Did anyone have a budget of 5000/6000?

A lot of people will tell you to cut your guestlist, as that's the easiest way to cut costs. In my opinion, that wasn't an option. SOoooo, I've picked up a free venue (I'll pay the extra for day-of insurance), and a free photographer (family friend). We'll be asking our in-town family members to bring side dishes, and my FMIL LOVES cooking for lots of people, so we'll probably ask her to do the meats, or buy platters. I'm asking my cousin (also a BM) to help me prepare cupcakes - we'll buy the ingredients, obviously. I plan to buy the flowers wholesale and DIY the rest. Paper products are expensive, but I bought a couple groupons for VP ($17 for $70) and we'll ask our guests to RSVP via our website to avoid the extra postage. Hopefully some of this helps...

I went over my budget, but I'll try to help. Cutting the guest list is first. We had a brunch reception, which was less than dinner (lunch can be, as well.) I didn't have flowers anywhere -- I know for centerpieces this can make a big difference in a budget. Used Vistaprint for all my wedding stationery, favors were fortune cookies that cost me a total of $68 (with bags and favor cards).

I'm sure others will be able to help more.

Our budget is 5k. Our venue is in a courtyard of a hotel on the beach. The hotel is shaped like a U and has 11 suites. Our guests that are attending rented all of the rooms for a weekend getaway......so our reception and ceremony site were free. We will get married on the beach. And have the reception in the courtyard. We are having a local BBQ restaurant cater. We get a 1/4 chicken 1/4 pound pulled pork and all the fixings for $8.00 a person. We are paying a waitress we know to run the bar that we are stocking. 3 kegs, wine and some hard alcohol. She will also be my "day of". My BFF is a photographer, so that's free. I made I Spy cards, Mad-libs my invitations through Vista Print. We are concerned about rain so instead of renting a tent that we HAVE to use regardless of weather we are purchasing one and if it doesn't rain and we don't use it we will return it. I also am DIYing everything I possibly can. I even purchased all of the silverware through goodwill versus paying rental fees of 50 cents a fork! I got each piece for a nickel lol. Also I am making myself a brooch bouquet and buying flowers online through SAMs Club. Take your time and be as creative as possible good luck and YOU CAN DO IT!!!! (Oh and I have 90 guests!)

Found a vendor here that was all inclusive (food, drinks-non alcoholic, tables, 3 tiered cake, my bouquet, his boutineer (sp), tables (covers), chairs (covers)), using the groupon vista print as well as the vistaprint freebies for invites, rsvp and std, went to DB for an inexpensive dress, shoes through DSW on clearance, found my photog on CL (checked their website and past work), found my videographer on CL (also checked their website), flowers and centerpieces from a combination of DT, Walmart and either Michaels or Garden Ridge. I'm under 5k right now.

Right there with you with those numbers. We just bought a house so it's nice wedding on a budget. Our biggest money saver is keeping our celebration to an intimate affair. Only 30 guests. We are doing a DW in Mass. at an historic inn on a weekday which actually works best for us since myself and many of our guests work in ministry so weekends are really our "on" days. We are also nixing the DJ and going with I-pod playlists (which we can run through our venue's sound system) While we're getting nice flower bouquets for the wedding party, the centerpieces are wine bottles and candles

We designed everything and lived with our choices on our inspiration boards before purchasing anything... and when we did purchase, it was always on sale and/or with a coupon. Because of our smaller guest list, we are able to indulge them with a very nice plated meal (choice of steak w/shrimp, roasted chicken or turkey, or a vegetarian dish) and open bar and still come in under budget.

We've spent about two thousand and will be spending two thousand more. So it's doable. We went to a small business for cupcakes and we are having a cash bar with a wine and beer keg, and getting our flowers from a farmers market. I'm buying my own makeup and we are kind of not doing photog...lol. We will have someone but we aren't spending the couple thousand on our wedding pictures.

I think the hardest thing for us was watching wedding shows and looking at magazines and thinking that was what I had to have for people to enjoy the wedding. When I finally stopped buying into the wedding machine I found that I could have a beautiful wedding on a budget. It was all in focusing on those things that were important to me, letting go of those that really didn't matter, and checking out the sales, freebie offers, and DIY. I saved almost $150 on my veil alone by purchasing it from on-line vendor instead of the bridal shop. No calligraphy for our invitations, just me tracing over my printer font with a gel pen; shoes on DSW clearance; jewelry borrowed from friends and family. No rental tuxes rather we are purchasing basic black dress pants and dress shirts from Macy's and vests for the GM that they can then keep and it's costing less than Mens Warehouse wanted for the tux rental.

I have about half your budget and will be having a wedding with about 200 guests. I am saving a lot of money by doing EVERYTHING myself. I designed my own invitations/std/programs, a cousin is doing photography, a family friend is doing the cake/cupcakes, we are creating the centerpieces from scratch, the FIL is officiating, the venue is outdoors in a local woods park, we are buying all decorating supplies with coupons, I had my dress made overseas, my mom made the cake toppers, She also made part of my dress, we are having the food catered by our favorite, but very informal, local restaurant. My brother is a classical musician so him, and a couple of other music people from our church are in charge of music. Our families are artsy in different ways so that helps A LOT. Everything that has been made so far (STD, invitation, dress, skirt, e-pics) definitely doesn't look hand made/cheap.

