Getting married on a shoestring..ideas wanted! - Page 3

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by redhotmama

Plan your flowers around what is blooming, lilacs, daffodils, crepe myrtles, roses, mums, zinnias, etc. You can buy a package of zinnia seeds for 99cents and get about 300 blooms....

That's a great idea! I don't have any flowers coming up but the daffodils and tulips should be up by May 12. I can probably cut enough from a friend's garden!

I was thinking of just doing a single flower for the bigger girls, a little basket of petals for the little ones and a several flowers tied together for myself. Simple and tasteful.

My colours will be red and white...but I am ok with any colour flowers. I will not be doing any extras..just attendants and myself.

I just found out that there is no age minimum for witnesses so my plan is to have my oldest dd who is 17 be my witness and dh can have his best friend. Because we are not doing dance or anything I think we will just have my girls and his best friend and we don't have to have any other guys..though we could have my brother stand in as well since he will be attending.

Also..a suggestion I read on the officiant(the one I am leaning towards) was to have all the kids sign the registry...only the witness can sign the "official" document but each child after can sign on a "special" certificate to make them part of the ceremony. It would be a keepsake certificate.

So oldest daughter and best man would each sign the registry but oldest daughter would also sign the certificate. Then each girl from oldest to youngest would sign the certificate. Older girl could help the baby(who is only 2) Wouldn't that be cool? and how cool would the photos look after uh?

I am getting so excited.

And marriage licences in a town 30k away are only $80 compared to $110-$125 everywhere else. That town is on the way to another city we often visit so I think we will get it there...on our way one day.

off to check some things out with regard to flowers

[rainbowmoon]

we did gourmet pizzas (at a restraunt) but it was super cheap (and organic!)! maybe that would be an option for you?

I second the "lots of candles" suggestions too!

[rainbowmoon]

btw CONGRATULATIONS!

(**Ok adding this cause my message is too short)

[wonderwahine]

the one thing that helped us stay on a shoestring budget with our wedding, was planning it around a holiday, so the chapel was already decorated, as was the churchs reception hall. (we got married dec 20th)

it aso helped that by running with the particular holidays theme, the stores had that themes decorations extremely cheap.

Another big thing was utilizing the dollar store for decorations and supplies.

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by wonderwahine

the one thing that helped us stay on a shoestring budget with our wedding, was planning it around a holiday, so the chapel was already decorated, as was the churchs reception hall. (we got married dec 20th)

it aso helped that by running with the particular holidays theme, the stores had that themes decorations extremely cheap.

Another big thing was utilizing the dollar store for decorations and supplies.

Actually this is exactly why I went with red and white as the colours..you have any idea how cheap red ribbon is now? LOL.. I have lots of stuff already I picked up for practically free and we have another week here before the clearance stuff from Christmas is packed away. After Valentines day I am going major shopping because that's a RED holiday too..lol!

[wonderwahine]

Originally Posted by allgirls

Actually this is exactly why I went with red and white as the colours..you have any idea how cheap red ribbon is now? LOL.. I have lots of stuff already I picked up for practically free and we have another week here before the clearance stuff from Christmas is packed away. After Valentines day I am going major shopping because that's a RED holiday too..lol!

great idea!!

I lucked out, everyone around me started pulling out christmas decorations like table center decorations etc from their xmas stash. It was very beautiful to have the real christmas tree in our reception hall

[redhotmama]

smart thinking! vVlentine's m&m's:just pick out the pink ones

[wonderwahine]

OH!! speaking of M&M's, they can make a great centerpeice!

a nice glass vase, fill it with your wedding themes coloured m&m's, and with all the sales on valentines candy, you would be able to do it very cheaply

[delphiniumpansy]

I don't know if this has already been suggested but a potluck is sure a cheap way to have a reception. I have been to two potluck/weddings and both were fun. One was at a park and one was in the church. The food was brought mostly by extended family but friends also helped. Saved the happy couple a ton!

Congrats!

[wonderwahine]

Originally Posted by delphiniumpansy

I don't know if this has already been suggested but a potluck is sure a cheap way to have a reception. I have been to two potluck/weddings and both were fun. One was at a park and one was in the church. The food was brought mostly by extended family but friends also helped. Saved the happy couple a ton!

Congrats!

we also had a chinese buffet, we went to panda express and had their catering package, since we had a small wedding anyway. It was great, we had a nice selection of food and there was plenty of left overs.

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by wonderwahine

OH!! speaking of M&M's, they can make a great centerpeice!

a nice glass vase, fill it with your wedding themes coloured m&m's, and with all the sales on valentines candy, you would be able to do it very cheaply

oh I love it!

I am thinking of buying real glass wine glasses for the wine...using them for the party and then allowing the guests to take them home. I can buy them for $9.99 per doz..I would need 4 doz I think..then tying pretty ribbons on the stems and putting a little thank you on them. They could use them and take them home...that way I don't have to rent glasses, which would be around the same price and I don't have to do disposables. I could have them all set out on the table or kitchen Island near the cake so they would look decorative too!

I will get stemless wine glasses for the punch maybe...but keep those because I don't have any myself and I want some. Ideas keep coming to me....

trying to keep it green and cheap. And if it's something I will use again also.

Maybe I can find cheap plastic wine glasses at the dollar store for kids..though I am always worried they have lead or something in them. something to consider though.

[rainbowmoon]

if you do get flowers, get pots of them. then you can plant them in your garden afterwards! you could also pot them in little tubs and give them out for favors. bonus if you can grow them from seeds! (if you have enough time)

[wonderwahine]

Originally Posted by allgirls

oh I love it!

