Wedding Information

Archive for the ‘Wedding planning on a budget’ Category

Ok I am really confused. I have to start researching wedding stuff and I do not know where to start. I have no idea what goes into planning a wedding. We want to plan on a budget but we want to have a spectacular wedding. Any help would be appreciated. Thank You so much.

Look on theknot.com

I’m a bride-to-be and I have just been exploring wedding planning websites on the web, I was just wondering if any recently married brides who used online wedding planning sites could let me know what online wedding planning tools (like checklists, inspiration boards, budget planners, seating plans…) they found most useful? Thanks!

Hi I’m not married but personally for me I think the checklist/timeline and the budget planner (theknot) are the most helpful. I don’t think online seating plans are particularly helpful lol I find it much more helpful to write/draw it all out. Inspiration boards are fun Without a doubt, most helpful website regarding tools is the knot. I also love wednet and yourwedding101 for articles and ettiquete. Those are my top 3 Congrats and best wishes!! x

Hey everyone thanks for taking the time to read this! my fiance and I plan on getting married in August of 2011, which gives us a little over a year to save…our budget is between 6,000&8,000(not including honeymoon bc its taken care of) I have family members, who Dj, Cater, can make the flowers, and Im having the wedding party pay for their own dresses&tuxes! Our guest list is right around 150…Im also not picky about how much my wedding dress costs, has anyone else pulled off a wedding with this budget? Any tips?

You already have so many resources, congratulations! Here a few more ideas:
* Ask friends to photograph your wedding. We had friends who owned great cameras because it was their hobby, and they took pictures for free. Since I love to scrapbook, I made a beautiful album and honestly it was fun to make!
* Make your own invitations. I’ve actually seen elegant, inexpensive invitations you can print out yourself at craft stores (Michaels, Joanne’s), walmart, office depot and target. In the invitations, ask people to rsvp by email or to call you or the person you put in charge of rsvp’s. Don’t forget to ask them to include specific information that you’ll need, such as their names, food choices or diet restrictions (if you need that info for your caterer), and how many people will be attending.
* Buy a smaller, but pretty wedding cake for pictures and the cake cutting, but have sheet cakes in the back to serve to your guests. Inexpensive and pretty cakes are usually found in Chinese bakeries…they’re hidden treasures. I bought a basic three tiered wedding cake that served 150 people for $100. I had over 300 guests, so after we cut the cake, it was rolled into the kitchen where the other sheet cakes were and voila! cake for everyone!!! Once they delivered the cake ($45 to deliver outside their city), my friends decorated it with fresh flowers and it was gorgeous. If you have a chinatown nearby, it’s worth it to check out their bakeries. My brother-in-law pronounced it was the best cake he’d ever had. If the chinese bakeries didn’t work, I would have checked out the Mexican bakeries next.
* Ebay and Craig’s List have great deals on wedding dresses. I found 3 wedding dresses in thrift stores in affluent neighborhoods and had my pick of what to wear. But I ended up finding a new dress in a bridal gown outlet store, which is what I eventually chose to wear. I even bought my bridal attendants their new Jessica McClintock dresses for $10 each at the outlet store. My grandmother’s friend altered my dress for free. I borrowed a friend’s veil.
* My friend did my make-up and hair.
* I researched community centers and found one in an affluent neighborhood, with a beautifully maintained garden beside it, so I had a garden wedding at city government prices. They even had chairs included in the rental… it was a great find. You should check out your county’s parks and rec.
* Are you involved in a church? Maybe talk to the pastor and see if any groups in the church that could help you put together your favors or decorate your reception area. My church greatly helped in this area.

Have I ever regretted cutting corners as I did? No. Our wedding is paid for, and we did not get in debt. It was totally worth it! It was more important to us to share our day with others with joy, and to enjoy our wedding day - which we did! It truly is just one day that goes by in a whirl. Better to concentrate more energy and investment in your marriage, rather than the wedding.

I hope you have a wonderful wedding! Many blessings to you!

They say that location is everything, but how do you look for an ideal spot for a wedding? The solution is to know exactly what you are looking for. There are many factors to consider in selecting the right location for your wedding because this will set the atmosphere for the whole ceremony which will be captured in your wedding videography. Finding the right spot will be the starting point in determining the other aspects of the ceremony like the theme and the colors of the wedding.

There are hundreds of options to choose from but it really depends on the couple’s preferences and priorities. Planning carefully is the key to ensure that you will have the ceremony you’ve always dreamed of. The couple should first decide on the kind of ceremony they want. It may either be traditional or modern just as long as it reflects both your personalities. Selecting the ceremony site will be influenced by the time of the year, the guest size and the formality of the wedding. You should begin your search as soon as the wedding day is set.

