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Any one have any tips on having a wedding on a budget. I want to have a wedding but I don't want to be paying for it for the next two years.

Hello from TX
I am working on my son's wedding as we speak. I will toss out some ideas; use what you can. My sister is the wedding planner for her church so I have helped her with many weddings. I have learned a few things that might help. First, get organized. Get contracts in writing. Put them in a gallon zip lock back and put it in your high school notebook. Since you cannot take a computer with you everywhere, buy an old fashioned notebook with filler paper and dividers so that you can keep track of all the categories in your wedding. Even if you have a wedding planner, you will save lots of time and money if you are organized yourself. You may end up taking less time off work since you have a plan. See, you saved money because you did not have to skip work. Make appointment times convenient for your schedule, not the vendor. If you have a computer, go to the search engine and enter things like "wedding on a budget" or any item you can think of like "frugal weddings" or "wedding sites" or "bride's forum" wedding crafts. You will find forums for brides who have all kinds of money saving ideas. The first and foremost thing is to establish a budget. You're budget will be off, but at least you will have something to shoot for. Keep a little notebook in your wallet as a reminder to say "let me think about it and I will get back to you if I decide to use your services". Always be courteous and be on time. They are in business too. You are in charge, not the florist or baker or caterer. Tell them ahead of time that you are working with a budget and you would like to see the best packages and options that they have available. Ask about bridal packages. Florists can save you cash if you know ahead of time who you are going to buy flowers for. Make a list of all of your wedding party and servers who you choose to wear a corsage. Each attendant will cost you a bouquet. Have less attendants. Use the others for sign in and serving. Look at three florists and three bakers. Ask friends who they recommend. Set up a tasting for wedding cakes; some taste ok while others taste fantastic. You select the filling. Your groom can even have cheesecake or pie, who said you have to have chocolate cake with strawberries. You can even ask for a pretty smaller wedding cake and sheet cakes of the same flavor to be served on plates in the kitchen; or you can even have a fake layer if you remember not to cut into that fake one at the wedding and remind your servers not to cut it. Tell the cutter to not cut fat thick slices. Show them where to begin cutting so they have a 1" slice, not 3 or 4. An extra cake layer that is not real can add to the photo presentation. Use the local library. They have many books that can give you ideas. There is one book that is older, but the basic ideas are the same. I think it is called Your Big wedding on a Small Budget or something similar. At least it will give you all the categories that will be involved in both the basic and the large wedding. Make copies of photos of things you like from the Bride's magazines at the public library Look at the wedding sites: www.atlantabridal.com www.azweddingflowers.com
www.jardindelsolflowers.com and for fun look at www.yannids.com Talk to the florist at Tom Thumb or a grocer with a florist and ask her for suggestions about flowers that are available different times of the year and the prices of different flowers. Sometimes the combination of a less expensive filler with a more expensive flower can make the bouquet more within your budget. Ask which flowers are poisonous and cannot be used on a cake for decoration. Knowledge is power. Last month I went to a wedding where she used all roses from Sams Club, but you need a church refrigerator to store that many buckets and floral perservative. They come tightly packaged and they will need water to open the flower. Keep petals out of water, it causes bacteria to grow. They look kinda funny at first, but they open. From a distance, the congregation can't even see if there is a little bruising. White stephanotis are very sensitive and more expensive. Some florists wear gloves while working with them since they can turn brown like a gardenia with skin oils. Borrow, borrow, borrow. Most will be happy to loan you cutting knives and pens and ring pillows, table cloths and such. For an early Christmas wedding, borrow lots of Christmas trees and use lots of twinkle lights.
