Wedding Budget

Congrats on your engagement! The wedding sticker shock is definitely real. Sorry I do not know any Florida vendors but some suggestions to keep costs down include avoid weekend evening weddings, keep the guest list small, and try doing it off season ex Jan-March tends to be cheaper in my area. Happy planning!

I’m in the Panhandle, which I know might as well be a different state, but we have several state parks in the area that are also botanical gardens and historic homes with nice gardens. State parks and local historical societies (not like the huge plantations, ugh, but the “smaller” homes that are located within neighborhoods that are run by like a local garden society) can be a lot more reasonably priced than the flashy wedding venues. We have a few up here that I know for sure are reasonably priced, but of course they’re not close to you. But if you look up Maclay Gardens in Tallahassee, you’ll see what I mean. I feel like there has to be something comparable further south, or even one of the other state parks if you time your wedding during their prime blooming season. These aren’t all inclusive, but if your venue fee is in the low hundreds, that gives you a lot of wiggle room to work out the rest.

Not sure where you are located in South Florida, but these folks are really good and have a ton of packages that won't break the bank. https://sandpetalweddings.com/ As others have suggested, check out non-traditional venues. Although 'packages " may be convenient, you may be paying for something you don't need. Happy planning!

Congrats on your engagement! Sorry I cannot help with venues that are located near you, but I will say that while the prices can be overwhelming, your budget is doable if you put in the effort. My husband and I got married in MA about 2 months ago and our final cost including absolutely everything was $14860 (and MA is very expensive compared to most of the country).

There are lots of ways to keep costs in check but some things that I found most helpful were looking at non-conventional venues and keeping the guest list small (we had 53 guests). We also DIY'd a few elements that were able to be done ahead of time so as to not overwhelm ourselves. We made all of our own signs and made edible favors as well as purchasing some of the smaller decor items on Amazon (table runners, votive candles, etc.). I also utilized online websites like Wedding Wire and Here Comes the Guide for pricing info when searching for vendors and I purchased my dress at a local bridal outlet store. Good luck!

I know nothing about South Florida, but try looking at some golf clubs and country clubs to see what they offer.