£2500 for our wedding possible?

smiler34

OK so these are the must haves for me

1. A church wedding (I've been quoted £480 at my church) :eek:
2. A reception with buffet after the wedding for 120 guests
3. A proper wedding dress (i.e. in my mind something like this http://www.weddingnova.com/product/A-line-Satin-Wedding-Dress-20711.html )
4. My daughters, neice, sister and sil as bridesmaids
5. My partner, son, best man, dad and brother suited and booted in matching.
6. Bouquets for me and adult bridesmaids and corsages for younger bridesmaids. Buttonholes for men and mob, fog, mog. (Did have my heart set on fresh flowers for at least my bouquet to put on my nan's grave after bu think this may be out of budget)

Think will be November 2011 wedding and theme will be red or gold.

Thanks in advance xx

Kazz81

1-see if you can get a cheaper church. Remember you will probably be expected to make a dontation to the priest/vicar/reverend on top of the church fee. You will also need music....

2-either a DIY buffet or a BBQ where you get your guests to bring something along. Thinking outside the box, maybe ask guests to take some food/drink in lieu of a wedding gift.

3-keep an eye on ebay for your dress or local charity shops even warehouse clearance and closing down sales. I think a lot of bridal shops have sales in December/January to make room for new season stock.

4-do your bridesmaids need to wear the same dresses? Honestly, I think you could struggle here depending on ages. Can you cut the number down? Again, check ebay and charity shops, closing down sales etc. Debenhams & BHS sales are great.

5-do they already own bits that would pass for matching outfits? Do you want full suits? I believe Tesco and Asda do suits that are grand, or maybe even Primark (dont laugh-I nearly bought my OH's suit there for our wedding and have not quite ruled it out yet!)

6-take a floristry course at your local college and buy the flowers wholesale and make them yourself. Remember its not the flowers alone that make up the cost, its the time and expertise of the florist.

Call in favours from anyone you can-do you know florist, someone good at making cakes, musicians, someone with a nice car, someone good at photography!?

All just my thoughts-hope you get sorted!!

double_mummy

It is definetly do able as long as you sret yourself a budget and work within that

£480 for the church
£300 for wedding dress
£210 for bridesmaids outfits and accessories (can ask them to buy their dress and then give them the accessories instead of presents so can be done for around £90)
£250 for suits (look at moss, asda, tescos etc)
£200 flowers (would reccomend getting fakes for the buttonholes, corsages and then have your bouquet as real to take to your nans grave)
For around £300 you could do a cold buffet for everyone, get each member of the family to make a couple of things and then bring them to the reception and put on the invites for people to bring their favourite drink and/or that there will be a paid bar
Do a booze cruse £300 for drinks then charge cost price for them hire glasses for free from sainsburys and have a big drinks table so people can help themselves

This leaves over £400 for all the other little things

why not have a look at Mrs Thrifts page (it is long) but has some excellent tips on money saving

Also remember to rope in any of the family that are good at something - photos, cakes, invitations,

smiler34

Kazz81 wrote: »

1-see if you can get a cheaper church. Remember you will probably be expected to make a dontation to the priest/vicar/reverend on top of the church fee. You will also need music....

As far as I'm aware that prise is for the organist and everything in the church.

There is no way I can cut down on bridesmaids. My partners aunt is making the cake so that is one saving.

Dizzie77

You want to get married next November with red and gold as colour schemes - so look after Christmas for party dresses (bargain bridesmaid dresses- BHS/Debs/M&S) and Christmas decorations (red and gold) that could be saved until next year...!

The only issue that I can foresee is if your bridesmaids grow loads in between now and then...!!

Whereabouts are you?

smiler34

I am in west yorkshire. I think my nan is making the dresses for the flower girls so will just have the adult bridesmaids to buy for really.

Thanks

Kazz81

smiler34 wrote: »

As far as I'm aware that prise is for the organist and everything in the church.

There is no way I can cut down on bridesmaids. My partners aunt is making the cake so that is one saving.

Then that is not a bad price, but double check it so there are no nasty surprises. I was told on the phone that the church was xx and thought thats grand, then went to meet the priest etc and had the donation added to it and music as well! Plus order of service!

Understand not wanting to cut down on bridesmaids, just keep a close eye on the sales to get what you want. dont suppose you have any close friends that would be able to whip up some dresses for you?!

missknixon

I echo what Kazz81 says above. We were quoted one price and then told we would have to pay for heating, flowers, vicar, organist, choir, sides people all sorts. Hence us deciding not to get married in Church! When it came to flowers we had to provide the flowers they wanted in the vases they wanted and maintain them for a month afterwards! Thought it was a bit off so left it to them!

Dizzie77

smiler34 wrote: »

I am in west yorkshire. I think my nan is making the dresses for the flower girls so will just have the adult bridesmaids to buy for really.

