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Mary
Devoted November 2019

What's your budget?

Mary, on April 21, 2019 at 6:48 PM Posted in Planning 0 43

While planning, I have always taken the cheaper way out. I am paying $0 for my venue as my dad is a priest and is friends with the priest of the church we wanted to get married at. My sister is also in culinary school and will be doing our food for a hugely discounted price. I also refuse to buy anything that isn't on sale. My dress is originally $1000 but I got it for $584 because of sales and coupons I found. Because of how lucky we've gotten, our wedding will only be $4,000. What deals have you gotten and whats your budget?

43 Comments

Latest activity by Alycia, on April 23, 2019 at 4:30 PM
  • Jasmine
    Master August 2021
    Jasmine ·
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    That's blessed! Congrats! Unfortunately, there's no deals that we found for us. We're eloping which would be cheap but we want to do it in Hawaii which definitely sky-rocketed to a bigger budget. We're probably looking at about $8 - $10k for the ceremony and one week trip. We're turning it into our honeymoon trip as well because we doubt we'll be able to make it anywhere else afterward.

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  • Laura
    Master October 2019
    Laura ·
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    My budget is 3,000. We're going to get the community center we met at for 275. If we get the kitchen it's an additional 125. My friend is a photographer and she's doing the wedding just for the cost of the pictures being printed. Our other friend is a DJ and is cutting us a great deal. We're buying our own drinks, and we found a caterer that is only charging 10 per person, so it'll be about 750 for food. I plan to get a sale dress at David's bridal. I plan to DIY the centerpieces, and i'm getting either a Walmart or a Sam's club wedding cake.

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  • Madison
    Dedicated November 2019
    Madison ·
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    Our budget is 5,000 for the wedding and honeymoon. (Doesn't include our rings) We're getting married at an event center which is only 1,300. They stopped making my dress so I got it on sale at Davids bridal for 500. My grandmother owns a cater business so she will do our food for free. She was a florist before her business took off so she will also make our flowers arrangements for us. A family friend is a professional photographer. She normally charges 1,900 but is doing our photos for 600! A lot of my decorations are diy from Dollar tree.
    We are super blessed to have connections in the wedding industry
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  • Courtney
    Master December 2019
    Courtney ·
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    We're aiming for $20k, which is the cheaper end of the spectrum here in the MD/DC/VA area. We knew that we wanted to get our monies worth on the venue and food as those a major component of a wedding. With my savvy ways I knew we could save elsewhere.

    Venue: might save a little in the end if not everyone attends and our numbers go down.

    Chair rentals: saved $300 comparable to other companies thanks to a referral from our venue.

    Dress: saved $100 (and possibly more thanks to mom paying for alterations) getting my dress on sale.

    FH's Tux: saving $200- when we get all of our guys dressed through Men's Wearhouse- my FH gets his tux for free.

    Flowers: saved $150 on a delivery fee because we're getting them ourselves the morning of the wedding. We saved even more by keeping our wish list low and booking a lesser known designer in the area.

    Cake: I'm not sure by how much, but getting a smaller cake with an additional sheet cake did bring costs down.

    Decor: saved nearly $400 by mostly shopping sales and secondhand. It also helps that our venue will be decorated for the holidays so we only need to worry about centerpieces.

    Stationary: saved over $200 by shopping Vistaprint sales. We're saving even more by not have full blown invitation suites and other printed materials such as programs.

    Rings: TBD- I'm still trying to convince my FH to shop on Etsy.

    DJ and Officiant: FREE! Both are friends and more than happy to help us out. Who knows how many hundreds, or thousands, we saved there.

    Photography: My only loss so far. A friend is a photographer but she's a little out of budget. But she is a single mom to twins so I know the money is going somewhere worthwhile.


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  • Mary
    Devoted November 2019
    Mary ·
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    I was originally going to do my wedding in Richmond, VA and it was twice as expensive! I’m glad I changed it to Maine. $20k is a huge chunk of change.
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  • Courtney
    Master December 2019
    Courtney ·
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    I will admit that $20k is a lot for wedding, but this venue is perfect! It's in Annapolis, so not far from the airport for our out-of-town guests with plenty nearby for them to do. Compared to other venues we saw for the same price we got more time, a better menu selection, more space, an open bar, and an additional suite for me and my girls to get ready in that afternoon.

    I could only imagine what a Maine wedding would look like, I can't wait to see your pictures!

