Wedding Diet Plan
Lose The Weight Before Your Big Day

Wedding Budget

Being engaged is so much fun right? Yes. Now you have to stay grounded and not go into debt to get you through to the most important day of your life. One of the best things about being engaged is having a partner to lean on and listen to before things become too stressfull.

Budget

While the budget for your wedding shouldn't be the single most important thing, it does rank pretty high up there. Because a budget is such an important factor, this should be done soon after the engagement so you can begin to know how much you have to work with and how much you may have to work around.

Gather up everyone who may be responsible for the financial funding of your wedding and come to an agreement that everyone can live with right up front. This may include only you and your fiance or an entire family. Go into this discussion knowing that it will change and be revised by the time everything is over with, but coming up with a figure everyone can live with early is key to working your wedding budget.

Saving

Discuss with your fiance what your plan will be when unexpected costs arise during the planning of your wedding. This is a good way to have a plan ahead of time, avoiding arguments later. Working extra overtime may be an option, or picking up extra cash by working at a friends shop Saturdays may be a possibility.

Whatever you are able to do to make extra cash, start on it early and then stash that cash away. It may not even seem that you will need it at first, but more than likely it will come in handy at some point. Especially if your budget isn't exactly what you had hoped it would be. If nothing else, in the end that money can be used as spending cash on your honeymoon. Open a new savings account for your "wedding fund". As the wedding gets closer and vendors balances have to be paid, or extra expenses come up, go to your fund.

Do It Yourself

Another great way to save some extra cash is look at things that are important to you about your wedding that you can do yourself. How much do you really need to spend on invitations? Is it something that can be done from your home computer and look just as beautiful? More than likely you can find ways to save on vendor services that you can end up doing yourself.

Incorporate friends and family who are talented and crafty. Utilize the skills they have and combine them with your vision. If you don't have anyone like that in your life, use the internet to teach you what you don't know and what you would like to learn. Don't sell yourself short. You can do amazing things yourself, even if you aren't the most crafty person around.

If you and your fiance work as a team, you can accomplish great things for your wedding that won't put you in debt later. Having a wonderful wedding and a great honeymoon are exciting things, but who wants to come back and worry about bills? Not a fun way to start off a new marriage. Now you dont have to worry about that. One more thing you can check off your list.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. QUESTION:
    Wedding Budget?
    I am planning my wedding for April 11, 2009. My fiance' and I can only work on a budget ,000. We are planning on inviting at least 200 guest can this be done on our budget?

    • ANSWER:
      Our wedding was 00. We had 75 people, a free dress, and my husband worked at the hotel so we got all the food and beverage at a discount. And I was very frugal with everything else. We only had appetizers, and a limited open bar (beer & wine only).

      If you are planning on having a dinner and open bar for 200 people, absolutely not. k only gives you /person for food, beverage and a venue. What about dresses, rings, photography, DJ, gifts, invites, flowers, decor?

      You need to reduce the number of people you are inviting, or increase your budget.

  2. QUESTION:
    wedding budget???
    what would be a good budget for a low budget wedding? what was your budget? or what would be your budget? something reasonable here nothing with millions in it

    • ANSWER:
      I spent 00 on my wedding. Your budget is whatever you can afford to pay. If all you can afford is the marriage license fee and a JOP with a small reception, then that is what you do. I do not see the sense in spending 10 grand on one day in your life.

  3. QUESTION:
    Wedding budget.......?
    Writing a book. One of the characters has to plan a wedding in a month. It's going to be at the person's house. What would be an appropriate budget?

    • ANSWER:
      That really depends on your characters and plot lines.

      Is the bride/planner thrifty? Would she shop at discount stores, thrift stores, mall stores, or really high-end stores? Does she like simple things or extravagant things? Will the wedding be a quiet affair with a handful of family and friends, or is half the town invited?

      A wedding budget can be any amount of money; the amount of money spent on a wedding depends on the people getting married and/or hosting the wedding - their viewpoints and their circumstances. Therefore, the budget you'll need for the wedding in your book will depend on your characters - their viewpoints and circumstances.

      Helpful hint: Think of what elements the wedding in your book will have, and research average prices for those elements in the city or general geographic region in which that part of your story is set. Prices for the same items or services vary widely according to region.

  4. QUESTION:
    How do you make a wedding budget?
    I need to keep costs down for my wedding, but I don't know how to go about it. I originally was going to sell tickets for my wedding, but after the reaction I got here, I think that it would probably tick off most of my guests, so that's out.

    I have no experience with weddings, event planning, or budgets. How do I make a wedding budget, and stick to it while still having an elegant wedding?

    • ANSWER:
      you are the one that decides on how much to spend on everything...i mean you and your fiance.
      and you might want to make a list of your necessities and your wants
      There is a website that may assist you and it's free, www.weddingwire.com
      Hope you can figure everything out without going over your budget
      and congratulations :)

  5. QUESTION:
    What should our budget be for our second wedding?
    With our first wedding, our wedding budget was ,000. Me and my husband are planning the wedding of our dreams for sometime in 2011. There won't be any guests or family invited. Nor will there be a formal reception. The only people who will be present will be me, my husband and our offspring. We're planning something quiet, romantic, sexy-ish (mainly attire). We we're thinking about a ,000 budget to make this all happen. But not sure if this is to much or to little. Can anyone give me some numbers? Please no rude answers, thank you.

    • ANSWER:
      Unless you are doing a destination or something, I wouldn't see it costing this much.

      If I was doing something like you, I would have a nice restaurant section off a part for my family, and then eat there. It would probably cost between 25-45 dollars a plate depending on where you went.

      If you wanted to add on a small cake or something, that would be nice.

      I still couldn't see this costing 3000 dollars though.

  6. QUESTION:
    My wedding budget it getting out of control! How do I save money on decorations?
    I just had a 00 emergency pop up that had to come out of my wedding budget! How can I save money on everything from music, decorations, and my accessories?

    • ANSWER:
      well are you the arts craftsftys type ? I'm an avid scrapbook-er,so I saved a ton i did my invitations ,programs,menu cards,and table setting myself. plus i went with simple floral arrangements for centerpieces

  7. QUESTION:
    What should my wedding budget be, based off of how much I make?
    Hi, I'm getting married in April and I need to know what my wedding budget should be based off of how much I make. Together my fiance and I make a little under 60 grand a year. What would be an appropriate budget number for a wedding based off of that?

