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A fabulous wedding for under $5,000

Posted Apr 09 2008, 08:13 PM by Karen Datko
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When we read about Amy's plans for her wedding at My Daily Dollars, we wanted to be invited. This excellent post explains how you can celebrate in an incredible setting with fabulous food for less than $5,000.

First of all, decide what your wedding means to you. "When I imagined my wedding day, what always got me the most excited was the fact that it will be one of the few times in my life that many of the people I love will be in one place at the same time," Amy writes. "Once I had that in mind, other things started to fall into place."

Base the theme on the location, not the other way around. It takes a lot of money to transform a boring social hall into a special place. Her wedding and a "scrumptious picnic reception" will be at a lodge in the state park where she and her fiance had one of their first dates. She adds, "I'm planning for a hike down to the river in my wedding dress."

Tip No. 3 is: "Ditch the 'it only happens once' thinking." If you can't afford the party you want, you can have that party another day. "When the realities of budgeting came into my planning, I had to give up the very elegant cocktail reception at our local art gallery, complete with a jazz trio and designer shoes," she says. "But you know what's great? I can have that reception for our 10-year anniversary or my stepdaughter's college graduation or any old reason I want."

She also explains how she is splurging on things that matter and cutting costs on stuff that doesn't. Plus, she's involving family and friends. The food at her reception will be incredible because they're helping her make it. To read her entire post, click here.

Comments

 

Las Vegas Flamingo !!!!!!!!!!!! We spent about $ 5000 Very nice , when people see the pictures they can't belive its Vegas ....Had reception  for about 50 people too. Everybody talks till this day that it was the best wedding dinner they ever had ( salad , steak and shrimp .Wedding cake and pictures included .All we had to do was so up they handled everthing!!!!! No stress

WE HAVE ALL BEEN TO A WEDDING WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE AN EPISODE OF MY BIG REDNECK WEDDING.

NO ONE WANTS THERE SPECIAL DAY TO MAKE SOMEONE CRINGE..BUT UNFORTUNATELY WHEN TOO MANY PEOPLE GET INVOLVED WITH NO EXPERIENCE IT CAN BE A MESS. ON YOUR WEDDING DAY YOU WANT TO FEEL BEAUTIFUL, AND CAPTIVATING.... MY BEST FRIEND JUST GOT MARRIED IN MIAMI AT A PLACE CALLED THE PALACE AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE... THEY INCLUDED EVERY DETAIL

RIGHT DOWN TO PHOTOGRAPHY, CAKE , LIMO, DJ, CATERING (CHICKEN MARSALA :)) 4 HOURS OF OPEN BAR FOR 100 PEOPLE AT 3500.00.. WHAT A AMAZING EXPERIENCE THEY CREATED AND IT SHOWED YOU DONT HAVE TO SPEND 15,000-30,000.00 ON A WEDDING.

BUT YOU DO GET TO MAKE SURE YOUR DAY IS UNFORGETTABLE AND NOT A QUICK TRIP TO THE PARK FOR A PICNIC (WHAT IF IT RAINS???)))

WE ARE HAVING A WEDDING ON A SHOE STRING BUDGET.(UNDER $3000) NOT EASY, BUT DOABLE. JUST SHOP AROUND. YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED AT THE DEALS YOU CAN FIND OUT THERE.ONE OF THE BIGGEST TRADITIONAL COST IS THE PHOTOGRAPHER.WITH EVERYTHING GOING DIGITAL,YOU REALLY CAN FIND SOME AMAZING DEALS.

This was no help at all. My Fiance and I are currently throwing a wedding in NY for around 7k in this area average is 15 to 20k. There are allot of tricks and tips to keep costs down I would loved to have learned some more from this article. MSN articles are really going down hill in the Facts category.

Maybe this will help some people.

1st tip I learned is to pit reception halls against each other they will bring down there prices. Everyone has heard that there date is the most popular date of the year for that reception hall thats why there prices are higher, don't believe it show them competitors prices.

