How can I have a dream wedding for under $5000
By Claudyne from Queens, NY
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Their is a national chain of bridal shops that always advertise their $99.00 gown sales. The whole thing is to have what you can afford.
Look for a gown and veil on ebay.....great deals out there.
Make it an hor d oevers station dinner, and beer and wine.
Think of ways to make your wedding according to your own style. My daughter was saying that she wished her grandmother (who was deceased) could have come to her wedding. That gave us a great idea of having her wedding at the cemetery. Grandmoma was buried in an beautiful old country cemetery that had a church only used once a year for decoration. We traded giving the church a good cleaning for the use of it. It is a quaint little white church with pine floors, walls and ceilings sitting on a beautiful little hillside in a cemetery.
She wore a magnificent silky shimmering gold gown that she got for a steal (under $40) on clearance because it was different. It was absolutely gorgeous. We had very little decorations. It was in the fall and my father-in-law had a pumpkin patch so we cut hearts in them and lined the walkway to the church porch.
It was casual dress and everyone remarked at how nice it was. It has been 4 years ago and people still comment on how it was such a pleasant relaxed atmosphere. Her husband's granddad is a preacher and he would not accept any pay. My husband sang( he barely made it without breaking down) and our friend played acoustic guitar.
The planner / caterer was my sis-in-law, but we made it easy because we had a fall festival atmosphere and served hotdogs and chili; yes, you read that right. The groom was in a band, so the band played some bluegrass music. We even had a gigantic bass there. The evening was completed with a country hayride. Total cost including photos, gown, and reception was around $950.
We did a beautiful wedding for under 5K. The biggest factor: we got married in the "off season" in November. Everything was on sale. I wore Vera Wang, had flowers done by a top New Orleans florist, professional hair and makeup, and beautiful live music. But I got it all cheap because no one else got married the weekend after Halloween. My ring was an heirloom diamond that we reset in my favorite style. We also got married in the early afternoon, so the only alcohol was a champagne toast. This cut back the cost immensely.
The venue was a Garden District mansion owned by a local charity guild. We got married on the lawn and had the reception inside (buffet style food). Because the house was already so beautifully furnished and elegant, we didn't have to decorate much. The musicians were a string quartet comprised of music majors from a local university. I went into bridal wear shops with a clear budget and bargained down to the price I wanted on my dress. Having a budget and going in willing to negotiate down to it helps to get the most out of every vendor. We did the rehearsal dinner at a fun paella restaurant where big family-style meals reduced costs somewhat.
My cake maker was a very talented woman who was starting her business in the city and was willing to cut me a deal for the publicity. The cake was absolutely delicious and gorgeous- and a lot cheaper than if I had gone to a fancy wedding cake bakery. Good luck!
Hi! We are looking to do a wedding in New Orleans - would you mind sharing your venues and florist? Thanks!
Check out this other post for some great tips. www.thriftyfun.com/
Lots of great ideas!
In my not so humble opinion - it's the marriage that matters more than the wedding and neither have any to do with the other. I got married 15 years ago with a borrowed wedding dress and paid $50 to a licensed woman who did weddings out of her living room.
We invited a few nearest and dearest individuals and it was great. My husbands aunt threw a casual reception at her home - potluck style and our cake was simple. I'd rather have the $5000 to set up home and marriage than blow it on a one time event. That's just me.
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