The next thing you have to work on is the guest list and the budget before you start looking for a location. Let your budget be your guide in selecting the best places you can afford. If you are planning to get married in a romantic castle off coast then you have to compromise by cutting your guests list down. Keep in mind that people like their personal space so it is important you choose a location where all of your guests have plenty of room to sit down and be comfortable. In this way, they will be able to enjoy your special day as much as you.

The distance between the wedding ceremony and reception venue is also a significant factor. If the ceremony site is a bit far from the wedding reception venue then other guests may get distracted and decide not to attend anymore. If possible, try to select the wedding ceremony and reception in the same location.

Traditional ceremony locations include churches, cathedrals, chapels and temples. In these places of worship, there may be a few restrictions on placement of flower arrangements, use of candles and appropriate music for the weddings. Make sure you are completely informed on the guidelines regarding these arrangements especially the details on important matters like the wedding videography and photography.

There are also a lot of options you can choose from if you are considering to have your ceremony outdoors. Public parks offer a picturesque outdoor setting. They are perfect locations especially during temperate months. The charming scenery can provide you with natural decorations for your wedding. It can be a wonderful alternative but be prepared in the possibility of unpredictable weather. Having an alternate ceremony site will be a good idea.

By visiting potential wedding ceremony and reception locations ahead of time you can learn a lot and make an informed decision on your options. You have to remember that in choosing the wedding venue, the most essential thing to consider is how you feel about the place. If you envision yourself getting married there then it is definitely the perfect spot for you.

Juhlin Youlein
http://www.articlesbase.com/marriage-articles/finding-the-perfect-wedding-location-670336.html

Most of us have been dreaming of a perfect wedding since we were a little girl. We are dreaming of a beautiful bridal gown, handsome groom, a beautiful spread and all our friends and loved ones are there.

However, for others who never contemplated of a wedding and all, and are on the state of shock that it is really happening, they might in trouble wondering where the heck they should begin.

Although dreaming for a perfect wedding is very easy to do, sometimes, if you are only earning thousands of dollars and not millions of dollars, making your dream in reality is quite impossible to do.

However, there are great ideas to help you that having a dream like wedding is not as unrealistic as you may thought, as long as you’re informed and wise about it.

If you are a couple that don’t have millions of fortune, your first thing you need to consider before planning your wedding is to determine your wedding budget. It is necessary for you to to know the capacity of your budget and how you can realistically spend it. Wedding expenditures can easily rise up  if it doesn’t have a proper monitoring. Monitor all your expenses to avoid yourself of overspending your budget than what you had anticipated. Also, you can cut back on things that are less important and rather spend the money to the more important elements.

One of of cut down your expenses is making your own wedding invitations. Wedding invitations can be very expensive than what you have anticipated. Making your own invitations is a lot cheaper and can still look beautiful. All you need to do is to purchase fine paper and envelopes, customize them with some professional software program techniques available in your computer.

You can also save money on your wedding gown. You may consider shopping online for a designer gown that is usually at a fraction of the prices in the boutiques. Just be mindful always when shopping.

If you feel you have to ask some questions first, then feel free to do so. Make sure also that the gown is in new and good shape and with correct size. Just be careful of online stores that can be misleading sometimes. As a form of etiquette, the reputation of their sites means a lot for them, so if you are not satisfied with their service or with your purchase, you can reiterate this by giving a feedback. You may consider checking out newspapers, local discount stores, or ask a bridal boutique if they have stocked dresses that are no longer being made, discontinued, or clearance dresses. You’ll never know you might find a gem.

Although you’ve been dreaming of the entire village to come on your special day, but because your budget won’t allow you, you should consider to trim down your expenditure by making your guest list as short as possible. Remember, the number of your guests will tell you almost everything you have to spend on your wedding. These individuals are always related to all your wedding elements.

Other areas where you can cut down cost is to consider affordable wedding favors, inexpensive bridesmaids gifts as well as groomsmen gifts. You may even create your own wedding favors, one very easy do-it-yourself favors are edible wedding favors like chocolates, candies and mints, cookies, jams and the likes.

Janet R.
http://www.articlesbase.com/marriage-articles/saving-extra-bucks-on-your-wedding-671541.html

I’m planning my first (and hopefully my ONLY) wedding - and my groom and I have a very small budget. We’ve always planned on having a wedding in the snow - which seems possible because we live in Oregon - and are planning to wed in February of 2011.

Does anyone know of any AMAZING venues - the more rustic, the snowier, the better!
*for example, we’re looking at the Silcox hut at the Timberline lodge, to see if we can afford that.

Because of the location and time of year, you may actually find that some of the venues cost more because of the snowfall. Be forewarned that, contrary to a lot of places, these locations will have February as part of their "peak" season.
Don’t be discouraged though! Weddings in winter/snow are lovely!

http://www.lakecliffbnb.com/ > Bed and breakfast overlooking the lake. I would watch your guest list numbers if you end up going here. It looks like lots of room outside, but in February I’m not sure if you’ll really want to stay outside for more than the ceremony! Located in Hood River.

http://www.graygables.com/index.html > Lots of greenery all over the property. Lots of trees and whatnot that I bet would look great covered in snow. Located just outside of Portland.

http://www.columbiagorgehotel.com/weddings.cfm > Offers ceremony and reception sites. Inside and out. Located in Hood River.

http://www.cooperspur.com/beautiful_settings.shtml > Offers various locations at the resort to have ceremony and reception. About 25 miles south of Hood River.

