My fiance and I are paying for our wedding....what should i expect?

I'm not sure who hosts the engagement party, but your bridesmaids are you who host the bridal shower and bachelorette party.

You can have a very nice wedding for 8g, not super extravagant but nice none the less! My advice for a bride on a tight budget is to research, research, research. Get ideas for what you want and then google the crap out of it until you find a price that fits in the budget!

As for the shower-usually your BMs host that. Even if you are paying for your own wedding you'll still have BMs to do that for you. I actually don't know who usually hosts the engagement party tho.

You shouldnt throw yourslef any of these parties, from my understanding, parents often throw engagment parties, bridesmaids do the bridal showers and moh does bachlorette. if anything you thank your wedding party/parents with a luncheon for all the help that they have been with the planning process/ any money that they have contributed. I know you said you are payign for it, but there is alot more help to be given when it comes to the planning and putting together

I suppose you could have your own engagement party, but that is a lot of extra expense that really should be reserved for your wedding. I think that should be hosted by family. As for your bridal shower that should be hosted by your mom or bridesmaids. Neither is really necessary if the budget doesn't allow. Good luck and congrats on your engagement!

This budget thing is for the birds lol It's also super tough planning the wedding as it will be back where I grew up... a good 6 hour drive from where I live now as well as for my fiance's family. I know the parents usually throw the engagement party...but like I said, I don't want them to pay for anything. They've done plenty for me my whole life. I know they would pay for all of it if I asked, but then thats a sure "for sale" sign on their farm.......OMG how did you do do your wedding for under $3,000 "JulyBride"!? Pointers, please! :-D

READ! Really, read everything you can on weddings and what you want to accomplish for yours. As a vendor, I'd like to tell you to pay as much as you can for the best, but it doesn't sound like you're expecting a wedding that will be highlighted in Martha Stewart Weddings... so read. There's articles all over the Net... read.

You can learn how to do things the "right way" if you have some knowledge. Don't expect things to just happen... you need to make things happen with your skill and knowledge. I made my own cake, but it took me two full days... don't forget, there is a consequence for everything you have to do yourself.

MOST American weddings have a budget of $27,000 for the whole thing to take place without much of your involvement. In other words, you pay your vendors to do the work for you. If you're willing to do all the work yourself, then you have to know what you're doing... read. (continued)

I hear comments all the time where a bride says: "I have an uncle who does this XXXXX, and he's doing it for cheap". Or, my brother has a buddy who can XXXXX.

OK, all well and good, but you have to know that Uncle Harry knows what he's doing. Can he REALLY arrange flowers, or print invitations on his home computer? Will the outcome look like amateur work? Is that acceptable to you if it does? Is a Walmark cake good enough for you? If your answer to all of the above is "yes", then read.

If you're going to do most of the work yourself, then you should have the knowledge to pull it off. You'll get that by reading the sites on weddings and vendors and DIY's.

GOOD LUCK!

Thanks for the great advise. Maybe I can hit the lottery and put my budget up to $27,000 lol. I feel like that would be way more than enough. Heck, even if I could do $10,000 that would be plenty. I'm afraid I'm going to have to push our wedding back another year or two and it's already scheduled to be almost 2 years away :-( I'm reading/researching my heart out though, trust me on that ;-)

I PULLED MINE OFF SPENDING APPROX. $15G. YOU DO HAVE TO KEEP THE BUDGET TIGHT. CUT OUT THE THINGS YOU DON'T NEED AND IF YOU ARE CRAFTY YOU CAN SAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY. I MADE ALL MY CENTERPIECES, FAVORS, FLOWERS BUT I TOOK 1 1/2 YRS TO SLOWLY PURCHASE EVERYTHING I NEEDED AND SHOP DURING SALE TIMES ONLY! BYPASS THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY IF NEED BE AND CONCENTRATE ON THE WEDDING AND PARTY AFTERWARDS. THIS IS WHERE YOU SPEND THE BULK OF YOUR TIME AND MONEY AND WANT IT TO COUNT. IT DOESNT HAVE TO BE THE WEDDING OF THE CENTURY, IT JUST HAS TO BE YOURS!!! EBAY, ORIENTAL TRADING AND A FEW OTHERS ARE AMAZING PLACES, YOU JUST HAVE TO PICK THE RIGHT THINGS THAT DON'T LOOK CHEESY,

ALL I CAN SAY IS BUDGET,BUDGET...YOU R SUPPOSE TO PAY FOR YOUR OWN ENGAGMENT PARTY IF YOU CAN WORK IT INTO YOUR BUDGET BUT IT'S NOT A MUST...BRIDAL SHOWER I HAVE ALL MY BRIDESMAIDS PAYING FOR THAT....BUT OTHER THEN THAT I HAVE ALOT OF FAMILY MEMBERS WHO DO STUFF LIKE THIS...MY PASTOR IS MY COUSIN,MY DJ MY COUSIN,MY PHOTOS MY COUSIN, MY CATERER IS MY AUNT WHEN YOU KNOW PEOPLE IT HELPS OUT ALOT...

We are spending around 4,000 and we are having a really nice wedding, my parents are paying for food, but we put the money down for it, which was 1000. You can find really good deals on stuff, and negotiate with vendors just like I did.

You don't need programs or favors. DIY centerpieces. Keep your bridal party intimate- less gifts to buy! What's wrong with Costco or Walmart cake, sheetcakes, or cupcakes? Don't need to over order either. Everyone seems to be watching their figures! Ipod dj. Craigslist photographer, like July said. But show him/her exactly the pictures that you like and have a good rapport going. Keep your guest list in control. Have it at a restaurant! Get your dress online (ebay new or slightly used)or at David's Bridal sale. You don't need an engagement party or even a rehearsal dinner. But bbq, pizza, or just provide some food at someone's house or park would do. Engagement parties are not thrown by the couple, but maybe your older sisters can arrange it or your best friend? The bridal shower is thrown by your BMs, and although it's considered bad etiquette I've seen the mother and sisters of the bride throw them also..Some people, who have not so great BMs, don't organize a bridal shower

My wedding is costing me 7500 and we have 220 people invited, you just need to dedicate the time to search for the best deals. I started planning immediatly and got some good deals before the new year (alot of prices go up for a new year). I am doing my own flowers (fake), found a great website for invitations that are cheap (123print.com). I found a venue that includes dessert/ food/ drinks/ setup/ clean up...pretty much everything for a great price. Just do reasearch, lots of research!