Establish a theme to keep you focused. ex: for Victorian use lots of lace and tulle, borrow silver candleabras, use lots of votive cups and .33 cent candles from Walmart. See who needs their ivy pruned. put in clean trash can with water. Tie three 20" strands of ivy with floral wire two inches from top. Can vary length.Tie ivy to pew bow. Tulle that comes on roll can be tied behind the bow. Cut ends at angle. Option, wire in place one huge silk or real flower head in the bow's middle with green floral tape and wire. Place bows on regular pews by first corsage pinning a wide floral ribbon around the pew end. Then pen the bow to the pew ribbon. Some churches require special pew holders. Make cones of pastel paper for people to throw rose petals at you. Find out church rules before buying decorations. Throw silk(not fresh) on church isle or on sides of white isle runner. Put a priority on what is your most important expense (a priority) (b priority) and (c priority). Focus on making that category the item you dedicate most of your money too. For receptions use lots of candles from Walmart if you do not want that many flowers. Ask friends to keep their eyes and ears open for sales on bridal items. If you have a reception hall, ask "what would you charge for use of your hall for a family reunion or get together before you go back and ask how much it costs for a wedding. If you mention the word wedding their ears and nose light up with dollar signs. Keep all receipts in case you have to return something. Read contracts before you sign them. Make sure you know the delivery charges that are charged versus having a relative pick up rental items. Does a relative have an suv; are they dependable enough to pick up or return rental items. Delegate,delegate. Use creative relatives and friends to decorate the church and/or reception and keep a list of who your vendors are, cell phones in case of emergencies, tell them to be there an extra 15 or so minutes early if that will make you feel better about traffic or flats. Don't let the emotion of a wedding influence your purchase. Tell someone to go with you for big ticket items and to kick you under the table if you are leaning toward an added luxury when it is not really needed. Keep your little photo notebook of all the things you like, then guess what, you will see that one that woowwws you to say, I like that one, but this one is my dream.
Check the height of your shoes you plan on wearing all day. Take them with you when trying on the gown so you know if you need the dress altered. Alterations are the key to wedding dress business. My daughter's reasonably priced dress ended up costing a bundle because she kept losing weight. One niece sold her dress afterwards and put the money in the bank. Most will never wear it again due to style changes or weight gain from babies. Look at several stores, make notes. Use as much tulle as possible. Walmart and discount fabric store carry tulle in bolts that are less expensive than a fabric store. Check fabric stores for sales on ribbons.Keep a fabric sample in a plastic bag in your purse to match colors. Save gas not coming back for wrong selection. Use the .50 cent narrow ribbons for bubbles and favors. Use silk petals from Hobby Lobby or if you use the internet for purchases look up silk petals. Most internet purchases will be more expensive than discount stores. Garden Ridge is another store for aisle runners. Look for greenery "on sale" at Garden Ridge. Buy Christmas lights with white strings instead of wedding twinkle lights which cost more. See who can loan you some. Measure or count twice so you do not buy too much of an item. Some print their own invitations, some email theirs, but I still have them printed.
Ask: several companies will send you a book for free in the mail; it lets you see the different kinds of invitations in your home before you hunt. Some bridal tux shops sell invitations. Write down the names of the books and page #. Most sites are the same as the name of their catalog.
Some party stores do not care if you look at their books. Just use your legs to lift, they weigh a ton. The store Ross has goblets that are less expensive,just tie a bow or flower to it and put a bow on your cutting knife. Make your own flower girl baskets. Attach some flowing ribbon and flowers and silk petals with floral wire and glue gun. Let a family crafter decorate it if you like. Ask to see family photos. See who takes great videos in your family, let them be in charge. Close ups make the best digital pictures. Too many far away shots make the faces get lost. Make a list of only the photos you want if you get a professional and ask for the copyright in case you want some for your anniversary. Take pictures before the wedding if you have a meal reception. Have fun. Pretend that you are a news reporter and that you are getting information for a book on weddings. In the end you will have a notebook that is borrowed by family/friends. I guarantee you will have more fun and less anxiety if you keep that notebook ready and with you for appts. Congratulations!

