Anyone with a budget under $4,000?

One thing you might consider is goint to Dollar Tree and getting clear vases. They are only a dollar and you can find a local wholesale floral company. You can usually get 2 dozen roses under $ 25. Add some leather leaf and you have a beautiful elegant, but affordable centerpiece. Add rose petals around and you get romance.

I did the personalized m&ms for my engagement party, depending on what you decided to put them in, we put them in little plastic boxes from Walmart with ribbon, definitely not the way to go if you want to save money. We bought a 10lb bag and ended up having to order another 5lb bag for 100 favors. If you do decide to do that, make sure you find something smaller to put them in, this way you can make more favors.

Those custom M&Ms are super cute but they really are kinda pricey for the budget bride. I opted for Hershey's kisses instead, It's going to take way less of them to fill the little boxes I bought than the M&Ms would. My colors are Victorian Lilac, White and Silver. So I'm buying the regular silver Hershey's Kisses and the Dark Chocolate Kisses (Purple Wrapper). If you go to this site http://www.candywarehouse.com/candycolors.html they have candies in every color imaginable.

Our budget we hope will be under $4000. but my parents are helping a little and his mom is. So that's always nice. Things all add up thou for sure. I would just talk to everyone you know. I have found other friends and even customers that are getting married and offered up there linens and other things. I would not do party favors. A cost that is too much and I've heard wasteful. Nobody takes them and you have too many. .99 store is the place to go for sure.

You don't need favors! Nobody cares about them really. Bridal party are they paying for thier own attire? If not then you really don't need to get gifts. They want would be there for you if your wedding was at the court house. Remember that, that's why their in your lives. Dollar Tree has great deco you can check it out online. Craigslist, & ebay. Good luck

We've got a tight budget also, and we're all for skipping the favors. I've never kept favors left from other people's weddings for more than a week... it really just wound up being clutter in my house. Favors are a nice gesture, but completely unnecessary and largely useless.

We have a tight budget as well. I'm still trying to find a reception hall that is inexpensive. my budget for a dress is 300.00 thats it. I do not want to be in debt or pay for a wedding that equals a down payment for a house so you have the right idea. Family dollar and Marshalls have some great things too. If you have AJ Moor or Michaels too.

We are paying for our whole wedding! And our budget is $3000

Go to every dollar store near you! And try this site:

http://www.orientaltrading.com/party-themes-and-events/wedding/reception-a1-388560 1506-1-1.fltr

Do you know anyone who had a wedding reception and still has some of the decorations? My cousin teresa is letting me use her stuff. Just do some major bargain hunting! Good Luck

Oh and after christmas buy the clarence christmas lights.

They look really pretty:

http://s191.photobucket.com/albums/z80/candy_nerd/?action=view¤t=cake_table_wedding_reception.jpg

I am on a very tight budget....

As for wedding favors....

Made my own...

Heres an idea....Get

little votive candles and tulie and colored ribbon(usually wedding colors).

Get to a computer and print out tiny labels that have

"BRIDE & GROOM

LAST NAMEWEDDING

DATE"

Wrap the label around the candle and wrap the tulie arounf that....finish off by putting ribbon in a simple bow...

really cheap and cute..

AND for wedding party gifts im just going to make the girls bouquets that are some what personalized with their names and incorperate maybe a necklace in it...im going to hand them out the day of the wedding and let them know that there is a gift in it(the necklace).....

its a little bit of my ideas...

hope there helpful...

GOOD LUCK

Instead of having gifts for your wedding party, why don't you just have someone do their hair for the day of the wedding? It's a decently affordable gift and they're sure to love it. And the personalized M&Ms? Brilliant. Tasty and cute. Good luck!

Maybe instead of buying little cheap gifts for everyone that no one cares about you can buy one nicer gift and have a drawing or some kind of game to decide who at the table gets it. If you're not doing arranged seats you can just do an envelope under the seat or something.

Forget favors. Spend your limited budget on other things. Nobody will miss the m&m's.

No favors!!!

no one really pays attention to them.

my budget for my dress is only $200

most of my cost is going to the reception b/c we are getting married in vegas. don't stress over favors. the people that love you will understand.

Http://www.smartyhadaparty.com for your recetion stuff or dollar tree. I am on a low budget also and I spent less than 800 bucks already and I have plenty. Favors- Oriental trading, Dress-ebay(custom made for 139) look at my site for pics. I have vases and silk flowers from dollar tree, beads from walmart, bouquets from walmart/michaels. Tableclothes,napkins,plates,folks, spoons,etc.... from smartyhadaparty.com (all disposible) CHEAPER!!! Trust me, If you keep looking on this site, you will have plenty of help and support. Good Luck!

I did my own ceremony and reception flowers; I made 10 arrangements, a hydrangea wreath, a single rose for each woman, and roses to put in a green tree and arbor for $235 but I went thru a wholesaler. Instead of doing favors have someone put a number under a chair and give that person the centerpiece. We put our music on an ipod instead of a dj but we just needed background music not dancing etc. Since everyone was from out of town, I gave luggage tags as wedding favors (favorwarehouse.com $1.70), which I put the guests name in the tag and used it as a napkin ring, and place card. Try to think of things you can use for more than one purpose. For wedding party gifts, I gave a engraved mirror compact from ThingsRembered for less than $20 each (including the engraving). You could also give earings or bracelet. Look for online coupons for Kohls or other places. You can print your own menus and programs and save money that way. good luck.

What is your theme and colors? How many people are you having. This will help us come up with ideas that could help you. Thanks

Thanks so much for the ideas ladies! So I think I'm not going to have favors, that seems to be a really good idea! We are looking at 150 people actually attending, I don't have a theme, and only one color, sage green. I got my dress, shoes, veil, necklace, and earrings for free because my FH was deployed over veterans day, its a program called Brides Across America. My mom is a hairstylist, so she will be doing all the bridesmaids hair..is that really enough of a gift? (they are purchasing their own dresses). Those christmas lights look really pretty @bride2b! I'm not sure if the reception hall has round or rectangle tables, but its something to look into! Thanks so much everyone!

Great ideas and I am going to use some of them.....Anyone know what's the tradition behind giving the guest favors when you've already shelled out $$$ for this great "party" they are invited to?..........november bride...........which wholesaler did you use for your arrangements?

TasBro - I don't know how favors evolved into what they are today. Growing up in the 1980s & early 1990s, people used to give matchbooks or little tulle circles full of candy as favors. I remember when one of my cousins got married in the early 1990s they had plastic spoons with 2 hershey's kisses in them, wrapped in tulle with a tag saying, "A spoon full of kisses from Jill & Brad". I always thought that was neat because the matchbooks weren't much fun for us kids. Anyway, sometime between the mid 1990s and now, favors have turned into something much more. My guess is the wedding supply companies have something to do with it.

I agree..no need for favors if you can't afford it. As far as decorations..I made tissue pomanders..they are like the ones that martha stewart makes. it's really simple and you can google instructions on how to do them yourself. If you're pretty crafty, making things are worth the effort and saves TONS of money. If you want to have some music, think about playing your mp3 player or something with your favorite songs. check out weddingbee.com too. You can find really good deals on anything. Happy planning!