How many here are on a 3,000 or under budget?

We're under 3k for our budget. We've got 45 guests, and right now we're at just over 1.3k total for our expenses.

How we did it:

- Inexpensive venue (State Park) for both the ceremony and reception.

- Used local college students for vendors (string quartet, servers, etc. The string quartet is freaking amazing, and they were dirt cheap because they're students.)

- Flowers are coming from a vendor we located at the local farmer's market. The flowers look better than those in a florist's shop and cost less than a quarter of the price.

- Chose a theme that lowered our costs. Our wedding is writing themed since we're both writers, and it's actually cost us a lot less to find book or writing-related decor to go with the wedding than it would have if we went for generic fancy wedding crap. Also makes it more personal.

- Most of our decorations have been bought on clearance. We figured out what we wanted and then looked around to find places that had it either on sale or close-out.

DIY actually isn't less expensive. It can cost more, especially if you're not crafty. We -are- DIYing some things (paper flowers for table decorations, place cards, signs and banners), but that's because we're crafty and I'm an artist. If you're not, the results can look shabby and it's often better just to suck it up and find a cheap way to buy.

You have $3K to spend? The guest list is ten or twenty? Start calling around to great restaurants. Tell them you want a top grade beef and/or chicken dish and champagne. With your budget, you can afford it. Wear your gown, carry your bouquet, and order a cake. You probably have enough to hire a pro photographer.

We did it! We had our wedding at home with 55 guests and had a glorified cookout as our reception, but it was a lot of fun. Our tent/chairs/lights came from a friend's friend who is starting a tent business and we booked our photog for just two hours. Our tables were IKEA lack tables that we bought for $6 and gave away at the end of the night. It was a LOT of work to et everything together ourselves. After all was a said and done, we prob spent just under 3k...but if you're having a sit-down, catered affair at a venue, I don't know how that will work.

We bought our linens from linentablecloth.com and our lights from 1000bulbs.com.

Totally agree with @Centerpiece... with 20 people, you can have an AWESOME dinner, wear a lovely dress with a pretty bouquet, even have a small cake and a pro photographer -- you don't need some big venue rental!

I did it with 100 guests, a full ceremony and reception with catering, dj, photographer and alcohol. It can be done but you really have to budget every single dollar. I did do a lot of DIY

Yeah! Do a restaurant!

We didn't have a planned 4000 budget but its turning out that way we didn't want to spend a small fortune on the day. we found a small chapel venue that provides cake, permits for beach gathering and chair rental , photographer, flowers, officiant and all the smaller stuff, we just needed our food, clothes, marriage license, transportation and invitations. we know someone who has a beautiful property that we are having the reception at. we used vista print for invitations, used favor favors for the wedding favors and a local restaurant for catering (bulk order has special prices if its not sit down plates) we're doing family style dinner since its max 20 people. for a small wedding under 3000 or 4000 can be done.

I second all of the girls...with your guest list being so small, you could easily do a restaurant and if they have a private room, you could probably even book that. It's totally do-able!

My budget is roughly $3k for 50-60 people. I'm managing by working my connections (free tables, chairs, linens, flowers, and photography) and having a backyard (or rather 40 acres of field in front of my aunt's house) wedding. Prioritize what's important to you/will allow your guests to enjoy themselves and spend your money on that. I have drawn a lot of inspiration from this blog/website: http://thebudgetsavvybride.com/

You can do it!

@centerpiece I know this has been said over and over, but you always have the BEST posts. Your ideas are always great and helpful. As someone whose wedding is still two years out, I'm glad to know people like you will continue to post here!

I love it, love it, love it! You totally have enough money to have a gorgeous wedding with family and friends you treasure.

I second the restaurant idea; (if you're in my area, NJ/NY, I can send you my list). Get a beautiful bouquet, choose a cool menu, wear a dress you love and enjoy the day. Hire a cool photographer for what you'll describe as a portrait shoot (but let them know its a wedding); you'll need them for maybe two hours, maybe three. Get a sweet little cake.

I wish more people will consider this instead of hot dogs and water for 200.....or having their friends work.

Best wishes for a wonderful, classy, fabulous celebration!

My wedding is under 3k. Having between 40-50 guests. Having a church ceremony and then a small intimate reception. Was supposed to be in a nice, small restaurant venue but they just kept adding charges and charges and i decided against it, so FH's god mother/aunt has a HUGE backyard and his uncle is the president of sysco foods and also a chef(certified and licensed) so he will be making our food. Also our friend is an established DJ and his wedding gift to us is music but even if it's a friend SIGN A CONTRACT! Remember what the day is for and about and especially with your intimate crowd you could have an extravagant reception.

Me! We're doing 18 people at our caterer's restaurant and livestreaming the ceremony using their wi-fi and a nice webcam + tripod setup FI already has. So far my estimate is coming in around $2500 and we've only actually spent maybe $350 -- FI's corset, supplies to grow the flowers I want, STDs, and some random little things like the lace I intend to use for FI's veil (it was on sale). We'll be putting down a deposit on the caterer tomorrow, and I'll be ordering programs and invitations from VistaPrint this week.

We're DIYing flowers, yarmulkes, the chuppah, FI's skirt and veil, and the music. I designed the programs and invitations myself, but no way am I going to print them myself, there's a limit to how much hassle I'm willing to put up with.

Kay, dont waste your money on stds for an 18 person wedding. Obviously its your nearest and dearest you will be inviting, and its not a holiday date. Just send your invites out 6-8 weeks out, and use your telephone number for the rsvp. You will be fine. I did the same for my upcoming 40 person wedding.

@Heather - My budget is $2500 but I have a fbil who is a photograper so avoided that cost. We are having a church wedding and a restaurant reception with a private room. Serving filet mignon and fresh grilled walleye for dinner, having cake and ice cream grooms cake from DQ lol. Going into the attached bar for after party and dancing with anyone who wishes to stay. I did diy our bouqets but am going to buy bouts and coursages from the grocery store. So far Im on budget. I did buy my dress new but prior owned and fh is wearing a suit he already owns, but you have less people so you could afford new. To put it into perspective, after you spend $500 on a dress, your budget is still $250pp. There shouldnt be a charge for 20 people in a restaurant.

@Mrs Cheapskate, FI would be disappointed to skip paper STDs, and for 18 people (9 households all told, one of whom asked me to send hers electronically to avoid her slightly homophobic roommates snooping), it was only like $13 to get 'em on sale from Vistaprint. Sure they weren't strictly necessary, but they were cheap and made FI happy.

I am taking a slightly DIY approach to the invites to avoid having to pay extra for RSVP inserts -- I designed an 8x4 invitation with a tear-off RSVP card at one end. I'll have Vistaprint print them, and when they arrive I'll use a wartenberg wheel to perforate them. I get phone anxiety and I'm not good at keeping my phone charged, so phone RSVPs would stress me out unless people were willing to text them or send them via Facebook message!