FutureMrsKeepUp wrote:

Ok, if I add in rings, BM and my alterations, and the honeymoon I'm still at only $3500!

DH's aunt and uncle gave us their timeshare to use for the honeymoon - FREE! We're going to Hawaii for our 6-month anniversary in February!

Now that's what I'm talking about! What a blessing!

Yes it is a blessing. That is GREAT!!!!!

Way to go mrskeepup!!!

FutureMrsKeepUp wrote:

Ok, if I add in rings, BM and my alterations, and the honeymoon I'm still at only $3500!

DH's aunt and uncle gave us their timeshare to use for the honeymoon - FREE! We're going to Hawaii for our 6-month anniversary in February!

Dang Future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you the wo"man"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FutureMrsKeepUp wrote:

Haven't did the math yet so I'll try to here:

Ceremony & reception site: FREE! (church is free to members)

Bride's stuff: $525 dress, $12 veil, $13 shoes, $20 bracelet, $5 garter set, $20 blingy draws , hair, earrings & headband FREE = $595

Groom's stuff: FREE

Kids' Stuff: $100 tux, $100 2 FG dress, $30 2 FG shoes and socks = $230

Food: FREE! (thanks mom)

Photographer: $650 (including flight from B-More)

DOC: $200

Soloist: $20

Flowers: $125

Decorations: $250

Chair Covers: $200

Cake: $225 (still working on getting some of this back!)

BP Gifts: $75

Invitations & Programs: $250 (including postage)

Misc: $180

GRAND TOTAL: $3000
(Dang! I did WAY better than I thought!)

YOur garter was special. What was the meaning? I could see in the pictures but they were pretty.

Mrs. KeepUp,

Which photographer did you fly in from B-more? I'm curious 'cause I live here.

I was working it sistas! It can be done! You can have an elegant affair for less if you try hard enough and are willing to get your hands dirty!

Mycenae my garter was Chicago Bears themed.

ViPrincessBride I used a gentleman named Barak. I think his company is Sure Shot Productions. He did Turiya's wedding in December and when she told me the price I had her see if he was open on my date and willing to fly to Chicago. He was and worked with me within my budget and I am getting everything I wanted and more for less than any Chicago photographer I could find.

My wedding came in under $10,000. We had over 300 guests. Let's see what I can remember

2 limos- $300 (our church has a limo service and we got the hookup)

Food- Free Family and friend cooked all the food for wedding

Honeymoon- $2500 for a week in heavenly Jamica all inclusive.

Photography- $750 for over 300 8x10, 10 5x7, wedding potrait, and an album with the pictures in order. We used our church photographer.

Video- Free My dad know a guy that directs Nigerian movies, He video taped our wedding for free.

Reception- $800- was $1300 but my husband is in the Army Reserves and we used our National Guard Armory here.

Dress- $750 Veil- Free

Shoes and accessories- $150

Decorations for church and reception (including tables, utensils etc) $1000

Cake- $400

Music- $350 soloist and organist

Invitations and programs- $250 with postage

This is all I can remember.....thank you LORD for hook ups!....

My grand total came in right around $2,700. That was food, musicians, transportation, ceremony site, my bouquet, cake, invitations and postage, wedding night hotel, favors and welcome gift bags, dress, shoes, chair rental and whatever else I can't remember right now...lol.
My cousin/Man of Honor gifted us by paying for the photographer and that was $700. After it was all said and done we got 900+ images and he even retouched some of them.

Butterbean wrote:

Depending on where you live, that shouldn't be a problem. I'm lucky to be living in Dallas rather than somewhere in New York where brides are hopelessly being gouged by vendors.

I find some high budgeted weddings not to be that much different than ones with a lower budget. So far, I am saving money by not going to vendors that specialize in weddings as much as I possibly can. I've saved nearly 1,500 by having my wedding at a community center rather than a place that is already set up for weddings. This place allows me to bring in my own catering, liquor, etc. The only problem I face is that I don't want to mention that my place is a community center on my invites. Instead of writing in the place's full name, "Springpark Recreation and Sports Center", I'll just write in "Springpark Center".

Since my venue allows me the freedom of using my own vendors instead of their contracted people, I can save even more money by using a restaurant that caters off-site. My sister complains that this place serves boring food, but Luby's Cafeteria offers their services for around $10 per person.

hey Butter my Dallas sistah!^^^^ your venue is beautiful, but I am not familiar with Spring Park Rec--where is it located?

AKitten wrote:

My grand total came in right around $2,700. That was food, musicians, transportation, ceremony site, my bouquet, cake, invitations and postage, wedding night hotel, favors and welcome gift bags, dress, shoes, chair rental and whatever else I can't remember right now...lol.
My cousin/Man of Honor gifted us by paying for the photographer and that was $700. After it was all said and done we got 900+ images and he even retouched some of them.

