How to have a Wedding Under 10k?

You can also save money by having both reception and ceremony at the same location.

I feel like you have plenty of time to budget for a 100 people. Save,save,save

I'm trying my best to keep my budget under 10k as well & so far I keep getting really discouraged about it. It seems like everything is so crazy, but I'm going to try and DIY some of it to help cut costs as far as decor & flowers. I'm hoping that makes up for higher costs as far as catering & my venue.

It is VERY possible to keep your wedding under 10,000. Our budget is $10,000 including honeymoon. We have done research on everything...as in months of calling, emails back and forth with companies to find cheaper options, reading alot of reviews. There are ways around everything to make them cheaper.

It is most definitely able to be done on that budget! Don't let anyone make you feel bad about having that budget by trying to down play your wedding, I have been to some of the most beautiful and wonderful weddings that have been under a $5,000 budget. My wedding will be well under $10,000 for around 140-150 people. It sounds like you have a great start with ideas and plenty of time to make your dream wedding come true!

@Talia I'd like to put our honeymoon in our 10k budget! Lol. What's your destination?

Keep a small bridal party, compromise on things that don't make a difference to you (for me it was the chair rentals), scout out deals at Michael's or Amazon to find the best deals for decor or diy projects. Look at restaurants to cater. Just worry about your priorities and splurge on those but stick to your budget. You can do it, we have some help but total (help included) our wedding will be under or just at $10k.

We are going on a cruise to the bahamas...Ocean view room its $934 for the whole thing. Of course we will have to buy cocktails and soft drink separate but...to me that is great for all inclusive!

Any budget is possible! Depending on your area, some ideas or a vision might not work in that budget without cutting the guest list. (This is a general statement, not just for you in particular). I would suggest using WW's budgetor and putting in $10k. See how this divides up the money and do a little research to see if that's realistic for what you're thinking in your area. Rural Midwest vs NYC or LA will have varying costs.

We're spending about $7,000 on honeymoon and wedding! We'll have about 80 guests and we're having a cake and punch reception in the early afternoon vs. an evening wedding with a full meal.

Where are you located?

I'm actually pulling off $11,000 for 150 people. Here are the things I'd keep searching for to find the best price - dress, venue, flowers(keep searching for a florist with good reviews), keep a small wedding party. Give your guests great, cateredfood (we're doing a fancy waffle and food truck) and alcohol (just beer and wine by a licensed bartender is fine!) and they really truly don't care about the rest. There are often Groupons for invitations and you can skip the save the date if most of your guests are local, too. Hosting the wedding in a smaller nearby town can also cut costs as well as support small businesses! The company we are using for rentals is newer and just beginning, though their reviews so far have been great and the communication has been stellar. Just keep looking and reach out to several places for quotes. Hope this helps!

How are you all feeding so many on such a low budget? I originally planned 80, but at 40 a head for food and then more for drinks, and then taxes and 20% tip it came out to be a whooping $7500 minimum no matter where I looked

@Jenny We are doing barbecue, and a bunch of side items for 100 people its coming out to a little less than $1,000. For drinks we are doing beer (bottled), Sodas, Sweet and unsweet tea and 2 signature cocktails. Our food is also buffet style.

Skip save the dates, favors, fancy bathroom baskets, guest welcome bags. Focus on catered food, booze, and a DJ.

No one here thinks it's impossible, but often we get brides with unrealistic goals or ideas. We try to steer people in a better direction.

People are right though- the smaller your guest list, the less cost. It's just fact, no matter where you live.

$10k is a very do able budget, depending on your location and guest list. I'm at about $12 for 120 people. We found an amazing hall. Search and search and search again for good vendors with lower prices. Decide what you won't compromise on, and be flexible.

Our original goal was about 100 people for about 12k, and we discovered that in our area that didn't get us the kind of hosting we envisioned. We could have made it work if we had gone more casual (there's a local BBQ joint that is MAGNIFICENT that caters inexpensively) but my FH envisioned something more formal and we decided to do more formal with fewer people. Everyone has to decide for themselves where they will or won't compromise.

I'm having so much envy right now. BBQ sounds great. Are you doing the set up and cleanup yourselves or does the caterer also cover that?

The caterer is setting up and breaking down. Its a $30 charge. And i am actually in Nashville Tn so its not like im in the middle of nowhere thats cheap. The bar we will have to set up ourselves but we rented the 5 gallon acrylic dispensers for $25 a piece.

Surest way to depress a NY bride haha. Not possible here. Unless you have a really small guest list.

Its very possible to keep it under 10,000. I'm planning a wedding for about 100 people and I'm at about 8,000 and that includes the honeymoon and my dress. It may involve a lot of shopping around and deciding to do some diy if the venue doesn't decorate for you. But it can be done