Thanks

Defo look for party dresses after Christmas then - should be able to get something lovely for around a tenner each!!

maggie111

You are going to need help, and you will have to work very hard too.

Your church price is high, you have a LOT of attendants, your guest numbers are huge and you have a lot of things missing from your budget.

Do not forget - transport, accommodation, invitations, decorations, bridal accessories (veil, underwear, shoes etc), hair and make-up, presents for parents, attendants etc, photography, videography, table decorations (centrepiece, confetti etc).

And those are just all I can think of off the top of my head, and if you do not get everything in that list, and go very budget - I reckon that will still possibly be near £500 minimum.

So - catering wise consider a hogs roast? And you might, possibly, find a vendor willing to do that for your numbers at £1k if you are very good at haggling. At least this way everyone can get filling, hot food.

I don't know if the particular Church is special to you, but if it were me I would find a Church with a picturesque Hall attached (there are certainly some up North anyway) (make sure you check alcohol licenses) but all in the Venues may come to around £500.

Attendants, you really can't have that many attendants and buy everything for them. Consider offering to pay £50 towards the dresses and telling them they can buy whatever they want (I personally wouldn't even suggest a colour if you did that, but perhaps you could say vaguely please in black/white, or jewel tones, or pastel colours which may at least get them coordinated but will stop them having to pay a fortune to look 'right'.

The men, you will have to go with the cheapest suit option and get the cheapest supplier and there's really not much you can do about that. £300

Flowers, personally my florist offered my fresh flowers at the cost or less of fake. As long as you want simple you will be fine. If you did lillies for example you would only need one flower and it's certainly impressive. For everyone's button holes, bouquets etc - £160

Young bridesmaids - you really are struggling to afford them. I would recommend telling them to wear their best party dresses and then putting them in with matching floral headbands and wedding wands or something. I don't know how many you have but say £70.

Your outfit - consider dress, shoes, underwear, veil, umbrella, jewellery, nails, make-up, hair, tan.

I'm running out of time but do you see where I am going, please consider the small things - the odd £20s that really add up.

smiler34

maggie111 wrote: »

You are going to need help, and you will have to work very hard too.

Your church price is high, you have a LOT of attendants, your guest numbers are huge and you have a lot of things missing from your budget.

I have a huge family who are all close so the guest numbers can not be reduced. The attendants are so many to help the young flower girls and page boy down the aisle

Do not forget - transport (borrowing car), accommodation (Having a holiday later instead so just going home), invitations (making my own), decorations, bridal accessories (veil, underwear, shoes etc) (ebay?), hair and make-up (sister doing hair, i'm doing make-up), presents for parents, attendants etc (not getting), photography (my uncle is gonna take a few posed shots and rest will rely on peeps with cameras), videography (not having), table decorations (centrepiece, confetti etc). (Making my own with candles and ribbon)

And those are just all I can think of off the top of my head, and if you do not get everything in that list, and go very budget - I reckon that will still possibly be near £500 minimum.

So - catering wise consider a hogs roast? And you might, possibly, find a vendor willing to do that for your numbers at £1k if you are very good at haggling. At least this way everyone can get filling, hot food. (I was thinking of getting sainsburys catering and don't think hot food would make any difference personally, however my reception venue does have a kitchen so may whip up some hot punch or something)

I don't know if the particular Church is special to you, but if it were me I would find a Church with a picturesque Hall attached (there are certainly some up North anyway) (make sure you check alcohol licenses) but all in the Venues may come to around £500. (My venue, a ballroom in a bowling club is £85 to hire and can do own catering)

Attendants, you really can't have that many attendants and buy everything for them. Consider offering to pay £50 towards the dresses and telling them they can buy whatever they want (I personally wouldn't even suggest a colour if you did that, but perhaps you could say vaguely please in black/white, or jewel tones, or pastel colours which may at least get them coordinated but will stop them having to pay a fortune to look 'right'.

The men, you will have to go with the cheapest suit option and get the cheapest supplier and there's really not much you can do about that. £300

Flowers, personally my florist offered my fresh flowers at the cost or less of fake. As long as you want simple you will be fine. If you did lillies for example you would only need one flower and it's certainly impressive. For everyone's button holes, bouquets etc - £160

Young bridesmaids - you really are struggling to afford them. I would recommend telling them to wear their best party dresses and then putting them in with matching floral headbands and wedding wands or something. I don't know how many you have but say £70.

Your outfit - consider dress, shoes, underwear, veil, umbrella, jewellery, nails, make-up, hair, tan.

I'm running out of time but do you see where I am going, please consider the small things - the odd £20s that really add up.

Thanks for all your advice you have given me a lot to think about. xx