Anyone with a Large budget???

In the areas that are not set, are there some corners that you can cut now?

If you can't do anything about it now, please just enjoy your day fully and be ready to go, mingle, and take lots of pics.

Organize and schedule to be on time.

It's sad really. It really only will be 7-12 hours.

I didn't have your budget but I spent about 23K for a huge guest list, including all those cousins, ppl I did not know, and very distant relatives I had not seen for 15 years.

Pls do not do this to your children to show face or pretend that you are richer than you are one day. I would much rather that my kids spend the day with truly their nearest and dearest and save the rest for their future-house, furniture, car, honeymoon, baby. I would not be so selfish towards my kids.

Well we are starting with $16,000. I don't want anything lavish though

I live near NYC so i know what you mean...I'm not doing anything too crazy and our wedding is costing about 60k(luckily my parents are footing the bill!)- not including honeymoon or rehearsal. We just live in an expensive area unfortunately...brides on here are from all over the country, so their budgets are going to be much different. Also remember that in different places of the country wedding extravagance varies. In the NYC area weddings are typically huge events with sit down dinners at big halls with a 10 piece band, 300 guests, and all the works(not to mention cost of living is just higher here). I'm not saying there arn't weddings just like that elsewhere, but that is what is expected here so i understand the pressure you feel from your family. As long as you are confident that you can pay off the wedding and not drive yourselves deep into debt, then go for it! Otherwise i'd try to cut back- i.e. maybe have a DJ and not a band.

Another post I shouldn't comment on but I'll do it anyway... Your wedding, your budget, your pockets, YOUR DEBT! My wedding is only costing $13,000 which will be paid for in cash. I will not be paying for that DAY after the sun sets. I think this is a horrible way to start out. Maybe you have all of the money upfront, maybe you don't/ Either way there's something else you could be doing with that money. With the fact that your family isn't pay a dime, they need to back off unless they'll be paying that loan or credit card bill. Either one is poisonous. You can't always live up to the expectations of others. Keepin up with the Jones' is far from cute. I definitely agree that you chose the wrong place to look for sympathy. SMH

I guess it depends on where you live, Im spending 70,000 as well. I live in NY, everything is so much more expensive in NY. Im paying 70,000 and im not getting anything lavish, nothiong like "platinum wedding status".

While my budget is not $70,000 it is over $20,000 I am from Long Island and I understand. I will not attack your decision to have your day your way as long as you are comfortable with what comes next, no problem. I'm not sure if you living at home is a cultural or monetary thing but you appear to be concerned about post-wedding living arrangements. Hell if Mom can pay for the cousins let her pay for the housing too!

I think some people tend to get a little jealous. There is nothing wrong with spending $1,000 on your wedding....$70,000.....or $1,000,000. But if you can't afford it, don't do it. It isn't worth it. You have the rest of your life to live and worry about money.

My wedding was $35,000....but if my Mom couldn't afford it there is NO WAY I would have spent that.

Ok..hold on I'm only 28 & a school teacher... I'm not rich,paying with a credit card, I'm not flaunting and I'm not asking for pity. I was just noticing other peoples budgets and I was wondering how it's possible. Apparently the only ones who don't think it's crazy are the ones who live in NY, and that's fine, we just must do things differently than where the majority of people who use this site do.

It depends on where you live Mariella, We are cutting costs by buying our own booze and food and preparing the food also. But it's hard to find venues that will allow you to do that.

Mariella- my best friend and MOH is from NYC and she told me it's either "go big or go home" there which is why she did a destination wedding in Mexico. Her childhood friend spent over $125,000 on her wedding, and i think my friend spent thousands as a bridesmaid to be in her wedding! Personally I can't fathom this amount of money since I grew up in Pittsburgh and people just don't do that there (and similar areas where most of us on this site are from). I guess it's pretty much too late now for you to make any cutbacks, and I just feel bad about the debt you're going into with this one day. Quite frankly I would tell my family that unless they were paying for it, to shove it, but I'm also not under the demands that you are. But good luck.

