teckler2
I live in PA near Penn state, and I have a guest list of 150. My wonderful finacee has a huge Italian family and we cannot cut the guest list down. My parents are no longer around and we are paying for the wedding ourselves. Does anyone have any tips on where to hold the wedding/reception to meet our budget? Help!!
Answer
here are my tips that i have passed on to many buget concious brides... hope you can use some of them.
first off- shop after holiday clearance sales at craft stores, michaels and ac moore, and places like walmart, target and kmart. i got things on christmas clearance for 75-95% off- votive candles in glass holders for $.40 each!
i can set you up with a great lady who is making my invites. she does package deals (any size you will need) and a la carte - you will save tons with her. i'm getting 75 invites, evelopes, thank you scrolls, rsvp postcards, folded thank you cards and evelopes and address labels for under $90
rings- shop jc pennys when they have sales, look for coupons...
or ebay and craigslist. really don't be afraid of ebay. shop sellers with 99 or 100% feedback only. i'm getting my ring for under $25 (stainless band that matchs my engagement ring) and his for under $50 (tungsten).
transportation- use a relatives nice auto or use your own. you DON'T nee a limo, you can even rent a big suv for the day for near nothing from most rental co's (budget hertz alamo) or call around to classic car clubs and see if you can rent a classic car for an hr or two... might be really cheap to do that
dress- shop consignment shops. my dress cost $150 and is awesome. look on craigslist and ebay too.
bm dresses- these have dresses under $100
http://www.bridalsassique.com/index.asp?...
http://www.bridesonlinestore.com/
you can also try looking at prom dresses and homecoming dresses in macys and jcpenneys. most of them look like bm dresses anymore, it will increase your selection by looking for those 3 types instead of just bm dresses
guys clothing- they don't need to tux it up. they can wear white shirts and tan slacks. or white shirts and dark slacks and a tie... make sure they are all bought at the same time so they match.
flowers- you can shop local flower stores or grocery store floral dpts (make your own if you like) bring pics of what you want to guide your florist. shop rite has a full service flower dpt and they offer wedding planning help too. or you can go the silk route. afloral.com has great flowers. that's who i went to for mine
centerpieces- i like the tall vases with topiary style arrangements on them. i love gerberas so i think using them is a great way to punch up color and keep your budget down
you can also get different vases (walmart super cheap) and have different looks on each table.
ceremony location- i'm all for outdoor weddings. i think being surrounded by nature is just beautiful and makes for awesome pictures. plus most are free or really cheap.
i'm getting married in a park and it only cost $5 for the application fee. no charge to bring in chairs tents etc...
reception locations- you can have it at a vfw, moose/elk lodge or fire house banquet hall. they are nicer now that ever... they realize how much revenue they generate so many/most have been updated in the last few years.
we are using the banquet hall of the fire house where we are memebers. it only cost us $275 to rent. $500 for non members. (they do open bar. cash bar. cater. or let you diy the food)
cake- look at bjs and costco, even walmart does wedding cakes now. don't forget grocery stores. most do wedding cakes and are rather tasty cakes. you might not get all the flavor choices of a bakery but most ppl go with white or chocolate anyway.
we are getting our cake from shop rite ($1.75 a serving compared to $3.50 someone else quoted me) i love s/r cakes and have had many a b-day cake from them when i was younger.
favors- you really don't need them if you are trying to save money. but... you can do organza bags filled with candies. shop ebay for the best prices, seller ideabus, has the best prices and selection
or try dipping the ends of pretzle rods in white, dark or milk chocolate. then roll the ends (or sprinkle) with jimmies, colored sugar crystals, crushed nuts, mini marshmallows... or what ever else floats your fancy. put them in celophane bags and tie off with a ribbon to match your colors. super easy and people love things they can snack on on the way home from the reception.
stick to edible, anything else are 99% dust collectors or trash can fillers
photographer- look on craigslist for your area, under services, type in photography and see the results. i found a great gal for mine $300 for 6 hrs. some places charge wayyyy more but you should be able to find a good one for under 1k
i also found someone who wants to build her portfolio so she's shooting the whole day for free. if we like any prints we can order a la carte for super cheap.
you might be able to find a dj service on craigslist too. or just call around for a good rate from someone with referrals
our wedding for about 100 ppl will run us about 2-2500k.
most important thing about a wedding, budget- STICK TO IT
oh join your local yahoo group freecycle and post what you are looking for. i got lots of wedding things for free. (esp after june!)
post on craigslist for your area too, and search for wedding things too. many ppl have left overs they want to unload after their weddings and sell at below lowest cost!
oh ck out this site too
http://www.cheap-chic-weddings.com
BEST OF LUCK
i just need ideas for a cheap wedding.?
