[markybee0]

TIPS

Below are a few cost saving tips for your special day.

Trim your guest list

Reduce the number of attendance in your bridal party and reception

Budget your honeymoon well

Choose the kind of wedding you like but can afford

Research: at least 6 months in advance

Book in advance: try the internet

Stay near home: try a friends remote cottage, town house or timeshare

Shorten your vacation stay

Travel and wed in the off season
Go on a Cruise: They are usually all inclusive
Read the full article at www.healthmembershipsite.com/plan_your_wedding.php

[cocotbo]

I think this could actually be expanded upon a little.

Some of the biggest honeymoon expenses are the "add-ons". You know, those things we all NEED during our honeymoon like room service, champagne, breakfast in bed - the necessities .

The best way to keep your honeymoon budget (and credit card spending) in check is to book an "All Inclusive" honeymoon vacation. Here are a few web links for great all inclusive vacations that make excellent honeymoons:

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines http://www.royalcaribbean.com/gohome.do
* My husband and I were married on a Royal Caribbean cruise - talk about a glamorous but money-saving wedding!!
Sandals Resorts http://www.sandals.com/
Club Med http://www.clubmed.com/cgi-bin/clubmed55/welcome.jsp
Superclubs http://www.superclubs.com/

These few are just the tip of the iceberg. Many of these have family-friendly resorts for those of you who already have children and would like to take your children along with you. That being said, I should add that Disney Cruise Line will arrange your wedding on board, if you like. Disney cruises are a great way for your children to enjoy all the "kid stuff" while you and your new spouse enjoy quality "adult time" together.
Disney Cruise Line http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/index

Check these out!
Sometimes the most luxurious option isn't always the most expensive!

[sfharper]

Since we moved to a new house just before our wedding and there were no gardens, I wanted more flowers. Our wedding was held in October and chrysanthemums were in bloom. So I asked our florist to provide potted florist mums to use as aisle decorations and on many of the tables. They were a lot less expensive than fresh arrangements and looked beautiful. Afterward, I planted the lot around the yard. To this day, I still have wedding flowers keeping my marriage alive in my yard.

[J920]

The wedding threads have me thinking...is it possible to have a wedding with a $5,000 budget. I dont want to spend anymore on that, especially bc we have a baby and want to buy a house as soon as possible.
I am thinking no more than 40 people.
no more than 3 bridesmaids and 2 or 3 groomsman.

[DianeScraps]

Yes it certainly is - it just depends what you consider 'necessary' for your wedding. I will give some of the things that made big financial savings for my own wedding.
Alcohol - I didn't provide any (note, in my area this is not considered a 'necessity')
Wedding location - If you or your fiance are members of a church the cost for a wedding is usually either free or max about $250
Reception location - Again consider the church, or any social/service organizations you are members of. My husband and I were both firefighters, our station had a very nice hall, which cost us only $500
Wedding Gown - Gowns do not have to cost THOUSANDS of dollars heck, they don't even have to cost hundreds, especially this time of year when the stores are full of prom gowns. Or contact a friend who sews, mine was handmade by a friend of the family - cost right around $100 (she wouldnt take anything for her work), and it FIT (I am a plus size gal - that is not an easy thing to say) Some areas even have consignment shops that sell bridal gowns
Food - this is really where your biggest 'range' comes in, but if that is important to you it can certainly be done - IE if you allocated 1/2 of your budget, even with 50 people you have $50 per head I just did a quick search at wedalert.com and found 11 locations in my county (i know there are hundreds more, plus caterers that go to your location.) and 5 our of those 11 who have no problem providing the food at under $50 per plate.

Originally Posted by J920

The wedding threads have me thinking...is it possible to have a wedding with a $5,000 budget. I dont want to spend anymore on that, especially bc we have a baby and want to buy a house as soon as possible.
I am thinking no more than 40 people.
no more than 3 bridesmaids and 2 or 3 groomsman.

[J920]

Thank you thats great advice and the site.
The food would be easy since I live in south florida, many people like ethnic foods, spanish or caribbean or even italian. so i wouldnt have to go to crazy on pleasing everyone.
And what did you do for the wedding cake?

[writerchick]

Money saving tip: Buy a used wedding dress. You only wear it once, and the savings are terrific. Ebay, craigslist, or even your local thrift store has them. You can alter, add beading etc....to make it your perfect dress. I bought a plain dress that I loved, then did all the beading myself. It wasn't hard and I saved hundreds of dollars.

[DianeScraps]

Originally Posted by J920

Thank you thats great advice and the site.
The food would be easy since I live in south florida, many people like ethnic foods, spanish or caribbean or even italian. so i wouldnt have to go to crazy on pleasing everyone.
And what did you do for the wedding cake?

You are welcome - an ethnic food buffet (or stations) could be a lot of fun and would save you the cost of a served meal!
We lucked out on the cake - as a family friend makes them and that was our wedding gift. But I have seen some really great ideas. Consider having a small cake to 'cut' but assorted pastries and deserts for the guests (then the guests can pick what they like too) Also many grocery stores now offer wedding cakes and they are much cheaper.

[LisaDK]

One of the most cost-saving things I did for my wedding, was do all the flowers. We did the bouquets as well as the guy's flowers. I had someone (a family friend) do a couple of arrangements (but I could have done them). We bought all the flowers through Sam's Club and it saved a lot of money. My flowers were actually really easy to do (my bridesmaids even helped). I would recommend trying to make your own first (which I had done); but even if you spend a little money practicing it will still be cheaper than paying a florist. Here's a link to my bouquet: http://photos.families.com/showphoto...00/ppuser/2346
and my bridesmaids:
http://photos.families.com/showphoto...00/ppuser/2346

[writerchick]

Here's another tip: If you need centerpieces for tables, try ordering them from Edible Arrangments - they make fruit arrangements that look like floral bouquets--they are quite stunning. Then, you have centerpieces, and they will also take care of some of the food, because they are made with a tonof fruit. Two birds with one stone!