Wednesday, May 1, 2013

How to Plan a Wedding for $3,000! Budget Breakdown

The average cost of weddings last year was $28,400!! For one day! For one party!  Don't have that kind of disposable money laying around?  Do not despair!  The wedding industry has become HUGE and that is because they are very, very good at selling this idea that the wedding is the most important day of your life and you will live a lifetime of regret if everything is not perfect.  And while I agree that it is possibly the most important day of your life, it is NOT the dress, the shoes, the centerpieces, etc that will make it.  It is the most important day of you life because of the life changing commitment you are making to love and cherish your spouse the rest of your life.  It is MUCH more important to get the right guy then to get the right bouquet.  And frankly, after 15 years of marriage, it is not my decision to have chicken vs steak at my wedding that sticks out in my mind.  It is kneeling across the alter in the temple with my sweetheart, being sealed for time and all eternity.  It is sitting in the celestial room together as husband and wife.  It is sharing our first dance together.  My fondest memories about my wedding have nothing to do with the STUFF.  In fact, looking back as fashion, trends and styles have changed, if I was to have a wedding today, I would pick totally different things.  I had a WONDERFUL wedding but it was not because I spent a certain amount of money on my dream wedding.  It was because I married the man of my dreams.

That does not mean that you should not have a special, beautiful day.  My goal is to show you that with a very limited budget of only $3,000, you can still have a lovely day to remember (and not waste your parents retirement or put yourself into terrible debt).

Is it possible to plan an entire wedding for $3,000?  It is if you are having your reception in an LDS cultural hall!  We are going to have several posts giving details and options and how to make this happen. 

The following budget will be used as a guide as we show you there are lots of amazing options out there to have a beautiful, unique and AFFORDABLE LDS wedding!

$3,000 wedding budget breakdown:

Wedding Ceremony in a LDS temple: FREE
Cultural Hall: FREE
Brides Attire: $250
Bride's Jewelry: $30
Grooms Attire: $75
Groomsmen and Bridesmaids:  Free (these are traditionally paid for by the wedding party)
Flowers for wedding party: $250
Linens and Backdrop Rental: $450
Food: $500
Cake: $250
Napkins, Silverware, Paper Products: $150
Garter: $5
Photography/Videography: $450
Music: $300
Centerpieces: $50
Invitations and Stamps: $100
Get Away Car: Free
Misc: $145


*Note: for ease of calculations, sales tax and shipping are not included in this budget and must be added


10 comments:

  1. According to me you can also save money by using fake flower instead of real flower and getting married on off season. More

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  2. Thanks for post ! You can also save money by organizing wedding ceremony during day instead of night. It saves lighting cost.
    wedding venues malibu

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  3. Overall, great list... But unless you only send out 100 invitations (at 50cents per invite - super cheap and 49 cents to mail) you need to add WAY more to the budget for that line item.

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  4. I live in California, I cant find anywhere with that budget! help!!

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  5. Just wanted to say you guys are doing an excellent job with relevant content and the frequency of your blog post!.... Unique wedding planning is the dream of every one, but my dream came to true. When I read your blog it’s really amazing and full of unique Wedding ideas... keep on Sharing!!!

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  6. That bridal outfit budget line is hard. This is speaking as a bride who got her wedding dress for $60 from 6pm.com, shoes from Dessy for $30, and veil at a local charity bridal shop for $100. I still need to buy a slip, and my temple dress was around $140.

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  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. Amazing! You have recommended exceptionally valuable tips in that article. It will help various individuals who are prepared to plan their wedding. As Miami Wedding Planner i would like to say that Your thoughts regarding wedding planning with budgets are extremely useful for any wedding couple.

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  9. The wedding day will need direction and coordination which the coordinator can take care of the day of your wedding. A Wedding Planner, Coordinator, or a Consultant is an expert and specialist in wedding planning. This person assists in the planning of weddings on a professional basis. So, the amount of experience and situations a good planner has encountered is numerous and he or she can handle most high pressure situations that can occur during a wedding. Cyprus Weddings

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  10. This is some of the best advice about money saving ideas for an affordable wedding reception. I hope every bride thinks about it.

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