Wedding budget at $5000

Depending on the area, you can do it for $5K. There are decent-nice reception halls/venues in my area for $35-$50 per person with food and open bar. You will have to be thrifty, DIY (not self-cater) and probably have a date that's not in peak season. Google wedding under $5k and use examples of what other brides did.

Please don't use friends and family to work in order to cut costs.

Hey Shelby,

Sounds like you've got a good handle on things! The dessert and coffee bar reception ideas RJMargo suggested sound great. If the reception starts at 8, would the ceremony be at 7/7:30? If so, you should explicitly state it will be a "dessert reception" or "cake and coffee" so your guests know to get their own dinners beforehand. And remember, you'll still have to account for things like staff to setup, cleanup, serve and linens, plates, glasses and so forth. That will hugely increase the food budget.

If you're totally stuck on the idea of hors d'oeuvres instead of dessert, get quotes from local restaurants, or maybe a food truck.

Hi Shelby! Change your avatar to something other than the rings. They are associated with spam/trolls.

You may want to change your mind about just hors d'oeuvres - to actually serve enough, it may actually cost you MORE than a full meal. Typically, BBQ catering is the least expensive option and its also a crowd-pleaser. Pulled beef/pork with sandwich buns, corn, baked beans, macaroni and/or potato salad, garden salad. You can do some meatballs, cheese & veggie tray for appetizers. You could also go Italian for pretty cheap- serve 2 different noodles, one with red sauce one with white, garden salad, chicken parm., and then a strictly veggie-option like manicotti or meatless lasagna. A local caterer will be able to give you quotes but those will be inexpensive options. DO NOT try to self-cater.

Honestly, the best way to cut costs is do a small guest list. The biggest cost will be food/drinks and less mouths to feed the better.

Oh jacky no one with experience charges that low. Have fun with this

Thank you doll i will dont worry have a nice day

I didn't need to read all the comments because I have read them all before when someone comes in with an unrealistic budget and a big guestlist.

No. You cannot do it without stress, aggrevation, and totally crap services for 100 people on 5000. And you seriously cannot do it with hors d'oeuvres, which are usually just about as expensive as dinner. You could do punch and cake.

"As cheap as possible" for 100 of your nearest and dearest. What a lovely sentiment. Oh, I know.....they love you and if you gave them a hot dog and a bottle of water they'd be happy to be part of your day. That's just not true.

Get a great officiant, your license, a bouquet and a bout, invite 15-20 guests and have a beautiful, elegant, stress free affair. With wine. And two hours of great photos.

Or invite 100 people, make your own cupcakes, hire a student photographer who will miss half your photos, a shit dj who will miss your cues and probably be late. You can have your family self cater, which will insure that no one has any fun, the food will be unidentifiable (unless you have a family full of pro caterers, who rarely want to do their own parties), and someone will get sick.

Newsflash; you're in prime season. No one wants to cut you deal unless they are a rank beginner. If they are not booked now, there is a reason. Any kind of reception hall or restaurant is going to cost you at least 30.00 per person. That is more than half your budget, and not enough for them to give you a room on a prime day.

Start being realistic and you'll have a much better time.

I had 42 people, including my husband and I, and we weren't able to keep it under $5,000. Our goal was $4,000-5,000 and it ended up being closer to 7,000. This was with a lot of discounts and "going cheap." There's pretty much no way, unless you just do a brief cake and punch style wedding. What adds up fast is photography (you want a good photographer), food (don't forget tax and service fees), drinks, dress alterations (unless you buy something that doesn't have to be altered), flowers, officiant, and many other oddball things you won't factor in at the beginning.

