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Home > Wedding details and ouch! blowing the budget

Wedding details and ouch! blowing the budget

June 12th, 2008 at 01:19 am

So...I have been planning this wedding for well over a year now, and as a fellow bride, I love sneeking peeks at other people's wedding budget details. It's fascinating to see other people's priorities, it's a great feeling when you realize you got a deal over someone else, and it's fun to judge and just think "what is she thinking?!"

Wedding background...it's a destination wedding to be held in historic Savannah, GA. the wedding will be small, and all guests are staying for the weekend. Very few of my friends or family have been to Savannah, so everyones excited to see this infamous city. I myself live out of state (FL and currently, temporarily, MN), so planning it has been a fun challenge.
So...here are my details so far...

1. Reception location and guest lodging for the weekend $12,000. We rented a B&B for the weekend but will be charging guests a discount rate of $100 a night (this place charges $200 a night), so we hope to recoup about $4400. So once all is said and done it will be $7600.

2. Wedding planner $1,000. Our location requires we have a wedding planner, so I hired a woman for day of services.

3. Ceremony location $400 (getting married in a park, includes a required police officer)

4.My dress! $1400 including taxes and alterations

5. Reception music $1,000 for a 2 person jazz band

6. Grooms outfit $600 (we bought him a grey pinstripe suit)

7. Invitations $90 (ebay)

8. Save the dates $9.00 (postcards)

9. JOP $150.00

10.wedding rings $1200

11. photographer $700 (craigslist)

total so far....$14,149.00

Need:
Food
alcohal/bartender
florist
ceremony strings
hair/makeup
cake
horse carriage (my favorite part)

maybe if theres room in the budget:
transportation to/from airport
arrange a trolly tour of city the night before the wedding

parents in law will be paying for: rehersal dinner

I originally had a $14,000 wedding budget, but well, paying for the location just ate that all up! So the budget jumped to 20k max. I refuse to go over 20k, hope to keep it around 18k.

I am paying for everything but the rehersal dinner myself, and am unclear how I will pay for it. I had $14k in savings that I have accumulated over the 4 yrs we were engaged (I dragged my feet partially for financial reasons, also for family reasons), but that money is long gone, and I think? I will put the remainder on a credit card and pay it off with the wedding money we get???

I know it's terrible. That is an evil, evil plan.

But I justify it as I do have the $$ in the bank if we dont clear 4-5k in gifts to pay off the card. I just REALLY, REALLY dont want to touch the savings because its earmarked for retirement, and I have a seperate savings account from my at home business but that is earmarked for a downpayment on a home. And if I dip into either account, I am afraid it will cause a downward spiral where I keep dipping into those savings. If I see a growing cc balance, I will cut myself off. If I skim a couple grand off savings and theres plenty more...I am afraid my wedding will get huge and gorgeous and out of control.

So thats it. judge, shake your head. I know 20 yrs from now I will tell future brides not to spend this kind of money on their wedding. I actually already kind of regret creating such a lavish wedding, but I cant scrimp out now, so I am just trying to convince myself that at least there will be no regrets later.

I am torn between being aghast at the $$ being spent, and being super excited for how cool the weekend will turn out.


5 Responses to “Wedding details and ouch! blowing the budget”

  1. Yankee Gal Says:
    1213234984

    I'm staying tuned to read your next installment! I am very curious as to how you will deal with the food/flowers, when those items can really bust budgets.
    Maybe have a buffet luncheon at the B&B?

  2. pretty cheap jewelry Says:
    1213239196

    scrimp SCRIMP scrimp on alcohol
    Not only is it unpopular more and more, there are many many less expensive techniques.

    --I pre-paid for wine bottles, only what bottles were opened required payment also

    --I had NO hard alcohol (I also had an afternoon luncheon)

    --Offer non alcohol! Sparkling water, flavored water, juice, etc.

    Beware: the catering bill is usually the biggest part of the wedding (although the location might be it on your part).

  3. Thrifty Ray Says:
    1213239516

    You can do anything you want...you can go forward---or you can change your mind and do something less extravagant. Life is full of choices. Think outside the box and keep your eye on the prize that works best for you and your future husband. Good luck and very best wishes.

  4. Apprentice Fun-Frugalist Says:
    1213276355

    Sounds like it is going to be a fabulous day !!

    I would advise to advoid the CC option like the Plague !!

    Just a quick question as to why you are alone in raising the finance ?? Can your fiance not raise money from anywhere/ has he any savings ??

    Since your wedding day is one you will remember forever... I, in your situation, would negotiate the best deal possible then take the money out of your savings and pay in cash - have it done and dusted so you can just focus on enjoying your special day to the max.

    If it makes you feel better about taking money from savings, maybe you could counterbalance it and open a retirement account and put a substantial amount in there... so you can pat yourself on the back for doing the right thing ?

  5. gamecock43 Says:
    1213283538

    Thanks you guys. I have preliminary estimates of the prices of other needed vendors, and it will be tight. But maybe this economy will help my case.
    And yes, I am planning to do buffet dinner at the B&B, I have been quoted $20 per head, so hopefully I can lock in that price.
    And my fiance is not costing us money to be alive, but he does not make money either. He has about 4k in savings but I would like to let him keep it because its all he has.
    Technically, he would be contributing to the wedding because the wedding gift money is OURS, but if I use it to pay off the wedding them he is helping...
    And his parents have offered to give us 5k to use for the wedding, but I really dont want to take it because they have helped us out previously in the past and we have payed them back most of the time but I just feel like they have done enough, and I want to show that I am capable of doing some things without their help.

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