Almost engaged, am I being crazy???

I also have a wedding of about 25 guests and we will be over that budget. I suppose to is possible though.

If you already have a date then your are already engaged

Ask every vendor for a military discount. Every vendor we have has given us at least 10% off. (It adds up so quick.) Also, if your FH has been deployed in the past five years, check out Brides Across America for a free dress.

The ring is an outward sign of a private commitment -- one you've already made. If the ring comes later, that doesn't alter the commitment to marriage. So, you're absolutely good to go on the planning.

Your budget, in my area, would be almost impossible if you wanted a fully hosted event (great food, great entertainment, and open bar). I don't know the prices of weddings in Texas, but you can always incorporate some of the nation wide tricks to save money:

1. Get married after Christmas and before Easter. Generally, that's still considered the off-season for many venues (and if you could do it in February or March, you'd definitely be in the off season).

2. Have a Thursday night, Friday night (although they are growing in popularity, and eventually, will grow in price), or Sunday wedding. Brunch on Sunday following an 11:00 AM ceremony would be a real money saver (especially since the types of adult beverages served will be different than that of a Saturday night wedding -- think Bellinis, Mimosas, Champagne Cocktails, Blood Marys, or white wine). Your menu of brunch foods (French Toast, Waffles, sausage, bacon, ham, eggs, bagels, etc.) will cost far less than Filet Mignon, Prime Rib, Salmon, or Chicken Marsala.

3. If you can't find an all inclusive venue that meets your budget, find one with that will allow you to bring in your own liquor/bartender and caterer. If you go for a non-brunch meal, think of restaurants, rather than caterers.

4. Of course, and this probably should have been first, keep the guest list small. A 30 person wedding is as beautiful and sacred as a 300 person wedding, but a smaller guest list will give you options outside of conventional wedding venues (options like private rooms in restaurants). You can still have all of the trappings -- the gown, the tux, the bouquet, the cake, the champagne, and the pics, it will all just be a little smaller. I've been to those weddings, and they are lovely.

I'm in the Chicago Suburbs and I came in right at around 7.5k for 94 guests, so it's doable but I'm not sure about pricing in your area.

My wedding is 10k for 100 people. It is definitely doable. But I am in VA. Idk what prices are like there. Just be creative. And I don't have a ring at all. We just decided to get married and started planning. So um yes you ARE engaged

Ring or not, it sounds like you are engaged so totally ok to be planning

OP what do you imagine your wedding to be like? We are having an outdoor ceremony and our reception at a restaurant (renting out half of the building). We are looking at less then 5k for about 80 people. I also skimped a lot on my own things... a $99 clearance dress, no makeup artist etc. Everyone will be properly hosted but we are definitely keeping it simple. Can you do it? Yes, but it may not be the wedding you imagine.

I'm in Dallas. If you are willing to look for non traditional venues in the suburbs and look at BBQ for your food it's doable.

You're my type of girl! My boyfriend (now fiancé) and I designed a ring in December. We had our venue, photographer and DJ before we got officially engaged. We just officially got engaged last week!! We've been together almost 6 years so this wasn't weird to us! You're on a time limit and we weren't! I think it's smart to plan if you know it's happening for sure so you get the day you want!

Budget wise, I think you will have to be smart with what you spend to reach that budget. It depends on what you want included in that 10k price. We have around 150 guests and we're spending about 14-15 k. The venue, food and alcohol are our biggest spending points!

With that budget, you would probably have more luck with a brunch or lunch reception than dinner.

Look for historic venues! Those will cut costs. My cousin is getting married in frisco at this old train place???? It was cheap because of the history

Look at non wedding venues ... I'm about 2 hours east of DFW and our venue is under $1k for the entire day. Right now our budget is at $9600 And we're aiming to stay under $10k with a 30 person guest list, afternoon ceremony and cake/punch reception (no dinner). $2500 of that is the photographer (my #1 priority)

Don't listen to all the naysayers.... There's definitely a way to plan a wedding with a 10k budget. Are you crafty? You can do a lot of things on your own. My wedding has a 10k budget. My venue was 2k, dress, veil, and sash $1k. I was able to book staging for $1200 (draping and linens) I purchased a Groupon for my photo booth for $400, found a awesome photographer on thumbtack, and I got a great deal from a caterer from a bridal show. The grocery store has liquor on sale if you buy 6 bottles you get 30% off. You just have to search around for great deals and it will all work

CONGRATS

I'm in the DFW area... I originally had an 8k budget for 100 ppl.. in the end it'll be about 13k and thats going pretty simple. You don't realize how expensive wedding stuff is until you start planning! Don't skimp on food and booze!

Hey! So we have the same wedding date and area (kinda) mine will be in Longview Texas so only a couple hours away! 10k isn't to bad of a budget in Texas you'll just have to be very careful and focused where you put your money.

I'd suggest looking for venues that offer catering to cut cost! Mine is 3500 with an expected 250 guest count and the venue includes catering which is a life saver. Also look at the day you're getting married and time. Sometimes locations have better prices if you pick a Sunday or Friday instead of a Saturday.

Good luck!

10k for 100 is my budget, and I'm making it work. I haven't gone over budget at all. However I will tell you that it's hard work making that budget work.

So. Much. Research. In the end, we have 78 guests, so there's some wiggle room.

If you're planning to spend your lives together and planning a wedding together, you're engaged I don't know if $10,000 is enough of a budget for 100 people. We had 91 people (11 kids) at our wedding (in eastern panhandle of WV) and it was over $21,000. Just make sure not to skimp on the officiant, food, alcohol, and comfort (air, heat, seats, etc.) for your guests. Those are pretty much the only necessities. You can skip save the dates, programs, favors, have less decor, have less flowers, etc. to save money.

I didn't see it mentioned by anyone else, but something I'd recommend with the uncertainty of military plans - get wedding insurance. In the event your FH has to deploy sooner than you expect, you'll be glad to have wedding insurance.

I would look at halls such as VFW or community centers that would be a little more budget friendly. If you do a buffet and keep your flowers in season and not over complicated I think you can have a beautiful wedding!! Congrats and happy planning!!

I agree with the pp's that you're not crazy to start planning now if you're getting hitched in about a year. In fact, Depending on what you're willing to compromise on, you can pull off a wedding for 100 with 10k. Having family and friends chip in and DIYing rather than purchasing saves a ton of money. Was recently MoH for my BFF, who hosted her wedding for 50 with a budget of 2k (including the dress she bought for 300). We made centerpieces and decorations ourselves, family members made the cake and contributed most of the food (buffet style reception). She purchased her liquor in bulk and a friend bar-tended. She was able to get her venues fairly cheap by using the church her family belonged to and having a 'backyard' reception. You can make a playlist and enlist a trusted friend or family member to keep the music going instead of paying for a band or DJ. If you're willing to work with family and friends (I mean, what are they there for?), you can save a bundle on those professional 'extras'.