Pinterest Pinterest Pinterest!!! That's how I am saving

I used Pinterest for a lot of ideas, but I found that a lot of DIY stuff was more work than the money I was saving (if I was saving at all). I bought frames from IKEA, spray painted them, and put photos of my husband and I as children (for the tables). I also bought a bunch of paper lanterns to decorate with, which was about $40. The problem was only 1 of the 3 people who were going to set them up for me showed up early to do it, so it was a rush. Our venue gave us killer deals to set up tables, it was worth it 100%. The bride getting married after me had ordered special chairs, so we actually got a free upgrade there. I want to say dinner, without appetizers, was $7 a person and that was a serious discount (no meat, saved a lot). We added appetizers, which I think were $2-3 a person.

OH! I ordered a really nice print from Zazzle ($15, on sale), welcoming people to the wedding. We skipped the guestbook, but considered getting a tree print from Etsy where people sign on the leaves (would have been about $50). That's something that can be hung up on the wall after. I got 40 invitations for $50 on Zazzle. They run sales a lot.

I'm a Torani syrup addict, so I decided to do a syrup station for the sodas. I already had the pumps and a local store sold the bottles for $4 each (cheap for Torani). I got the print for $5 from Zazzle (custom made) and the frame was $10 at Michaels (can be reused). Just gave a little something special for a low cost.

Sure you can! It's just that your expectations have to meet your budget.

Start by backing out what you know you'll need to have: the venue, the officiant. You'll have to check and see what's available in your area. Thankfully where I am, we have a couple of well priced venue gems that are "rustic".

Let's say, for a venue, it's $850. An officiant, $250.

$5000 - $1100 = $3900 left

A photographer for an hour or so: $1000. That's $2900 left.

So - not even thinking about rentals of tables, chairs, tablecloths, flowers, dj, video, just thinking about food for 100 guests, you now have $29/guest.

Know that when caterers price out the per person cost, THEN they add a 18-21% "services" fee - that is NOT gratuity, it is for all the time planning and working on your wedding other than the wedding day. THEN they add 20% gratuity, and then don't forget your tax rate (here it is 8.75%). So about 49% additional fees. Let's say 50% to make it easy. That means that you're looking for a caterer that will do something for you for $19/person. We haven't even talked about beverages.

I have an outstanding caterer that works with me at about $25/person.

So - you might consider getting "drop off" catering, which will save you the gratuity (although you need to tip the employee dropping off the food, but nowhere near what you do for service), or you can order trays and pick it up. You can likely get bbq or Mexican food for $15ish each. You should hire someone to refresh the food and keep the hot food hot, cold food cold, and to clean it all up.

Or - if you can, cut the guest list. I love the small weddings that I specialize in. Less stress, more time with guests, more intimate and special.

Or think of doing more like an afternoon tea, or cake and punch with a bit more. You are throwing a party for your guests, but if it's meal time, they expect and deserve to be fed. If you can't afford a full catered meal, bring food in, or do it between mealtimes and do something smaller. There's nothing wrong with that.

Best wishes to you. You can do this. My daughter has a similar budget - likely in 2017. So, we'll be thinking about the same things.

7 is too early to not serve a meal. 8 would be the earliest you could do it but even that would be pushing it for many people. Think about it this way, if the wedding starts at 7 people have to get there before that to get settled in order to be ready for you to walk at 7. Really I would want to be the venue by 6:30 (6:45 at the latest). You have to allow time to find a place to park (less if there is a lot, more if it's street parking) so maybe another 5-15 minutes plus travel time to get there which depends on how far people have to come but around here most people allow at least half an hour to get about anywhere. So for me to get to a 7 PM wedding I need to be ready to walk out the door by around 5:45 ideally, 6 at the latest. Considering I normally eat at 7-7:30 that's pretty rough. Even if I decided to eat quite a bit early I'd still be getting ready and then on my way during really any potential meal times. It just means that anyone coming has to shovel down a fast meal in order to make it. I'd end up hungry and grumpy at your wedding.

IMO the best way to avoid feeding people a meal without inconveniencing them is to have the wedding mid-afternoon between lunch and dinner. But otherwise it needs to be 8 or later. Another benefit to the afternoon wedding is that people likely won't drink as much so you would save on alcohol costs.

