Under $1000 for the whole wedding

For the officiant, would any of your friends/family members be able to get ordained online and officiate the ceremony for you? That would save you some cash there. For the cake, check with a grocery store to get a sheet cake (and maybe a small decorated cake for cake cutting). You will likely get it cheaper than a bakery that specializes in wedding cakes. If you hold the ceremony and reception during a non-meal time, you wouldn't need to provide a full meal (just cake/punch/etc). Check on Poshmark or Facebook Marketplace - you may be able to find the dress (and maybe the shoes too) for cheaper than new. For decor, definitely check Facebook groups for local weddings (and also Facebook Marketplace)! Couples often sell their decor in those groups after their weddings, and you may be able to find some good deals.

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Thank you so much for the suggestions!

1) I'm not super sure about the officiant, but I could ask.

2) That was actually my plan - to buy several small cakes or small desserts from the grocery store or maybe a cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory (I love cheesecake lol).

3) Yes, thank you for reminding me of that suggestion! I knew I had seen a suggestion about Facebook Marketplace, especially even for getting a photographer. I'm a little hesitant to buy something used, like shoes or the dress, though. I don't mind buying something for myself as long as it is a long-term investment that can be used multiple times for multiple occassions. I will still consider it, though.

Again, thank you for the suggestions!

Cake and punch is very common for budget weddings. Though they have faded into obscurity in many areas. While they are most common in church fellowship halls, you can rent a venue through the parks department much cheaper than a home or AirBnb which don’t allow weddings due to Covid anyway.



A full meal is not required contrary to popular belief and no one should ever be pressured into it if they can’t afford it. You can have a nice wedding without a full meal.

Please don’t ask guests to provide their own food and drinks. Guests will decide on their own to give gifts. But be aware that if you don’t have a physical registry, you will get many gifts you don’t want and can’t return such as personalized cutting boards. It’s not your guests’ responsibility to pay for your accessories.

I don't really know what I can suggest to keep costs low beyond what you've already got planned, but, if I can add in my two cents - if you propose to host a 'cake and punch' reception then your guests will be expecting light food and beverages and it will be out of place to ask guests to bring a plate as wedding receptions are hosted by the couple (generally as a 'thank you' to guests for coming to the ceremony) and your guests may feel awkward about being asked to bring a plate to a wedding reception of all things.

If you can't afford to host a cake and punch reception, I would personally just have a standalone wedding ceremony because otherwise people will undoubtedly expect to be fed.

View Quoted Comment In the US, it is considered impolite to ask someone to attend a ceremony and not feed them bare minimum of cake and punch following. A full meal and 4 hours of dancing are not required, but there needs to be something served. If that is out of the budget, cut the guest list to those you can afford to host without asking them to open their wallets. If that means just a couple friends and an officiant at your apartment for the wedding, then that’s what you do. Have an anniversary party 10 years down the road when you have more money to celebrate with more people. Again do not ever ask people to bring their own food to a party you are hosting

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I know that parks can be super cheap, but since the wedding is planned for the summer, I don't really like the idea of it being outside when it's hot and everyone will be sweating and uncomfortable.

I am aware that Airbnb does not allow parties. However, Peerspace does.

I was planning on getting a registry.

As for the providing of food and drinks, I was simply curious on whether or not a pot-luck style reception would be fine, but with a twist such as desserts! Where everyone brings their favorite baked good. Is that acceptable?

As for the accessories part... I meant to ask for them for *my birthday* which would be several weeks *before* the wedding, and I would simply use them/wear them *for* the wedding.

Decor/dress/veil: I would absolutely suggest Shein for decor. They are my go to for party decor! I got ALL my bach party backdrops, balloons, tablecloths, etc, for $50. They also have veils for under $10 ( I got a super cute one for $4!!) And if you check reviews, you could probably find a dress like you described ( I searched "blue satin dress", maybe this? https://us.shein.com/SHEIN-Cowl-Neck-Open-Back-Split-Thigh-Satin-Slip-Dress-p-5850562-cat-3091.html?scici=Search~~EditSearch~~1~~blue_20satin_20dress~~~~0 ) Shein also has a great selection of jewelry!! ( I got all my bridesmaids earrings!)

Venue/Food: Maybe look at Airbnbs in your area. Often you can get a house for a night for under $300-400 and then you would have more time to set up and celebrate, youd have a kitchen if you wanted to prepare food (a pasta bar is so cute and a cheap way to feed people) AND you and your FH can spend the night! You could do the ceremony in the yard or living area if it is cute.

I would not ask people to do a potluck, for reasons others have already stated.