Congratulations and good luck!

My fiance and I are getting married in August of this year. We’ve been together nearly 6 years and have a 13 month old daughter. My aunt (who helped raised me) passed away late last year and left me some inheritance money, the only problem is we have to spend most of it on bills and on college tuition & daycare. We can really only afford a 5K wedding and even that’s cutting it. We’ve found the perfect place Duke Gardens & having the ceremony there would only cost 650, but my grandmother (who has lavish tastes) wants me to have the ceremony & reception there which would cost 2500 and she said she’d cover the costs but if she would be willing to spend that much on me, I’d prefer her to use a more cost-effective choice since we are on a strict budget. She also told me to invite many of my family members knowing that most of them wouldn’t come but would instead send a gift or money. But what if they do RSVP then I get stuck with the bill. I’ve planned 2 funerals in the past 2 years I’m a pro at them, but this wedding thing is stressing me out already and I’ve just gotten engaged! I want to hire a wedding planner but I’m afraid it will be more cost that we don’t need, but then I feel like a planner could actually help us cut costs. So lost…please somebody help me!
And I have about 4 really close girlfriends, but a few others I’ve known for years & we can’t afford 10 bridesmaid dresses, how should I go about that?
Thanks a lot!
@ Bonnie D that sounds perfect thank you I guess I’m too stressed out to think clearly but that definitely clears up one headache!

Some people I know have gotten a creative family member or friend to do their wedding planning, and that was their gift to them so it didn’t cost anything. Make sure you pick someone frugal who really wants to do this.

just go with four bridesmaids. That is plenty. It sounds like your venue is already pretty and doesn’t need a lot of decorating, so there is some more money saved. People remember the food, drink,and flowers more than anything so make those your biggest expenditures.

You should send invitations to the people you are expecting to come, and wedding announcements to the people who you know won’t come, but might send a gift.

Suprise after four years we just found out we are pregnate!!! I was raised very old fashioned so I’d like to be married before the baby. And I know if I don’t have an actual wedding now I’ll probley never have one. We have talked about this a million times but now I’m 6 weeks and need to figure out a way to do a wedding about 2 months away on a low budget. If you have any ideas or suggestions to help out please let me know.

First, you are pregnant, not pregnate.

You can do this, but obviously you’ll need to cut a lot of corners. First, figure out your budget and then subtract the marriage license cost and officiant fee. These are the only 2 must-haves. Then the ideal way would be to get someone to offer up their backyard for the ceremony and reception. (You have to take into account that 2 months from now is the height of spring wedding season, so you have very limited options). Once you’ve done this, then get the invites out. Obviously, this would be a fairly small list of family and friends.

Next get an officiant. You can ask on your local craigslist about this.

Then track down your dress through ebay, craigslist or you can check with local places like David’s for any sales.

Figure out the catering. For a small group, you could either beg family members to do it, or if you can afford it, check with local restaurants about their options and prices.

Then see what’s left and figure out how to get anything else you want cheaply.

my fiance an i are trying to have a wedding here with in the ned few months an we don’t really no where to go. We don’t want to get married in the court house we no that. but we would like to have a nice small wedding an a reception. but don’t no where to go that we are not going to spend a fortune. any ideas PLEASE HELP. we live in tucson az an need a nice inexpensive place.

You can definitely do a wedding on a budget. Like mentioned, you can always do a cute ceremony in a park, but then you have the risk of unwanted observers. You could also see if you can rent out a local country club. At some, weddings are very uncommon. My friend was able to rent one in North Scottsdale for only $200, and she had a beautiful wedding. You could also check out local nicer hotels.

Depending on how large your wedding party is, you can always do a dinner preceding the wedding at a nice restaurant, then you would just have to pay a set amount a person. Or, you can supply your own catering with bulk foods. Flowers are very expensive too, so I would definitely recommend decorating with fake flowers and saving the real ones for your bouquet. Maybe have each of the bridesmaids carry a single flower down the aisle.

My fiance and I are planning our wedding on our own. We plan on having an outdoor wedding by the summer of 2011 with a budget of give or take 10K and a guest list of about 125. If anyone has any advice on how to do this without losing our mind, it would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve looked at many articles online, but I wanted to hear some genuine advice from real people. Thanks!

We are doing ours for about that. The main thing is to decide what’s important to you and what’s not. Cut back in the areas that aren’t priority. Also, I signed up for lots of mailing lists and don’t think I’ve purchased anything at full price!