Wedding under $3,000?

Hey i live in KS, so not too far!!

How many people? food? alcohol?

my wedding was pretty simple and almost $8,000 for 100 people.....which honestly was dirt cheap.

I would have a small guest list of 25 people or so. A simple lovely romantic ceremony and take the people out to eat to a nice but reasonable restaurant.

Look at local and state parks (you may have to ask a relative very nicely to get up very early on your wedding day to stake out a gazebo), and decide on what you have to have. Do you have to have a DJ, or rent a sound system to hook up to Spotify, or do you not even want dancing?

List everyone that you definitely want to have there, and figure out what you can afford for them. Are you OK with serving $5 pizzas from LIttle Ceaser's to feed everyone, or is it worth cutting your guest list to cater something a bit fancier?

How much are you willing to spend on a photographer?

It's totally possible to spend very little on a wedding. It might not be an all-out affair, but you'll have guests witnessing you exchanging vows with your spouse, and that's really all a wedding has to be. (But at least have some light refreshments. I'm Italian, I worry about people not eating enough...)

First let me say, as a Jehovah's Witness, I appreciate how you worded that information, it didn't seem to come across in a snarky or irritated way (even if you are a bit frustrated by it) And I think it's very loving of you to consider them.

Second let me say, as a fellow budget bride, that I'm sure you will end up with something beautiful! Like some of the ladies already said, it's good to know what's the most important to you. For us it was food, ha. We have a tiny guest list, didn't get fancy invites, aren't doing favors or programs or all that jazz. I wish I was getting married during the summer so I could have an park wedding, it would be so much cheaper!!! Look around the community centers in the area if you need more space, or just take everyone out for a nice dinner as suggested. Do you want dancing? How many guests were you thinking?

Mrs. A nailed it.

Have a very small guest list and consider having a cake and punch reception instead of a full meal. Honestly, looking back we could have done that and it would have been just as great a day and a lot cheaper. We just would have moved it up a few hours and then likely gone to dinner afterwards with just our parents and bridal party. You don't need a full bar. You can absolutely do wine and beer with a signature drink and it's great and so much cheaper. I actually found adding a signature drink to be cheaper than just wine and beer because we had a cheap drink. Try to find a used dress.

And if you can find friends to help you out with baking a cake, taking pictures, grouping flowers bought at a wholesale store, etc. You can save a ton of money.

How many guests are you planning to invite? Knowing that would really help us give you concrete ideas.

We have the same budget. We are having a lunch wedding. Also, we are only inviting immediate family to the wedding, which is the main reason we can pull of a budget like that. The total guest count adds up to 12-13 adults and 3 children under age 5. We are doing an outdoor ceremony at one of the local parks. Then, we found a good deal for the reception at a historic hotel. But we would have just as easily done that at a restaurant if we found one.

That is the biggest budget savers. Let me know if you need help saving outside of that, I can let you know what we are doing.

Keep guest list very tiny. Buy you dress at David's Bridal $99 sale. Buy flowers from the grocery store for your bouquet and don't have flowers in anything else. Don't do fancy invitations. Vistaprint usually has 50% off sales around the end of the year. No programs, favors, place cards, etc. Don't buy expensive accessories for the day (jewelry, personalized toasting flutes, pricey cake topper, etc). Use an iPod and pre determined playlist for the music. Get one of those Bluetooth speakers and maybe have the officiant start/stop the music for the ceremony (wouldn't be obvious and can be done with one click discreetly in his open book!).

We are using family (I know I know) for photography, an outdoor gazebo (which was only 80&dollar. Im buying as i go, makes it reasonable and not dropping a big load all at once! Also check into a facebook wedding swap shop for your area. Cheap or free items.

Great ideas here. I love the thought of a ceremony in a local park or public garden, followed by a meal at a restaurant with just your closest loved ones. A small, intimate wedding sounds like a great idea and completely doable.

Have you seen what available at the Will Rogers Gardens? Lovely!

https://www.okc.gov/Parks/will_rogers/rental.html

Mine came in at 2300. We had our ceremony outdoors at a no cost campground, and a cake and punch reception for around 50 people. It was perfect for us, very simple. I bought my dress from modcloth and hubs wore dress clothes he already owned. You can do it, but you need to decide what is important from the very beginning. Good luck!

Carrie, applause to you for figuring out how to properly host 50 people for $2300. I'd love to see a few photos of your wedding. Care to post a few? It might be very inspiring for Bailey, the OP (plus, I'd love to see them).

Thank you to everyone for all the advice so far, I love all of your ideas especially the park or garden idea and the idea of going to dinner with immediate family! We are having about 50 people, but only doing cake and beverages. My parents are paying for my dress so I don't have to worry about that expense (thank god!). We are willing to travel around state for our venue we are having trouble finding one anymore ideas on venues in Oklahoma?

You can also check websites/facebook groups that resale wedding decor, possible find things from family that can be re-purposed (FH family has a lot of old mason jars that we will use for centerpieces) Some things can be bought at the dollar store and used. Don't do STD or favors since they aren't needed.

My sister did her wedding for about $3,000 in Cleveland about 4 years ago. She's still on the site and browses the forums often so hopefully she'll see this post and can give you a few tips :-)

Start with the basics-- you have to have an officiant and a license. Everything else is 'icing on the cake', so after that, you ask yourself-- "Do I want more guests or better food for them?" "Do I want to serve alcohol and buy a dress off the rack or serve soda and get a designer dress?" "Will I do my own invites and have fancy centerpieces, or buy fancy invites and skip the centerpieces?" None of it, despite all the thought people put into it, makes you any more married at the end of the day, and precious little even makes your wedding more fun.

@lulu1180 you know me so well.

I got married in Cleveland 4 years ago, i had a full reception with 120 poeple invited and spent $3000.

1. We got married outside at a local state park that was no cost

2. My brother was ordained and married us no cost

3. Bouquets were a DIY from Micheals with coupons under $20

4. Reception was at a FOP hall very low cost but lots of DIY

5. Caterer was $900 for 100 poeple flat rate and was good foodand we served wine and beer along with coffee, soda, and tea

6. DJ was $600 and was great kept the music going all night and kept poeple dancing.

7. Photographer found someone who was newer but had already done some weddings and liked her portfolio $600 also got a second shooter for free because she was shadowing my photographer

8. Wedding Ring From JcPenney not a traditional ring but we loved it

9. Centerpieces, Invites, Seating Chart, Table numbers, Cupcake tree, all decor was DIY

It can be done but you have to think outside the box and really do your research.