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  • Sexypoodle
    Master October 2021
    Sexypoodle ·
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    Trying to keep the budget at $15k. But the actual amount will probably be closer to $20k. About 75 guests.
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  • Jessica
    Master September 2020
    Jessica ·
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    Our budget is $5000 max, preferably less, but little things add up fast. We are trying to do as much ourselves as possible. We are still considering two venues: one is a group campground on a lake with a pavilion which will only be $250/night to rent (and is my favorite) and the other is a hotel that is running a special on their great room for rehearsal dinners/ceremonies/receptions/farewell brunch and the space is only $625 total for Friday from 4 pm through Sunday at 12 pm (which is really a steal for a mountain venue). We are keeping our wedding party small, FH has a BM and one GM and I have two co-MOHs; and also our guest list - we are inviting about 60. My best friend and I make custom cakes, so she and I are going to make a small cake and other treats since FH dislikes cake (well frosting technically). My MOHs and I are planning to DIY decor (one of my MOHs makes and upcycles custom furniture for a living), floral arrangements and bouquets (I worked in a flower shop for a year), invitations, really as much as we possibly can since we are all artists and crafty. My mom and her husband are helping out with food, and my mom's husband was in a band so he offered to lend us all the speakers and gear for music if we just set up playlists, and said his son would be willing to manage it for us. However, at the bridal show I went to a couple of weeks ago I won a free DJ, if I do my photography through them, so I may go that route just to have one less thing to worry about. At this point, the cost of hiring a photographer that provides everything I want is what is kind of throwing a wrench in my budget. I haven't started dress shopping yet, but I have an appointment at a boutique that sells off the rack and sample dresses at 30-80% off from the original price, the floor manager I spoke with said their prices will range from $99-2000 and that there should be plenty in my budget range of about $300-500. It definitely helps to have contacts who are willing to provide services for discounted rates or even for free, I can't imagine having to hire vendors for everything - I would easily hit the $35,000 average in my area.
    Congrats! Happy planning!


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  • C
    Master July 2018
    Cuoghi ·
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    I'd recommend against your dad marrying you. Let him be a dad that day, not an officiant!
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  • Rachel
    Savvy October 2020
    Rachel ·
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    Our ceremony is free, reception area is about $250. The preacher is free as well, but we will cover his trip for gas. Food we aren't completely sure on yet, but FH dad is at least going to help cook if not help purchase. His outfit only cost $50-60 to rent. We've only got some planning done and plan on doing diy stuff. I'm hoping around 2-3k
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  • E
    Just Said Yes July 2019
    Emily ·
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    We're shooting to keep our budget around 12K, but I was able to score my Allure Couture dress that was $2600 for $599 in a sample sale, I looked everywhere for this dress, and the cheapest I could find was $1500 online used, I lucked out. I've combed Craig's List and other similar sites and have been able to buy a lot of crazy expensive decor for mere dollars. I hit local bridal shows and was able to book every single vendor I have at a discounted rate, and several included freebies. I am also having a close personal friend get ordained to marry us, so we won't have a fee for an officiant either. Flowers will most likely be diy, sams club seems to have the best pricing with best reviews, but will have a mix of real and faux flowers. And lots of candles, a lot of bang for your buck there. Coupons are def our friend for those craft stores, take a friend or few when you make a trip and make the best use of coupons to get those pricey items at half off or better. Love hearing about other deals people have gotten or how they've saved money
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  • Rachel
    Super May 2019
    Rachel ·
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    Our wedding is getting pretty expensive. But I have 2 gowns and have gotten them both at 50% off.

    Our friend is a photographer and is doing our wedding as a gift. Another friend is a very talented TV/model HMUA and she’s doing my hair & makeup as a gift. The groom & his party all got their suits sponsored, so those were free.

    I think that’s it?
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  • Amy
    Expert May 2022
    Amy ·
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    Best deal we have is the ceremony on fiance's mountain property in Colorado. Other than that I am finding everything last sale, consignment, discounted, or DIY. I'm sewing my dress for under $100 out of pocket (including handmade italian lace). I'm basically replicating a mixture of two dresses that are $2800 and $1500 that I am absolutely in love with and tried on the $1500 one. Oh and a matching veil. Most expensive item will be the reception venue (haven't decided on the $3000 or $6000 place, depends on what's left in the budget) but even then it can sleep half of our guests for 3 nights. I'll do my own hair and make up. Floral budget is $200, DIY with baby's breath and other stems mixed in (also mix of real and artificial) 4BM bouquets, my bouquet, 6 bouts, 2 corsages, toss bouquet, 14ft table garland, 6 tables, memorial, and ceremony florals. Open bar is a splurge and will be around $700. Photographer will be a local arts student I know from college, haven't picked a package yet but $500-$800. Budget is $10k but could be well below!
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  • Nafisah
    Super May 2019
    Nafisah ·
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    I wish mines was as inexpensive as some of you guys! I honestly never added everything up, but we're somewhere in the low 20k. Thank goodness we've paid for everything now.
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  • Chanieish
    Dedicated May 2021
    Chanieish ·
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    I’m planning a wedding in Wine Country in Northern California. I currently live in the west coast so it’s hard to do everything DIY. Thankfully we have a wedding planner in the Bay Area. Our budget is about $150k. The biggest splurges were catering and flowers. Everything is so expensive in SF/Napa area. But it’s worth it to get married close to home. I’m trying to save on the dress. The one I like is $1500 which is not too bad!
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  • Sherry
    Master September 2019
    Sherry ·
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    You are speaking my language. I don't buy anything full price if I don't have to. Our wedding will cost around $4500 when it is all said and done. We originally started at $3500 but decided to add some fun stuff.

