My partner and I have been together for nine years, and both of us have been married once before. Both of us have done the more "traditional" wedding in the past, and wanted our day to be really reflective of us. We've come to the conclusion that we don't necessarily need a big formal ceremony, and since we have a budget of about $5000 give or take, we'd like to focus more on the reception and the family and friends that will attend. Neither of us consider ourselves to be super fancy, so black tie is definitely out of the equation anyway. We have bonded over books, movies, renaissance fairs, rustic living, camping, outdoors, and our nerdy interests. We're shooting for early October 2025. If we don't do a big ceremony, that simplifies a lot of things, including not having to have chairs set up for that part, not needing a large sound system, etc. We also don't plan on having a wedding party, but might have a few helpers throughout the time just to keep things under control. We also will probably do a lot of the food ourselves, and just have an ample appetizer buffet on an afternoon, pre-pay for some barrels of ale, and have a bonfire and dancing outdoors (if it's not raining!). We're going for a rustic version of a Hobbit/Lord of the Rings (less fantasy, more simple) kind of theme.

My biggest questions are, if you've skipped a ceremony, what sort of thing did you do, if any, to acknowledge that this is indeed a wedding reception? Did you have anyone say anything to the crowd, or an exchange of vows really quick before saying, "let the party commence?" If you had someone say a few words, how did you ask them? Neither my partner or I are religious, so we prefer something secular.

Also, since we are both 40's adults and have an established household already, we really don't need gifts. I thought about suggesting that anyone who felt the need to bring a gift maybe do something handmade/bring their art that we can hang on our walls/bring wine/gift to a cash registry. How can I tactfully express this to potential guests? I don't want to seem like I'm begging for money, nor that I wouldn't appreciate a gift if one was given. But I hope to limit the amount of "stuff" we get because, well, we already have a lot of stuff. Both of us having families meant we both had a household FULL of things, and we've had to consolidate a lot. We aren't newlyweds who are just starting out, so we really don't need the pot and pan sets, the china, the fancy wine glasses... We do love to travel though, so contributing to a honeymoon fund or a house repair fund (we own a house together now) is something I'd consider. Has anyone done something like this before?

Thanks for any and all advice!

Hi, My fiance and I are looking for a budget friendly option to get married with 30-50 guests. It seems that so many venues are soo expensive. We are wanting to stay under $5000 for a venue. We are in the central / Northern California area.. Ideally I would love something near the ocean or in the Forrest. Does anyone have any ideas? We are wanting to get married in Fall of 2025 so I am stressssed! Any ideas?

My fiancée and I got engaged back in December and we are started to look at our budget, guest list, etc.. The largest guest list we could come up with would still be less than 80 people—more likely between 50-70. We’ve been exploring the TN State Park website but we were wanting to hear from people who’ve explored this option.

Hi all,

We just got engaged and planning our dream wedding hopefully for 2026!

My dream was always to get married at Lake Como, overlooking the lake and the mountains. However from the quick research - the prices just extraordinary ! We are looking at about 50-60 guests and our budget max would be around 15-20k. Is it still possible to get a nice venue with the view including food and drinks?

Thank you

Hi there! Was wondering if anyone planned an Italian wedding around 40k or lower & had around 80-100 people? Looking for venue options and some suggestions if so!

Wedding dress from Jeorjett?

Hi✨

I’ve completely fallen in love with dresses from a Ukrainian manufacturer called “Jeorjett” (on instagram @jeorjett_official).👗

I’m just not sure if it’s legit or not.

I’ve talked to them on instagram DM, and they’ve sent me videos of some dresses I’ve asked for. Also checked their tagged posts where they’re tagged directly by the model in the dresses, and tagged by some official wedding fairs and such. So that does seem kind of legit.

Has anyone else bought their wedding dress from this brand? Or know of this brand?🩷

Posting for a friend

Someone I’m helping plan loves rotisserie chicken which are so affordable and already cooked. Supposedly she worked out that it serves 5 each with appropriate amount of sides and alternative protein options. What I like is that the chicken was prepared in a professional kitchen but still stays low on her budget. It will end up being about $1 per official serving but there are alternatives and some will go back for seconds, etc. but no one here needs to worry about that!

Any ideas on cutting/serving these up, some high end looking sides but budget friendly ideas, dressing them up with maybe nuts or a sauce recipes, etc. that I can add to her ideas.

Bringing your own food is not for everyone but this girl has the support system with food experience to do it. Just hasn’t landed on how to use them for the wedding yet.

Okay so I am getting married in October, just at town hall (husband and I) but following we are having dinner with family/friends. I don't really have any women in my life, nor have I ever been much into fashion, jewelry or anything. So I found a fun dress I like and I was thinking of making a flower crown, simple with black, orange and purple flowers same for a bouquet. I know I don't need any of it since it's a town hall, but I put on the dress and for the first time in my life I felt like a princess. Sorry, to my main point. Does anyone have any ideas on jewelry to wear like a necklace or is that too much? Dress sits almost off my shoulders so I just feel like there is space but maybe that's fine.

