I usually don't post on the hobby site But...

[Promiselandfarm]

My daughter told me last night that her guy said he is going to ask her to marry him. He just needs to save money to get the expensive ring she wants....well at least she is going in only wanting to do this once. Anyway we are a big family(8 kids and the two of us) so I need ideas how to make a totally wonderful wedding on a shoe string budget. Or should I say she wants a champagne wedding and I have less than a beer budget or really watered down kool-aide if you get my drift. I am crafty and creative but when I saw the average cost of a wedding well I freaked out we really don't want to go into debt for her to have a nice wedding. What I am hoping I can get from you guys is IDEAS LOT OF IDEAS... She already asked me to make her cake and sent me a picture this am. I used to do those fancy things for her when she was little for here b-days and we were few in numbers. She is my oldest daughter and second child and there is a five year gap between her and the next one down, so I really only had two kids for a long time. Anyway so she thinks I can just get right back into it an make this beautiful cake. It looks like the kind with fondant candy for icing and a ribbon thingy....SEE I need all the help I can get so please guys send it my way.....THANKS ahead of time!!!!!! Oh she is planning for September(*I do hope she means next year) and wants wild flowers and we are in zone 6 I think I'll have to re-look on that because our weather here is really weird. Just a couple of days ago it was 60 degrees last night it was 28 today temp is 36. Anyway guys I need all the ideas you can send my way ...Thanks

 

[seismic wonder2]

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

Making a beautiful scene is 90% of the cost.
If you choose the location and time it will be naturally in bloom with spring flowers. No man made chapel can beat nature's cathedral.

 

[Promiselandfarm]

The good thing on that one is she would not be opposed to an outdoor wedding. They have not decided the were yet only that she wants a touch of pink on her dress soft light pink not baby pink or pastel pink. And the over all dress colors that is it. But hopefully I will get more time than until this September....So with the outdoor thing not a total No what type of wildflowers and flowers can I plant to bloom in September???

 

[Three_Blessings]

Congratulations!!! Just be honest with her right from the get go about the budget and remind her that the size and cost of the wedding does not have anything to do with the size of the love they have for each other or the strength of a marriage!

If you or another family member still has their wedding dress maybe she could wear that. You might have to alter the size maybe or add some different details to it? For the location, maybe a nature park? or the beach? I'm sure the crafty ladies on here will come up with some great ideas you could do for table decorations and flower arrangements. I can't help, not crafty at all!!! What an exciting time!!!

 

[Run-A-Muck Ranch]

When I got married we did everything under $1500. And I mean EVERYTHING...
My dress...$80 (originally $3000- went on sale, then discount, then sale again and finally clearance.)It was a beautiful dress
My viel....$100 (yep cost more than the dress..lol)
Cake...$100 (brought in alot of own things(flowers,pillars, etc. etc) and that cut cost It was 5 different levels (each a different flavor) will post a picture when I get one downloaded onto the laptop.
Food....We made all of it(mostly my mom and me) we had ham sandwhichs, salads, bars, beans, fruit, drinks, cookies, more than I can remember...If I find a list of all the food I will post...
Photography....$200 (they came for rehearsal the night before, were the first at the church the next day, and the last to leave the dance that night, plus they came over the next day to take pictures of the gift opening). We have thousands of pictures(negatives too)
D.j....$100 (was a friend of the family)
Beer....we had 5 half barrels (after that you had to buy your own drinks)
Decorations...Church, basement, and bar $100
Flowers....Made all the flowers needed (boutiners, bouquets, etc. etc.) $150
the church didn't cost us anything. Neither did the bar where we held the dance. The reception was in the church basement so there again no cost.
The most exspensive part was the food we made. Had to have enough to feed everyone..Which we did and plenty of left overs.

I know there are plenty of things I am forgetting. But we did it. We had a beautiful wedding (are there things I might change now...yeah but I still would do it within our original budget.)
We had many many complements about the wedding and how nice it was(still getting them xx amount of years later..lol)
My not so nice SIL got married after we did and her dress alone cost more than my whole wedding. I just could never ever do that.
If you need some ideas, I can try and help out just let me know.
Jason and I paid for everything ourselves. We didn't have family helping us (nobody can really afford to help--after all it was our wedding NOT theres). On the other hand not so nice SIL made certain family pay for things or they weren't coming...She is NOT nice..I can not say what she is without being banned from this forum....

 

[crochetinmama06]

CONGRATULATIONS, how exciting and nerve wracking..

I went to a wedding reception where they had goldfish swimming in bowls..Really a cute idea..
Maybe look at like a diy website or type in homemade wedding decorations..Oriental trading has some GORGEOUS wedding decorations for really reasonable..Ask your daughtere what all she has in mind...If she's not sure show her what you came up with...I have 6 daughter's and I'm sooo looking forward to them getting married..Even now my daughter has told me she wants me to make her a Wedding Quilt..She says I can get HER part started and then just add the grooms later..lol..She's 16 will be 17 in July..Good Luck and can't wait to hear what all your doing... GOOD LUCK on the cake..Your brave..I've made a few of my girl's cakes but it's the basic decorations...I've heard fondant is tricky..But I've never tried..I'd like too..Let me know how it goes...Deb

 

[smom1976]

if you get with a church that is going to do the wedding (even if outside) they usually have stuff... you know like fabric and some flowers and things that other people have bought to decorate and left behind.. I got a ton of stuff from the attic of the church!

I had a friend take the pics..

walmart does wedding cakes... and grooms cakes too

simple foods... do the reception during a time that people are not too hungry.. like 10:30 am or 3 pm

you can get a dress that is from last year.. (oh my gosh) but still new and no one would even know..

 

[mcg30_40]

We did my wedding very cheap also. My mom and I made my dress (under $100). We did all the food out of the garden (wedding in July so veggies were plentiful). Cakes were homemade also. Instead of wildflowers we did carnations of all different colors...two large bouquets by the alter and a single flower in a vase in each window of the church. The wedding rings we found on clearance. The gave a small donation to the church we used (ouside weddings are even cheaper) and had the reception in my parents front yard...they have lots of oak trees for shade. Our wedding was very simple and elegant! Everyone loved the outside reception because it was so relaxed and enjoyable instead of being "stuffy". I guess we spent the most money on fireworks (married July 3rd) for the kids, they loved it.

 

[Teach97]

My In-laws said her is what we can spend, use what you want pocket the rest if you want more earn it...my wife pocketed the bigger chunck of it! I think we were in that $1,500 range probably? I don't know...I toted things and said, "Yes, I like that, sounds wonderful." Learned that from my father-in-law...great advice...skip the booze...way to expensive and you are only renting it anyway...good luck...I guess it helped that I had worked in a flower shop in high school...they did all our flowers...I was later told from other friends that got married around the same time the the bouquet should have cost more than the total was...we would have done fakes but the flower shop lady kinda liked me...still send letters to her 12 yrs later

 

[horsejody]

My son a DDIL just got married in September. They lived in Hawaii at the thime and did it beautifully, but on the cheap. They got married on the beach. She found a lovely dress that was discounted. Their church was very helpful too. The reception was at a semi outdoor pavillion and was decorated by family and friends with inexpensive but pretty colored plactic table covers, candles in prety 3 for dollar type glasses with silk flowers, etc. The cake was done at a discount because a friend worked at the bakery. A church member catored it at cost. Cooking for group is easy and cheap if you have the equipment. Another church member played DJ for them. Yet another church member did the photography. It was a very beautiful wedding. They had over a 100 people at the wedding that were well fed and danced the night away all for about $2400. They paid for it themselves, and it was one of the prettiest weddings I have ever been to.