    • ANSWER:
      honey this isnt about how much you make, this is about how much you can afford.

      ok, you make k a year. but how much of that is already going towards bills and things? subtract that from your yearly total. do you have any kind of safety net in place if something unexpected happens that you need to pay for? if not, start saving, and subtract whatever you save from your yearly total. have any major purchases on the horizon? house? apartment with slightly higher rent? subtract from your total.

      im not trying to be rude or anything, it just scares the bejesus out of me when couples start planning weddings without figuring what they can TRULY afford.

      if your willing to wait a bit longer, you could probably spend more because you have more time to save. but if you try to make up a budget based just on how much you make in a year without taking into consideration every other bill you have, your going to be in trouble. dont forget, when you get married, his bills become your bills and your bills become his bills too

  8. QUESTION:
    How did you divide up your wedding budget?
    where did the bulk of your money go to? For example if I am planning a 15k-20k wedding what is the most efficient way to break that down between venue, food, gown, flowers etc? Did you budget a specific percentage to each item? We are planning on our own thus far, with my parents footing the bill mostly, but we plan on contributing somewhat too.

    • ANSWER:
      Totally agree with Perse.

      www.theknot.com is magic!!

      I was pulling my hair out before I found this site, lol!

      Good Luck!!

  9. QUESTION:
    Does this sound realistic for a wedding food budget?
    Hi guys,
    I am planning a wedding budget and trying to keep it reasonable. I want to do a buffet-style dinner. I don't want super-fancy foods, but I do want them to be tasty. I currently have it budgeted at a head for food, not including cake or alcohol. Is that realistic? Anyone been able to do it for less? This is a February, Los Angeles wedding.
    Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      that sound reasonable to me. i myself had a buffet-style dinner in Los Angeles back in 2007 and i believe mine was at most 65 a head for 150 guest so the food came out to be just under 10 grand. I had my wedding reception at luminaries restaurant on top of a hill over looking the San Gabriel valley. we chose the ballroom the had floor to ceiling windows and at night it was absolutely gorgeous! i think it's right next door to or connected to a golf course too.

  10. QUESTION:
    What are some good wedding budget ideas?
    We are looking for some ideas to cut down on the cost of our wedding/reception. Any ideas would be helpful!! We have about a ,000 budget. It's going to be around Christmastime. Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      Doing a cocktail party instead of a full meal can save you a lot of money, and it less stressful than cooking all of your own food. Depending on your family/friends you could even considering doing a potluck. I think everyone making and bringing different christmas cookies could be so cute. A bit random but if you are going to wear a veil buy it online, they one of the most ridiculously priced wedding accessories. That is what I did and it is even better quality than the stuff in the stores. Planning ahead is also important, that way you get buy things while they are on sale and not be stuck needing something so bad it does not matter what the price is.

  11. QUESTION:
    How to come up with a wedding budget?
    In order of importance, how should we establish a wedding budget to keep track of the average price we'd be spending on each part of the wedding?

    • ANSWER:
      Find out for sure how many people are attending.

      Then get out a calculator and start doing lots of division.

      For example: Let's say you have 93 confirmed guests on your list and you're looking into hiring a live band that wants to charge you ,700.

      That live band will be ,700 divided by 93 which is approx.:

      .28 / guest for the live band.

      Start doing that for the rest of the items on your list.

      Most people, however, just do one large tally. They add up ALL costs and then divide that into the total number of guests.

      For example, let's say after hiring the band, venue, limo, flowers, tux, pastor, DJ, cake, gifts, food, etc, the cost is ,252.

      Then your average cost per guest would be

      ,252 divided by 93 which is approx:

      .48 per guest for the wedding.

      You can now decide if you're over budget or not.

      If, say, you were trying to stay below / guest, then you know you will have to cut out some things or haggle with your vendors.

      *
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  12. QUESTION:
    What is a reasonable wedding budget if you do your best to keep it low?
    I'm not talking like do-it-yourself kinda cheap, but like a weekend wedding at a decent venue with catering and have a photographer and flowers and blah blah blah. Just choosing the cheaper options.

    don't include the dress, i haven't set a dress budget
    I'm estimating the wedding guest list will be 200+
    The reception is more of an open house and we'll send invites to everyone

    • ANSWER:
      I know that if I wasnt doing somethings on my own then my wedding budget would be close to ,000, but then I am inviting 200 people. By doing some of the things on my own I am probably saving somewhere between ,000 to ,000. I havent really figured out the totals yet. Just be prepared for things to be really expensive.

  13. QUESTION:
    my wedding budget is so small is it possible to have a nice time?
    my wedding budget it very small (under ,000) its going to be a small wedding (under 50 ppl) things are working out so far were in our budget thinking where we can spend and where we can save my friend that i work with is also planning her wedding and shes always bragging about how much shes spending (about ,000) she says you have to spend money to have a nice day because its your wedding day is my day destined to suck or will everything work out?

    • ANSWER:
      Hi there, I don't think your friend should make you feel bad about how much you are spending on your wedding. In today's economy the most sensible thing you can do is skip out on a lavish wedding and save up for a mortgage or pay off your debt first.
      After having recently married here are some tips I picked up:

      1. Off-season weddings will save you 50% off or more. I'm not sure what city your from but you can save a ton on your wedding no matter where you are if you have an off-season wedding. Wedding season is from April to the end of September and people are charged a more for these in demand dates. Also have you considered having the wedding/reception on a Friday evening or Sunday rather than Saturday? This date change will also save you money. The hall I used offered 50% discounts to off-season weddings.

      2. Don't go to a Wedding Hall/Hotel for the reception. Try having the wedding and reception at the same location as the wedding, some churches/temples/mosques have their own party room. See if you can use that instead of a hall. You also try using a nice restaurant instead of a hall, which has a private party room. Any room can look beautiful with some matching table cloths and chair covers. I had my engagement party at a Senior Centre which was located in a historical home (it looked beautiful on the outside), which had a nice party room with tables and chairs. My mom bought table cloths at walmart, and we placed cheap candles of varying sizes all over the room. It looked stunning! The cost of this locational - only 0!

      3. Serve a buffet style dinner instead of a traditional sit down meal. I did this and saved a ton and most of my guests gave me positive feedback. Many people like the chance to interact with others at the buffet.

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      4. Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. People were more than willing to give me a discount when I asked. Give it a try.

      5. Skip out on the fancy wedding attaire. My fiance used a rented tux and ended up paying under 0 for everything he wore (including shoes, tie, shirt etc). Some of my friends wore rented gowns. I opted for a new one, but I bought it at a "trunk show." This is wear they have a special sale on designer gowns from the pervious year or new collections. Also you can try going to non-bridal stores and looking for a white prom dress or evening gown.

      6. Hire students or people with less experience. Consider hiring student photographers or videographer and/or an amateur highschool band/dj. Make sure you sample there work before hand.

      7. Hire a professional for short amount of time. If you do opt for a professional photographer, consider hiring them for just a few hours rather than the whole day. Make most of the time you have with him by having a list of shoots you want (i.e. couple, family, mother/daughter etc). A lot of brides now leaving deposable cameras on tables at the reception. You can hire a photog for a few hours and then use deposables for the reception.