Florals: I would absolutely say go to etsy for this. so many great shops with bridal bouquets and centerpieces for anywhere from $15-50 depending on what you want. You could also look at renting fake flowers.

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Okay, I apologize. I am new to this whole wedding planning thing. I am from the US, born and raised in Texas. But I am totally clueless when it comes to wedding etiquette.

Also, I've only been to one wedding my whole life, so I don't even have any experiences to go off of.

View Quoted Comment Parks department owned venues are enclosed buildings with air conditioning, tables, chairs, kitchen.


Peerspace venues have minimum time frames. You can’t rent something for 1 hour because they are trying to justify the expense of letting you use the building.

For a wedding, a potluck is not acceptable/polite to ask your guests, even if it’s desserts only. A birthday or just because, go for it. Guests who are traveling aren’t able to bring anything because hotels don’t have cooking facilities open to guests.
When you are on a strict tight budget, you don’t get to be picky. Work with what you can afford or you raise the budget to allow more choices.

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Unfortunately, I have not found a park department-owned venue in Houston that is in an enclosed building. Do you have suggestions? Or does anyone have suggestions?

Yes, I see that Peerspace has minimum time frames, but hosts can be flexible. It just says that a host is more *likely* to accept the request if it is their minimum time frame. But that doesn't mean that they will absolutely reject it. I think that I should at least ask and see what the host is open to. I was planning on renting the Peerspace for about 2 hours.

And again as I mentioned in my post before, "Okay, I apologize for suggesting the potluck. I am new to this whole wedding planning thing. I am from the US, born and raised in Texas. But I am totally clueless when it comes to wedding etiquette.

Also, I've only been to one wedding my whole life, so I don't even have any experiences to go off of."

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Thank you for the suggestions!
I was definitely considering using Shein for the dress, but I didn't know about the party decor!! That's an awesome idea!!! Thanks so much for that!!

View Quoted Comment Ask your parents and friends/relatives who have gotten married what their experiences are.



Here’s a list of venues:
https://www.reddit.com/r/houston/comments/8oth4m/cheapfree_wedding_venues_in_the_houston_area/

https://www.chron.com/life/dating-relationships/amp/Unconventional-places-to-get-married-in-Houston-7246850.php


https://m.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Free+Wedding+Venues&find_loc=Houston%2C+TX

Here a few inexpensive state park rentals that have kitchens and air conditioning:


https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/brazos-bend/fees-facilities/group-facilities

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/stephen-f-austin/fees-facilities/group-facilities


https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/huntsville/fees-facilities/group-facilities/group-rec-hall

I would say, when prioritizing, think of the things that matter the most—$20 on decor no one notices is $20 that could be put toward feeding your guests, for example.
A 2-hr rental is REALLY short. Remember that includes any set up time. Even if you just do cake and punch (which I see you now understand you need to provide, not your guests), I think you’ll want more of a buffer for a ceremony that can take up to a half hour and a reception.

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I don't really think making it potluck but with desserts will change how people feel about being asked to bring a plate.

If people want to gift you things for your birthday that you could use for the wedding that would totally be fine but I will caution you not to rely too heavily on this - even if people ask what you want and you give them specifics, even where those things are quite affordable, they might still go rouge and get you something completely different.

I would also suggest the option of taking that $1200 and putting it towards a romantic trip for you and your fiancé where you can elope and spend a few days alone together. Then you could host a big celebration for your family and friends on your 5 year wedding anniversary, when you are more financially stable.

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Yes, that's true. But I think it's possible I could just ask someone for a simple $25 gift card for my birthday. I figure that it's not too specific, and I can use it how I want.

And yes, I understand -- no potluck. That's now crossed out.

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Thank you for the specific suggestions. I wasn't aware of these facilities. I was looking at *local* parks, and even they were too expensive or were too sunny.

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I know 2 hours is pretty short. But I know that the ceremony itself only lasts a few minutes. So most of the time should be just the "cake-and-punch". So for example, if I rent the space from 9am-11am, 9am-9:30am is people getting there. 9:30am-9:45am is the ceremony. 9:45am-10:45am is the cake and drinks. 10:45am-11am is clean-up. Is that super unrealistic?

If I rent a facility that's like an empty space, it's not going to be weird with *no* decorations?

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My family is extremely small. My mother did not have a good wedding experience because her mom was dying when she got married. I am not able to ask my father or anyone on his side of the family. My mom has no other relatives.

I don't have any friends that I am close to that are married.

Guys, that's why I'm here.... to ask for help and some support/suggestions here...