October Wedding

I don't know if anyone mentioned this already but I liked using the website theknot.com for helping me plan my wedding. Good luck and Congratulations!

How much money do you have to spend?

I can tell you where my hubby and i got married. Where do you live ?

Hi A.. Congrats on the upcoming nuptuals.
Don't know much about vegas as far as places or what have you. But as far as flowers...try costco. My nephew saved quite a lot of money by buying the flowers at costco rather than a florest. The got long stem red roses for $20 a dozen versus nearly 50+ depending on where you go.

Hi A.,

My husband & I got married in October on a budget and we had so many people tell us it was the most beautiful/fun wedding they had ever been to! I think that some of the things that made the biggest impact were just details. Like, I chose deep red for the color of my girls dresses which gave the wedding a lot of rich color. Then I chose orange, peach, cream and red flowers. It created such a beautiful fall look. For the guys boutineers we chose a plant called coffee bean; it looked really cool, but was cheap because it didn't have any flowers. We also had a reception at a golf club that included dinner, servers & the room all for $12.00 per person. Special touches like the music you choose to walk down the isle to also made a difference. After we were announced husband & wife, we walked up the isle to Joe Cocker's "Feeling Alright." Oh and our favors were carmel apples that we bought from Costco and rewrapped with some rafia. We set them up in the entry of the reception room and tied a tag with each person's name & table number to it. They were double duty. Just have a great time and everyone else will too! Here's a link to some pictures from our great day:

http://community.webshots.com/album/274128554QbIUjt

A.,

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

My husband and I paid for our wedding and my recommendation is to spend the money on the photographer...you won't care about the cake, the food, or whatever else seems soooo important now...but you will ALWAYS have those photos to look at over and over and over...think about it, you can't look back flipping through a cake! lol

Check out the internet for officiants, ours only charged $50 to do the ceremony. We got married at my husbands' parents house...do you know anyone who has a beautiful setting big enough for a ceremony/reception? Is there a public park that you love? Is there a place, even if out of the ordinary, that is special to you and your fiancee?

By doing a lot of things yourself and with the help of family and friends, that keeps the price down. We made cd's of music that meant something to us for our "favors". I had those foam cut-out things you get at the craft store strewn on the tables (and I've seen these at the dollar store, too!). The other thing is, don't get swept up in the "all weddings have to have...", the wedding/day is YOURS AND YOUR HUBBY TO BE's...no one else's. You cannot make everyone happy...if someone HAS to have something and you want to make them happy...inform them, nicely, that they have to pay for it.

Oh, and keep the guest list to a minimum. You can have a HUGE ceremony and only invite certain people to the reception or keep the guest list to a minimum (again, unless someone else wants to pick up the tab for the food...they really should understand!) If you can, have it catered...because you really don't want the guest to have to work on your beautiful day. My husband and I really only spent money on the photographer and the caterer...everything else, we kind of did ourselves or paid for the bare minimum and made that our own.

Pay cash where you can. Paying things "on credit" later just helps you not see where the money is going; therefore, costing you more!

Look at the discount bride's shops for your dress if you haven't found yours yet...or if you aren't weirded out about it, go online and buy a used one! Heck, my best friend found her BEAUTIFUL dress at a thrift store...it just needed a dry-cleaning...and with veil cost her about $85. Yeah, $85 for a wedding dress...and it was beautiful and perfect for her!

Do you know someone who is a great baker? have them bake your cake...and decorate it yourself...make the decorating part of your reception activities ??? Another thing my husband and I did, was we put our computer on speakers and ran our "playlist" instead of hiring a DJ, and had a friend "introduce" us.

So, after all this, PLEASE don't get caught up in the "doing what everyone wants" thing...and remember that as long as you, your fiancee and the officiant are there; that's all that matters in the end. :)

I also wanted to tell you that Pampered Chef has a WONDERFUL wedding registry...and are currently having a Sweepstakes where you can enter to win $3600. of free product...and you aren't obligated to utilize the registry, unless you want to. For more information, go to www.pamperedchef.biz/stephmusselman.