      8. Don't use a lot of flowers. Flowers are a big drain on the budget. I used flowers for my head table and found beautiful candelabras for guest table centerpieces, which I rented.

      9. Avoid anything wedding specific. For example, don't go to wedding shoe shop, you can find white shoes anywhere. Anything with the word 'wedding' attached will cost and extra arm and leg.

      Finally, my own personal piece of advice, please write up and sign a contract with anyone and everyone you hire. Specify what you hired them for, what hours they will be working, and how much they will be paid. Just in case anything goes wrong, you can refer to it. Congrats on your upcoming nupitals and good luck!

  14. QUESTION:
    My fiance and I are on a VERY strict wedding budget, any suggestions to have a nice but inexpensive wedding?
    My fiance and I just bought a house so money is tight. We are trying to plan our wedding for this year or spring of next year (April) but I am finding it difficult to find venues or come up with ideas that aren't cheesy and are cost effective. Our budget is ,000 max and we will have approximately 60 - 100 people. Any suggestions for a nice, simple, inexpensive wedding that isn't cheesy? We live in Ontario, in the GTA.

    • ANSWER:
      We are inviting 36 guests and our budget is 00 for the entire day. Here are our plans.

      Getting married in a Rose Garden at noon for free. (lots of outdoor venue are free or charge low prices, we found nice parks who rent their property for only /day. The Rose Garden we chose is free)
      Small guestlist
      Noon wedding, afternoon reception. Lunch food is cheaper than dinner food.
      No need to decorate the garden, it's nice enough. We are buying NO decorations.
      My dress . Flower Girl dress . His suit hope to spend no more than 0
      No wedding party. Only flower girl.
      DIY flower bouquet from fresh cut dept. store flowers
      Reception- Lunch at a nice restaurant. No need to decorate, it's nice enough. No need to rent tables, chairs, place settings, ETC..we just show up an eat. Only pay for the food we eat. Can't get any easier than that. Paying per person. Serving classic comfort foods...nothing fancy.
      Hired Photographer for ceremony only. Using disposable cameras for reception
      Hired violinist for ceremony only. Restaurant will play background music for lunch reception.
      Cupcakes
      Invitations from vistaprint.com

      That's basically it. Our goal for the day is to simply get married and then go eat with our family and friends. Not concerned with all the other fluff that goes with weddings these days.

  15. QUESTION:
    What was your wedding budget and what did you actually spend?
    I'm not quite sure what my wedding budget is yet, but i know i want to do whatever i can to save money...making the centerpieces, and bouquets and decorating myself. Also, my friend's dad is a chef and he has offered to give me a discount on the catering

    What was your wedding budget and what did you actually spend?
    What did you do to save money?
    What did you spend more on than you thought you would?

    Thanks :)

    • ANSWER:
      If you can find people you know that know someone that does something wedding related, total bonus! Just ask, you would never guess who people know lol. Our wedding isn't until May 2012, so we are just starting to figure things out. As far as budget a really big thing is number of guests, the lower the number the lower the cost.

      Budget: Parents are giving us 10k we are repsonsible for anything over that amount. And to give you an idea, we live in Michigan and having a guest number of around 200. All the reception venues I have looked at, and like (not super fancy but not dirt cheat either) have been about 8k (that is the cheapest) to about 12k. For a Saturday wedding.

      Save money: Have your wedding on a Friday, if possible, you can save a crazy amount. Have you wedding in the off season (usually like Nov-Apr) big money saver there. Cut your guest list if you can. Don't have a family member do your cake (I have heard horror stories), we have a "Warehouse" like place called Costco (like Sam's club) they offer a really good sheet cake (feeds 48 I think) for like (and it's good too!), so you could do like a traditional cake with foam tears (very popular now) and then just have the sheet cakes be what is cut and served. Doing a lot of DIY stuff can really save. Also, using silk flowers can really cut costs. As far as the chef goes, be sure where ever you book your reception allows outside caterers, a lot around here don't. Have a cash bar (if it's an option to you) here that would cut like a person off. Shop around! Don't just go with the first photographer, or dj you see, shop around and try and make a deal with them. Hit the trunk shows and sales for a dress (maybe, depending on how you feel, borrow someone's that you are close to, since most people keep their dress).

      As far as final cost: I know I will spend more than what I thought lol. When I first started planning, I was like 10k (from parents) would be good, might have to spend like 2k myself, not so much lol. Good luck though!

  16. QUESTION:
    How did you do your ,000 wedding budget?
    My husband and I were married at the courthouse in 2006 and now for our 5 year anniversary we are going to have the wedding that I never got to have back then. Our budget is ,000 but I have no idea how I should divide that up. Could I see someone's sample budgets? Ideas? Whatever, I just need help! LOL Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      Start with your reception, because that is going to be the most $$. You can't build the budget EXACTLY until you have an idea of how much that will be. Of course, you can estimate, but I still think that's the best place to start.

      I would recommend doing your vow renewal (if you are doing one) at the same location as the reception, find a hotel or a reception hall somewhere that has a gazebo or a nice separate place to do the vows. Not only will it save you money, but it will save your guests travel time between venues. Since you are already married, you want to make this the easiest thing possible for your guests- because they are humoring you in a re-do. You don't want anything to be inconvenient for them. That's what my sister did for her wedding-style vow renewal.

      My wedding budget was 00 and we were under, but we only had 50 guests.

      If you are having around 100 guests (which is a more normal #, remember you can invite more than 100 if that's your goal because not everyone will attend):
      I would start by looking for a reception venue in the same price range we were in (we paid per person, that's including all taxes and service fees, the 4 course meal, the cake, the short ceremony, the flower centerpieces, and an open bar for the cocktail hour. We went with the most-inclusive package they offered, because to buy the cake and centerpieces separate would have cost more in the long run) The fees are what really kill you, most places will charge 18% and 20% for service and administration, plus meal tax. So bring your calculator to appointments, because the price they advertise per-person is much less than what you will be paying in the end.

      After you find the place you love, do the math and figure out what it's going to cost. After that, pick out your dress (I would stay under 0, but if you want to go higher you can you'll just have to cut something else short).

      So right now you're at approx 00 reception, 0 dress, that leaves you with 00.

      0 is the MINIMUM you will pay for a DJ and photographer, and that's assuming you hunt really hard and barter well. Let's estimate 0 for each to be more realistic, so that's 00 after both of those.

      Remember, this is assuming the cost of cake and centerpieces and ceremony are included in the reception. If they are not, you need to look for a lower price reception.

      Flowers, if you can make them yourself, beit fresh or fake, give yourself about 0. It should be less, but it's better to over budget. If you are having a bridal party, set aside 0-200 for gifts for them.