I am thinking of buying real glass wine glasses for the wine...using them for the party and then allowing the guests to take them home. I can buy them for $9.99 per doz..I would need 4 doz I think..then tying pretty ribbons on the stems and putting a little thank you on them. They could use them and take them home...that way I don't have to rent glasses, which would be around the same price and I don't have to do disposables. I could have them all set out on the table or kitchen Island near the cake so they would look decorative too!

I will get stemless wine glasses for the punch maybe...but keep those because I don't have any myself and I want some. Ideas keep coming to me....

trying to keep it green and cheap. And if it's something I will use again also.

Maybe I can find cheap plastic wine glasses at the dollar store for kids..though I am always worried they have lead or something in them. something to consider though.

I love the idea of giving the glasses as the hostess gift! if you are so inclined, you could get glass etching stuff and do a simple design on them

[soygurl]

I would seriously consider seeing if you can have a friend get certified (online. It's usually free I think) to be your officiant. I don't know if that's allowed in Canada, but in the US I know several people who've done that, and it's always worked great!

Also, not a specific suggestion, but this site is a GREAT resource!

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by soygurl

I would seriously consider seeing if you can have a friend get certified (online. It's usually free I think) to be your officiant. I don't know if that's allowed in Canada, but in the US I know several people who've done that, and it's always worked great!

Also, not a specific suggestion, but this site is a GREAT resource!

Not allowed in Canada according to all my research. I think it's just because there is no Canadian online church as such that does ordinations...too bad because if there was I would become an officiant myself and start performing ceremonies!

I am now on the prowl for cheap wedding rings..thinking of stainless steel...found this online...ebay..waddya think?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Post-Modern-Stai...QQcmdZViewItem

I wasn't into the engagement ring thing but hey, comes with the set..I am not into the diamond thing unless they were Canadian..but who wants to spend the money on tha

eta also like these

http://cgi.ebay.com/GORGEOUS-Titaniu...QQcmdZViewItem

with this in titanium

http://cgi.ebay.com/SPINNER-1Ct-Soli...QQcmdZViewItem

[allgirls]

soygirl..thanks for the link to that site!

[Herausgeber]

We went to the courthouse. DD was the only witness. In and out in 20 minutes. $50

About 3 weeks later, we had a reception for 25 people at a friend's house. Food and booze came from Costco; cake came from a favorite local bakery (NOT a "wedding cake," just a really yummy one.) $300

My dress came from the sale rack at Macy's. I wear it to work about once every two weeks. $40

Rings are plain gold bands: $150.

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by Herausgeber

We went to the courthouse. DD was the only witness. In and out in 20 minutes. $50

About 3 weeks later, we had a reception for 25 people at a friend's house. Food and booze came from Costco; cake came from a favorite local bakery (NOT a "wedding cake," just a really yummy one.) $300

My dress came from the sale rack at Macy's. I wear it to work about once every two weeks. $40

Rings are plain gold bands: $150.

It costs $300 here to go to the courthouse plus the fee for the licence. It's crazy. I can hire an officiant and go to a nice location for that. So that's likely what we will do.

I like how simply you did it. Yeah..$300..good price!

[Da WIC Lady]

Ren Theme Wedding for

When I got married the first time it cost us about $4000 for about 75 people. We planned on 120 showing, but some people either didn't show or cancled too late to make a difference. The hall was $1200, but it came with a house and we had it from 5pm Friday through noon on Sunday. We got married in the field between the house and the hall. Table decorations were potted herbs and tea lights in tera cotta pots. That cost about $100. My mother in law did all the food as she is a caterer. The servers were kids from her church. We sewed all the outfits for everyone from the mothers to the attendants, the minister and the servers instead of buying costumes. My dress was partly sewn by me as was my veil. That ran about $200 almog with my sanity. I helped make ahead the food. The cake was $150, but was three tiers and was supposed to be enough for 300 people. (In skimpy servings if you ask me) It was rather ornate as I figured that I was only doing this once... at the time. We mostly had tapes and cd's for music, but some friends were the house band where we hung out a lot and they played "our song" which was one of theirs for our first dance. We had our SCA friends bring their banners to decorate the walls of the hall. And we had beer and wine in addition to the buffet. As a gift, one of the guests on the ex's side provided two roasted lambs and a roasted turkey breast. The rentals were the big things after the hall. The pop up tent we were married under was $100, then there were the linnens and chairs and plates and flatware... I forget what the total was. I just remember that it all came to about $4000.

The second time around, I got my dress on eBay for $150. I skipped the veil. We were married at the courthouse with me in a suit that was free, he was in a button down shirt and nice pants. I carried three pink roses to the ceremony that were $5. That was a total of $25 for the liscence and $50 for the clerk of the court to do the ceremony.

At the reception, 2 weeks later, I wore the dress. It was at our new house. We only had immediate family and because it was last minute, only 2 friends were able to come. So, we had 16 people there that ATE! We should've gone out somewhere, but we ate for 3 days on the leftovers, which was a good thing since DH was deploying and we were in the middle of moving in. I think Mom spent about $150 for everything. We had cheese and fruit, fried chicken and biscuits, potato salad, corn salad and shrimp... We also had green punch. Mostly stuff we made ourselves. The cake was a coconut cream cake that was $25 from the local diner. The chicken was from the deli counter at the grocery store. If you got a little more chicken, what is here would feed 40 easily. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...e/100_0291.jpg
I can send recipes if you like.

We didn't have a lot of time to plan things because we didn't know when his divorce was going to be final and he was deploying for 4-6 months (ended up being 4) and moving into a new house. His first wife took off and had dropped off the face of the earth and it took a while to find her and serve her and then be notified by the courts that the judge signed the decree.

Anna

[Sharlla]

My SIL got married at the courthouse and then had a big backyard (potluck) reception. I think she spent $200 total. She got her dress at the thrift store for $4 and her DH wore a white button down with black slacks.