, and different tips to maximize your budget.

Pick your budget priorities early on. My priorities were feeding everyone well and my dress. Every bride is different; some want the most amazing flowers and table decor, some want the biggest cake in the nearest 5 counties (I saw one on theknot who wanted Ace of Cakes to do hers - you *know* that was a pretty penny!). Just please don't skimp on what you feed your guests.

Keep in mind that 3 day weekends can be more expensive than regular weekends. It can be considered a holiday weekend and lots of vendors therefore charge holiday rates.

In February, roses for your bouquet or boutonnieres are going to be at a premium price so I wouldn't use them.

Making your own invitations isn't that difficult for the most part. I did 2 sets for my wedding and the only thing I bought already made besides the paper were the pocketfold envelopes (I ran out of time).

Congrats!!!

Ok this is what we did:

We found a reception hall that allowed us to bring in our own food and alcohol. My MIL made all the food for the reception and we bought 2 kegs and a bunch of wine for everyone.

Do you have a friend or family member that makes cakes? That family member instead of giving you a wedding gift could make you your cake instead.

I wouldn't scrimp on your pictures. That is something we did and I totally REGRET it!!!!! These are the only things you have to remember you special day, make them count and get a photogher that you can trust and know will do a great job.

See if you can find your dress of the rack. Usually you can save money if you don't have to order your dress.

DIY. We made most of the things we used: invites, decorations, etc. We had a photo student do the photos, we had a potluck meal, check second hand shops for dresses, I used offbeatbride.com for inspiration and their forums to get support and help.

And remember, the end result is the same. No matter how fancy you make your wedding or how much you save, your doing this to marry the man you love.

Remember the end result and the rest will just fall into place

Congratulations!
I got engaged last April and our wedding is this November.. I must say, having a long engagement has been really helpful since we are paying for everything ourselves! it sounds like you already have a date confirmed so that is not a good piece of advice lol

I agree with some off the above posters.. pick a few things that are the most important and spend your money there.. the other things do a lot of research and look for deals/packages. For me, the reception site and photographer were the most important. His sister is making cupcakes (WAY cheaper than a cake!) I bought my dress from Group USA and it was really cheap and looks like a million bucks! hunt for deals or off-the-rack dresses if you're able! trunk shows are also a good way to save! We decided to find a DJ from a local bar. He is a lot cheaper than "wedding Dj's" and we know he's good because we've seen him spin at the bar! We decided to nix a limo for driving around. I plan on asking around to see if there is a school bus or local bar that has revamped buses to see if they'd be willing to give us an hour or two for cheap! I haven't worked out the details but it's an idea I have lol.. Flowers was the one thing I really don't care about so we are going to make our own decorations and just pay for flowers for me and the bridesmaids.. look for a florist near your site so that they don't charge you for delivery! the first lady I met with for flowers (before we decided to do centerpiececs ourselves) wanted to charge $250 for delivery alone! yikes!!

I've signed up for brides.com and theknot.com, I haven't used either for resources because in my area, they just have the same ones listed because they are sponsors. I found our photographer on Facebook because she had done some baby pictures for a friend and I thought they looked really cute and professional! after meeting with her I never would have gone anywhere else! ASK people you know for referrals for do's and dont's... everyone has one vendor they LOVED or HATED!

good luck!

finally, ask your fiance what's the one or two things he wants to have there for sure.. for mine it was hot dogs as an after-party snack and a jersey for guests to sign instead of a traditional book! it's fun to include the guys

First - congrats!!!!

I second not saving on pictures - save elsewhere, these will be lifelong precious memories!

Go try on lots of dresses - the one you pick may be nothing like what you think, things look much different on.

I bought my wedding dress off the sale rack - yes it was way too big but after alterations still cheaper than the non sale price and I loved it!

Since not everyone likes cake, or even the same kind, I wanted to do those petit fours... but we had a destination wedding in Las Vegas and I was worried about delivery, but if I hadn't done it that way I definitely would have done this as opposed to a traditional wedding cake.

It's your day - you and your husband to be - you will get LOTS of advice but only you know what your priorities are.

A girlfriend of mine and her husband spent about 70K on their wedding with 300 guests and she regrets it....
My husband and I spent approximately 2k with 50 guests self catered/booze and wouldn't have had it any other way!
And I've attended probably everything in between - so many weddings I can't count. All different, all special.... figure out together what you want and don't succumb to the desires of others.

Have it your way and have fun doing it!!!

I've signed up for brides.com and theknot.com, I haven't used either for resources because in my area, they just have the same ones listed because they are sponsors.

The best vendors to find are the ones that your fellow knotties talk about in the forum. LOTS of hidden resources there!

There is nothing wrong with using a 2nd hand wedding gown. It's new to you and no one will know unless you tell them.
If you are having a reception dinner do buffet style. It's much cheaper than a sit down meal.
Make sure the food and cake taste good and no one will care about anything else.

Above all - remember, a wedding is just 1 day. It's the marriage that is the important part.

One thing about cupcakes -it's great that you can get many flavors to suit individual tastes, but don't get too many. My friend's daughter had 150 guests at her wedding and probably took home 100 cupcakes! They're also very messy to set up and take down - I was up to my elbows in icing LOL. I never want to see another cupcake as long as I live

Ebay for Buying weddingy stuff in bulk. Shop around for Photographers or pay a college student to take photo's for you for a price.