      So now you have 0. You can pay for an officiant, or you can have someone you know do it for free. Nothing has to be official, so I recommend that.

      Your husband will need to rent a tux, -100.

      If you do your own invites using the pre-made invites from Micheals crafts that you print yourself, you will be spending about for 50 invites (remember, it's not one invite per person, it's one invite per family, so you may need even less than 50) and you can print business card up for place cards .

      So that leaves you with 5 for favors, hair&makeup, place card holders, decorations, accessories, etc. That's MORE than enough for all of those incidentals. You may want to put part of this towards flowers and have them done professionally, that's up to you. You can wait and order the flowers until after you have definite numbers for the cost of everything else. You can also "find" more money in the budget if you need to, by simply choosing a cheaper dress.

      Don't forget to tip your DJ and photographer after, if they did well. Also don't forget that most DJs or photographers expect to be fed if they are there for more than 4 hours, but your venue should have cheaper "vendor" meals.

      Hope that helps!

  17. QUESTION:
    What % of your wedding budget do you spend on things?
    Ex. What % of your wedding budget do you typically spend on your gown, flowers, vendor, etc.

    • ANSWER:
      http://theknot.com/
      Use the budget calculator at the Knot. You will see it on the left, under "planning tools."

      It will tell you what percentage of your budget should be spent on each item.

  18. QUESTION:
    Suggestions on how to have the wedding of your dreams on a tight budget.?
    I am planning on getting married in 1 or 2 years but we have a very tight wedding budget. Any info would be helpful. Please no mean or nasty comments. I have seen some really nasty answers on YA and its not very nice.
    For the decorations. my freind is really good with ballons so he is gonna make me a ballon archway and ballon flowers for center pieces at the reception.
    Im getting married at my church.
    We are probably going to get married in the winter.

    • ANSWER:
      I'm only speaking from personal experience here, but I think the best advice is in keeping the whole affair small and intimate. I decided to invite 50 total (only those *closely* related family and friends), had a beautiful ceremony in a small chapel, ate a six course meal with filet mignon at our reception, and had a great band perform while we danced the night away. That's clearly not something I could have afforded with a large number of guests. So try whittling down your invite list and see what you come up with :o )

      Congrats and best of luck to you!!!!!!!!

  19. QUESTION:
    what are some items on a wedding budget list?
    heyy,
    my sister is getting married and i am helping her. i need help to help her. lets say you were at her wedding what are some things you would love to have. be realistic people. what are somethings that really make you go "wow" lol. (favors, entertainment, blah blah blah. lol) and btw ther is no budget. so just list some things you like.

    xoxoxoxoxo.

    • ANSWER:
      I think the key is to do allot of research and look around for the best prices. The internet is great for finding prices and competitive ideas.

      Dont just look around in your area, it might be cheaper to buy things from interstate and get them sent to you.

  20. QUESTION:
    where can i find a small budget wedding reception in scarborough, Ontario?
    I am looking for a small budget wedding in Scarborough. We will have 25-35 very close friends attending our wedding ceremony(Both our family lives outside of Canada). Indoor wedding are fine as long as it includes the reception and wedding ceremony. I have look into other restaurant but I dont know if they could provide wedding ceremonies. I badly need help. A simple and intimate wedding is all we need but most banquest halls requires more than 50 people. Unfotunately, we dont have that budget.

    • ANSWER:
      Look into a private room in a restaurant, you often don't need to pay for the space, just for the meals. You could also contact hotels and tell them you are looking for an intimate event space for less than 40. If you say wedding right away, they will assume you want the ballroom, so be upfront that you want a small space first, they often have meeting rooms which would be more appropriate for your event and more budget-friendly.

  21. QUESTION:
    Any help for a low budget Wedding?
    I am planning a wedding for next year around September or October, but I really do not have a big budget. How can I achieve the wedding I have in my mind on a budget?
    Does anyone have some books or a website that will be able to help me out? Or any other tips for that matter?
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    • ANSWER:
      Check http://Craigslist.org often times brides will sell leftover decorations after their weddings and you can get a ton of stuff for cheap.

      Also check http://Ebay.com for the same reasons. I found tons of decorations on both ebay & craigslist for pretty cheap.

      Check Dollar Stores you may need to visit a few but they usually have some decorations. They usually have candles and things that can be used as centerpieces.

      http://orientaltrading.com - has tons of decorations for weddings and other themes for pretty cheap.

      Be crafty! Make stuff yourself go to Hobby Lobby or other craft stores. You can make a lot of decorations, centerpieces, favors and ceremony supplies yourself for way cheaper.

      http://www.frugalbride.com/ - information on saving money
      http://www.cheap-chic-weddings.com/ - more info on money saving

      Target & Walmart also have decent wedding selections although they are usually the highest price of the things I have listed.

      I bought this from Target http://www.target.com/Target-Club-Wedd-Wedding-Organizer/dp/B000MXISSQ/ref=sc_ri_1/601-5185664-0025754 and it has been a ton of help in planning so that might be a good place to start.

      Also check out http://theknot.com & http://weddingwire.com for planning

      See if you can get a friend to help with photography. Or http://craigslist.org is a great place to search for photographers just starting out! Often times you can get them to shoot your wedding digital for under 0. I've even seen people offer to do it for free just for experience.

      Again check http://craigslist.org for a DJ or band. I found some great people that were just starting out for a lot cheaper than some larger companies.

      You can also check http://craigslist.org for caterers. Again I found many people just trying to get experience that would do it for much cheaper than a larger company. Or ask friends & family for help.

      Try to have your wedding at your own home, a friends home a park or a church are usually the cheapest places.

      Wedding Cake - Super Target has great cakes and are quite a bit cheaper. Also Wal-Mart has decent cake and might be a good place to try too. Again http://Craigslist.org will probably put you in touch with a good baker. :)

      Hope this helps!

  22. QUESTION:
    What is considered in a wedding budget?
    I am hiring a day-of wedding coordinator and they charge a percentage of our total wedding budget. Now, when I created my wedding budget, I included EVERYTHING, such as extra hotel nights, party dresses, gifts to wedding party, tips, etc....

    So what do I HAVE to include in this wedding budget fo them to give me a quote?

    I know I can ask them, but in case I can shave off a few bucks without them knowing...the better!

    • ANSWER:
      I would only include the things that they are dealing with. They probably won't go with you to pick out a dress...so don't include that. I wouldn't include anything extra like tips or hotel or clothing or gifts unless the wedding planner assisted you with those things.

