The first place is where to have it. If you have a friend or relative w/a big yard, that's your best bet, because it's likely that state parks, etc. will be booked already. (But it doesn't hurt to check.) Call your local town hall and see if they have any suggestions; a smaller town park might be available.
Next is food. Your whole budget comes to under $19/person, including everything else plus food, so think of the types of places you eat on a tight budget: home, pizza place, mexican, chinese, sandwiches, burgers. If you don't want to do pot-luck, see if some of the other places will cater. For beverages (or if you do potluck, for fancy desserts, etc.) try a bulk store like Sam's or Costco.
Next is photos. See if guests w/photo talent will take them for you and/or if a high school or college student will do it cheaply for the experience. Same for video. We ended up with pretty lousy photos (this was before digital cameras) but even so, there is never a day when we say, "Gee, if only we'd spent $1000 on photos." Most people never look at their photos anyway. (Heck, you could probably show up at Wal-Mart in your wedding clothes for a cheap package.)
If your budget includes your wedding gown, try thrift stores. I bought my gown, which fit perfectly, at a consignment store for $125. Still that would be 10% of your budget.
Remember that if you pick a park, you need to make sure there are bathrooms nearby. :)
If need be, there's still a bit of time between now and August for a part-time job for you and/or your partner to increase your budget a bit---if possible.
I just came across this really old post, but yikes! My daughter is only 5 and I hate to think this will come up so soon. I think one of the major questions has to be: is 13 too old to have a broken heart? I say, yes. Because a truly broken heart is all-consuming and she will miss out on so much about being 13. I would not totally say no to the boyfriend but I would definitely set some rules about what is ok and what is not. Having the boy over for a family event, ok. Meeting at school for a dance with a group of friends, ok. One-on-one dating or alone in a room, etc., not ok. Try to see what your (grand)daughter thinks is ok. If the decision is made together, you might both be more comfortable. Also, she may feel pressure from her friends to have a boyfriend, and it may actually be a RELIEF to her to be able to say, "Oh, I'd like one, but my parents say no." My parents never set a curfew for me and there were plenty of times I wished I had had one. Good luck! ... View related article.
I had a cat, now deceased, who HATED my new boyfriend. Well, guess what, the cat was totally right. He seemed like a nice young man and he turned out to be a very unstabile person. The cat and I were together 14 years. 4 months with the boyfriend was more than enough! Take a deep breath and move on! (From a happily married mom.) ... View related article.
This really worked for me, IMMEDIATELY, even though it sounds silly. Go to the library or look on amazon.com for a used copy of something like Men Who Love to Hate Women Who Love to Love Them (not a real title, but you get the picture). When you read all the examples of women who *stayed* in similar relationships, and how it drove them crazy, you will realize that you've actually had a very lucky escape. When you start to go backwards, just pick up the book again. Carry it with you if you need to. Good luck! ... View related article.
Try teaching her in the tub while she's a captive audience. We bought foam letters made for the tub and we would hold them up individually and make up silly songs like "Jumping J." My daughter learned them all at 18 months, just by doing this during baths. Now we still use the letters in the tub---we make "alphabet soup" and she makes words. Plus there are numbers, too! ... View related article.
