Archive for March, 2010

i need your advice and suggestions on how to plan a wedding on a budget of less than 50thou. What are the essential and most important things to prepare? persons to be present? things to be organised? We’re really cutting down the cost .

if it’s goign to be less than 50k, you may opt to do a civil rights and invite only those who are closest to you. however, some churches would normally charge you 10k-25k, church alone. let me list down the things you need to consider when planning a wedding:
- church (make sure the church you choose doesnt charge as much)
- caterer/restaurant
- florist (you can go to dangwa)
- photographer (you may ask a photographer to do only labor, meaning, he will just take pictures and not have the photos printed, instead he will just give you a softcopy of your wedding pics and it’s up to you to have them printed)
- invitation (you may opt an DIY [do-it-yourself] invites)
- souvenir (give-aways) can also be DIY
- entourage (and their gowns) go for gowns for rent
- wedding gown and barong and accessories (rent them as well)
- guestlist (invite only the closest family, relatives and friends) at most 80 guests

actually, it’s going to be really hard planning a wedding with a very tight budget. my brother got married last december on a tight budget of 90k with 100 guests. most of the things were DIY like the invites and souvenirs. but in their case, they had a civil rights and didnt have to book a church.

if you have any other questions or referrals, let me know ‘coz we do plan weddings. last year alone, we planned 3 weddings and this year we’re currently planning 2 weddings. dont worry, i wont charge you for anything. im just not sure of what you really need as of the moment.

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I want to get married on st valentines day but i am stuck on invitations,what flowers, and reception ideas can anyone help ?
Any ideas would be good my dad is paying for it all he is old fashioned and we have a good budget
Many Thanks

Hi Victoria,
I love st valentine weddings as that was my theme when i got married 16 years ago it was so romantic and so will yours be.
Invitations are beautiful filled with red heart confetti that will fall out as they are opened or festoon your invites with little hearts and cupids. The perfect flowers has to be Red Roses close packed in a teardrop bouquet that would be exquisite. For your reception you could have pink champagne served in flute glasses with a strawberry at the bottom.For table decorations scatter silver garages and tiny heart shaped confetti over the table and a vase of red roses as a centre piece and place settings of each lady.Alternatively bedeck the tables with rose petals and weave ribbon down the centre.
It will look stunning.
Congratulations
Best Wishes
Mrs Natalie Rose Spencer
Elite Weddings
wedding coordinator / Bridal Consultant

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My fiance and I are getting married in August of this year. We’ve been together nearly 6 years and have a 13 month old daughter. My aunt (who helped raised me) passed away late last year and left me some inheritance money, the only problem is we have to spend most of it on bills and on college tuition & daycare. We can really only afford a 5K wedding and even that’s cutting it. We’ve found the perfect place Duke Gardens & having the ceremony there would only cost 650, but my grandmother (who has lavish tastes) wants me to have the ceremony & reception there which would cost 2500 and she said she’d cover the costs but if she would be willing to spend that much on me, I’d prefer her to use a more cost-effective choice since we are on a strict budget. She also told me to invite many of my family members knowing that most of them wouldn’t come but would instead send a gift or money. But what if they do RSVP then I get stuck with the bill. I’ve planned 2 funerals in the past 2 years I’m a pro at them, but this wedding thing is stressing me out already and I’ve just gotten engaged! I want to hire a wedding planner but I’m afraid it will be more cost that we don’t need, but then I feel like a planner could actually help us cut costs. So lost…please somebody help me!
And I have about 4 really close girlfriends, but a few others I’ve known for years & we can’t afford 10 bridesmaid dresses, how should I go about that?
Thanks a lot!
@ Bonnie D that sounds perfect thank you I guess I’m too stressed out to think clearly but that definitely clears up one headache!

Some people I know have gotten a creative family member or friend to do their wedding planning, and that was their gift to them so it didn’t cost anything. Make sure you pick someone frugal who really wants to do this.

just go with four bridesmaids. That is plenty. It sounds like your venue is already pretty and doesn’t need a lot of decorating, so there is some more money saved. People remember the food, drink,and flowers more than anything so make those your biggest expenditures.

You should send invitations to the people you are expecting to come, and wedding announcements to the people who you know won’t come, but might send a gift.

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My fiance and I are getting married in 2010. Well our budget (because we are still finishing college) is about $2000. We have decided either mid-july or early sept 2010 for a wedding date(s). Its going to be very small, about 25-50 peaople MAX. Its only us and his best man and my maid of honor plus family and close friends. We want it like late afternoon where we can serve like appetizers and then cake. We are not serving alcohol and we are not doing dancing (because we dont dance). I don’t want it long, so the ceremonywill be like 1/2 hour and the reception like 2 hours max.
So the question is, without spending a fortune and without it looking really cheap, does anyone have any ideas or places or webistes to help with this? We have found places but for big weddings that exceed our budget and we really arent big flashy people. We perfer outside, i love gazebos and maybe a church to do it in. Or both in the same place (wedding and reception) in a backyard? We just really rather focus on saving for a house than have a big flashy wedding.
Any help? Advice? Ideas?