  23. QUESTION:
    Are you a chicago area wedding DJ who can work with a 0 budget?
    On a tight wedding budget and am having my wedding in Hickory Hills on 6/17/11. If you are an experienced wedding DJ, is available and will charge me 0 or less to work my 5.5 hour wedding. I'd love to hear from you. I don't need high tech fancy equipment just looking for basic dance lighting and music equipment loud enough for 250 guest wedding reception hall.

    thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      With a prime date you will be hard pressed to find a good professional dj for 0.

      Your wedding is just a little less than a year away put an extra few dollars away every week and up your budget to 0.

      The difference between a DJ in the 0 range and the 0 range will be night and day.

      0 is very cheap for my area, a big city like Chicago it would be insanely low.

      Read reviews on Wedding Wire and The Knot before you hire anyone. The DJ is the most important part of your reception, many people ruin their wedding by hiring a cheap DJ.

  24. QUESTION:
    Is there anything I need to start planning for now for my wedding and budget ideas?
    I am getting married in about two years. I am wondering if there is anything I need to start planning for now or if everything can wait until this time next year. We are planning on spending very little on the wedding and would like to keep it very low key. We would also like some budget suggestions from those who have been able to spend less than ,000 on their wedding for about 70 people.
    Thanks so much!

    • ANSWER:
      The good thing about time is that you can find the bargains rather than rushing and buying everything at the end.

      It would be a good idea to write down your plans and start costing everything that you want, this way you won't add lots of extras to your wedding budget.

      http://www.cheap-wedding-solutions.com/cheap-wedding-idea.html lots of free cheap wedding advice

  25. QUESTION:
    Tips on planning a wedding and budget cutting tips?
    Hey all,
    I don't know right now whether or not I want a wedding planner. Are there any brides out there that are doing all of the planning? Any tips?
    Also I'm looking for some budget cutting tips.
    Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      I'm planning everything myself. (First unnecessary expense cut. Saves a couple hundreds.)

      Figure out your levels of importance. Ex: How important are the flowers to you? Photos? etc.

      Some ways to cut costs:

      1. Is a big fancy cake that important?
      Perhaps you could have a sheet cake for the guests and a small tiered cake for the cutting ceremony OR cupcakes instead.

      2. Is riding in the limo that important?
      Perhaps you could just have a family member or friend drive you to the wedding in their car.

      3. Are photos and a video that important?
      Perhaps you only need one of them or neither of them.

      4. Is champagne/alcohol that important?
      Perhaps you could toast w/ sparkling cider instead.
      Perhaps you could just serve beer and soda instead.

      I decided:

      1. I'm having the ceremony and the reception held at the same place.
      So, I'm only pay ' 1' rental fee.

      2. I don't need a photographer and a videographer.
      So, I'm cutting out the videography.

      3. I'm not that into flowers.
      So, I'm having non-floral boutonnieres made for all the men and the bouquets
      will be used as decor during the reception.

      4. I talked to friends and family and found people that are offering to provide their
      services to me as their wedding gift (dj, make-up/hair-dresser, cake, limo, etc).
      So, I'm just giving them tips; (showing my appreciation and thanks)

  26. QUESTION:
    How do I set a wedding budget?
    I just got engaged and I am eager to start planning! I know I need to set a budget but I have no idea where to even start figuring out what I should spend and where! I also don't have anyone close to me getting married besides a friend who has no budget so I need help!

    • ANSWER:
      First, figure our your total budget - what you can afford to pay for. The average American wedding is about ,000. My own wedding budget is ,000 because that's what my fiance and I could afford to save up.

      Then go to theknot.com and click their budget calculator. It will calculate roughly how much you should spend in each category (dress, flowers, photographer, etc). Of course, how much you should spend in each area is subjective and depends on what you feel is most important. For example. my fiance and I are scaling back on some things to make more room in the budget for flowers and centre pieces.

  27. QUESTION:
    would like to know if there are any cheap budget wedding venues?
    Are there any cheap budget wedding venues in Newcastle, Northumberland or the North East?

    • ANSWER:
      your best starting point is the council website - this will have a list of approved venues.the next thing to do is get in touch and ask for details on weddings - they should send a catalogue out with prices.try to go to shows,these are valuable sources of information

      the other thing is when youre getting married - if you choose to marry 'out-of-season' (say,early january for example),than you can save a bundle as most places will offer special winter wedding offers - theres a venue near me that will do the entire thing in january for a little under 2 grand,the same wedding in june would cost a minimum of 4 grand (and it is absolutely stunning as well!)lots of people get married in summer,so the prices are higher.i mention this because you may get the venue you want without spending loads

  28. QUESTION:
    I need ideas for a LOW budget wedding with carolina panther colors?
    I don't really have a big budget and I don't really have any idea on how to decorate the church for our wedding in October! I just know the colors. I have a few ideas for the reception just not the church...i really don't have a lot of money to spend on this, and I don't really have a lot of time. thank you so much for your help

    also if you could answer, or have someone you know answer my question on a really good national cell phone plan and if it's any good in Washington state.

    • ANSWER:
      You just have to make a little go a long way! Don't try to buy a lot of little cheap things because you won't get enough bang for your buck. My wedding colors are the same shade of blue, and I have found a lot of cheap things. You will be in a church, so on every other pew or so, tie a blue satin ribbon with maybe some silver bell accents tied to them. Something like this, maybe: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10402170.

      Instead of an archway, get two tall topiaries or gathered branches and put on the church stage. You can stand between these. On the topiary or the branches, use silk hydrangeas. They look pretty close to the real thing. Put a couple of small flower arrangements on either side of the stage, too, just to get rid of negative space.

      I would also put a table up with some a nice unity candle set and nice aisle runner. Get things personalized if possible, that way it seems like your wedding was thoughtful and certainly doesn't look like a trip to Wal-Mart: http://www.idoweddings-tn.com/personalizeit.html

      Here is a wedding that you can look at that I think is really nice: http://www.onesourceweddings.net/ceremony%20decor/ceremony%20decor%20pics/Blackman-Ceremony1.jpg If you notice, there isn't too much going on, just large pieces, and that's what makes it look so nice.

      As for favors, just do bubbles, little bells, or get rose petal cones and give to the guests. Don't worry about spending too much money on that kind of thing!

      Hope this helped!

  29. QUESTION:
    How much is your wedding budget?
    Also, do you have any tips for saving money when organising a wedding?

    • ANSWER:
      We budgeted ,000 - ,000 for a wedding of 85 people but are ending up on the higher end of that range. My parents have been really helpful, so we've been really fortunate. :)

      The biggest thing you can do to keep costs reasonable is not invite 200+ people. Keep the guest list at your near and dear and it will not only save you money, but keep things intimate and special. Depending on the time of year, an outdoor wedding is a great idea. Know anyone with a nice backyard? Planning the wedding on a Friday or Sunday (if possible) is a great way to save money on your venue. Time of day also changes pricing. A lunch-reception is a lighter affair and calls for more of a light meal and is more affordably priced. This will also save you on a DJ/band as you'd only need background music. If you've got your heart set for an evening wedding, you can always do a dessert or hors d'oeuvres and cocktails wedding (you can save a lot and still have a really elegant wedding this way!).

