Stressed

Focus on saving up money first and then focus on minimizing your wedding costs. Sit down and recording what you are already spending each month and then revise your future budget to cut out expenses you don't need. Some things to consider cutting out: buying coffee vs making at home, eating out instead of cooking, buying/drinking alcohol, impulse purchases, gym or other memberships, paid subscriptions for magazines or streaming services.



One of the pieces of advice I was told for planning a wedding was, "beg or borrow, but don't steal." That goes for asking people to lend their time and talents to your wedding as well as physical items so you don't have to buy them. Also, avoid using the word wedding when shopping or getting quotes (formal wear dresses are often cheaper than bridesmaids dressed, birthday cakes are cheaper than wedding cakes, multifunctional event spaces are cheaper than a wedding venue, etc.).

You are welcome to reach out if you are stuck on a specific part of the planning or budgeting process. Good luck and believe in yourself. You can do this!

Our initial budget was what my husband and I could each save every month until our wedding (for 15 months) + an initial cash gift from my mom.


Once you know your budget, talk with your partner about your guest list. For example, if your budget is $10K but you want dancing and 100+ guests then you might rent a church/temple hall or community center and find a restaurant caterer that charges $10-$20 per person. If you would rather have an upscale wedding for fewer guests (10-30 guests), then you could consider getting married at a nicer resort or winery and booking a private dining room for lunch or dinner.
Knowing your budget and must-have guest list helps a lot.

Don’t focus on the overall budget all at once because that will get you so overwhelmed! Just focus on how much you can put aside each month that you know for sure you can put aside. Put that money in the savings and don’t touch it. Sticking to a smaller guest count will definitely help.

You can cut costs in half by not having a wedding on a Saturday. Venues such as regional parks, community centers, are generally cheaper. Brunch receptions also are at least half the price of dinner receptions (and you will cut alcohol costs/consumption quite a bit). Buy flowers from Fifty flowers.com or Costco rather than a florist. As for a cake, you can have a "faux cake" as presentation and sheet cake cut up in the back room (or donuts, cookies, cupcakes, etc. instead). There are many sites such as Oriental Trading Co. or efavormart.com for decorations/favors that are reasonably priced and many other websites for cheap linens, runners, arches, etc.

Ways to make it less expensive:
Find a venue that let's you bring your own caterer and find a cheap but delicious option (ex: Whole Foods catering is delicious, from what I've heard, and almost certainly less expensive than whatever venues you look at will offer.)
However, you don't have to do a formal sit down dinner. As long as it's at a non meal time, cake and punch and a few other refreshments is completely acceptable etiquette wise, and can save you a TON compared to a reception dinner. As a guest, most reception dinners are pretty bland in my experience (ESPECIALLY if you're a vegetarian like I am) and the cake and punch are the only things I actually look forward to food-wise, so a simple cake and punch reception is perfect to me!
Have the ceremony and reception at the same venue so you don't have to pay for more than one venue
Get married in the off-season or a day that is not a Saturday. Many venues won't charge you as much.Do a limited bar (ex: beer and wine) instead of a premium open bar, if you plan on serving alcohol. Whatever you do though, don't make guests pay for their own drinks!Buy a gown that isn't classified as a wedding dress. Plenty of formal wear, prom dresses, and even bridesmaid dresses can look bridal and cost half as much! Do your own hair and makeup instead of hiring a professionalWhile I LOVE fresh flowers, it is perfectly fine to use fake ones or even skip them altogether Skip favors and go easy on decor
The best way to cut down on expenses though? Cut your guest list. People talk a lot about cost per plate, but it's easy to forget all the additional costs associated with hosting someone. It may only cost, say, $70, to feed an individual guest their catered dinner, but then add up the cost of the open bar, cake slice(s), venue per person taxes and fees, centerpieces and other table accessories, invitations and postage and STDs and thank you notes, and suddenly you're averaging roughly $180 per guest!
Once you do all the calculations for how much you'll likely spend on each guest in total on average, you can figure out how many you can realistically afford to invite, and you'd be amazed at what a difference just a few less people can make! Ex: you calculate that the edtimated total cost per guest is $200, if you cut just five people from your guest list, you save $1000!
Ultimately you need to do whatever feels right to you, but I hope some of this was helpful!

Remember that it won't be what you expect but I'll work out in the end.All that matters after all is that you both say "I Do",that's the most important part,all the rest is nothing to stress about because you have your forever person by your side Money is a big stressor but know that you dont need to buy everything you think you do(like unnecessary things that are just more popular and not worth it). Just breathe,remember you can make it as simple or complex as you want,and have fun!

Just plan a wedding that you CAN afford and that worry will be eliminated. Don’t look around at what other brides are doing and spending. If you can’t afford a certain type of wedding, then don’t plan that type of event. With money being an issue for you, it would be senseless to start your newlywed life with debt (and more stress). So keep it sweet and simple.