Wedding Woes

[memoryanddream]

Since Love surprised me with an engagement ring this past Christmas I’ve been getting into the excitement of planning the wedding.

I’m really crafty and creative and I don’t want some overdone event nor the price tag that goes with it. I want to do a lot of the personal touches myself and am excited for the design of it.

Now, we don’t want a formal

Comments

[annaonthemoon]

A few things...

1 - Join weddingplans IF you haven't yet. LOADS of great advice, and I bet there would be other Tampa area brides.

2 - What about disney? I know the actual disney full-packages are pricey (My friend Anne is getting married at WDW and theirs is $2000), but what about trying just someplace on Disney property?

3 - Tim and I got married at a JoP (as you know) with just parents and witnesses, then had a self-catered party at a public park (in an indoor pavilion) with around 40 people. The location cost us $180 and the food was all DIY. Including dress, invites, fodo, etc. We spent less than $1500: http://community.livejournal.com/weddingplans/18127642.html

Anytime you need to bounce ideas off me or want to rant - just ask! We can Skype anytime!

[memoryanddream]

1. Just joined!

2. Obscenely expensive. Their "small" weddings are no more than 20 people - including the bride and groom. Love doesn't want a Disney wedding either.

3. Love did a park wedding this first time around and hated it because it was so hot. So...I'm trying to find an indoor location (the parks here all are open-air pavilions) and I'm trying to plan it for sometime in the relatively cooler months like January or maybe early March.

edit: I got my webcam now too so I need to join skype and we can video chat!

[annaonthemoon]

eep, yeah that's no good!

*thinking.....* and tell me to shut up if you want --

What about the aquarium we went to? Do they do weddings? It was a nice place and ooh, you could get married surrounded by the tanks in that tunnel! LOL

The local ballpark, hockey arena, etc. probably all have function rooms.

Local Universities? Sometimes you can even get low-cost catering through a school's hotel/restaurant management school or culinary school

In PA, a lot of people haev their wedding receptions in fire halls. I don't know if that's an option for you. Even in a church hall (not so much the church itself, but their halls are sometimes for rent to non-members for receptions).

if I think of other things, I'll let you know.

[memoryanddream]

Ugh, the Aquarium. Yeah I looked into that. It's really cool but man, they want some serious cash. http://www.flaquarium.org/userfiles/files/Wedding%20Packages.pdf... )

[neva_butterfly]

Yes! So many "small" places are obscenely expensive, which is weird because with the bad economy a lot of people want to find "bargains" for their weddings. Plus, a lot of expenses are kind of hard to avoid, so the venue and the food are where people look to cut the costs. I'm sure there is something out there to fit your bill, but I understand that it's so hard to find.

[memoryanddream]

I don't get it. I was so excited by the bamboo garden location because it seemed quirky and unique but $2,100 just for the venue? I just about started crying.

[icelore]

Look for something outside the box! Set more traditional 'venues' on the wayside and maybe try for an outside setting, like a state park or recreation facility? Yes, you have to provide your own tables and seating, but those are much cheaper to rent, and linens can be done up out of lots of things, allowing you to add your own personal touch. You can do with a rustic, shabby chic, summer, floral, or nature theme and make it work. If you're worried about temperature, jst make sure to set your date in late fall or early spring. Hell, being from the North, if I was getting married in FL< I'd set it in the dead of winter and all my guests could still wear open toed shoes and dresses if they wanted. XD

Also, more plan rental halls might be an option. Yes, they don't come with the swag, but you can decorate it yourself on a budget!

[memoryanddream]

Weather makes it impossible to do things outside here. You just can't have a formal event in 98% humidity. LOL Love's first wedding was in a park and he was miserable so I'm looking for something with an indoor setting. :/

[icelore]

It's not 98% humidity year round! Which is assuming that you have an open calender and not set a date yet of course.

[memoryanddream]

Outdoors just isn't an option. Between heat, humidity, daily thunderstorms months out of the year AND the fact that the groom-to-be absolutely would be miserable with another outdoor reception, we need an indoor space. Florida weather truly is not like any other place in the country.

[softlywhispered]

Just incase you didn't know, you do have at least one Minister on your friends list who will GLADLY marry you and your Fiancee. You can save some cash there. Just saying.

[angel_of_chaos]

Probably one of the most frustrating things we encountered when we were researching wedding venues was the cost. And the thing is, we did a little experiment with a couple places and said we were pricing for a family gathering, and then called back later and asked the pricing for a wedding. Each time, the cost for THE SAME things included in the family party DOUBLED when we uttered the word wedding. It was insane.

We lucked out with the place we went with, as we told them we weren't looking for a huge reception, just a gathering of our family and friends after the wedding, and they were reasonably priced. They did require a caterer, but the one they used was actually awesome and when we asked later if we could just get married on their vineyard deck, they were really accommodating and the price was reasonable.

I am not familiar with your area, so I'm not much help with suggestions, but I just wanted to say that I feel your pain and just try not to get too frustrated with the process. The right place is out there, and sometimes it just

[angel_of_chaos]

Forgot to mention we paid around $2100 for the venue, that was including the meal and all the setup and everything plus renting out the deck for the evening for the ceremony, so it can be done!! :)