      Always be candid with your vendors about what your budget is so they can make the best possible suggestions for you. And always get bids from a couple vendors to compare prices and ideas. If you find one vendor you really like, see if you can negotiate by telling them what your other bids came in at and see if they can meet some somewhere in the middle.

      Lastly, prioritize! Figure out what is worth splurging on to you, and what is something you can cut back on. Flowers were my splurge item so I made sure to make up for it elsewhere by not going overboard on some other things.
      Figure out what you can spend total, and then use one of the many online/magazine budget calculators to figure out what you can spend on each category. Use a spreadsheet that keeps track of budget vs. spent so you can see how you're doing.
      I can actually email you one if you'd like! Also I have a great "budget formula" I got from a bridal magazine that I can give you as well. Just shoot me an email and I'll get them both to you! :)
      Best of luck and congrats!!

  30. QUESTION:
    Has anyone got any good tips on keeping a wedding budget down?
    I'm getting married in May 2011 and I'm trying to keep under a £5000 budget. So if anyone has any great tips I'd be very grateful.

    • ANSWER:
      I got married 20 years ago on a budget of £600!

      We did a lot ourselves and friends/church did the reception. I was the photographer among my mates - but of course I couldn't do my own wedding!

      The one thing you can't fake is a professional photographer. If I could go back and raise the money for just one thing it would be that. We couldn't afford a photographer and so friends did it for us - they were both good (one's an art teacher) but it's not like having a pro. The photos don't look anything like what I now produce.

      I'm now a pro wedding photographer. I use high end equipment that costs £5000+ and expensive software. Your mates may have a "good" camera but they don't have what a pro photographer has!

      That's why we are expensive! We also have public liability insurance and if I'm ill on the day I have someone to stand in for me.

      PS - I'm waiting for my mate Peter to bring me a memory card from his wedding. He gave his "good" camera to his mate who did the wedding photos for him. Pete and his wife have been terribly disappointed with the results and so I'm going to see if I can rescue anything for them.

  31. QUESTION:
    What should I expect for a wedding budget?
    The wedding will be very small and I am completely open minded about unconventional and cheep. If you could tell me what you spent, thrifty ideas, and/or what you think I should expect that would help.
    Thank you for your crafty ideas so far. Can any one give me a number? Is 3,000 reasonable? What's the lowest I can get it? What's the highest I can get it?

    • ANSWER:
      One of the biggest costs is the food. Go to a nice local restaurant instead of a venue that advertises as a wedding venue. Find one that has a room you can have exclusively. You will find them without a hire fee.
      You don't have to have floral centre pieces, you can use candles, flower heads floating in water etc. instead and save money there.
      Wish lanterns are cheap and really make the evening memorable. Much cheaper than entertainers and fireworks and everyone gets involved.
      Ask friends if they can help - anyone with a nice car would be handy to drop you off.
      Lots of venues will let you put your music on an Ipod and they will plug it into their sound system. At least for background music through dinner this is a great way to save money.
      If you already live together. Ask for donations towards the honeymoon as you have already set up house and hopefully that should pay for itself.
      You don't have to spend loads and go over the top trying to please everyone. The day is about the two of you xx

  32. QUESTION:
    Have any tips to help us plan a low budget wedding?
    My fiance and I are trying to plan a low budget wedding and need help. We're having everything outside in a friends backyard. How else can we save money? I think we'll have friends/family help with food and flowers. Who will marry us the cheapest, justice of the peace?? Any advice is appreciated.

    Thanks

    • ANSWER:
      Just do yourself a favor and hire professional photographer so that you have beautiful memories to remember this day with forever!

  33. QUESTION:
    What is a normal wedding budget?
    I'm planning on getting married in or around December but I just have no idea what to expect as far as a budget. What is the typical price for a venue, catering, flowers, exc.?

    • ANSWER:
      My fiance and I are aiming for 10 000, 15 000 max.

      Not sure if that's normal or not.

      That's just what we can afford.

      We're setting a budget and sticking to it, no matter what. I think you can really do anything that way, it just involves compromising some unrealistic ideas.

      My fiance's sister, though. When she got married, her fiance's Dad had just sold his business, gave them a half a million dollar budget.
      Some people get all the luck, haha. :)

  34. QUESTION:
    Any ideas on how to plan a simple low budget wedding?
    I like the idea of having a gothic wedding, granted I am not gothic(atleast not hard core )...But I kind of like the idea of myself and and my groom and the bridesmaids & groomsmen in all black or a mixture of black and red, Not to mention the attendents have to adhear to a black/red dress code. I would not mind having an evening/dusk wedding...My son thinks thats nuts...So I am turning to the people of Yahoo Answers for ideas..Nothing lavish, both my boyfriend and I are not into big fan fares, and we have to maintain a tight budget, we don't have an exact figure to work with, but I am thinking around 00 I know as far as weddings go, that is a small sum of money, but we have between us 3 teenagers and a morgage...

    • ANSWER:
      If you're going for a goth theme, having you and your groom, the bridesmaids and groomsmen in black and/or red would actually be really nice.

      Having a theme wedding is all find and good, but making your guests dress in the color scheme is just wrong.

      Just food for thought...

      As far as keeping the costs low - have finger foods instead of a big meal, or just have cake and beverages. If you were to have the wedding at a "non-meal time" you could pull that off without much ta do. A lot depends on the number of guests your inviting.

      Make your own invitations - there are lots of websites that have specialty paper (or just go to your local craft store like Michael's and get card stock in the colors you want).

      We spend about 00 on our wedding, 60 people came, full sit down dinner, that including our attire and all expenses.

  35. QUESTION:
    Hate to pry but... What is your wedding budget and how many guests are you having?
    just trying to get a general idea of an average wedding budget and average guest list.. bc i dont believe its really ,000 and 100 guests... but who knows you could prove me wrong.

    (if you dont mind, the state you are getting married in would help also!)