Sorry for the long email...just wanted to share with you some ideas and "stuff". :)

Again, CONGRATULATIONS! And I wish you and your beloved, MANY more happy years together.

Hi A.,

I got married 11/28/03 on a tight budget as well. We spent about $6000 total. We were fortunate enough to have many family and friends with talents to help prepare the wedding for us. First thing I’d do is start asking friend and family if they know anyone that makes flower arrangements, takes great photos, makes home videos, ALTERS DRESSES, or caters.

Dress Alterations are very expensive, so if you have someone that can do this for you, it’s a huge savings. My husband’s cousin’s friend was doing this as a side job, so we only paid $150 to have it altered, and my dress was heavily beaded, which is usually extra for alterations. If buying a dress is out of your budget, there are places you can rent one from, usually about $400 including alterations. I bought my dress at an Alfred Angelo Outlet for $399. (I’m a plus size so again, it usually more expensive.)

My cousin did the photos, brother and his friend did video, neighbor did flowers, and we did center pieces.

My husband is into aquariums, so we went to Dollar Tree and bought a fishbowl for each table. We bought Beta fish (yes, the fighting fish, but one of the only kinds well suited for small containers) to put in each bowl. (Buy extras, just incase some don’t survive. Many fish stores will work out a deal for bulk orders. We paid $6 per fish.) We just tied some ribbon the colors of our wedding around the rim of the bowl, but you can add rocks and/or plants to the bottom if your budget allows. If you’re not into fish, you can use the same bowl and fill each with a bunch of Baby’s Breath.

My parents paid for the reception as their gift. GREAT idea
for close family! They’re going to give you a gift, ask if they can give you part of your wedding. Also, a lot of churches give discounts to members, and for having the reception at the same location.

Long and the short of it, you’ll be AMAZED by what the people you know can, and WILL, do if you just start asking. October is far enough away you have a little time to figure things out, BUT it’s soon enough it will sneak up on you if you don’t start now.

Congratulations, and remember- 10 years from know people won’t remember the food you served, the flowers you carried, or even the dress you wore. They’ll remember how happy you looked and how much fun they had. Best Wishes, -J

P.S. Have a reception table that is kids activities: Lego’s, coloring books/sheets w/ crayons, puzzles… It keeps them occupied, giving their parents a chance to have fun too. I bought all of it at the dollar store for under $15. :o)

Hi A.,

Congratulations!

Well, I really like Stephanie M's idea =) I am a photographer here in Las Vegas.

On a more serious note, there are a lot of places that you can use who are inexpensive.

My suggestions is, any food that you have catered icluding the cake, make them give you a sample. If they are not willing to do that, beware.

Give me a call and I will refer you to a few places that may not come up as "Wedding Halls". The boneyard is an excellent idea, if you are okay with that kind of thing. I would love to shoot a wedding in there. I also have an inexpensive route to go for the food.

Remind me you are from Mamasource and give me a call. www.carlastephens.com

A.
Congrats! I am not sure if you live close in the Bay Area but I am in the industry. Let me know if you need help. My husband and I go married in Napa last year Enchanted Elopements I think it was called. If you want something inexpensive and small it was perfect! The packages includes just about everything for under $3,000.

Hi A.,
I got married in 2000 at a place called the Los Angeles River Center & Gardens, which is a nice indoor/outdoor venue with a Spanish feel, but I found it on a great planning website called www.herecomestheguide.com . It lists lots of great SoCal wedding locations to suit all tastes/budgets! I think the great part is that you will be able to incorporate your daughter into the ceremony! Good luck with the planning - it takes a lot of work, but it's worth it to have your special day! Let me know if you have any questions...

After I submitted the message above, I realized you must be in the Vegas area, not SoCal (sorry)...my dad got remarried a few years ago in Vegas (he lives there) and they had it at one of the little wedding chapels in downtown LV, but the cute thing is that they made it 'Hawaiian themed' and everyone wore leis and tropical shirts. I know this may not be appropriate for October (although they did theirs in September and the weather was great!). Then for the reception we all went to a nice Mexican restaurant that had a great lunch buffet, so it wasn't too costly.