Dang AKitten you did great!
You have to give us a breakdown for the brides in your area!

Dang Ladies those totals are great. I wish I lived in ya'll neck of the woods.

Here goes my breakdown.
Reception $22,000
* came with alot of perks free bridal suite, valet parking, open bar, cake,chair covers and sash etc
Limos 1300
Makeup for 10- 500
Hair 55
Organist 250
DJ 750 He was the bomb
Flowers 1800
Gown and accessories 2100
gifts 700
favors 500
programs 50
Honeymoon 3,000 gift from Nana

Indeed I want to keep my reception cost down by not inviting everyone and then some. LOL. How many people did you have come for 22,000? I am hoping to get 150-200 for 8,000. Includeds the cake, liquor and all that stuff and a bridal suite.

Ok-let me see if I can remember--LOL...

-Ceremony/Reception site at the church-$300 (it is free to members but we did give a "love" offering)

-Flowers, food, church/reception hall deco-$1000. (church member gave us a hook-up because she specialized in weddings)

-Wedding music/soloist/music engineer-$150 (minister of music and church music staff)

-Photographer-FREE!!!!!!!!! + pics (church member)

-Videographer-$100 (church member)

-Rehearsal dinner-$300.

-dress/veil/shoes/accessories-$1000.

-dresses/accesories for mom, sister, niece, & cousin-$450.

-tux for Groom/son-130 (groom's tux free)

-cake-$425.

-honeymoon-$2500.

-DJ-$250 (another great hook-up! DH and DJ useto dj parties together; he also threw in our wedding cd favors)

-cost of having church members/friends of giving you hook-ups...PRICELESS!!

I come from a big family and 22,000 got us 2 rooms one for cocktail hour and 1 for sit down dinner 4 open bars chocolate fountains and other things for 200 people it was fantastic and I would have not done it differently.

that does sound awesome. I am hoping just to be able to feed 200 people. Did your guests enjoy the chocolate fountain? I didnt have an interest it in the first time I was planning a wedding but I am curious now.

I'm so jealous of the girls who got the hook-ups. That's fantastic! These days, I cant get two people to scratch my back, let alone help me out for my wedding. LOL

soon2bmsj wrote:

hey Butter my Dallas sistah!^^^^ your venue is beautiful, but I am not familiar with Spring Park Rec--where is it located?

It's in Garland, just a few miles east once you get off of 75 around Richardson.


Here are more pictures

Butterbean wrote:

hey Butter my Dallas sistah!^^^^ your venue is beautiful, but I am not familiar with Spring Park Rec--where is it located?


It's in Garland, just a few miles east once you get off of 75 around Richardson.


Here are more pictures

Oooh ok...the venue looks nice... well I am actually in Irving... let me know if you need some ideas or maybe I can try to help you find some 'hook-ups' LOL

To you ladies who got major hookups, I bow down to you all. When I first got engaged, my fiance and I envisioned us spending around $15,000 (our rings would eat the majority of this). Guathering ideas and submersing myself in DIY Projects, I estimated that it would cost us about $10,000 including our expensive rings. I'm still working on our budget and guathering ideas and from what I can see, we'll come way under that as well and we're having our wedding in New York!!! I plan on using every single perk offered by my vendors to help me stay on track.

So to all of us still in the process of planning, I agree wholeheartedly with Mrskeepup when she said that with careful planning, you'll save a bundle. If you give yourself some time to really plan your wedding and not rush and accept the first thing you see, you'll be very surprise just how much money you'll save.

butter bean your venue is the nicest rec center ive ever seen and it looks as if u wont have a lot to do to it. congrats and good luck

Ginoue wrote:

To you ladies who got major hookups, I bow down to you all. When I first got engaged, my fiance and I envisioned us spending around $15,000 (our rings would eat the majority of this). Guathering ideas and submersing myself in DIY Projects, I estimated that it would cost us about $10,000 including our expensive rings. I'm still working on our budget and guathering ideas and from what I can see, we'll come way under that as well and we're having our wedding in New York!!! I plan on using every single perk offered by my vendors to help me stay on track.


YOu have alll the connections for a 10,000 New York wedding. You go girl. LOL
So to all of us still in the process of planning, I agree wholeheartedly with Mrskeepup when she said that with careful planning, you'll save a bundle. If you give yourself some time to really plan your wedding and not rush and accept the first thing you see, you'll be very surprise just how much money you'll save.

I'm working it out sister and so will you. You just have to look for the things you want and if it costs too much, tap onto your creative side, roll up your sleeves and get it done yourself.