    • ANSWER:
      Kansas

      Budget is approximately 00-00 (we will meet or beat this)
      200 guests

      This includes:
      Open Bar
      Caterer
      Wedding Cake + Groom's Cake + Mints
      Venue for Reception
      Venue for Ceremony
      Chair Rentals for Ceremony
      Florals
      My dress and accessories
      Photographer
      Videographer
      Photobooth for Reception
      Table decorations and centerpieces
      Shoes and Accessories for my Bridesmaids
      Hair and Make-up for my Bridesmaids
      Dj for Reception
      String Quartet for Ceremony
      Programs for Ceremony
      Car for transportation from Reception to Hotel night before honeymoon

      In addition my Fiance's parents are spending about 00 for the dress rehersal dinner. (60 people)

      Also my Fiance's parents are giving us 00 for our honeymoon

      So if you add all of those up you are looking at about ,500
      But wedding alone just right at about 7-8 thousand....very reasonable

  36. QUESTION:
    What is a sensible sort of wedding budget?
    I originally wanted something small and simple, at about £2,000, but I have a big family and I couldn't find anywhere nice that is large enough, but my mum has found a very beautiful, perfect place not too far away, but it has no price guide - I'm expecting about £5,000 because it'll include food, music, decorations etc. But it really is so beautiful!

    How much should I be spending? I need a sensible budget to keep me grounded!

    • ANSWER:
      The worst way to start married life is in debt, so I suggest settling at a fixed amount that you can afford to spend which you don't have to pay back.

      There is no way you need to spend the average (13,000) on a wedding for it to be nice. We are trying to keep ours to around 8000. We have pretty much paid for everything now and it is just over that. We are having a buffet meal (this will save you money as it requires less staffing by the people doing the reception for you) and not having a drinks tab, so that drink is limited and guests will have to pay if they have more than what we give them (they'll get 2 glasses of wine and champagne anyway at the meal!!) My dress was expensive but I didn't want a budget one.

      To save money get people to do things for you. Don't have a photographer at the reception get your friends to take pictures and let them put them on a CD for you as a wedding present. Also get your friend to drive your car.

      We have saved so much money by getting people involved. I'd say 8000 was a reasonable amount to spend on a wedding without breaking the bank.

  37. QUESTION:
    Does anyone know the average percentages for a wedding budget?
    I'm looking for things such as:

    Food and Beverage averages 60% of the budget or the location averages 25%. These are the kinds of things I am looking for.

    Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      Is this what you are looking for

      Attire: 5-12%
      Cake: 2-3%
      Ceremony: 6-10%
      Entertainment: 3-10%
      Flowers: 5-15%
      Invitations: 2-5%
      Receptions: 35-55%
      Photograph/video: 7-13%
      Transportation: 2%
      Rings: 7-15%

  38. QUESTION:
    Is a K wedding budget doable in Orange County,CA?
    I live in the OC and my wedding budget is k. I just got engaged and starting the process.
    However, the one thing my fiance absolutely insists upon is that the ceremony & reception takes place on a Saturday afternoon and into the night. Guest count is 150 people. Any advice or suggestions?
    Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      10 to 15k is a perfect amount to have a beautiful wedding

  39. QUESTION:
    How can I really stretch my wedding budget?
    Is it possible to have a big wedding (300 people) on a 00 budget. We have decided that we will be having an open bar. What food should we serve?

    • ANSWER:
      Get married in the park or someone's backyard. Set a date that the flowers will be in full bloom and do wild flower bouquets for your attendents. Have the reception in the same yard as the wedding. Get your/his aunts & close friends of the family to bring a dish for a buffet line. Ask cousins to be servers so the the head table doesn't need to get up and get their food.
      Hire a cousin to serve the alcohol.

      Good Luck & Have Fun!

      Make sure that you rent a tent in case of rain!

  40. QUESTION:
    tips and tricks for 5000 dollar budget wedding?
    My finance and I are buying a house hopefully in the fall, so our wedding budget has shrank to 00. I already have my dress and we have our rings which are all paid off. We're looking at no more than 150 guests.

    Whats worth spending money on and whats not?
    what are some unique ideas to save money?
    how did you save money?
    any other tips and ideas?
    I have a really big family, so the minimum guest count would be 100.

    • ANSWER:
      I don't really have enough time to read everyone responses so I hope I don repeat anything. You can definitely have an amazing wedding on that budget, especially if you already have the rings and dress. Here is what I did to save money:

      - Have your wedding begin in the evening. Maybe 6:00 ish and then do a reception that does not include a formal dinner and a dance. I had on my invite something along the lines of: "Join us after the ceremony for snacks, drinks, and a dance". Providing dinner for that many guest would be very costly.
      - For the "snacks" part of it we did- trail mixes, popcorn, wedding cake, and other easy snacks like that. I had some of my sisters friends (high school) be our servers. The kept the cake cut, popcorn popped, plates and napkins filled. etc. I paid then each. They helped with setup, the reception, and take down. The were allowed to have food and dance if they wanted.
      - "Drinks"- we had a keg or two, we bought boxed wine, etc. There was always one girl at the bar serving. People had no idea the wine was boxed as they were served in glasses from behind the bar.
      - "Dance"- I only had the DJ until 11:00 (or was it 10:00?) I have been so so many weddings where the DJ stayed until later and by then nobody is dancing and you have wasted tons of money. On my invite I stated it was done at 11:00. Almost everyone stayed the entire time and the dance floor was always full.
      - Center pieces- I walked around IKEA and found glass containers I loved. Then filled them with glass beads and candles. It looked great. I still use those in my house as decorations. You could even give them to your parents or bridesmaids or something.
      - I made my own unity candle. I loved it! It matched my wedding colors perfectly and I have it displayed in my house today.
      - My photographer was a friend. But she is amazing. Now she has a professional business but she started on my wedding as an amateur. I paid her 0. She gave me a CD with all the pics on it and I developed them on my own. I also made my own wedding scrapbook. There are easy ones to do on Snapfish.com
      - I didnt reserve the reception hall for the entire day. Just the evening. I had the high school girls doing setup (I had a very detailed list of what do do) while we were at the ceremony
      - My wedding party was small. No ushers, cake cutters, greeters, etc. So getting gifts for the wedding party was inexpensive. As was the Groom's dinner. I have been to weddings where practically the entire guest list is invited to the groom's dinner. That can be spendy.
      - I had simple flowers. Just long stem red roses. They were beautiful and I found a lady that worked from her home to prepare that for me. We used the roses to decorate the head table.

      Sorry I wrote so much. I had a lot to say. I hoped this helped at least a little. Congrats on the wedding! Good Luck

      I dont think you have to cut your guest list. Those people would love to come to your special day. There are ways around that!

  41. QUESTION:
    What should my wedding budget include?
    My wedding budget is K. Considering that, how should I delegate what money will be used for what? For example, K for the music, K for a photographer, etc.

    • ANSWER:
      This won't tell you how much to assign to what: that's a personal decision, but it will give you some tips on making a budget for your wedding.

      How Much Money is Enough?
      There is no straight and simple answer to this question. There are many varying factors when setting a budget and it really is something that only the couple can do themselves. I could tell you that an average wedding cost these days is ,000.00, BUT what is average? Depending on the amount of wedding guests and you and your fiances' priorities, the wedding budget and how much money is enough will vary significantly.

