I only have a $ 5,500 budget for my wedding and honeymoon. I was wondering if I could pull it off? I live in Newport News, Virginia. Please help.
By Sonay
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Only you know the price of things where you live. Price the things you want and then buy accordingly. Have the wedding at a time of day where the guests won't expect to be served a meal. Just have cake, coffee, tea, and punch. You don't have dance and you don't have to serve booze.
Have the reception, in your church fellowship hall, I assume the wedding will be in your church. Most of the time David's Bridal advertises gowns for $100.00. You also don't need a lot of decorations for the reception, a few crepe paper streamers and balloons would be enough, maybe some candles and a few flowers. Some flower shops have alter arrangements made up of silk flowers that a person can rent.
For the honey moon you can just go away for the weekend. People are cutting back. If I was young and getting married and had $5,000 to spend for the wedding, I would think I had a gold mine to work with.
I'm not familiar with your resources or where you are and what is available so let me tell you how my wife and I married.
We were at college. There was a fountain in a pretty popular outside "lounge" area. We acquired permission from the school to have our wedding at this memorial fountain. The college also arranged for us to have fold out chairs a few hours before the wedding we just had to have people to arrange them. Friends volunteered. The school also had a radio station and we were able to borrow the stations PA system and one of the students volunteered to run the board if he could join the reception. The groom provided the music to be played for the procession and for the exit.
The groom sang a song before the procession and a friend of his played a cello.
A friend of the brides family was a preacher and agreed to perform the service. I think we paid him a small fee but it wasn't much. We had between us maybe $200 so we were getting whatever we could for nothing.
We arranged for a reception in the school cafeteria and I think the bride's parents paid for it. But it was at a very low cost. We had punch and a cake and that was it.
A friend of the groom loaned a very nice motorcycle for the bride and groom to ride away on. The only other things we paid for were the dress (which was given to my wife from an aunt of hers), Invitations which we purchased, and the rings which we bought on a payment plan.
The honeymoon was in a camper beside a lake that an uncle owned and gave us permission to stay in for a long weekend.
The trick is finding what others can provide you. Cut corners as best you can. We didn't pay for a photographer but one of the students at the school from the photography class showed up and took some very nice pictures. I happened to help him out in the photo lab and invited him to the wedding. I had no idea he would show up snapping.
But anyway, talk to people and make it work. The ceremony does not have to be glamorous for the guests it has to be appropriate for the bride and groom.
If you're still married in 10 years renew your vows and have the wedding of your dreams.
First, be proud that you are sticking to a budget! I know a couple getting married who are spending so much on their wedding that they can't afford to heat their home or use their stove/oven which uses natural gas. That's crazy!
If you really want to have a dance, have the wedding around 7:30 or 8 pm and serve cake, beverages, and a few hors d'oeuvre.
Have family and friends do as much as they can to help. Get disposable cameras and leave on tables or ask specific people to take pictures of the ceremony and reception for you.
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