What does $35,000 really get you in California?

Hi Alicia! Welcome to WeddingWire and congrats on your engagement!

Wedding costs definitely vary for venues and vendors by location, and I agree, it's crazy how it all adds up so fast.

Are you open to an outdoor wedding or are you set on something indoors in a venue?

An idea: you could do your ceremony outside in the day when it's warm, on the beach or at a local park/nature reserve? A more cost effective option, that way, all you need is a permit to rent out that part of the beach/park from your city officials and chair rentals.

You would only need to pay for a reception location/venue thereafter. Which perhaps, given that you will be renting less hours since it will just be for the reception, you might have more options that might cut down on cost that way too. I hope this helps!

Hi Alicia!! How is wedding planning going? Are you sticking to your $35,000 budget so far?

Have you looked in to Sanctuary Beach Resort? It's beautiful there!

Hi I must say this 35k gets you ALOT in California.

For those saying low budget of less than 30k?

You are joking right my budget is 18k and we found an amazing venue.

I live in Southern California and even the most expensive elegant venues we looked at in Malibu at the Calamigos Ranch the budget for our guests was about 23k there and that was minimum and BEAUTIFUL.

Not sure what you are looking for or how many guests so that budget I can see why it might be higher but in the Ventura County Area to Malibu in SOCAL 35k can get you ALOT

I would get married in Malibu or San Diego in a heartbeat! But my FH isn't fond of the idea since our family lives in Nor Cal. I'm under the impression that weddings in the Bay Area and Monterey Bay are more expensive than So Cal, not sure why but it falls in line with the outrageous housing market.

Thank you all for the advice! I'm a professional procrastinator and haven't booked anything yet. We've been saving though! We'll probably get into high gear once 2019 comes around. Also, after doing so much research, I'm starting to like the idea of having a smaller wedding which will be less stressful to plan and help us stay under budget.

Alicia, a smaller wedding will be fun! And you can splurge on other elements.

Have you asked any of your favorite venues about:

* weekday night costs

* weekend brunch costs

* off-season rates

Seriously, this can save you 50% off or more!

We are in the SF Bay Area. We found that prices get cheaper the farther out from the city you go. If you go inland, to the East Bay, there are lots of beautiful places that don't cost an arm and a leg. Tilden Park in Oakland/Berkeley area, Ravenswood in Livermore, or any of the wineries out that way are all very beautiful and scenic, but cost less than some venues closer to the city. Look for public spaces that will only charge you for the day-permits. Sycamore Grove is another beautiful spot.

I've read about people finding beautiful city halls (there is a VERY nice one in SF) and getting married there...I believe you can still do a real wedding with ceremony and reception there so it's a possibility. Just be open - maybe have it on a weekday or do a brunch instead of a dinner. Maybe find a place that allows outside catering and drinks (that will save you a TON). There's a place for you, but if you don't have a wedding planner/coordinator to help, it may be a lot of research. Check out the WeddingSpot app too.

$35k is totally doable! That's what our budget is looking like. You REALLY just have to shop around venues, because that's such a HUGE chunk. Our venue is only $3k (and it's outdoors ) but our food and bev minimum is $10k. So we still have a really good amount for everything else! It really just takes a lot of searching for the perfect vendors! Happy planning, girl!

We had a similar problem down in Los Angeles. My absolute favorite venue was actually in Joshua Tree and was $13,000 just for the venue, it didn't even include tables/chairs, staff, food... nothing lol We then looked at venues all around LA and everything was going to cost upwards of $30,000 (our initial budget was $10,000 LOL). We ended up finding the most beautiful venue tucked in the mountains of Topanga, CA (near Malibu) called The 1909. Because we had a Friday wedding, the venue was 1/2 the cost... our caterer, baker, and photographer were also less because of choosing a Friday wedding. All-in-all, our day ended up totaling $23,658, and that included absolutely everything (venue, photographer, caterer, florist, baker, bartender, alcohol, DJ, photo booth, my dress & accessories, groom's tux, hair & makeup for me and my girls, decor, etc.).

I'm not familiar with venues in the bay area, but if we were able to have a gorgeous Pinterest worthy wedding in Los Angeles for under $25,000, then you can definitely have one for under 35K, you just need to look at every venue (even ones you think you may not like... I hated our venue with the photos they had on the website, but when we toured it in person, we fell head-over-heels in love with it).

35K can get you a lot if you know how to allocate it. Don't look at these stupid girls with million dollar weddings. That's what the wedding industry wants you to think: that you can't possibly have a wedding that is enjoyable if you don't spend that much.

Start with your date. Then have both of you talk about your guest list. If more than half of your guest list is past the 50 year mark, start considering a morning/brunch wedding. This is a no-brainer, if you go for an evening wedding most of your guests will leave just after dinner service.

This will open up lot's of venues you might have not believed possible. There are plenty of them that want to make use of the same space the other couples want for the evening. And there is nothing wrong with that. You will get the best light for your wedding pictures during the day--no photographer in their right mind will tell you otherwise!

Change your perspective: don't look at your budget as a hard stop. It's less of a rule and more of a game. Whatever comes under budget allocates more funds for other things that might have a lesser budget: like a splurge for the bride on her wedding gown. Isn't that what the photographers are there for anyway?

A lower budget is not an impediment. It's a revelation. It's an opportunity for you to look at things in a different way, make contacts and be more shrewd with your resources(and the right people who will come under your banner will cheer you on). It will challenge your creativity, but think of it as a run through for being a wife and mother. Those will challenge you more.

Hold your head up high when you know how to do more with less because if you can do that everyone will want you around.