Help plan a wedding in 2 weeks under $500... Challange accepted

Awe thats so sweet! Good Luck!

ETA: Just remember your WW hat when planning and have all the guests properly hosted.

Good luck!! I bet you will have it planned in no time!! Biggest ticket item food and depending on the guest list that could be very easy to cater!! You'll will do a great job!! Just shows how great of a friend you are!!

Find a restaurant with a banquet room?

How fun and exciting btw! Good luck!

Thats exciting! Let us know how it goes.

He wants an outdoor ceremony at our local state part. he is only expecting between 15 to 25 guests and I know its a big no no to cook yourself but my darling FH has offered to man the grill for them and make kabobs.

I want to see him happy

I know an officiant that is offering to do it for $50. She is giving us a great deal to get some practice ceremonies in

Best of luck! I'm sure it will be perfect!

Practice ceremonies?

no.

Can I just be the voice of reason? You would not have posted unless that is what you were looking for. So let's start. $500 budget. Food for 25 people and drinks (even if you are self catering and I don't even want to touch that), this is most of your budget here if you plan of having alcoholic beverages. Can you serve alcoholic beverages? You'll need to check on this and apply for a one day event permit. Where will everyone sit and eat? Do you plan to rent tables and chairs or are there tables at the park? Music? Yes? No? Any entertainment?

The courthouse with a nice reception dinner just seems much better in my opinion. You can reserve a nice banquet room and have passed appetizers and order several bottles of wine for $500. You can host 25 people much better this way. But my cup of tea is not everyone's cup of tea here on WW. Good luck!!

25 people on the high end he is expecting much kess since its pretty short notice which is fine.

$500 was the budget he gave me. FH and I are likely going to take care of the food and drinks bill as our gift to him. The cake is also being gifted by their baker friend. The officiant is starting out and has done ceremonies but is not a pro and for two guys that were just going to sign the paper they are pretty happy with a non pro.

Chair rental place can get us chair rentals for $1 each and tables for $5 each

We dont need any permits for just having a gathering in a specific area of the park

And we will still have music and dancing.

Out.

Court house. Take family if 5-8 to a nice restaurant. Done.

Its not everyone's choice or cup of tea. But guests will be plenty fed and beveraged out of the sun with somewhere nearby to pee if needed and the grooms will be happily married.

None of this would be my idea of my wedding but if it is what makes them happy and guests are hosted and not miserable then thats what should matter

Somewhere near by to pee?

you are joking right?

@Jo, and what if they need to do #2?

Please tell me this doesn't mean they are going in the bushes or something!!!

No there are actual bathrooms there. With actual running water

Good luck I guess.

Considering they were going to go to a courthouse and sign a paper and be done with it, I hardly think the fact that it's a practice ceremony matters.

I think it's funny that people can't seem the see the difference between the bride and/or groom doing this, and a friend. This is NOT self-catering. This actually IS a backyard BBQ, with neither groom doing the cooking. At 25 people, there are no worries re: contamination or food poisoning.

This sounds like maybe an hour or two in an afternoon at a park, everyone needs to breathe.

Everyone is excited by your enthusiasm and willingness to help. Just remember, these events can be much easier to picture in your mind than they are to actually execute.

The groom may want a park wedding, but it sounds like you aren't even getting a permit for a specific area of the park -- you're just going to settle in somewhere. I'm assuming there is some kind of covered eating area that you plan to use. You do realize that other people, not wedding guests -- can just kind of intrude at will, right? Also, are you permitted to have open alcohol containers in this park? Loud music? You'd better check.

People just want this to be a great event -- that's why you're getting a little push back on some of the elements (i.e., you say you and FH "are likely" to pay for the food and drinks. How likely?). A friend baking a cake isn't the same as ordering a cake -- even a supermarket could make a nice cake, and it would be guaranteed. You'd be surprised by the amount of friendors who honestly intend to do something, but don't.

Have you suggested a small banquet room and a plated meal? It could be that he's not even suggesting it because he thinks it can't be done for $500.