Wedding Advice

[Japher]

Buy the beer by the keg and hire someone to tend the tap. Much cheaper than a real bartender as there will be no "bar". This means byo hard alcohol

Keep the reception indoors; butter cream is much cheaper than that cake warp stuff but is less heat tolerant. Also, don't go for the frosting flowers, use real flowers instead. Also, since you will not need a fancy cake, hire some one of craigslist to make it.

Check with local university stores. We had Fresno State "do" our flowers and it saved a ton.

Hire a good wedding planner or ask a very creative cousin to do it. Since our flowers were "cheap" and the cake was home made it took a special touch to combine the two into something great.

Fork out for an emcee/dj, it's worth it to avoid confussion and keep things smooooth.

You don't need a limo if the reception is at the hotel you will be staying at.

Buffet style can be much cheaper than being served.

Wedding dresses need only look expensive. Same for tuxedoes.

[pchang]

cheap wedding advice

Don't get flowers
Professional videographers are too expensive. Just use a friend with a camcorder
Professional photographers are too expensive. Just use a friend with a digital camera.

[DaShi]

Vegas

[Thoth]

Skip the wedding. Just buy a ladder and elope.

[rah]

Hold it on a Friday instead of the traditional Saturday.

[KrazyHorse]

I disagree with Elok on the drinks. He's right about the cost, but I consider alcohol a necessity.

I agree. We spent around 3000 just on wholesale liquor. This was 20% of our total budget but it was completely worth it to see one of my aunts doing the limbo and trying to pick up guys half her age.

[rah]

Agreed, no liquor weddings, don't seem to have a lot of those memorable moments.

[Felch]

Weddings are pretty much the only occasions where I get drunk. Mostly because sparking a fat joint in front of extended family is frowned upon.

[Saras]

it was completely worth it to see one of my aunts doing the limbo and trying to pick up guys half her age.

Haaa, same thing all over the world

[Caligastia]

If your future Mother-in-law offers to pay for anything extra that she wants, don't trust her.

[Kontiki]

Try not to be gay during the actual wedding.

[onodera]

But theres always an after-party.

**** the party. Get the paper and go on a honeymoon trip. All your relatives and friends can go find themselves another party.

[Arrian]

1. Photography. It's fugging expensive. If you can get away with it, go bare bones on that (unless, of course, you really like pictures).

2. Keep the guest list down. Invite only people you really want there, if you can help it. You probably won't be able to do that and only that, but fight the good fight.

3. You can offer beer/wine but have hard drinks be available if the guests pay. Another option, IIRC, is that you can put a certain sum up for drinks and once it's been exhausted, people have to pay. Or you could make people pay for any drinks...

4. No need to go nuts on flowers.

5. Spend some time and effort hunting around for a reception hall. I think I checked out at least 5 before I found the one we used, and though it was the cheapest I'd considered it worked out great. In our case, starting at 1pm helped because they waived their usual 125 guest minimum (Saturday).

That's all I'm coming up with right now.

-Arrian

[duke o' york]

If your future Mother-in-law offers to pay for anything extra that she wants, don't trust her.

Make her pay for everything, so that she gets whatever it is she wants. Although if it's Meatloaf for the first dance then you may need to think again....

[MRT144]

We're looking at a reception hall (no church or anything) at 1500 for 11am-6pm on Saturday. It's an old ballroom near our house, really pretty and they do tango lessons and stuff there. That seems pretty reasonable and it's pretty inside.

http://www.centuryballroom.com/