See, the problem is not the wedding industrial complex, as it is a) my own girly aspirations, and b) my huge-ass family and passel of friends. Oh, and c) Boston/Concord is hEEEEXPENSIVE to do anything, let alone get married in. And there are a couple things that are important to me, that are a bit squishy-- our minister has a fee that is more than expected, and the photographer I have my heart set on is a bit pricey (also a family friend, so maybe that'll help, but still). So it's a work in progress. But between the head count and the fact that I'm lucky to find a location for less than $1500, it'll be tricksy.
I just recently found indiebride.com and am SMITTEN. I guess offbeatbride.com is next. :)
Offbeatbride.com is the best! Some of the weddings are way complicated and some are really simple, but it seems like a good way to think about making a wedding that's yours. (I'm speculating on that last, as personally I just go to this site to go "oooh, pretty.")
and this is why, as i was ironically just saying to squot this morning, when i get married i'm doing it in a field where we can have a clam bake and go wading in a river afterward. i cannot understand why anything needs to cost so much-- and granted i'm sure it's because i have no earthly idea how much anything related to a wedding costs, but like... wat. waaat. FIELD. TENT. LOTS OF BOOZE AND PEOPLE DANCING.
....the fact that the only six states i *can* get married in are full of wide expanses of gorgeous naturey goodness doesn't hurt, either. ;D
So, probably around $8,000. Not including venue rental (even naturey goodness has a pricetag), clothing, flowers or decorations (typically $2,000), invitations or photography (from $750 to $3,000).
Parties are expensive. Weddings are EXTRA expensive. You can get creative with some stuff, but once you start to wade into the planning process, you learn how much even a "simple" wedding can cost. I mean, it's possible to do it for under $5k, but that's hard-- typically a brunch or lunch with no booze and no dancing, at least.
way to destroy my illusions, sarah. lmfao. because "a brunch or lunch with no booze and no dancing"-- yeah, no.
....sigh. well, like i said, anything you need me for (centerpieces? reception table place cards? strategically dating someone with DJ equipment for a few months before the wedding? whatever!) put my crafty creative brain and hands to work. :"}
New nickname: DREAMCRUSHER. Or Destroyer of Illusions, I'm good with either. :|
SEE. SEEEEEEEE. I know a couple that had their wedding (minus the honeymoon, though) for under $5k. It was in a train station (which, yes, cute!), for brunch, no booze, no dancing. Adorable, but.... not so much an awesome party with the dancing and funtimes.
Actually, my mom had a BRILLIANT plan for the table numbers, so those are awesomesauce (probably/yes). The only question is flowers. I want to do my own (HI, TWO GRAND ON THINGS THAT DIE?! NO THANKS): buy bulk from Costco, wrap into bouquets. But my mom is way, WAY afraid of that idea; anything that close to the Day Of makes her panic. BUT HEY. If I have manual labor available, that might not be so bad. XD
Sound, practical advice and tips for keeping a wedding budget reasonable - and truth be told, $10 to $20K is sadly pretty reasonable for a wedding these days. Venue overhead is insane, especially if there's no on-site caterer, and dresses... don't even get me started on dresses, it's ridiculous what bridal shops expect you to pay for a garment you wear for one day out of your entire life.
If you ever want my observations from working in the industry, please feel free to ask; everyone's priorities are different for their weddings, but having helped plan hundreds at my last job, I can tell you what I see as important and not important.
Oooooh, another blog! I'll take it; I've been trolling websites for ideas and suggestions. Every little bit helps.
Yeah, we're probably looking at $15k to $20k. We're trying to find ways to be cheap, think creatively. We're thinking about doing it on a Thursday, which will hopefully give us a break on some costs. And also a heavy-cocktail reception, instead of full dinner. And yeah, the dress?? I'm looking at JCrew, for now. Hellooooo, $300. XD
I'd LOVE to hear your opinion-- right now we're just tossing things around, seeing what feels right and what doesn't, but I'd love to hear your opinion. As someone who's seen a lot, then you probably have a little bit more insider info. And right now things are still so fluid, I'm totally open to ideas.