2nd tip is get your hotel to throw in the bridal suite for free. After all you are bringing them a lot of business from friends and relatives.  

First of all, all of those folks leaving "this told me nothing" comments obviously didn't read the very last sentence that says, "To read her entire post, click here."

My husband and I got married at the county courthouse one Friday afternoon with just a few people there to wish us well.  My dress was cute, summery, less than $50 brand new, and I can wear it again.  He wore new slacks and a polo shirt.  I carried a bouquet I made of silk forget-me-nots.  We paid just $60 for the marriage license and the magistrate's fee.   A month later my mom's church ladies threw us a very nice reception at the church's fellowship hall.  Mom bought print-it-yourself invitations from a party supply store.  I wore a beautiful pale pink strapless floor length dress for the party that I bought for around $150.  New hubby wore another pair of new slacks, a snazzy button down shirt, and pink tie to match my dress.  My grandma took our wedding photos in her yard.  

The biggest expense was probably our cake (one round layer that served as our "top layer" and several large sheet cakes, iced in pink lemon frosting), but my mom and grandparents bought that for us so I have no idea how much they paid for it.

We've been married nearly a year and we're so happy because we have NO wedding debt!  I bet those couples who spend $10,000+ and take out a second mortgage on their homes to pay for it aren't as happy as we are!

Wow, Amy has some great ideas!  For those that didn't think it was much of a help, did you click on the link to Amy's story?

Expensive overpriced halls and flowers don't make a wedding. It's the people who make the event. If you have everyone there you love and who loves you, your day will be speical.

I had my wedding in our home, with 50 close personnal friends, dinner, wine, beer, in a beautiful outside setting for only 1000.00 dollars. Our menu consisted of a cheese, vegetable & fruit appetizers, salad ( two types), rolls, cheese souffle, slice roast beef, chicken, salmon,BBQ meatballs, champagne, wine, beer, cake.

I had fresh flowers everywhere, music, tables and chairs in an casual arrainged manner, pictures, guest book, custom made invitations. We had a private minister wed us in front of our guests. The party was a success, people stayed way later than anticipated. My dress was a silk non-traditional but lovey one that I could wear again on another speical occassion.

Wow, I got married back in 1982, during that recession. My wedding cost $1500! I bought a lovely gown for under $100. My veil was "something borrowed". We had our wedding at my childhood church. My organist was a longtime church member and family friend.

We made the bridesmaids and flower girls dresses all for under $40 total! My flowers were my biggest cost, a whopping $250. My gifts to my wedding party was the hurricane lamps that I had flowers wrapped around and they carried down the isle lighting the way. I used the church's candles and a family friend donated candle holders to be placed in the windows of the church.

I had a family friend make my cake, which by today's standards would cost $500 and paid $150. This included three tiers and two sheet cakes.

Reception was in the church fellowship hall and family came together making food.

Our wedding pictures were taken by my husband's late uncle. He did a great job and they are now treasured as he gave them to us as a wedding gift.

The groom and groomsmen all wore suits. Why go to the expense of tuxes when you have a suit and they look just as great as tuxes.

We weren't there to impress anyone but to be joined together as husband and wife.

My late father-in-law told us later that ours was one of the nicest, put together weddings he has every been to. Everything fell right into place. I took that as a major compliment because he should know he was a minister and did many many weddings.

It can be done people, even if you have a venue or a nice reception hall, you don't have to break the bank.

I started with a budget of $5000.00 and I have now conceeded that it is going to cost us $15,000.  I guess that is because I don't want to make my close family cook for days before the wedding (and don't forget that they are still paying for the food that they bring...it's not free just because you didn't pay for it), I don't have the refrigeration necessary to store the flowers the days before the wedding, and I don't want to get married at my home.  Not knocking anyone out there if this is what you want to do, but unfortunately things cost what they cost.  And here in San Diego, that cost is pretty high.  I'm still cutting costs everywhere I can but it still adds up if you count the cost of everything related to your wedding day.

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