Skip to main content

Post content has been hidden

To unblock this content, please click here

Sandra
Dedicated May 2021

Low budget weddings

Sandra, on January 14, 2018 at 9:02 PM Posted in Planning 2 140
I want to hear about your low budget weddings! What have you/are you doing to budget and save money?
We are located just outside Milwaukee, have invited 65 guests, and we are below budget at $6,400!

140 Comments

Latest activity by Alissa, on August 11, 2019 at 9:09 AM
  • K
    Devoted April 2018
    Kelly ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    We are doing an afternoon wedding at my FMIL’s house with 20 people. We will have tapas and dancing after it. We will then go to a hotel in the city and have a fancy dinner just us! We should be able to come in around $3000
    • Reply
  • kld1215
    Savvy February 2018
    kld1215 ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    We are in PA, our venue at a country club is all inclusive. Should come out to about $6,000 and includes food open bar, ceremony, cake, and centerpieces. DJ that the venue hooked us up with is $750. Photographer is $650. Dress was $99 at David’s Bridal. Everything else should be around $500-$1,000. So all together less than $9,000 for around 65 guests.

    • Reply
  • F
    Beginner January 2018
    FurturrMrsCook ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    We are spending about $8000 for 70 guests during off season (January). We are having the ceremony at our church. There is small fee for the church and we will make a donation to the pastor for officiating. We are having the reception in a private room of a local restaurant. No facilty fee, we are just paying for food, servers and alcohol. We will have beer and wine only during cocktail hour and will pay based on consumption. I also saved a ton of money by having silk flowers real touch instead of fresh. Lastly, negotiate, negotiate, and negotiate.
    • Reply
  • Sandra
    Dedicated May 2021
    Sandra ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    $300 cake, $1,200 food and alcohol, $1,340 flowers, decor, and centerpieces, $45 invitations RSVP and other stationary, $3,500 photographer

    we are not hiring musicians, a dj, or a videographer.

    I didn't add in attire because it was gifted, and we have not yet priced out rings. This is not our final price tag but we've covered a lot.

    • Reply
  • K
    Dedicated October 2018
    Kayla ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    We are doing our own flowers - ordering in bulk online from Sams Club. They have thousands of great reviews. It'll be under $300 for all flowers. Then we are doing our own photo booth. Probably going to cost around $150 for props, photo book, back drop, etc.
    • Reply
  • A
    Dedicated August 2019
    Abigail ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    Following this, I feel like there are not enough budget brides out on this app! I fortunately have a free venue with our church and there facilities with no dancing or alcohol. It'll be a short afternoon ceremony and reception- starting at 2 pm to have appetizers and finger foods rather than a large meal. I will have 250 to 300 guests. Also look for a photographer that has a good profile online but may just be starting out as a business. There services are usually much cheaper.
    • Reply
  • Margarita
    Dedicated December 2017
    Margarita ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment
    How will you have music though? Just keep in mind, music is a critical component. If the music sucks, the party sucks and people leave early. Also who will MC things like your enterance, etc. no dj can affect more than just the music..
    • Reply
  • Elizabeth
    Master December 2016
    Elizabeth ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    Wait, you're having food and alcohol for under $20 per person???

    • Reply
  • Sandra
    Dedicated May 2021
    Sandra ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    UGH I'm SO Glad you pointed that out. Something was too good to be true! I've been sitting here a day and a half thinking how awesomely below budget we are. I typed the wrong number into the budget line.
    We are definitely not as below budget as I thought, my guests are eating and drinking at 2162.50
    I definitely knew this.


    • Reply
  • AQuixoticBride
    VIP July 2018
    AQuixoticBride ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment
    Not judging your budget but i wonder if your priorities are aligned. For the $3500 you're spending on a photographer (which is almost half my budget) I could have gotten a photographer, DJ, and videographer. But for my budget, I allocated more money towards food and venue. And $45 won't even cover the postage on your invitations. The small things add up, too.

    To stay in budget, we found a venue that doesn't need/allow much decor, we're buying bulk flowers and I am making my own bouquets (only need two and I care very little about the flowers) and boutinerres, we're keeping the guest count to 50 (fingers crossed), and we hired the photographer we wanted for fewer hours, FH is wearing his own tux, so no costs there. We are also providing our own beer and wine for the bar. We are splurging a little on live music.
    • Reply
  • Cindy
    Beginner September 2021
    Cindy ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment
    May I ask how are you doing your own photo booth ? I would like to have one but can't afford the cost.
    Thank you
    • Reply
  • Sandra
    Dedicated May 2021
    Sandra ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    View Quoted Comment
    Our reception venue is tiny but has speakers all along the ceiling that we plan to play music through. Because it's such a small venue (no dance floor or anything) i wasn't really planning a big entrance.