A wedding in Dayton for $5000 and that many guests? I'm sorry but no. That was my plan and I had to nearly triple my budget (same location, guest total is 90, a month later). I really question the food and photo quality.

I agree with Reggie. I'd assume anything before 8, there was a meal involved.

Here is the thing. Cut stuff that doesn't effect guest experience.

We are cutting save the dates, we did budget invitations & online rsvps, no favors or welcome bags, simple centerpieces and no China rental. Simple decor and DIY flowers

So far here is how we have worked out our budget:

Friends are gifting photography - 2 college friends are both photographers so they are both going to take some photos but still have time to enjoy wedding since duty is spilt. This is their gift to us and they offered.

Friend is a DJ for clubs and is brining his gear and speakers and is DJing for us.

Friend is a jazz pianist and is doing our ceremony music

Cake : we went with a bakery that uses a commissionary kitchen (you rent the commercial kitchen by the day so it's all in health code but Lower overhead ) : lovely 2 tiered buttercreme cake for 100 people @ $192 including delivery.

Invitations & postage : ~$90. We used vistaprint during a sale.

Wedding bands -$15 dollars for mine and he hasn't picked his yet.

Officiant: in CO you are not required to a justice of the peace you just both sign. So my grandmother is our officiant. It means a lot to us.

Venue: is a piece of family property

Lighting: we are using a bunch of Christmas lights I got after Christmas sale at 75% off. & also some industrial back lighting that he had from being a contractor.

Flowers: budget $250 for everything

Drinks : $300 for everything. Bottled waters and soda cans from Costco and then 2 beer kegs and some bottles of wine. (Our group is light drinkers)

Food: catering in lasganas, salads, bread rolls, fruit plates. Includes set up and take down and a staff member to help clean and help guests around $2,000 for 100 guests after paying service fees and taxes.

Furniture rentals: FH has a furniture and design built company. He is building all the tables and benches for the day. We will sell them afterward. He is also building a wedding arch. The benches will be seating during the short ceremony and then moved for dinner.

The main bulk is the catering for us.

I'm also doing a smores station for around $100 in supplies.

I feel really lucky that I have a lot of help coming from family and friends. I think without that it would be impossible to do 1000 guests on 5k or less.

Also our wedding is very casual.

I've also just been hardcore bargain shopping and planning on selling the decor after the wedding, I got table runners for $3 a piece from west elm marked down from $50 apiece. I got centerpiece vase sets for $10 apiece. I got my shoes for $10. My dress was a 4k designer dress I got for $700. & I plan on selling it after the wedding.

People have not eaten by 7 or 8 if they are going to a wedding.

Thumbtack is for beginners and people who can't get business any other way than to bid on it.

Your pastor should still get something.

And no, your friends are not so entranced by the shining light of your love that they will be exited to share an evening of home cooked food and (I'm assuming) no alcohol.

And you can cut the list. Everyone can cut the list.

Monique where are you finding pros who work for those prices?

Remember, I said pros.

So in other words, Kelsey, friends and family is the way you cut your budget. Not to say it's wrong, but its not what anyone can or should count on.

7pm is my regular dinner time at home! I would asume I was being fed. We are going as cheap as possible for all vendors but our photographer. So if I take our photographer out of the equation, I am looking at $10k for 120 people. I tried to hit $10k overall, which I could not do because I am in peak season. It may be possible to put on a wedding for $5k, but you will be making sacrifices. Those sacrifices may be numbers, quality, booze, etc. There is no way to do this without sacrificing something.

I agree Celia. I am lucky that my friends want to and offered to do that do us.

We just happen to know people who can help us throw the party.

@cathy you can sell wedding stuff on craiglist eBay and Facebook boards. I'm not selling my shoes (they were only $10 anyways) but my dress is a 4k Matthew Christopher Dress I plan to get atleast $500 for it.

There are cases were you can resell things you have used only once. I would agree

To not count on it. But you could also just get a much cheaper dress to stay in budget that way too.

This is my dress.