  42. QUESTION:
    How much should we factor in the wedding budget for labor cost?
    Our food platters cost .90 a person, but it says we will be charged a labor cost. How much is that typically?

    Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      It all depends on your catering hall. Why not just call them and ask? There's usually a charge for labor and a tip on top of that. I don't think our labor was broken out for us, but I know that tip was 18%.

  43. QUESTION:
    I'm unsure of what an average wedding budget is?
    Cost won't be too much of a problem because I have a lot of time to save and my parents are willing to take care of most of the costs. What is average wedding budget? How much should the venue cost? The honeymoon?
    About 150 guests
    Somewhere around Pittsburgh PA

    • ANSWER:

  44. QUESTION:
    How much did your wedding cost or how much is your wedding budget?
    Im trying to see how much ppl spent on their wedding, just courious because im getting married in a year
    I just dont want to go overboard with my dad's money...I dont want to be greedy

    • ANSWER:
      I spent just under 10K, soup to nuts. I applaud you for wanting to be conservative with your money. It is good whenyou dont start your marraige off with a mount of wedding debt.

      To save money look into cutting back on alot of flowers, a few beautiful choices will go a long way to making your day special without going crazy with the budget, also, for a wedding dress look at Target.com (no, I am not crazy) They sell designer wedding dresses now. Michaels has do it yourself wedding invitations, you make them on your own computer and printer, and then using a good font they can come out very beautiful. Look into a friday wedding or off seaon. good luck.
      I'm in NY

  45. QUESTION:
    How do you rationalize wedding budget
    I just started putting together a list of how much I would need to budget for each part of my wedding and I was surprised that it came to almost 15k (including honeymoon, rehearsal dinner et al). I think I will probably go through with the wedding at this price since I have some savings that will cover that and it is for 200 people so it isn't like I can do something nice for much less. But I am having a hard time rationalizing spending this much when it could go to things like starving children in Africa. This price is pretty much how much I spend on everything normally in a year, not a day. But I also think it is important to have big celebrations sometime. How do you rationalize the cost and not feel wasteful?

    • ANSWER:
      Well you could have people donate to a charity instead of wedding gifts as part of rationalizing. Also there is the whole "Go Green" revolution that is taking place. Another thing to do is use things in your wedding that you can use again or give to guests to use after the wedding. That way they will be re-usable and not only good for that day.

      Good luck in your wedding and wish you and your future hubby all the best.

  46. QUESTION:
    When calling a venue, they ask for my wedding budget, do I have to tell them?
    So everytime I call they ask for my budget, which i don't have as of right now, but I am trying to call and find out prices so I can adjust my budget somehow and compare prices. Well everytime I call they ask for my budget, I feel like I don't need to tell them. They just need to know how many people are attending. Why do they ask? Agh!

    • ANSWER:
      Absolutely not.

      I dealt with the same thing ring shopping, at all the chain stores they wanted to know how much we were willing to spend, yeah, no thanks.

      They ask either because they want to make sure you can afford the venue or so they can recommend only packages within your reach, or so they know your price and can work at getting the top dollar from you.

      I would just tell them your budget is in the works, or you're just pricing around right now. You could also give a vague answer, like we're working with a moderate budget.

  47. QUESTION:
    What dresses would be suitable for a courthouse wedding on a budget?
    My fiance and I are having a small courthouse wedding and having a "reception" in the banquet room of a local restaurant. We're on a budget, so the most I'm able to spend on a dress is about 0. What are some dresses that would be suitable for both the style of our wedding and my budget?

    Please no David's Bridal. I've looked there, but would like to branch out.

    • ANSWER:
      Since you're getting married at the courthouse and then going to a restaurant, I would recommend that you not get a big, ornate dress. An a-line would look nice, as would a sheath.

      Have you considered getting a white bridesmaid's dress? Some of them are quite beautiful, and they cost a lot less than a wedding gown.

  48. QUESTION:
    What is a good practical budget for wedding in manila?
    budget includes photographer, hotel/reception, clothing for bride,groom and entourage etc.. I want my wedding to be simple, solemn but nice wedding.. unforgettable..minus invites and souvenirs, those wll be homemade by me and some friends and family..
    budget includes photographer, hotel/reception, clothing for bride,groom and entourage etc.. I want my wedding to be simple, solemn but nice wedding.. unforgettable..minus invites and souvenirs, those wll be homemade by me and some friends and family.. ok 50 to 60 guests!

    • ANSWER:
      how many guests do you expect?
      i'll update my answer later

      edit:

      a thousand pesos budget for each expected guest will suffice.

      you can ask the help of wedding organizers.

      http://ph.88db.com/ph/Services/Post_Detail.page/food_and_beverage/Caterings/?PostID=127570

      http://www.gov.ph/forum/thread.asp?rootID=103042&catID=21

      http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/view+classifieds/id/265517/Event+Organizer/Coordinator

  49. QUESTION:
    What is a good destination wedding budget?
    For everything, resort, dress, gifts for guests (we are doing baskets for each room and gifts for 6 bridesmaids/ 6 groomsmen) and maybe a group activity or something.

    Me and my fiance have a household income of about 115,000 (but we are still paying off student loans!)

    • ANSWER:
      It really depends on the location of the resort, how expensive the resort is, the number of guests, and any packages they are offering you, etc. Ours was about ,000 to ,000 for 42 guests. We paid the resort about ,000 for everything including great ceremony location, ceremony flowers, 3 bouquets, 4 bouts, 2 corsages, officiant, steel panist, banquet room with linen, silverware and glasses, buffet reception with great food wait staff and bartender, open bar for 4 hours with mid-range alcohol, champagne toast, 1-tier groom's cake, DJ, photographer, videographer, day of coordinator, and a 20% tip.

      The rest was our expenses including attire (purchased not rented), accessories, reception decorations, guest book, serving set, mostly edible favors, wedding cake, airfare, accommodations (we paid for attire, accommodations, and airfare for our wedding party) and wedding insurance. We cut costs by not having a limo, DIY'ing the programs, aisle decorations, and 6 centerpieces. Me and my bridal party of two each did our own hair and make-up. My gown plus alterations was about 00.

      So, you could do it less expensively or more expensively. My suggestion would be to create an Excel spread sheet that itemizes the packages at various venues for comparison. That way you will be able to see more easily what you're getting for the price in each package and compare the costs. This will also be great to set-up your budget.

  50. QUESTION:
    How to start doing a wedding budget where should i start ??

    • ANSWER:
      you should start with an idea of how much you can spend

      style of wedding, then how many people you want there, dress, flowers, church/site for ceremony, licenses, reception rental, tips, food, drinks, permits, favours, invitations, etc

      there are lots of things that need to be accounted for, you should check out some web sites to give you hints of all the things to budget for


wedding diet