    Low budget weddings 1
    • Reply
  • M
    Savvy October 2018
    Miriam ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    We have a budget of $3,000
    We have a total of 50 guest coming,our venue(pictures posted below) if 750 dollars,my uncle owns a dj system so that 0 dollars,we own a mexican restaurant so we will cater our selfs so that $0 we will have drink from the restaurant so thats $0 a client of our reataurant is a photographer so thats only $600 the venue does not need to be decorated since its allready beautiful..cake is $200.
    We are buying flowers at walmart or frdmeyers to save,invitations are made locally so very cheap,anything else im forgetting at the moment?
    • Reply
  • Shannon
    Expert October 2017
    Shannon ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    My Venue was a park free, my dress $85 (I already had my shoes), husband's shirt $120 (he already had everything else), lunch at my favorite restaurant us plus four guests $125, small one tier wedding cake $55, I did my own hair and makeup, I had budgeted $75 for my simple bouquet of fall flowers but when my husband went to pick it up while I was getting ready they had lost the order so it was free. A budget wedding is very doable you just have to think of what is really important to you. For me it was getting married to the one I love. I wanted simple but pretty and I think we did it. It was perfect for us. I did save a huge amount because my brother is a photographer and gifted us our wedding pictures.
    • Reply
  • Malwen107
    VIP October 2018
    Malwen107 ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    We are doing a brunch menu ($45 a person, includes mimosa and bloody Mary bar), found a super affordable DJ, no menus, programs or unnecessary signs. No favors, bridal party proposals, etc.

    Most of all we were really serious about cutting down the guest list. We began with 100 and quickly realized that was not going to work

    • Reply
  • Amandaw
    VIP April 2018
    Amandaw ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    We have 50 guests and our wedding is under $6000. Venue was all inclusive besides officiant ($150), dj ($500), and photographer ($140). Dress was $200 and hair and makeup $100.
    • Reply
  • MrsBartonToBe
    Dedicated September 2018
    MrsBartonToBe ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    I’m not sure on our full budget yet but we are looking at $4500 for our venue, catering, alcohol, and our hotel room. A really good friend of ours is our DJ and he’s not charging us but I do plan to tip him. An old friend of mine is a photographer and she’s doing my photography and isn’t charging me. An old coworker is a baker and is making our cake and isn’t charging us. I do plan on tipping both. I’m a MUA and my sister is a hairdresser so I’ll have both my hair and makeup done without any cost. I’m also going to be using my moms wedding dress so no cost there for me. My FH’s attire is $240. I’m only spending $140 on decor and favors. I am buying corsages for my bridesmaids which is $50. And our wedding parties gifts only came out to $150. I’m guessing it’ll be around $6k.
    • Reply
  • K
    Savvy August 2018
    Kristine ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    Very interested as well-venue is a friends ranch property, officiant is friends dad, have catering delivered....but still lots to go
    • Reply
  • C
    Just Said Yes September 2018
    Cydney ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    The venue we're going with is about $2500 less to do it on Sunday vs Saturday, so we changed the day to save a bunch there. I'm going to order flowers in bulk, my fw's aunt is a photographer so she's doing our photos and a close relative of mine is officiating, we're just providing the ladies hotel rooms for that weekend. I'm doing my own hair and make up, and my dress was a gift. We're also doing heavier hors d'oeuvres in place of a plated meal..and I found this really awesome cake place that rents a Styrofoam "cake" decorated however you want, and has sheet cakes in the back to serve guests for way less than other places I've checked with. We still have a lot to go but I'm confident we won't go over our budget. We're planning $6000 for 75 people.
    • Reply
  • K squared
    Super October 2017
    K squared ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    There are some really helpful breakdowns here and then there are the, my friend is a photographer, baker, makeup artist, so everything is free. Good for you but not realistic for the average person.
    • Reply

You voted for . Add a comment 👇

×

Related articles

WeddingWire celebrates love ...and so does everyone on our site! Learn more

Groups

WeddingWire article topics