$10k budget. Is it really enough?

Our original budget was $10. Realizing we're in NJ and that's impossible we (ok I) upped it to $15....we're at $23 honeymoon included depends on how many people and where you are

Ditto on what others have said about the guest list. It really affects everything - what kind of venue you can find and the amount of space you'll need there, the amount of food and drinks you'll need, how many tables and chairs you have to rent, etc. Aside from that, I would recommend thinking hard about your priorities and getting creative with your vendors. For me, it was really important to have professional pictures but I was less concerned about having a professional video. So to compensate for going over budget on my photographer, I decided to use WeddingMix for our wedding video. That opened up significant extra money in our budget (and I even chose one of the more expensive packages). Plus, I don't feel I'm compromising because now my wedding video will reflect the whole weekend (videographers are usually only at the wedding for a few hours) and it will be taken from our guests' perspective. So try to think outside the box - your wedding doesn't have to look like everyone else's!

Check into some catering options you might not have thought of before. Restaurants like Olive Garden, Moe's Southwestern Grill, BBQ shops, Italian restaurants that cater, and food trucks are all options to at least look into. Fruit and vegetable trays from somewhere like Costco with other items like chips and salsa, cheese platters, and other things like that make for good appetizers during cocktail hour. Potlucks can be stressful, and definitely can cause sickness if something goes wrong. The same goes for self-catering.

If you're including wedding bands and HM in your budget, no it is not possible.

For the actual wedding only 10k should work if you keep your guest list short, keep your cake flavors basic, you can't have top notch food like filet mignon and lobster, serve beer and wine only, don't do favors, invitations do them yourself (I did and paid about $200 for 100 invitations) or buy the ones from Michael's, wait for the David's Bridal $99 sale, buy your veil on ebay if you're wearing one and keep it simple. The minute you become a diva that's when everything will go wrong. Good luck!

Also remember you have to buy gifts for your Bridal Party so keep that simple as well....All you need is your MOH and BM.

And please no potluck as other ladies have mentioned.

We're budgeted to spend around $7k for about 80-90 people for our wedding in northwest Georgia (about 2 hours outside ATL). Fully catered, DJ, etc., etc.,

I scored 200 free mason jars for centerpieces and I am borrowing other décor from a friend/co-worker, so that saved us hundreds.

@Jennifer, since you are in Texas, look into HEB for your floral if you want to save $$ there but not have to DIY. They have very affordable wedding packages and I've seen some that do really good work. I'm in the Houston area and they had a huge set-up at the Bridal Extravaganza show that I went to in January. I never would have thought to look into them until I saw them there. I ultimately didn't go with them (mostly just out of convenience really) but I did seriously consider them at one point early in my planning.

Holy Lazarus thread, Batman!

@Jennifer What venues in Austin are you looking at? FH and I looked at several venues in Austin that may work.

Some really great ideas on here. We are going to have to go over our 10k budget, but we are getting married in Seattle and with food allergies (mine and a flower girls) makes potlucks and inexperienced caterers dangerous. We're saving a lot of money because my crafty little heart couldn't imagine paying someone to print our save the dates and invites, and we aren't doing flowers (allergies again). Good luck to everyone!

Try looking for venues that are a bit more all-inclusive - i.e. that include the cake, give you a linen overlay, maybe that don't have a ceremony space fee separate from the pp fee. This is what we are looking at and when we added up the costs, it is going to save a bundle.

Katie and Jennifer - there are quite a few Austin and San Antonio brides on here. We may need to look into a social soon :-)

BTW - I am in Austin if you need any help!

100% we are doing it for less. Venue is key. We are getting married on an army base which is cutting a lot of our cost because since there's no tax or over head for the venue hall on the base I cuts cost so much and they are offering us everything sit down dinner, cocktail hour w/ appetizers, open bar, and our cake for $65 per head. Keeping the guest list low and letting people know that your budget is tight and although you'd love to have them you can't afford it. Search of deals with DJ you really need to shop around sane goes for photographers. Another way to minimize photographer prices don't get prints but a flash drive and the rights to print later on when you afford it. For your dress wait for a sale! I got mine for 700 and it was originally over 1000 David's bridal has sales as well as dresses that are more affordable just be firm with your max. Also look into silk flowers versus real and get cases from $1 store and making anything flower related yourself. Invitations look into buying kits to print yourself we got 100 (way more than we needed but extras to practice on) for $25 that were on sale. STD we used vista print $40 for like 60 I think?

As you probably figured out a lot of my savings were done in researcher and DIY. Also paying cash vendors may give you a discount.

Hope this helps!

A good place to check for pretty invites at a good price is Walmart. Believe it or not. In their tiny wedding section they have about two different options!

My goal was $10k. I'm at $13k. Guest list 100. DIY candle centerpieces. Costco flowers. Combined ceremony and reception venue so no need of transportation. Cheap DJ. Photographer is a professional family friend so lucked out with that one. No video. His teenage kids are the bridal party. No formal sit down meal. Passed appetizers, food stations, cake. We did not skimp on a 5 hour open bar. Dress off the rack. Great deal on formal invitations from a friend who owns a print shop.