I'm sorry but if you are 28..a school teacher and putting a 70,000 bill on your credit card..you have guts. I wish you luck on your wedding day but that is just nuts. I don't know what the salary is in ny for teachers but here it's not enough to pay for a 70,000 wedding anytime oon. Good luck though. I hope you have a gorgeous wedding!

If you are asking how it's possible, then I say this is the site for YOU! lol because you'll get some great ideas on how to DIY and chip away at that budget. However, your post didn't seem to come across like that i.e. asking for help in lowering your budget. That's why people choked at the sticker price. Personally I'm 32, we're both professionals and we could afford any wedding price we wanted on our own, but still are keeping it under $13K because it is our belief that it is ONE day, and that the other money should go towards more lucrative investments such as a house. That's all people are saying. You sounded like you were being pressured into a huge debt load that you weren't prepared for, and others were trying to show you the implications of getting into that much debt. Personally I don't care where you live, 70K is a huge amount for a wedding especially if it sets you back financially for several years (i.e. renting etc.) then that means you CAN"T afford it! Tread carefully!

No no i been saving, the only thing on my card is the honeymoon. sorry for the misunderstanding.

With you being in NY you will have a higher budget but there are always ways to cut back. Can you have the reception in a park and just do horderves and cut back on flowers and your dress? If you feel comfortable paying that much it would be fine but since you cannot payfor it maybe its better to think of ways to lessen the expense. I would never let someone force me to add people to the guest list if I cannot afford it. Is there anything you could diy at all? When you are going to go into debt with this wedding every dollar yoiu save is going to make a big difference when you are struggling to pay off this debt 20 years down the road while trying to help your kids with college.

My budget is about 20k...i wish i had 70k!

Its you're savings, you spend them how you choose, but only how YOU choose, not your mom. Please put your foot down your mom may claim she won't come to your wedding if you don't invite who she wants but I highly doubt that will be the case when it comes down to it. She is your mother after all, how could she not be there it the two of you have a good relationship that is. I live in NYC as well and I feel pressure from FH's family to have a lavish wedding because weddings are a huge deal for them. They always try to out do each other and since he is the last of his siblings to marry they want an extravaganza! In my case though I simply can't afford it as we are moving out of state after the wedding and have made purchasing our home our top priority. But girl if I could afford it I most certainly would spend that type of money on my wedding! So if you so choose ...DO IT UP! And most of all enjoy it!!! Pls don't let anyone spoil it for you.

HI I saw your posting. Where are you getting married at? For your budget that all depends on the venue you choose, the food, decorations, does that include everyone's attire, honeymoon, gifts, etc. Of course if you want to have a $70,000.00 wedding but for a wonderful budgeted wedding it runs abou t$20,000 and up. Here on oahu I've done weddings for 150 people and they had about $35,000.00 and that was for an outdoor wedding. If you want highend than that's what you will get and pay for.

Hope that helps.

If I had $70,000.00...I would definitely put a down payment on some property and use the rest for my wedding, but it is your day so you do it your way! Don't feel bad because others give their opinion...it is their opinion and people will always say what they would do in your situation. Be sure to take a lot of pictures! Who knows, you may get at least $30,000 in gifts.

My jaw about dropped when I read $70k for a wedding. It is ONE day of your life and you're going to spend THAT much money? Even if I had 70k to spend, it sure as heck would NOT be on my wedding. I'd be investing in my future, such as a home and other things you will need to live comfortably rather than a $10,000.00 florist as the flowers WILL all die and the day WILL end much more quickly than you expect. Do you really want to spend ALL of that money on one day and not on creating a comfortable future together?

I say if she's not going into debt, it's her money, she spends it how she wants. My personal preference is to also have a healthy savings after the wedding (which we do). I agree with MrsPotters, doesn't matter how much it is, it's all relative to what you can afford. Don't count on gifts to cover any of it though. A gift is just that, a "gift", it is not to be expected. Majority of my budget is paying for flights, hotels for guests and family. I don't expect anything remotely equaling the cost of that. In fact, I have no registry because I'm not expecting anything at all in return.