I’m not sure where you’re located in the L.A. area (or how far you, your fiance’, and your guests would want to drive), but I’ve seen beautiful and affordable small weddings held at the following places (in alphabetical order):

Inn of the Seventh Ray Restaurant in Topanga Canyon (midway between the ocean and the San Fernando Valley) – http://www.innoftheseventhray.com/specialevents.htm

Odyssey Restaurant in Granada Hills (overlooking the San Fernando Valley) – http://www.theodysseyrestaurant.com/eventplanning.html

Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades (between Santa Monica and Brentwood) – http://www.lakeshrine.org/.

Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City (although I’ve heard that the place has been remodeled so the outdoor scenic areas including waterfalls and wandering brooks may no longer be there) – http://www.sportsmenslodge.com/.

Wayfarers Chapel in Palos Verdes – http://www.wayfarerschapel.org/.

Westlake Village Inn in Westlake Village – http://www.westlakevillageinn.com/

There are other restaurants and hotels with lovely views and scenery in Westlake Village — and in other locations such as Marina del Rey, etc.

If you don’t mind driving a longer distance, one of the loveliest views is at Meditation Mount in Ojai (in Ventura County) – http://www.meditation.com/content/view/53/102/. There are also beautiful locations in Santa Barbara.

Once you’ve visited these venues and have narrowed down your choices based on what area and kind of ambience you’re looking for, you can then talk with the catering managers who can arrange a wonderful wedding event that will certainly be within your budget.

Often, you can arrange to serve very affordable hors d’ouevres and champagne (plus coffee and traditional cake) without the rest of a meal for a late afternoon wedding that falls between lunch and dinner times. Just be specific about the time in your invitations so guests don’t think they’re going to be served a full meal.

At the Wedding Compass.com website at http://www.weddingcompass.com/finds/LosAngeles/Los-Angeles-Weddings.cfm, you can go to the "Find Locations by View Type" links which will show you many other venues and locations for weddings in Los Angeles County.

I always prefer to go to a restaurant or location that offers lovely surroundings and pretty decor (often with live flowers and candlelight, etc.) as well as food, rather than use a park, arboretum or similar public location that usually requires obtaining permits, bringing food and decorations, setting up before and cleaning up afterwards, etc.

Using these restaurants and hotels with their catering options just makes it easier and more enjoyable for the bride and groom and everyone else — and many places offer live bands and music as part of their ambience.

However, if you don’t mind a lot of "hands on" work, you could certainly find a beautiful spot for your wedding in various parks and conservancies as well as a scenic backyard of a friend, family member or accommodating acquaintance.

In addition, if you and your fiance’ have certain shared interests, you might consider incorporating them in your wedding theme and even holding your wedding ceremony and reception at a related location (e.g. on the beach; on a favorite trail; on a rented excursion yacht; etc.).

You might also want to check out various churches, temples and chapels in your area to see if you can hold your wedding and reception in their facility. Some non-denominational churches include: Unitarian Universalist; Unity; Center for Spiritual Living (also known as Religious Science or Science of Mind); or you could choose the religious denomination of you, your fiance’ or your family/families.

You’ll also have to factor in the costs of a minister or someone who can officiate, as well as flowers, wedding cake (or some creative substitute), photograher/videographer (you’ll always want to look back on your wedding through good photos and video), and invitations (if you’ll be sending them). If you use a hall or other public venue, the extra costs of rental fees and decorations in addition to food and beverages must also be considered. If you’ll be wearing formal attire, a bridal gown and veil (and shoes?) for you and a tuxedo, shirt and shoes rental for your groom will be additional costs. You’ll also have costs for your rings.

Finally, please remember that everyone wants you and your husband-to-be to have a memorable experience and many of these locations want to have the two of you become satisfied, returning customers in the future (when you’re both earning more money! <wink>), so be honest and open with the catering managers once you find some places that sing to your heart and you can, most likely, arrange for a beautiful experience in a lovely place that’s well within your budget.

Best wishes for a fulfilling and memorable experience — and a long and happy life together

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I just got engaged 2 weeks ago. My fiance and i have a house and daughter and plan to get married in August this year. I need any tips on planning a wedding on a budget. Very small budget!!! Please help. I live in Rhode Island! Thanks!!!!

Weddings are expensive if you want them to be. But if you want to keep money aside for a deposit on a house or a honeymoon to remember, then there are many cost cutting ideas. All you need is a little imagination, and some help from friends and family and you too can have a luxury wedding with all the trimmings.

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