Is it possible to do a wedding under 7 thousand?

And Stephanie, what are you feeding them?

A catered barbque dinner. Our venue is a converted barn, so barbeque fits the rustic theme. By no means is it easy but you can properly host on a budget... yes that means we have beer, wine & 2 signature cocktails

Of course! You might not have your perfect dream, 300-person wedding, but it can be done. Do some digging and you'll find some good deals, and be willing to cut people if necessary.

Yes

Yes! Think outside the box, my ceremony/reception venue is at a county park for $650.

You can have a beautiful weddin without cutting corners if you really do some reaserch and some diy.

Main thing my expenses are going to is food.

It sure is! I am having 400 people and my place is quite nice.. just have to look around and try and budget also a lot of people have offered to help us with things so that has been a really huge help

400 people on a budget of $7k? How?

I have a feeling Aisha is having a wedding with many of the hot topics included: no alcohol, pot luck, etc.

OP my wedding is under $7,000. I have less than 30 guests. My ceremony is at a city park and the reception is at a restaurant. My biggest advice is to cut your guest list. If you do not talk to people in a regular basis, including extended family, do not invite them. We are only inviting immediate family and our closest friends.

Yes! Very do-able

My budget is 6,000 and it's easy!! It's even including the dress!

It is not "very easy" to host a wedding for 100 -150 people for $6000 or $7000...unless, of course, it's a dry wedding with cheap food (i.e., potluck, pizza, home cooked, or fast food) and a cocktail hour featuring no cocktails, crackers, cheese, and fruit.

The lady who weighed in with 400 guests and said, "it sure is" hasn't given you all the details. How much is she spending to host 400 people, what is she serving them, and where is she serving them? In my neck of the woods, a properly hosted wedding of that size would cost her, on a Thursday night, $37 - 45K. On a Saturday evening, it's going to be close to $80K. Also, notice, she said she has "a lot of people to help her". How does that even happen? The average wedding guest gets an invitation and a RSVP card, not a "we need some help" declaration. Is nobody embarrassed by that?

Wedding invitations are formal, social statements, and receiving one means you are invited to attend an important, fully hosted event -- as a guest, not as a vendor. If you're looking for Craigslist vendors, go to Craigslist, but leave your guests alone.

Too bad the "Help" bride deleted her thread. That was a teachable thread, but alas, it's been shot into cyberspace. It was a thread that told you everything you shouldn't do to have the wedding you cannot afford. This is what you need to host a wedding that will be memorable:

1. Climate control. It's not freezing, and it's not scorching hot. Bugs are not invited. In other words, unless you have a perfect 70 degree day without rain or burning sun, it's inside.

2. You have cocktails -- free, not delivered via a cash bar. If you can only afford beer and wine, so be it, but it would nice to add one signature drink with alcohol. If not, at least host beer and wine.

3. You have to have food -- both apps and a full, hot meal. Whether it's plated, buffet, or family style isn't that important, but don't try to get away with cheese and crackers, grapes and mandarin oranges, cheese cubes, and cake -- unless you won't be disappointed with guests who hang around the reception for an hour or an hour and a half.

4. You need entertainment. You don't need your cousin-in-law's upstart DJ business. You need to spend real money on a real DJ.

Do these things, and you'll have a great party. Food, drink, and entertainment. Everything else -- and I mean everything (beyond the licensed and professional officiant) -- is fluff.

ETA: Do not, under any circumstances, impose on your family members or guests to "help you" with your wedding. Your wedding is something you decided to have, and if you're having a big wedding, YOU should pay for everything from napkins to videographers. You have absolutely no right to ask anyone to work your wedding because you have a bloated, ridiculous guest list of 400 people that you cannot afford to host without freebie help. You cut the guest before you cross the lines of polite behavior and enlist the help of potential guests to pull off the wedding you obviously cannot afford (if you could afford it, you wouldn't be asking for free help from your guests. Why people do not comprehend the level of audacity in such a request will remain a mystery to me until the day I die. Honestly, I think they know, but they pretend it's not a problem. It is. Human nature says it's a big problem, and one that indicates an eye that is bigger than a bank account).

My 130ish wedding will be closer to 11,000 and I would say I am being pretty damn frugal and minimialistic. I don't think I could make it work for 7,000 without cutting the list in half.

Yes, you can...but not for 150 guests.

Ways to save money:

buy a sale or pre-owned wedding dress

buy a dress that isn't an actual wedding dress

skip favors

skip photobooth

book a venue that comes with linens, chairs, music, centerpieces, etc.

skip the centerpieces

skip or do minimal flowers

rent tuxes and dresses

purchase a smaller photography package

skip videography

small (or no) bridal party - this also allows you to skip a formal rehearsal, and thus the rehearsal dinner

skip extras (uplighting, signs, favors, save the dates)

CUT YOUR GUEST LIST! This is the quickest, easiest, and most intelligent way to save money.

What you CANNOT skimp on:

Food (though you can choose the cheaper package. For instance, at most venues we looked at, Family Style was the least expensive option, Plated Dinner were next, and Buffets were the most expensive option. We will likely go with plated or family style to save money. If you find a venue with a buffet as the least expensive option, it's totally fine to go with that. As long as each person is fed a complete meal, you're good.

Drinks/Alcohol (you can save by choosing a beer, wine, and soda package over top-shelf service)

Seats. Every person must have one, no matter how short your ceremony/cocktail hour will be. This sounds like a no-brainer, but it's been asked on WW enough that I feel it's worthwhile to mention.

ETA: Food absolutely must be catered. Do not attempt to self-cater or recruit friends/family to help with food (or anything, really)

@Holly FTW

Yes, Aisha, how are you managing that many guests with the budget? What are you serving for food and drinks to your guests?

I just don't understand stuff like this. Okay, so let's say half your budget goes into the venue and catering. That gives you $3500. Let's say $1200 for the venue rental, and that's pretty cheap in my area. You have $2300 left. That gives you $15 to spend per guest on food and alcohol, and that's BEFORE taxes accounting for vendor meals, and tips. So really, $10. What can you possibly serve for $10 that is going to make it worthwhile for 150 people to be there?

With that $2300 you could treat 20 of your favorite people to an amazing celebration. And with only 20, you'd probably save a lot on the venue allowing you to splurge even more on food, drink and entertainment. Cutting the guest list is the only thing that makes sense.

I doubt you will be able to host 150 guests on under 7k. Where do you live? I live in an extremely cheap area for weddings and for just food and alcohol I am spending close to 7k for 130 people.

Depends on how many people....Idk if you saw a recent post or not, but having 100 people on a $7000 budget probably won't go well...Having 30 is doable.

Yes, if you're careful. We are having 120 guest with a budget of 8k. The majority of budget is going towards catering and a photographer. But my parents are supplying the alcohol and the budget also does not include my dress. Our venue (hall) is completely DIY. I highly suggest doing a small, intimate wedding unless you're going to have some help.

Yes, you can. And 150 guests is doable depending on your location and vendor prices. Use the WW budget to divvy up the money so you have an idea of what you have for each expense and start researching prices in your area