To save money on ours we had an afternoon reception instead of an evening reception. We were married in the morning, served a light lunch, socialized for a couple hours and then we were off to my in-laws home with just the wedding party and immediate family for dinner. We saved a lot not having to rent in the evening, not having a DJ and not having to provide a dinner.

We had a perfect wedding on a budget. We rented one old house that was 3 floors. The top had pews for the wedding. The second floor was where we got dressed. The bottom floor was where the reception was. My sister did the food for an afternoon wedding. A friend did the cake. The most expensive thing was my dress that I ordered from a dept. store around $200 with veil and all. Family friends did the pictures for cost. It was perfect. I have friends that think it was the best wedding they have ever been to. It was a close family wedding that was made even more special because the family was involved.

These are all such great ideas! I'm not quite at that point but my bf and I have started talking about wedding stuff. Since we wouldn't have a big budget, I am trying to convince him that we won't have to be stressed. Its all about having fun and being with the people you love.

Not sure how crafy you are, but there are tons of ways to save money by doing things yourself. I used to watch the TLC show "For Better or for Worse." They sometimes had some good tips and project ideas in there. Might be worth checking out their website, though:
http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/betterorworse/betterorworse.html
Also, I think one way to save money would be do have the wedding on an "off" day. Like a Friday night or Sunday or Jan. 1st or something.
Good luck! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Every wedding should be on a budget. The budget that you choose. And of course, you should stick to it. If you mean "throwing an inexpensive wedding", you still need to figure out how much each thing matters to you and what you are willing to spend at max for each. Then you need to speak with vendors and work with only those willing to work with you. I am all for DIY weddings but you have to be honest with yourself and realize that you can't possibly be a jack of all trades. There are some things that should just be left up to the pros.

Aime, If "you" want to get your guests to your wedding on time, I don't think January 1st is a day to think about. Many people sleep in that day because of plans from the night before. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I think much of the price runs up because people insist on inviting everyone they can think of--their old college roommate who they didn't even get along with, their cousin's friend who they met only once, etc. If you keep the guest list down to only the people who are important to you, it'll help a lot. For example, I don't see a point in inviting cousins I rarely see or their kids whose names, ages, and relation to me I can't keep track of anyway.

Also, the reception is probably much of the cost; for my wedding I plan on having an hors d'oervre reception (in the afternoon between lunch and dinner) with cake, no alcohol (saves a LOT on cost as well as keeping all of my alcoholic relatives out of trouble), and am not planning to have dancing or anything (not necessary at an afternoon reception anyway) which means no costs for a DJ or band. Not planning on having "favors" at the reception--why spend money on something that'll go in the trash as soon as they get home anyway?

Really I think it's cutting out the little things that makes the most difference; there are a lot of wedding "traditions" that you can look at and say "what exactly is the point of that?" and get rid of it.

We saved money on my daughter's wedding by doing the afternoon reception (wedding at 2, reception followed--same church.)

I made the centerpieces to save on florist bill--used floating candles & hydrangeas & ivy (home-grown), along with blue marbles and 8 X 10 prints of their engagement photos (about 12 per table) that I printed off on my b & w printer and added "love-themed quotes" stickers for some color. I took the pictures myself with a good digital camera, so that saved $150. They were a big hit--not a picture was left--everyone wanted them! Cost was next to nothing.

I also decorated the gift & serving tables with hydrangeas--I just tied them with a ribbon & put them on the tables. Nobody could tell what I'd made and what the florist had done!

We also made favors--ordered blue almonds from Jordan almonds, ordered organza bags & made our own tag with the Jordan almonds poem.

And, I created the wedding program on my computer and had a local printer make copies on coated card-stock. They folded them & we added a blue ribbon. Since her color was blue that caused some issues with color matching! We opted for black & white programs, since I had a photo on there and it looked better on white paper. The blue ribbon added a lot!

Shop around for invitations. They can vary hugely in price. You can also make your own, depending on how formal you want. We ended up getting hers from the stationary store at the church--their prices were good and they had what she wanted.

I used to be in the hotel biz & helped plan many wedding receptions. My advice was always to "calm down!" (LOL) and to select one item as a "WOW" factor, then you can save on everything else. So, we splurged on a chocolate fountain. Other "wows" include ice sculptures, carving stations, champagne fountains, elegant fruit or veggie displays (think towers and hand-carved centerpieces)or any other specialty food item that people don't see everyday.