We also aren't serving alcohol and also will be having a Sunday brunch wedding.

Shop around. That really is my best advice. If you can't find something in your budget that you like? Keep looking. You will find it! It took me 4 months to find my venue. I met with 5 before picking the one I liked. I talked to 4 caterers, 3 photographers, and 2 DJs. All of those within my strict budget, but I just wasn't satisfied. Slowly I started to find ones I LOVED that were in my budget! Same goes with decorations. You will find lots of things you like. Keep searching until you find something that you love that is also in your budget. Research. Research. Research.

Best advice I was given (2d bride, did you say this to me?) was too late for me since I already did most of my planning when I heard it. Get the necessities first, then everything you want after that just builds up your cost. When you reach your cost, you will have the most important things to you, and you can stop.

You ladies are amazing. My budget is 3000 and I'm no where as crafty as u guys. Can u help me to

My budget is 4500 and I am doing a lot of DIY stuff I am having a friend cater my event so its only 1000 were doing farmers market flowers and im having my family save mason jars for me. I bought my dress of the rack and will have it altered when the time comes closer. my mother in law is takeing my pictures for me. but that doesn't include my honeymoon which we are spending an additional 2000 on. my fh cousin is being our dj were using our computer and hooking it up to the sound system that will plug right into it. we spent 900 on our venue but will be getting 400 back from the damage deposite. also we got the cake from my grocery store that I work at. we did a cupcake one and its a lot cheeper and just as good as specialty bakeries. please feel free to message me on here if any of you would like help im totally willing to do anything I can to help out.

Cut the guest list and have the wedding at a non-meal time and not on Saturday. Those are the two major costs in any wedding. It's not only feeding people - it's the invitations, chairs, tableware, centerpieces, etc. Hire a great photographer with a basic package for a few hours.

DIYs do not necessarily make things cheaper. Not having something is cheaper than making it. You also need to account for trial and error that usually cost $. Also, many DIYs that we see here has to do with decor, and that is something you can most certainly do without.

Most importantly, with any budget, think about your priorities. What are the most important parts of your wedding to you? Obviously except being married, but what are you willing to spend money on?

I have a $6000 max for the wedding and I am over! uugh. So I have to do some trimming. But I have done a lot of research. lots of google searches. Also have gotten a lot of really good ideas from the ladies on here. Look at places that you did not expect. I got the best deal on the reception location ($200). It is in a hotel that also has a restaurant. They gave me a great deal on the food and I think I get a free night at the hotel. They are providing the chairs, tables, plates ect., white table linen. I would suggest looking for a venue that includes a lot of the small stuff that you need.

We did! Here is how ours worked out:

Food - caterer - $20 per plate - $1500

Alcohol bought our own - $500

Decor - DIYed EVERYTHING - $****

Dress & Acess $1200 with everything

Suit & Access - was only $150

Photographer - $400 - knew though friend

DJ - None - used Ipod (would change possibly if I could)

Cakes - My dad who was a chef made

Videographer - Family member

Venue - $750

Paper goods - $20 - $50

MUA and HA - $120

Live Musician - $150

Assess who you know and their skills!!!! Ask for help! And talk to other people about who they know... you never know what you'll find! That is how we found our photographer and our musician!

Also shop around!!! That is how I found the suits we LOVE for $79! And ties we love for $5 a piece! We also found this AMAZING hawaiian caterer with severs for only $20 a person! (although my MIL and FIL paid for the catering)!

And for all your paper goods use VistaPrint and get them for free!

And use WW!!! You'll find the best advice & vendors!

Our plan is to use our HM rental (a SFH) backyard as our venue for ceremony/reception. We're considering a lot of DIY projects like: self serve bar (guest will be staying w/in the resort which will be walking distance to their units so no drunk driving. Also a BBQ menu (using a smoker). Our guest list is small (30 ppl) b/c we really wanted something intimate. The officiant & the baker is a friend of FSIL & she's purchasing the cake & doing the invites/RSVP's etc. so no cost there. Looking at CL for a photographer. Buying a tent. We Rent a few chairs. Go to the Dollar stores, Thrift store, Michaels, A.C. Moore &/or Hobby Lobby for flowers, dinner & glassware. Fabric store for DIY bird cage veil & other materials for reception. I'm hoping to stay under $5000 myself but our budget is $10000. I'll let you know as things progress. Good luck & happy planning! Oh & we're also using an iPod for music.

Marilyn, if you don't mind me asking, why would you have changed using the ipod? My fiance and I decided to go that route because we really don't think a DJ is in the budget, unless my parents or something decide to pay for it. But I sort of have a feeling it's a bad idea.

Of course Kelly! Because without a DJ, there was no one MCing... so my coordinator, would come over and whisper "ok time for..." and then my officiant/Uncle would announce something, but there was no flow. It was really stop and go... not well coordinated at all!

And the music kind of suffered too! It wasn't always the right level of noise... it would come in and out without flow (between songs)..

Just bad idea... cut other things (like DIY flowers, I had a great experience with that) ...there is always SOMETHING to cut. Just don't cut the DJ!