Wednesday, May 21, 2008

$2,000: I cant do that...can I

Okay so I've been all over the web reading about wedding budgets at/or below $2000.00. What kind of wedding can I have for $2,000.00? I've been to several weddings that have ranged in cost from $2,000.00 to $25,000.00. The $2,000.00 wedding can be just as romantic and beautiful as the $25,000.00 wedding. I want the beautiful fairy tale without the cost. I realize that I'm going to have to put in work to make this wedding happen. Planning a wedding on a tight budget could consume you. It would be easier to go out and spend $25,000.00 on a wedding and reception at Cinderella's castle and be done with it, but I want a memorable event that doesn't break the bank. Plus there will be no help.

Unfortunately, I have high dollar taste and dreams. I'll need the world to help curtail my spending. I figure if you'll help keep my checks and balances I'll stay on track.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Okay, I’m looking at something sort of similar except that I don't mind the work. I’m a slight perfectionist and therefore I want to do everything my way and so that it looks good. But the biggest thing to remember is what does your guy want? Get him involved! And use those bridesmaids!!! $2000 seems like a lot of money... until you start looking at things. To start with though, get disposable cameras instead of professional photography, or get a good friend with a digital camera and ask her if she would do that instead of a wedding gift for the two of you... or maybe she just really likes taking pictures and will do it and still give you a gift. Or you may want to pay her something. But whatever you do it will save money. Also, a video of your ceremony, although not necessary can be nice. Talk to a family member with a video camera. You can edit so many things with computers now a days and I can guarantee that someone you know will be able to do that for you.
Where you will positively save a bundle of money is by shopping around for a dress and the place you’re holding it at. Look for things like catering and alcohol and everything included. It can be cheap and don’t just look close by… look around a bit. Maybe you want to do this in the summer when it’s nice out so try for an outdoor wedding. It’s a great look and you can do some amazing things. It can be so much cheaper too. Think about it a bit. As for a dress? Well, Google search wedding dresses and you can probably find ne for somewhere between 100 and 200….. Alterations are fairly cheap if you can find the right person or if you have a family member who can sew. If not… look for someone who sews out of their home. It’s extremely cheap and they do great work and are great people to work with.
If you are looking for a caterer then think about restaurants. Talk to the owner of your favorite restaurant and see if they do catering or would, and how much it costs. You might find it to be much cheaper.
Restrict the kind of alcohol you get. Why go all out for the specialty stuff that people really don’t know about? Beer is the most common and wine. Maybe get some rum and vodka and pop to mix. You don’t need anything else.
Decorations…. Most people think flowers are a must for decorations, but why? I’m doing a winter wedding and I’m working slowly on the image, but for centerpieces we’re probably going to use twigs spray painted white with green and purple gloves hanging off of them and in some vases. It’s simple, easy to make, and cheap. I can hand sew the gloves with some craft felt, and trust me… my sewing is the worst thing in the world…. But it’s cheap and it isn’t too hard to do. They don’t have to function and they’ll be small so I’ve decided that it wouldn’t be hard. I don’t have to do a glove for each guest unless I use them for favors, which I might, but if I don’t then it’s not that time consuming. Try looking for something like that.
Or, if you love the flower thing then go with silk flowers. In the winter they don’t have many cheap choices for flowers, especially in green and purple…. So? Look in the summer and spring and whenever for fake flowers in my color and wait until they go on sale. Buy as many as I can and I will be making everything from fake flowers, where I decide to use them.
Favors? Well, you can use the favors as a centerpiece. If you want to do something simple then take a material like tulle or anything really….. Put a bunch of colored candies such as smarties or jelly beans in the middle and tie it all up with a string. You can then put those into a vase in the middle of the table and put a mirror or some confetti or something around it. It would look great.
Another decorating option is candles…. They look so amazing. And those glass beads… you could make it really shine. Depending maybe you want to ask relatives for candles you could borrow. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind and it would make them feel like a part of it.
Rocks with a single flower may seem… dull? But if you added a bit of water that makes every rock look like the most beautiful of colors then add a flower in the right color, whether fake or real, it makes a statement and can look really beautiful….
Invitations are probably the easiest thing, even though every fears them. If you have bought the Microsoft 2003 or 2000 and it’s still on your computer then you should have Microsoft publisher. It gives you a great template for invitations in whatever style you want. You don’t have to add the boarders on the computer, but it gives you a good layout for the working and printing of the card. You could then print it on colored paper and add a ribbon or some stickers or scrapbooking supplies or get a paper punch and punch out a bunch of shapes and put it inside the card. Drawing also works well. I scrapbook so I’ll be using my supplies there to decorate, but the cheapest thing to do is go to a craft store and buy in bulk. They have some great stuff. You could even make the candles for decorating yourself, although I don’t know what the price is like there.
Probably the #1 tip that anyone has for cutting the price is your guest list…. When you are thinking of your caterer then ask them if they give a discount on having so many people. For example if you have 50 guests it could cost $20 per plate. But, if you bump that guest count up to 150 then you only pay $18 per plate. Sure you are spending more, but it’s for a cheaper price. Not with that said if you have 110 people then you maybe want to look at inviting a few more people to make the overall meal price cheaper OR cut down the list.
I have the problem that both of our families are huge. I have about 120 guests on my side and he has about the same. I want a maximum 170 people there. I don’t like many of my relatives. Although it’s kind of harsh that is how it works. Sometimes we just don’t like parts of our family. Well, the best way to reduce your list is remove these people from your list. Talk to your parents about who they could live without being there. Also, family friends who you go camping with once a year don’t need to really come, right? How about your father’s golf buddies? Or what about those people from work? One person’s blog said she went through her working friends and asked herself: “If I switched jobs would I still be friends with that person?” and the most common answer she found was no. It should be a family thing, and close friends who have been there for you and are going to support you and your spouse.
Another option to cut the prices a bit is the cake. How much do you really want to pay? Maybe it will come as part of the catering deal. If it does and it’s for a good price then great! But if not then what about making cupcakes? I’m no baker or a cook. I use the microwave. But getting the boxes of cupcake mix and making them yourself isn’t as hard as I thought. It could be rather cheap too, but slightly time consuming. I’m sure your mother or his mother or a relative can bake or ice too so that’s going to help you a lot. They don’t have to be the most amazing or fancy. They are going to be eaten so don’t worry. I’d suggest putting a candy on top for decoration.
If you want more then give me an e-mail and I’d love to help you out!!
Gcrockerj27@gmail.com