Wedding blues

Tons of budget brides are on here hun! Myself included. $5000 is a good budget for a smaller guest list like 50, how many guests are you having?

If you’re comfortable posting the city you’re interested in I could give it a shot. I’m just sick in bed, not like I have anything going on!

I'm sorry you're having such a stressful time with your planning, but thankfully you have a lot of time to do some research on ways to cut costs here and there.

A big thing to consider on a budget is having your wedding on a weekday, that generally makes the price lower for vendors. If you have to have your wedding on the weekend, I suggest finding a free venue to cut costs drastically. A public park or beach maybe!

Other than that, having your wedding at a time between meals will make it easier to afford food and drinks. For a brunch wedding, you could serve very minimal alcohol (maybe just mimosas or something like that) with light appetizers instead of a sit down meal Hope this helps!

Also making the flowers and décor yourself like you mentioned is a HUGE money saver. We plan on doing the same! Artificial flowers have always been my plan since day one of planning.

View Quoted Comment We have 62 people on the list, of course we are expecting that number to drop since we are planning a weekday wedding. We are in Aberdeen,MD! Thank you so much! I really appreciate any help!

View Quoted Comment You’ll save SO much money for a weekday wedding! Mine’s on a Wednesday and all these pros were more willing to work in my sad budget because no brides were competing for that day.
I’ll see what I can find!

Hi there!

What do you need help with?

Planning, purchasing, execution of your plans?

When I thought I was going to have to do my wedding on a small budget I did a lot of researching. I found a city park that was nice looking (but public) that would have cost $100/hr for the venue, I had planned to just do hot dogs and hamburger for food, make my own cupcakes instead of a full cake, music on an iPod or computer with rented speakers instead of a DJ, splurge on the dress, fake flowers instead of real, no favors (or favors that can also double as decor for the wedding), disposable plates and utensils, etc... it’s possible to have a nice gathering with family and friends on a tight budget, it just might not be the big white wedding that you grew up expecting to have, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Best of luck to you

I'd look into restaurants with a banquet/private room that can accommodate 50-60 people!

View Quoted Comment All of the above LOL!!

View Quoted Comment Http://labanquedefleuve.com/facilities/banquet-facility/ Special weekday rate of $325 an hour, they do ceremonies and receptions

$5000 is a perfectly reasonable budget for an intimate wedding. If you look at free or reduced costs venues, make the decor yourself, and set up an ipod and speakers for music, you can dedicate the majority of your budget to food and a photographer. You could also look into local colleges and see about music or photography students or professors, they tend to be less expensive than full-time professionals, but are incredibly talented. There are tons of sites you can buy a used dress (stillwhite, poshmark, Facebook marketplace). Just think about what you want to prioritize, there are a million ways to cut corners in other categories.

I'd also recommend The Budget-Savvy Wedding Planner & Organizer by Jessica Bishop. It helps you prioritize aspects of your wedding and track your budget. I've found it really useful.

View Quoted Comment Https://www.thecellarbaltimore.com/wedding-event-hall/ $600 for 7 hours weekday rate, not sure if they do ceremonies too

Https://www.gramercymansion.com/weddings-parties-and-receptions/the-carriage-house-wedding-and-party-rental-rates/ $1500 weekday rate but includes ceremony, also gorgeous

Http://dnr.maryland.gov/Publiclands/Pages/wedding-events.aspx And finally a full list of parks/beaches in your state that allow weddings! Always super cheap. I’m a park bride myself.

View Quoted Comment

Feel better!

View Quoted Comment Thank you ❤️

View Quoted Comment Can I hire you to plan my wedding please 🤣🤣 you’re so speedy and have helped me so much 😭💕

$5000 is definitely doable. There are so many ways to cut costs and the posters here have all kinds of ideas to help. Catering from a local restaurant is often less expensive, community centers and non-traditional venues also tend to save some money. We cut flowers, but if you can do it yourself inexpensively, go for it. We also don't have a big wedding party so no extra gifts. If you want alcohol but don't want to spend a lot, wine and beer are just fine. We are doing a lot of DIY but made food and the venue a priority, that is where the bulk of our money went. Don't forget to cut what doesn't feel important to you or seems unnecessary like programs, favors, and signs. There are lots of ways to find a dress without breaking the bank too. Reach out when you need advice but you got this!