Try the book Offbeat Bride by Ariel Meadow Stalling...it's a great resource for making the wedding fun and memorable but not outrageously expensive and complicated.

A.

In November 2006 I help my cousin with her wedding. (This is just somthing I love to do) Like you she had a limited budget. To keep the cost down we make the center pieces (candles make a table look rich), for the party favor we make CD’s with the music that was part of the wedding. She paid for a total of $5.00 to $7.00 per adult for appetizer while the wedding party was taking pictures, and the bar she paid a sit price for one hour only. If you can find a place that will aloud you to bring your own food and you have your family cook you can cut down on they price for food. Another way to personalize your wedding is to decorate your glass the color of your wedding and the cake cuter also. Your cake will stand out if you put candles all around it. I hope you have a nice wedding, good luck!!

Go to a place that offers everything at one venue,there's a place in Redlands,Ca called Edwards mansion,it's actually pretty nice,my boss had a nice wedding there and they offer indoor and outdoor areas.To save money on your floral arrangements,have a family member or a friend do them.

If you are open to having it in San DIego there are many beautiful outdoor places you can have it for a minimal park reservation fee. I was married in Presidio Park by the cross. There are many other beautiful places in Balboa Park or La Jolla. I was married almost 16 years ago and paid $14 to reserve the spot. My brother is getting married this July and paid $36 to reserve a spot in La Jolla. You can then order some chairs, or just have guests stand.

And I agree totally with spending money on the photographer. We were on a very limited budget as well and didn't spend the money for a photographer. We used my brother-in-law at the time who was supposedly a good photographer. I am so bummed that I don't have any nice pictures.

I got married in a friends back yard...it was BEAUTIFUL! But you do want to compare costs between back yard wedding where the spot is free but you have to pay to rent tables, chairs, etc. versus renting a hall that comes with all that included.

Hi A.,

I went to my Niece's Wedding in Tahoe at Ceasar's and it was beautiful. They have packages for any budget. It was beautiful and elegant. My Niece didn't have much money so it was perfect for them and family and friends could fill in whenever they wanted to buy buying any extras. Lovers leap is pretty in Monterey. Cannery row has so many pretty areas right there on the water. Carmel's another one that is breath taking. We got Married on the water at the March Lane Country Club in Stockton. There or two of them and we got Married in the smaller one. I don't know how much they are because my Father-in-law lives there and took care of place.

Good luck, We wish you the best in whatever you decide. We had lots of help in everything. My Sister did the flowers because she did it for a living back then. I had a Sister-in-law do my cake. A good Friend did my make-up and hair. Way back when we got our dresses at Gunne Sax, so we didn't have to pay a lot of money for my dress or my brides maids dresses and shoes.
All that brings up lots of great memories for us. Our Anniversary is coming up in June.

Make your own great memories.

R. H.

I know that its hard with a limited budget. Have you checked out hotels that have banquet rooms. Thats an off period and sometimes you can get the conference rooms for a couple hundred dollars for the day.. You have to decorate yourself but its a great money saver. For pictures there is usually a nice garden area or Fountains. Good luck. Please feel free to contact me I might be able to give you more Ideas. Use to work at hotels

Hi A. - First of all Congratualtions! I planned my entire wedding myself. We worked on a budget, because we had to pay for it. We got married at the Grove - 95 & Durango area. Absolutley beautiful!! They can make it as casual/informal or as fancy as you want. We had a bufrfet dinner and got married under a gazebo.....package included cake, DJ and minister and they were all GREAT! All my friend and family raved about it! Here is their website: www.the-grove.com If you have any questions or want some help, I would love to help, feel free to email me. CONGRATS again, good luck and HAVE FUN planning!
T. :)

Hi A.,

I am not sure where you are, but if you are in the Sacramento, CA area.....My husband and I got married two years ago April 24th at Oak Leigh in Fair Oaks right off of Madison Ave. I too was on a limited budget but wanted a traditional wedding. You have a choice of either outdoor or indoor wedding and they have a reception hall there as well. They do everything there. It was really nice and the price was right! Keep in mind it wasn't a hollywood princess wedding though! But it was beautiful. Oak Leigh Wedding and Reception 8452 Madison Ave, Fair Oaks, CA 95628 ###-###-#### They have been doing this for at least 30 years that I know of. Anyway hope I have helped at least a little.

