5,000 budget on wedding

Kierra, of course it can be done when other people "take care" of stuff for you.

ETA: Food and alcohol are the most expensive parts of the wedding, so the fact that either someone paid for it for you, or are cooking themselves, does NOTHING for the OP.

Please @ Camtastic....if there is one guest, it is no longer 'their day." And I can tell you, having catered my own wedding (with two full kitchens and a pro staff) it will be memorable, and not in a good way.

it's not possible for more than 10 guests unless every service is a friendor and the couple really doesn't care how it turns out. And self catering should be off the table.

In LI/NYC? The photographer and DJ will be more than that, in season.

@Kierra

1. Louisiana's cost of living is VERY different the the LI

2. You literally listed the thing that is giving OP the most problems as the thing SOMEONE ELSE is paying for you, and the thing that takes up the most significant parts of most budgets.

Both of these facts make it so that your statement isn't helpful! Like of course you can only spend 5,000$ on everything else if another person pays for the most expensive part!

@Kierra, if your family is taking care of the food, then realistically if you weren't pushing that cost onto your family, your budget would be $10,000. Food and alcohol are typically half of the budget.

"Beautiful" pasta? The "carter"? What the hell am I reading?

Kierra but it's not coming out of YOUR pocket. So again, how does that help OP?

ETA: Yeahhhh, 650 for 100 people....? And $3pp for alcohol?

Local parks, pavilions, some people suggest museums or even vacation home rentals. If you know someone on the guest list who lives in an apt complex or a neighborhood with an HOA, they usually have rec halls or something you can rent for the day.

As for catering, ditto on BBQ or Italian & don't have your family cook. But I jokingly said pizza for my wedding, & then a friend of mine introduced me to pizza bars & an ice cream bar instead of cake. Seriously, look it up on pinterest! If done right, it actually looks pretty nice.

& yes, cut that guest list! I have a 5k budget with potentially 65 guests if I can find an affordable venue for all. Don't freak out yet, you have 2 years to go. Mine is this March & atm there's no venue, only backup venues if nothing else works. You'll get there!

So your price for food and alcohol is $9.50/PP... You can't even go out to eat and spend that little on food, let alone alcohol...

Kierra- I can assure you people will see your beautifully decorated wedding, eat your pasta, and talk continuous crap about you behind your back.

I've been to a wedding like that and people were not happy. That's if they don't get sick.

@Kate, I must have looked over that. Sounds like Kierra's priorities are out of wack.

Kierra - Again nothing you are doing helps OP because the cost of things in your area is vastly different from hers. No way in hell you're finding a photographer for under 1,000 in NY.

Also not even for self catering can you properly feed that many people with that budget . I don't buy it.

ETA: Wait so you are paying for the caterer? or your family is? No way even olive garden charges that little for a meal for that many people pp. Something isn't adding up here....

"and it's actually for 120 people including my wedding party."

Omg, it keeps getting worse.

"The caterer does come out of my pocket/ he is booked for the event that family does not fall through and it's actually for 120 people including my wedding party."

Wait. What does that mean?

ETA: Kierra because she does not live in Louisiana where the cost of things are apparently a shit ton lower than the rest of the US.

@Kierra, you're pulling it off with self catering and shitty hosting. That's nothing to be proud of.

Olive Garden charges about $400 for 40 people, not including delivery

*False hope

Kierra, do you not see the problem with spending 2k on decorations but making your family cook all the food for your wedding? JFC

@Hula - I knew it!!

No way you are paying so low for a per person cost even FOR pasta. EVEN if it was self catered!

I. do not. believe you.

ETA: WTF?? Why do you have a caterer hired you aren't using? And I so do not buy that ANY caterer ANYWHERE charges that little. Whats their website? I need to check this out.

$5 per plate? Psssh. What does your "carter" plan to serve, SpaghettiOs?

OMG Kiera, if that's what you're doing, then do it, but don't even consider recommending that scenario to anyone else, especially in NYC. Especially when you're calling in family to work (except for that mysterious 2000 in decor, more than anything else.

Maybe the OP can bring everyone to LA and your family can cook for her too.