You can save on alcohol by having limited booze--one "signature" drink, plus beer & wine, perhaps, instead of an open bar.

My daughter used theknot.com a lot for referrals and guidelines, and she did keep the notebook like lynnd described. It was great!

Best wishes!

My mother was a caterer who specialized in weddings for 20 years. I worked with her the last 5 years, before she retired, as her office manager & wedding planner. (Basically I did the writing, she did the cooking <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />)
I also was re-married just 4 years ago, so have a few tips; most of which are reception related.
1. 2:00 ceremony is THE LEAST EXPENSIVE time because no-one expects a full meal, or even heavy hors d�oeuvres. 11:00 is too close to lunch, 4:00 puts the reception @ about 5 so youare looking at heavy hors d'oeuvres or light dinner, anywhere from 6-8 is considered dinner time, with 7 being the formal sit-down dinner (the MOST expensive). Example: my wedding was at 2:00 in February. We served fruit & chocolate fondue, cheese platter w/ domestic & imported cheeses (for money saving; choose 3-4 imported cheeses & leave WHOLE on the platter, cube the less expensive cheeses- that way people take less of the more expensive stuff), veggies, and chicken puffs (special item my mom makes, sort of like a tiny croissant w/ chicken salad). And of course the bride's cake and we had a groom's cake as well (Oh and mints, in the south you'd be hanged if you didn't have mints!)
2. No Bar! At 2:00 it is not even expected. Tradition serves punch, but you could have a non-alcohol bar of sodas & tea if you like. Or a nice idea is a coffee bar. Set up regular & decaf coffee, 3-5 flavored syrups (french vanilla, hazlenut, amaretto, etc.) regular cream & sugar, don't forget splenda or equal for your guests who can't have sugar (or you granddad who doesn't like all this frou-frou stuff <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />)whipped cream, cinnamon, chocolate shavings and maybe even hot water w/ some tea packets or hot chocolate for the kids. This looks like you went all out, but is a lot less expensive than booze, and especially welcome at winter weddings.
3. This kind of menu is best served on buffet, saving you the wait staff charge.
4. You do not need full service china, just 9-10" plates for the light hors d'oeurves, 6" for the cake, and forks. And you can even get away with using disposable at this time of day. I'm not talking Chinet, there are very nice, clear, plastic plates sold by stores like party city, Michael's crafts, etc. This also saves you the cleanup charge.
5. Another option, if the majority of your family and friends are night owls, is to have a very late ceremony, 9:00; what you would do for this reception is definitely the coffee bar, but then skip the hors d'oeurves. Do your fruit tray w/ 2 fondues white & dark chocolate, and have a dessert bar (LisaShea, just turn your back on this posting). Your bide's cake is the center piece - but don't go for one that will feed all of you guests - only about 1/3 to 1/2. Then do a variety of desserts, figuring each person will take 3 different desserts. Mix it up; Fruit desserts, chocolate, custards, creme puffs, pies, cakes - but make sure the cakes are special and VERY different from the bride's cake, cookies, candies. On this one you would need about a 7-8" plate and forks & spoons. At this time of night I still do not recommend a full bar - but you might want to have a champagne toast, or you could do something unique like a chocolate toast.
6. DO NOT skimp on getting enough help to set up and clean up. Some people are tempted to do everything themselves w/ the help of their family - wedding day is emotionally & physically exhausting! Yes, you'll be overjoyed, but after it's over, do you really want to worry about who's going to get the tablecloths back to the rental place? NO NO NO!!! After the thrill of the day has died down and your adrenaline starts to wear off, you want to be alone w/ your new husband, not fighting w/ your sister. DEPART before cleanup.

The biggest thing to saving money is to use your imagination! Go for the different. If your wedding is not traditional, then no-one can compare it to your cousin's friend's daughter's wedding last week. Leave them with something memorable and happy, and they won't know it was inexpensive!

Oh yes, like Deborah said, theknot.com is a great place to help you keep a budget! We used it to plan our wedding, too!