Y.

Me and my husband had a beautiful October wedding. 10/15/06 to be exact. We also had a very limited budget, (we had a 5mth old at the time, now he is 14mths.) so we did much of it ourselves. But we reserved the Pavilion in Santa Clara's Central Park for about $200. It has a capacity for about 150 people and was very easily decorated. (We rented tablecloths and napkins for decoration and did very simple fruit baskets with Autumn fruits and pumpkins for table decorations. We thought it was fantastic. And the weather held up nicely. I hope this helps and Good Luck!!!
-V. Rountree

I would suggest the Wedding Library in Placentia on Yorba Linda Blvd (between Rose and Valencia). They have an entire room dedicated to receptions, chapels, another room on caterers, florists, photographers......they have it all! I used them to find lots of information when I got married in 2000. If you need any center piece suggestions, or wedding registry for homewares let me know as i offer that with my business www.athome.com/AndreaGrammatica

Hope this helps! And good luck:)

I guess you are in Vegas? I have a friend in Vegas that is getting married in June at the Neon Graveyard! It seems like a funny place - but oh so cool and a unique spot for a Wedding! It seems like you have endless places in Vegas to get married - isn't that a wedding destination?! Budget would be the first step in deciding how big of a place and how many people you can invite. Planning a wedding can be fun - enjoy the process!

Hello A. (my daughter's name too),

I would love to share our ceremony with you, are you looking to stay in Nevada or are you flexible? We just had our ceremony on March 30 onboard the Norwegian Star cruise ship. It leaves from San Pedro, CA and takes you on an 8 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera. If you'd like to know more I would be happy to forward you our final receipt and pictures so you can see what it's all about. Based on about 50 people you get the ceremony, awesome lunch reception, videography/photography, pianist, flowers, and cake for about $6,000. If you just want a small ceremony and reception you could easily do it for half that price. Add in another $2,000 for the cruise and you've got the whole thing for around $5,000 if you have a small affair. It's also a great way to include your daughter because she could take the cruise with you, they have a wonderful kids club program. If you'd like to see pictures just message me with your email address and i'll forward them to you.
Good Luck, R.

Dear A.,

Probably the people present at your wedding will be the most important - I know that place is memorable too, but think of the cost and try to keep it down. Money problems are serious matters in a marriage, and especially nowadays. Many
families are having problems just getting through the month, never mind having to pay a lot for a wedding site. Last Sept we had a lovely wedding on our back yard patio - it is quite small, but very private and my husband spent a lot of time on the plants and flowers - we had the bride walk down the stairs from the top bedroom balcony to the patio and covered it with a bough of flowers stuck into a thing my husband built over the stairs. We had about 50 people, and took pictures to last a lifetime of memories. I look at them everyday - I am the grandmother. My sister's husband performed the ceremony - he went to the local County Office and got special legal permission and training. The bride cooked and friends set up music on the top deck - we served a whole dinner - oh it was grand and the best part is that the bride was happy with the whole thing. The secret is in the planning ahead and friends, friends, friends. Sincerely, C. N.

Hi A.,

I'm not sure exactly where you are so this may not work for you. I too got married on a budget and here's what we did. We were married on a local beach. It didn't cost us a thing for rent or reservations. Our only expense was the preacher ($250.00) and the flowers ($250.00) as for the flowers we got One bridal boquet, one brides maid boguet and 2 buteneers (sp). We didn't have a large wedding party, one maid of honor and the best man. We were at the beach and the ceremony was fairly short so we didn't need chairs. We also waited about a month to have the reception, which was in a local park and just a BBQ. Having the reception later really helped with the stress level of planning the event and the cost.

