Wedding Planner

How I kept my wedding under $2000

I have an acronym for my wedding planning:

K I S S - Keep It Sweet & Simple

I don't know one bride who wouldn't love to have a wedding budget to fit her dreams. I started off with a $6000 budget. Today, I have managed to keep my wedding under a budget of $2000! I am stress free and $4000 richer right now !

First, I made a list of things I had to have, things I really wanted, and things that would be fun, but not needed. This helped me to focus on the important things and not waste a bunch of money on things I could do without.

EMPLOY FAMILY & FRIENDS - My biggest savings came from employing friends and church family to do things for my wedding that I would normally have to pay someone to do, so ask around! There are people you know that may know other people who can give you major discounts or donate free flowers, dresses, catering, photography etc.

VENUE: FREE - I decided to have my wedding poolside and the reception in the clubhouse where I was a tenant last year. A backyard wedding or non-traditional setting like a park will save you loads of cash!

GUEST LIST - I kept my guess list reasonable. I didn't invite everyone, just people who are significant or have been there for me.

INVITATIONS: $25 - I didn't send Save-the-Dates. Instead I created a wedding website at mywedding.com and sent an email announcing the site which people will also be able to RSVP on. My invitations were make by My Love in photoshop and we sent them to a printer we use at church.

DECORATIONS: $300 - I decided on dark red roses, diamond decor, feathers, and candles. When you find something you HEART, choose it and move on to the next thing to do because if you keep looking for "shoes" you will continue to find shoes you like and it will be harder to choose.
Be crafty! I am making my bouquet and floral arrangements. I decided to use Sam's because there were so many good reviews on the site. 200 Red Freedom Roses for $152.88?! I will have more flowers than I know what to do with!

RENTALS: $150- I am renting chairs as well as columns for my alter to place my floral arrangements on. I was going to purchase something, but My Love asked me what would we do with them afterwards? The arrangements will be moved inside to adorn the reception food/drink tables.

PHOTOGRAPHY: $425 - I opted for the smaller package that comes with 4 hours of photos, edited/photo-shopped on a CD. His work speaks for itself. www.cwilsonphotography.com

CAKE/FOOD: $300 - I cut back on the frills. We are only having cakes and light appetizers. Do you really need to serve a meal or more sweets than the wedding cake?

MUSIC: $20 - My Love is a music man. We want oldies - Soul Train style music like Marvin Gaye, Sly & the Family Stone, DeBarge, Kool and the Gang, Average White Band etc. So he has most of the music already, but we needed a few more songs like "cut the cake!"

WEDDDING GOWN: $ 150 - My dress retails at $1500, but I'm getting it wholesale through a friend. YAY!

If you have the money to spend, great! But if you don't, these are just some options/ideas to cut the budget without sacrificing the quality.