I think a Thursday reception is great if most of your guests are local - it'll definitely cut down on costs a LOT. As you know, venue is... the biggest thing, and honestly, so many people say it's the most important thing. But as long as you aren't holding it in a smelly gymnasium, no one will ultimately care if you're at the State Room or a suburban country club or your parents' backyard
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Well, there are ways to do it cheaply but well. I had an awesome wedding with about 80 people and it cost around $5000, about $2000 of that the booze
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I just recently found indiebride.com and am SMITTEN. I guess offbeatbride.com is next. :)
Come onnnnn, DIY. XD
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And yeah, I can be very typical, mainstream, but there are definitely things that I want to make more personalized. I'm already getting ideas. :)
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....the fact that the only six states i *can* get married in are full of wide expanses of gorgeous naturey goodness doesn't hurt, either. ;D
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Chair rental: $200-400
Linen rental: $100-200
DJ: $500-750
Dance floor rental: $1,000
Clambake: upwards of $2,500
Alcohol: upwards of $2,500
So, probably around $8,000. Not including venue rental (even naturey goodness has a pricetag), clothing, flowers or decorations (typically $2,000), invitations or photography (from $750 to $3,000).
Parties are expensive. Weddings are EXTRA expensive. You can get creative with some stuff, but once you start to wade into the planning process, you learn how much even a "simple" wedding can cost. I mean, it's possible to do it for under $5k, but that's hard-- typically a brunch or lunch with no booze and no dancing, at least.
SIGHHHH. Can you say DIY??
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way to destroy my illusions, sarah. lmfao. because "a brunch or lunch with no booze and no dancing"-- yeah, no.
....sigh. well, like i said, anything you need me for (centerpieces? reception table place cards? strategically dating someone with DJ equipment for a few months before the wedding? whatever!) put my crafty creative brain and hands to work. :"}
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SEE. SEEEEEEEE. I know a couple that had their wedding (minus the honeymoon, though) for under $5k. It was in a train station (which, yes, cute!), for brunch, no booze, no dancing. Adorable, but.... not so much an awesome party with the dancing and funtimes.
Actually, my mom had a BRILLIANT plan for the table numbers, so those are awesomesauce (probably/yes). The only question is flowers. I want to do my own (HI, TWO GRAND ON THINGS THAT DIE?! NO THANKS): buy bulk from Costco, wrap into bouquets. But my mom is way, WAY afraid of that idea; anything that close to the Day Of makes her panic. BUT HEY. If I have manual labor available, that might not be so bad. XD
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http://tenthousandonly.blogspot.com/
Sound, practical advice and tips for keeping a wedding budget reasonable - and truth be told, $10 to $20K is sadly pretty reasonable for a wedding these days. Venue overhead is insane, especially if there's no on-site caterer, and dresses... don't even get me started on dresses, it's ridiculous what bridal shops expect you to pay for a garment you wear for one day out of your entire life.
If you ever want my observations from working in the industry, please feel free to ask; everyone's priorities are different for their weddings, but having helped plan hundreds at my last job, I can tell you what I see as important and not important.
Reply
Yeah, we're probably looking at $15k to $20k. We're trying to find ways to be cheap, think creatively. We're thinking about doing it on a Thursday, which will hopefully give us a break on some costs. And also a heavy-cocktail reception, instead of full dinner. And yeah, the dress?? I'm looking at JCrew, for now. Hellooooo, $300. XD
I'd LOVE to hear your opinion-- right now we're just tossing things around, seeing what feels right and what doesn't, but I'd love to hear your opinion. As someone who's seen a lot, then you probably have a little bit more insider info. And right now things are still so fluid, I'm totally open to ideas.
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