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  • Future Mrs. K
    VIP June 2019
    Future Mrs. K ·
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    Our budget is between 45-50k, however, we are near the end of planning and have fallen closer around 30-35k. Our parents are paying for probably 75% of it (the venue, all the major vendors, and the rehearsal dinner) and we are paying for the rest (we paid for my dress, our rings, all the décor except the flowers, etc.) We are definitely not having an inexpensive wedding but I have found some deals on things that allowed us to stay under our budget.

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  • Amanda
    Master December 2020
    Amanda ·
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    Our budget is 15k minus honeymoon. I have had some unexpected help, so far my parents are doing catering cost and most of the honeymoon cost, fmil is covering around 1k and his aunt/uncle may be looking at pitching in. We are 11k for all inclusive venue (minus photography), I'm going to be doing DIY real flowers (bouquets, corsages, etc) and signs, possibly invitations and save the dates, want to find a killer maybe black friday deal or something for a photography (hopefully 2) and videography, having some friends do hair and makeup for us as they just got out of their schools not to long ago, dress was worth 1800 and got it down to 1200 after taxes with my free $300 value veil for a promo they had that month! Our biggest thing of course is honeymoon being 3300 from my parents and the other 1k or so from us. So we are still looking at keeping to about 14k total out of our pocket depending on if we get any more help and what else I find!
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  • Lisa
    Expert April 2021
    Lisa ·
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    Our budget is $20k and we’re having a destination wedding. Inviting almost 200 ppl with the anticipation about 130-150 saying yes. It’ll be our honeymoon as well to help save on extra costs.
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  • Kellie Martinez
    Super October 2019
    Kellie Martinez ·
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    $20,000 and we're right under at $19,000.

    I'm in California but probably could have cut this in half or at least down to $12,000 if I didn't want some of the unnecessary things such as chiavari chairs instead of folding chairs.

    I saved in some areas. My DJ was only $700 because my dad is also a wedding DJ and the friendship he has with the DJ I booked got us a $350 discount. The venue was $1,000 off for the same reason... the owners are like a second set of parents to me. (I wanted to add we didn't ask for any of these discounts but I didn't say no when they offered lol) The event decorator was the most expensive thing I booked but I paid $500 right away as my deposit and continued paying large payments for months until that was done. He is decorating all guest tables, head table. welcome table, gift table, and even the cake area.. this also including the florals for the tables and I got the chiavari chairs I rented. My dress just happened to be less expensive than I had budgeted for so i was able to get the veil and my mom's dress (I wanted to buy it for her) for right under the amount I budgeted for my dress alone. Last March I went to a wedding show (if you haven't already go to those) and my FH won the free tux rental so he picked out his dream tux for the day of the wedding for free. I said previously but the florals for the tables were cheaper but still so pretty through the event decorator so I did that but I booked another florist for boutonnières, corsages, my dog's flower collar, and my bridal / bridesmaid bouquets. Her flowers are my favorite but she has a smaller business than most of my vendors and doesn't charge as the other florists I talked to and didn't even like so that was awesome! Cake was another discount so I got the Disney cake I wanted for 100 guests and pink chocolate covered sterawberries and rice krispy treats for less than $700. I found a local woman through my coworker who makes invitations. I originally went to an appointment with a well known company in a bigger city in CA and invitations with them were going to cost me more than $700 so I laughed and kept looking. The women I hired now is making fancier invitations than I dared to even ask for at the other place for $500 less!!! FH saved and got my engagement ring in a bridal set so i have my wedding band already.. plus he got the protection plan that covers a variety of things included unlimited sizing changes so I'll send in both together soon because I've lost a lot of weight. My dad is officiating so that is free. Thank God! My videographer was actually more expensive than the event decorator and I didn't remember that until I remembered what I paid but I paid half to book her and the other half in 3 payments too. Photography and videography are the top 2 things I didn't mind spending a lot of money on. My videographer required 40 % down if I am remembering correctly and I also paid the rest off in payments. That's how I paid everything really. Smiley tongue I randomly decided I wanted a photobooth recently but I paid that in full.

    My parents paid for catering! I'm sure I forgot some things.

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