Hope this helped
S.

I don't know what area you are looking at, but Woodward Park in Fresno is a lovely place. My dad got married to his second wife there. I don't remember if they had to pay anything though. I would also look into golf courses and country clubs. They usually have package deals that aren't very much. Good luck and congratulations.

Hi A.,
Congrat!! I will keep this short since you got a lot of good responses already. There has got to be a lot of nice inexpensive places in "Vegas". I don't know much about Vegas, but where I live there are rose gardens and a japanese garden in a county park that you can rent for cheap. Research and see if there's anything like that in Vegas. One of my cousins had her reception in a VFW hall, very inexpensive. I eloped in Reno, but I have planned several weddings for friends and family. One thing I learned is that if you want a budget wedding you'll have to do everything yourself with the help of family and friends.
Good Luck
K.

Where do you live?
E.

Hey,
i just saw in vons the other day that they have a free magazine for weddings in san diego. They are next to all the home buying and auto magazines. The free ones that are right by the door. I just thought i'd tell you maybe it will help a little. Congrats by the way!! =)

Hi Asley
I know of a very good DJ that would give you hands down the best price ( he will beat any quoted price) ..and he is a good DJ and can also help with some ideas on where to do the ceremony, photography, video ect. ( he's my ex but we're still friends!)I used to do the weddings with him. no one was ever disappointed.
email me back if you want his number.
Congradulations and good luck!
M.

A.,
I planned my wedding on a very limited budget as well. I probably have a lot of useful information for you. I found a BREATHTAKING location in Vista called the Rancho Buena Vista adobe. Since it is owned and opperated by the city, it was really inexpensive. They also allow you to use your own caterer and bartender. Seriously HUGE money savers there. I also have a two year old, Amaya. I know what you mean when you say they give you a run for your money. I am always tired, I can't imagine trying to plan a wedding on top of the demanding schedule I have bieng a working mother. I would be more than happy to share additional wedding planning advise with you anytime. Best of luck to you and your family. J.
____@____.com

Vegas Baby! : )
Our entire wedding cost $75, which included a video and pictures. We had a bunch of friends there....not tacky at all, as there were no Elvis'. My husband and I were in the process of buying a home when we got married and couldn't afford a big wedding.

Hi A.,
I really don't know about places to get married, BUT I too was on a tight budget when I got married. I met with a wedding coordinator one time to see who she recommended that would be reasonably priced and would do us a favor. That really helped. Also, we wanted flowers on our cake, but it would cost more, so when all the flowers we ordered were sent over, there were extras and my aunts put them on the cake. All I had to do was show them a picture. Also, my in-laws sat and made little gifts for the table. Our church friends pitch in a got a huge (beautiful)flower arrangement for the food area. My cousins decorated the archway that we stood under...you get the point. Everyone pitched in to help, and it saved us tons of money. My friends wedding the following year was easily 3x what we spent. Hope that is helpful.
R.

Dear A.

A local park? At the beach? At the home of a friend with a beautiful garden? Sometimes women's clubs have lovely areas (and that would give you shelter in case of rain)

Good luck & many blessings SSH

Hi A.! My husband Rob and I got married at Excalibur and it was grat and not too expensive. We even upgraded the wedding package to add a suite and it wasn't that expensive at all I mean since it included the flowers and ceremony and chapel and pictures and such. We ralized it all depends on what you want how elaborate you want it and how much you want to spend. Do you have a favorite place here? If you have any specific questions feel free to ask me about ours. Take Care!
S.

When my husband and I got married we were on a limited budget as well. We got married in downtown SF at a resturant called the Atrium. It is on California Dr. You can do the ceramony nd the reception their and the Hyatt is about a half a block away. We paid about $5500 for 100 guests. They take care of everything excet the chairs for the ceramony. Getting married downtown made it very memerable and our pictures look great because of all the buildings in the back round.