Inexpensive Weedding

Use your family and friends, I have a close nit family and they are doing the catering, decorations, and making the cake...that helps alot....My wedding is in July 2003

Where are you located, I might be able to help

I am located in Plano or Richardson Tx area.... So anywhere in that area would be good...

I`m in the same boat would like a nice wedding on very tight budget any suggestions please email me @ fogarty@csolve.net

I too am planning a wedding on a tight budget but have high expectations for how I want it to come out. So far, I have found three really affordable caterers and have had tastings with all three. They are all REALLY good. One of them gives free grooms cakes with catering no matter how difficult the design (my groom`s cake will be an exact replica of a chess board)and her menu was 9.00 pp, the other caterer brings satin floor length tables cloths for all of your guest tables and centerpieces, and the third caterer has a hugh buffet for 9.50 per adult and like 6.00 per child. All three have uniformed waitstaff and various other perks, like wedding cakes for 1.75 per slice. Don`t be alarmed by the prices, I have tasted menus from all three and seen their set up at actual weddings. My only problem is picking which one I want. The reason why I focused on catering for advice on how to have wedding on a budget is because this inevitably ends up being the most expensive thing. Let me know if any of you have any other questions. I also have a few ideas on affordable reception sites and photography as well as coordinators. I have been planning for two years and have met alot of people. Glad to share all my info. Email me at yodete.turner@lexisnexis.com

Thank-you for the info. But as I have a wonderful Aunt (I`m her spoiled niece) as her wedding present to us she said she is going to make our food with some help from a couple family members, this is great as she use to own her own restaurant & can still get good discount. (she said this way it`s a present we`ll never forget and very useful for us! Any idea`s on center pieces, favours, flowers all decorations or anythinh nice or unique! If I can help with anything please ask!

We are on a tight budget as well, and bar-b-que is the cheapest meal I have found: $3.50-4.50 a plate. As for a reception site, we are using the Knights of Columbus hall. (you don`t have to be a member) Another alternative was an American Legion or VFW hall. For flowers I am probably going to go to Sams Warehouse and buy fresh cut flowers in bulk, and the day before the wedding, family and friends will help make bouquets and centerpieces, etc. I just wish I knew how to cut costs on Videography and Photography.

I am getting married in September 2003 and i have five months to prepare a nice wedding on a low income. For the decorations, i am going to go to a craft store and make them myself, my mom did this for her wedding and they turned out great. I am also going to just buy my own food and cook it, also i am going to make my own cake :) these ideas may help you !!!

Our wedding was July 19th, We held the wedding and reception at The Courtyard Marriott in Long Beach, it cost less than 1200 dollars for ballroom rental and buffet foods for 150 guest. Our sisters bought our wedding cake 7 cakes for $200 at a grocery store, It was GOOOOOD. God has blessed us to spend less than $1300 for our total wedding expense, one of my co-workers gave us a honeymoon package at Exclaibur Hotel in Las Vegas for four days and three night with a rental car. If there is a will, there is a way. Our Children was our wedding party. Good luck to all bride`s and Groom.

Although many "proper" wedding people look down upon carnations... Choosing inespensive flowers such as daisies and carnarions which come in tons of colors can save you tons on your flowers. Also using silk flowers can be cheaper- I`ve heard and you can sell the bouquets on ebay when your done.

We are getting married in five weeks and we included a note in each invite asking for the payment of there own meals inliu of gifts as we have already astablished our home, this worked well for all concerned. I am having my reception at aplace that also decorates the tables and so on, so i donot have that worrie either. I brought some rose petals for the tables, and am just having a reception lunch so we did not have to worry about the hiring of a music guy either. Good luck with your plans

I have found a way for a cheap photographer and dj..... My dj is charging us $50.............. See if you know someone who knows a dj because they will charge you a cheaper rate if you are a friend of a friend.

Sorry Kylie, but i disagree with asking guests to pay for their meals, if you can`t afford to be a gracious host, then cut down on your guest list and be a gracious host to those who are lucky enough to be invited to attend.
We too are trying to cut down on expenses. We would love to have all our family and friends (original guest list was at 200+ people), but we ended up cutting it down to about 100 people (just close family - ie//parents, sisters, aunts, uncles and our immediate cousins, and our close friends). We opted out of inviting our parents cousins and people with whom we don`t talk often. We are doing all the food ourselve, as caterers are pricey, and the decorations as well. We decided on a long engagement as it gives us more time to save up and to do things ourselves. I am getting all the non-perishable supplies early (our wedding is 2 1/2 years away), such as fake flowers instead of real (a lot cheaper), ribbons, cards, etc. I am making my bridesmaids bouquets and centerpieces. I am having my gown made by a friend of my mom`s (great if it is an option) and because my sister is a hairstylist, she is doing all the hair for the wedding. We are paying for our venues when we book them so that the only costs that will come immediatly during the wedding is the food, deejay and minister, plus miscellaneous. We are finding that spread out over time (we`ve already been planning for 6 months), the costs aren`t as destructive to our budget.
Oh, and don`t forget to ask for discounts when buying large quantities. Also look if you can wait after boxing day. Mini white lights garland, etc. Often get great deals at that time of year. Good luck to all

I got married in july of 2002, and it was a very cheap wedding but if was the best day of my life! I used christmas light(hanging ice lights) and hung them on the entire roof of the hall, for the favors for the guest tables i made root beer flavored suckers and wrapped them with plastic wrap in our wedding coloursand tagged them with signed thank you cards , as for the table center pieces i made baskets and put pansies(flowers) of our wedding colours in them, to mark the walk way to the ceremony i used more xmas lights (tubbed lighting) to give it a nicer look we bought at any canadain tire or craft store large fake plants, trees, and when the whole thing was done we took them back and got our money back, we also used a friends water fountain to make everything come together. Plz email me back at star_dust_19_2000@hotmail.com thanx Amanda