Are any of you....

[Dawn]

paying for most of it yourselves? David and I are probally going to end up paying for most of our wedding. His parents may help, but I'm not counting on it. My mom definitly cant help, at least not significantly anyway. Anyone have tips on keeping costs down and using the money for the things that mean most?

[CindySue]

Brian and I are paying for our ourselves and are somehow managing to do it on less than $1000. We started a "wedding fund" where we each took $20 from our check each week. Doing this we were able to have more than what we thought we would. That way we also didnt have to come up with big chunks of money at one time. The longer you have to plan your wedding the more you can save. The next thing we did was make a budget. (not that we done the greatest job sticking to it!)
The biggest money saver was for us was to keep it small and simple.
We are having our ceremony at a city lake and it isnt costing us anything but the decorations. We are having our reception at our home so thats free too.
We are having ours in the evening so we arent having a sit down dinner. (Rainbowtreat is having a potluck dinner at hers so if thats something you might be interested in, thats a good way to save money.)
I caught a lot of my decorations and such on sale. I got my ideas together on what I wanted (with the help of the great ladies in here!) and then shopped around.
Do it yourself is a great way to save money. Ive done just about everything mysef from my flowers to my invitaions.
Check out our journals in the Journals Forum and that will show you our ideas and maybe help you come up with some great ideas for your wedding!
Good Luck and I hope I helped some!

[CarlosHoney]

I'm doing mine for right under $3k. We're paying for about 1/3 of it, my Dad and FH's Family are going to handle the rest.

Get flowers that are in season, keep the ammount of attendants under control, limit the guest list, and do as much if it on your own (decorations, food, etc.) as you can without driving yourself crazy.

We were going to get some blank cards and envelopes, print the inside, and get a big elaborite stamp and stamp the front of each one with something very decoritive and pretty, but my Dad is having them printed.

We're having the ceremony and reception in the same place, so we are paying $650 for everything. Also, we're going to only have two bottles of champaigne on each table for the toast, and that's it. We're saving about $400 by not serving alcohol. Check out all of the journals. You'll see how we all did it!

[LaceyinPgh]

Sean and I are paying for a lot of stuf fon our own as well. Our parents are all helping out but in a small amount. Of course at our ages (26 and 37) we don't expect much help. Alas, I am not one to help with budgeting. But hte other girls offered some great ideas.

[Jenn060306]

If you're into Do-It-Yourself you will definatly save!
Alot of us have designed our own invitations and got them printed at a local printers/copiers. I have found that alot of dress designers are now offering their bridesmaid dresses in white and they are alot less expensive. Some bridal shows sell dresses off the rack.
Shop arround for ideas on favours and centre peices. I've been really lucky with Ikea getting my vases for $2 each and champaign glasses for favours at 25cents each. Also check out dollar stores. They usually have some great stuff.
Bridal accessories are super over priced at bridal shops. I got my tiara and Claires for $30 rather then the $150 the bridal shop was asking. There are instructions on the internet to make your own veil, ring bearer pillows etc. as well.
Good Luck with everything!

[Dawn]

All of you guys have been super helpful!!!! Thanks so much. I dont feel so overwhelmed anymore. :D

[Jenn060306]

All of you guys have been super helpful!!!! Thanks so much. I dont feel so overwhelmed anymore. :D

No prob! We all love helping!
Honestly since i've joined this message board i have felt a hundred times better about planning this wedding. I love that i have people here who i can bounce my ideas off and i know that they will give me their honest opinion on it. There are so many awsome ideas floating arround, so if i'm stuck for an idea i can put it out there and within an hour or two i've got a bunch of great answers! :D

[WebLady]

Yeah there are lots of ways to save and make the budget go father. DIY is a great way but just be careful not to overwhelm yourself ... you cannot possibly do it all. Having helpful and creative friends and family is a plus.

As for the venue, like Carrie (Carlo's Honey) said, doing it in one place helps. Consider a Friday or Sunday evening too, that can sometimes save you as well. Look around the forum, I know there are lots more DIY and money saving tips here.

Congrats, Good Luck and Welcome!

[brewsells]

I am doing all my thing myself as well. I am having about 100 guests and keeping it just until $2K. I am doing the same as Cindy - making a "wedding fund". My reception is at the FOE hall (Fraternal Order of the Eagles) and that is only running me $150, so that is a major saver there. I am also not going to be buying my dress. I am going to rent it, and that will only run $150 as well. I have hit dollar stores and found great items for favors and centerpieces. It's actually pretty easy to do it all for cheap, just takes some looking. The ladies here all have great ideas. I know I have used more than a few of them.

[StaceyMc]

Joe and I are paying for most of it on our own too. We're going to be 32 and 36 when we marry, so I really didn't expect to do it any other way.

My parents will pay for my dress and help us out with our invitations (we're doing them ourselves) and will help with little stuff here and there, but the bulk of the money is coming from us.

We have a fund..$50.00 each a week. It's relatively painless if you do it that way.

[CindySue]

Also, if you dont mind using silk flowers, check the circulars for the craft stores in the area. The ones around here have 1/2 off sales ALL the time, even their wedding stuff. I found a beautiful pre-made bouquet of white roses and got it for $6.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b364/Cindysue3132/ShowLetter4.jpg
I wanted just white roses in mine, but you can very easily add other flowers to it. And they had a wide variety of colors to choose from!