Q. the budget is low...but i want to have a stunning yet cheap and small wedding
Answer
oh i am super cheap and thrifty lol here are some ideas
first off- shop after holiday clearance sales at craft stores, michaels and ac moore, and places like walmart, target and kmart. i got things on christmas clearance for 75-95% off- votive candles in glass holders for $.40 each!
i can set you up with a great lady who is making my invites. she does package deals (any size you will need) and a la carte - you will save tons with her. i'm getting 75 invites, evelopes, thank you scrolls, rsvp postcards, folded thank you cards and evelopes and address labels for under $90
rings- shop jc pennys when they have sales, look for coupons...
or ebay and craigslist. really don't be afraid of ebay. shop sellers with 99 or 100% feedback only. i'm getting my ring for under $25 (stainless band that matchs my engagement ring) and his for under $50 (tungsten).
transportation- use a relatives nice auto or use your own. you DON'T nee a limo, you can even rent a big suv for the day for near nothing from most rental co's (budget hertz alamo)
dress- shop consignment shops. my dress cost $150 and is awesome. look on craigslist and ebay too. what ever size you end up being (i have faith you will lose weight!) you will find a beautiful dress!
bm dresses- these have dresses under $100
http://www.bridalsassique.com/index.asp?...
http://www.bridesonlinestore.com/
you can also try looking at prom dresses and homecoming dresses in macys and jcpenneys. most of them look like bm dresses anymore, it will increase your selection by looking for those 3 types instead of just bm dresses
guys clothing- they don't need to tux it up. they can wear white shirts and tan slacks. or white shirts and dark slacks and a tie... make sure they are all bought at the same time so they match.
flowers- you can shop local flower stores or grocery store floral dpts (make your own if you like) bring pics of what you want to guide your florist. shop rite has a full service flower dpt and they offer wedding planning help too. or you can go the silk route. afloral.com has great flowers. that's who i went to for mine
centerpieces- i like the tall vases with topiary style arrangements on them. i love gerberas so i think using them is a great way to punch up color and keep your budget down
you can also get different vases (walmart super cheap) and have different looks on each table.
food- shop around for a reception site that does in house catering or a caterer that has a great rep and great menu
sticking with pasta and chicken is a good way to keep bellies and purses full
or if you diy the food. make things that if you do the day before or few days before... veggies, mashed potatoes, pasta... easily reheatable things that can be put on a buffet line
ceremony location- i'm all for outdoor weddings. i think being surrounded by nature is just beautiful and makes for awesome pictures. plus most are free or really cheap.
i'm getting married in a park and it only cost $5 for the application fee. no charge to bring in chairs tents etc...
reception locations- you can have it at a vfw, moose/elk lodge or fire house banquet hall. they are nicer now that ever... they realize how much revenue they generate so many/most have been updated in the last few years.
we are using the banquet hall of the fire house where we are memebers. it only cost us $275 to rent. $500 for non members. (they do open bar. cash bar. cater. or let you diy the food)
cake- look at bjs and costco, even walmart does wedding cakes now. don't forget grocery stores. most do wedding cakes and are rather tasty cakes. you might not get all the flavor choices of a bakery but most ppl go with white or chocolate anyway.
we are getting our cake from shop rite ($1.75 a serving compared to $3.50 someone else quoted me) i love s/r cakes and have had many a b-day cake from them when i was younger.
favors- you really don't need them if you are trying to save money. but... you can do organza bags filled with candies. shop ebay for the best prices, seller ideabus, has the best prices and selection
or try dipping the ends of pretzle rods in white, dark or milk chocolate. then roll the ends (or sprinkle) with jimmies, colored sugar crystals, crushed nuts, mini marshmallows... or what ever else floats your fancy. put them in celophane bags and tie off with a ribbon to match your colors. super easy and people love things they can snack on on the way home from the reception.
photographer- look on craigslist for your area, under services, type in photography and see the results. i found a great gal for mine $300 for 6 hrs. some places charge wayyyy more but you should be able to find a good one for under 1k
i also found someone who wants to build her portfolio so she's shooting the whole day for free. if we like any prints we can order a la carte for super cheap.
you might be able to find a dj service on craigslist too. or just call around for a good rate from someone with referrals
our wedding for about 100 ppl will run us about 2500k, his family is doing our food so that helps.
most important thing about a wedding, budget- STICK TO IT
oh join your local yahoo group freecycle and post what you are looking for. i got lots of wedding things for free. (esp after june!)
post on craigslist for your area too, and search for wedding things too. many ppl have left overs they want to unload after their weddings and sell at below lowest cost!
oh ck out this site too
http://www.cheap-chic-weddings.com
BEST OF LUCK
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