[Dawn]

Yeah, I figure we will set a certain amount aside each paycheck to save. I just worry about going over budget. I can tell its gonna be hard to stick to a budget when you see a new dress(or anything, really) that you REALLY like. lol

[CindySue]

Yeah, I figure we will set a certain amount aside each paycheck to save. I just worry about going over budget. I can tell its gonna be hard to stick to a budget when you see a new dress(or anything, really) that you REALLY like. lol
Yeah, weve kinda run up of that a couple of times, but I always find something I like better for WAY cheaper. The centerpieces Im doing cost less than $4 a piece and they are sooooo pretty.
How long till your wedding?

[StaceyMc]

When we first started talking about the wedding, I didn't set a budget first. I wrote down all of the things we will need and then estimated or got actual costs for each thing and then worked from there. We're on a small budget, but I didn't want to make it so small that it would make me crazy in January - a month before our wedding. If we come in under budget...that's great - money for the honeymoon. In fact, I'm attempting to come in under budget.

I bought things for the wedding about a week after we were engaged. I ran across a sale and picked things up. Last week, we picked up the paper for the invites. We both ordered our wedding bands already. Next, I'll pick up cards for thank you cards and cards for the place cards.

I have a rubbermaid box that everything goes in. It's my "wedding box". It may seem like little stuff now - paper, cards, candles, etc. But it will seem like a huge chunk if you do it at one time.

Good luck.

[Dawn]

How long till your wedding?

Well, we have not technically set a date, but we were thinking late summer 2007. Probally August. I'm afraid to set it too soon, in case thats not giving myself enough time to plan everything.

[bnd94]

We are paying for everything ourselves. We don't really have a budget. I am just going to buy what I have to and make everything else myself. I have saved a lot of money so far. :D

[Kacie_bride]

I don't have a set budget. My parents are paying for my wedding, but I do have some ideas for cost cutting. Hobby Lobby is a great place in my opinion! They are always having sales. We started to buy the pretty plastic plates for the cake and buy them out every time they put the bridal stuff on sale. We also bought plastic champagne glasses.

Keep an eye on the local bridal store sales. I bought my dress at David's Bridal and it was a $600 dress and I got if for $500. I know that is not much off, but every $100 helps! I am also having it altered by an independent seamstress and not by the David's Bridal seamstress.

If you are planning on wearing a veil and want to cut prices, do not buy it at a place like David's Bridal. We payed over a $100 for my veil, but it was perfect. They have veil making kits at craft stores and even at Wal-Mart. Also some party supply stores sale them for much cheaper. Then you can fancy it up by adding your own Swaroski crystals for instance. You can buy them at a craft stores as well. Also tiarras at David's Bridal are super expensive. ($$75 and up) I got mine at a party supply store for only $10.

[CindySue]

Well, we have not technically set a date, but we were thinking late summer 2007. Probally August. I'm afraid to set it too soon, in case thats not giving myself enough time to plan everything.
If you go for August of 2007, and start on April 1st, and you and your FH each put $20 into the fund each week, you will have roughly saved about $2800. You can pull off a VERY pretty wedding with that!!!

[brewsells]

Cindy, what are you doing for your centerpieces? $4 each sounds good to me!! I was thinking like a glass bowl with silk flowers around it. Maybe some floating candles...

[CindySue]

Ok.....I dont have a pic yet of the completed centerpice, so use your imagination:
Im using these ivy bowls:
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b364/Cindysue3132/ResizeImage.jpg
They have turquoise rocks in the bottom, filled half way with water and a white rose shaped floating candle in it. Around the top is turquoise and opal ribbon tied into a bow.
Ivy bowls...........$ 0.69
Rocks................$ 1.40 (one bag costs $6.99 but its enough for 5 centerpieces)
Floating candle....$ 0.99
Ribbon...............$ 0.75
TOTAL...............$ 3.83

Im also going to have little heart opal confetti and little white votives on the tables.

[countrygirl]

Josh and I are pretty much paying for our wedding too. Our families have offred to help a bit, but they aren't able to do much, though I wasn't expecting any help, so that was a help.

[brewsells]

that is a cute idea!!

[CindySue]

that is a cute idea!!
Ive even seen them with a votive sitting down in the rocks instead of using floaters.
I got my votives which I am also using as favors, at Micheals for $3.99 (or maybe $4.99) for 12, and that was holder AND candle included. They had white and ivory. I catch them on sale ALL the time, plus you can use the coupons thay have every week to save too.

[CarlosHoney]

Ive even seen them with a votive sitting down in the rocks instead of using floaters.
I got my votives which I am also using as favors, at Micheals for $3.99 (or maybe $4.99) for 12, and that was holder AND candle included. They had white and ivory. I catch them on sale ALL the time, plus you can use the coupons thay have every week to save too.I got a few packages of those candles!! They're really wonderful. THey're in there, you know, so they're not going to come out.

[CindySue]

I got a few packages of those candles!! They're really wonderful. THey're in there, you know, so they're not going to come out.
I know.....and when you use all of that candle, you can reuse the holder!!!

[Kacie_bride]

Hey Cindy, where did you get those centerpieces because I think I have the exact same thing! I am going to put a red candle in there and these little ice thingies (I can't explain them). Then I am going to have some stuff around them to add more fluff to the table, but I haven't decided yet.

[CindySue]

Hey Cindy, where did you get those centerpieces because I think I have the exact same thing! I am going to put a red candle in there and these little ice thingies (I can't explain them). Then I am going to have some stuff around them to add more fluff to the table, but I haven't decided yet.
Well....the ivy bowls came from Garden Ridge, but I see them everywhere. I also got the opal ribbon Im using on them there too. I got the rocks and the floating candles from Michaels and the turquoise ribbon came from Wal Mart.