For my wedding, I made a super detailed mix for our reception that resulted in an epic 4-hour dance party. I hadn’t thought about anyone else using it later, but at the end of the night one of our guests asked if they could buy the mix from me for their own upcoming wedding…

So now I’m wondering, is this guest the exception, or did I stumble upon a service that people would want? They’d still need to handle the speakers and lighting on their own if the venue doesn’t have options, but it would be way less expensive than hiring a DJ.

Some brief details - it’s a fully mixed dance set specifically designed to get a large diverse crowd dancing and keep them dancing with over 150 of the best wedding songs. Mashups, remixes, sample drops, air horns and scratches… all beat matched with ebbs and flows to the tempo so the guests get a few minutes to breathe here and there.

I’d probably be able to change a few songs if they felt strongly, but since it took me forever to research and fine tune every track and place it in the right spot, even swapping one out would require thoughtful analysis with trial and error to get it to fit as well as it does now. But at least judging by our guests’ reaction, I don’t think they’d want too many changes.

Thank you in advance for any and all insight!

Recommendations for wedding dress salons in NY/NJ area for brides on a budget?? Any leads are appreciated!

Hi all! Hoping to get some advice as a new finance who told everyone I’d wait until the new year to plan but can’t help myself 😂 we’d like to spend no more than $20k on our wedding. Most of our guests will be flying in from the east coast USA (where we’re originally from) to the west coast USA (where we live now). We’re feeling the pressure of keeping everyone entertained enough to justify a cross country flight. Another important detail is my fiances father and brother will more than likely not show up due to their own inability to support him. This is leading to some understandable disappointment. Were toying around with the idea of “eloping” or having a minimony with my parents, my sister and BIL, and my fiances mom. Perhaps renting a beach front air bnb, going to a mountain lodge, etc. We’d then like to have our reception the following weekend. Our idea is to rent out a big, industrial venue in downtown, finding catering, DJ, games,etc. Has anyone split up their wedding this way? If so, would you recommend doing it this way to someone who is considering it, or would you have liked to celebrate in just one day? Have you been a guest at a wedding like this? Did you feel “jipped” not getting to go to the ceremony but still going to the reception? I’m open to any thoughts, concerns, advice, ideas. Thank you!

I am a new bride. I’m actually eloping before we have our bigger ceremony if that matters. My partner and I are not big on dancing and partying, really we want a small wedding where we can play collective games and chat at our rehearsal.

For example a Mario kart march madness themed tournament is a must haha. We also love board games and I feel it would be so much more special to do the things we want rather than things everyone normally does.

Where in (preferably New England) can I find a venue or Airbnb to do this? Do you have recommendations on nontraditional wedding venues? The amount of people would be 35-60 (haven’t family far away and I can’t really tell if they will come or not lol)

Thank you!

Hi! I live outside the US and white bridal gowns are hard to come by here. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I now need to arrange for a dress that I can get shipped to NYC by the 8th of December. I’m looking for a soft white/ ivory dress under $600. Any ideas on what online shops I can leverage? I'm a size 4-6 in wedding dresses and I like mermaids with sleeves/ straps. TYSM in advance!

Hi all, common debate in the wedding budget world but I want to hear from real people about their experiences. We’re deciding between doing the wedding at our house or using a venue. To rent the tent/tables/chairs/lighting/dance floor/toilet we’re looking at $4900 which includes set up but not delivery. I think there are ways to get this down since we have a lot of our own furniture we can use/borrow but this is the price on their website. For venues, we’re looking at $8000-$10000 for a place that’s beautiful, close by (important to us). To me, the backyard seems like the way to go since it’ll save so much money but I do understand there’s sooo much more hassle that comes with it being at home.

What are some pros, cons I may be overlooking? Is $5k worth it to save the headache? What did you all decide and why?

Hi, so i'm just having a ceremony and going straight to the airport after since our schedules are tight. I'm a photographer so I'm extremely picky with my photography. I had this amazing photographer friend in mind but he's quoting $500 for an hour which is a little bit on the pricey side for me (for an hour that is). My wedding is exactly two weeks away from today and I don't know what to do for photography. I would like to have the memories. I thought about disposables but most of the invited are of age and i know they won't know how to frame it. What can I do? 🥲

In a perfect world I know I’d have a DOC, but we are trying really hard not to go over budget and that would push us over. One of my best friends who is incredibly organized is going to be a pseudo DOC (I’m paying for her lodging as a thank you), but I was wondering if people who managed without a DOC could give some tips on what worked? I’m fine being an overly-involved bride, I’m pretty type A as it is, but I don’t want things to get out of hand.

Our venue does have a “program coordinator,” but he is more for venue-related items and not so much wedding-specific things.

Hi all! I'm searching for artificial florals that won't break the bank. I am having centerpieces and my bouquet as real flowers, but I want some extra pop on an arbor and maybe some runners and don't want them to absolutely destroy my budget. Has anyone had luck buying anything bulk or artificial for super cheap somewhere?

Hello all soon-to-be married people!

I am a photographer based in Monterey, CA, looking to expand my portfolio to focus mostly on engagements, proposals, and weddings! Please check out my website and portfolio!

I'm looking forward to making your vision come to life!

https://clicksbyriley.mypixieset.com

You can find me on all socials - Clicks By Riley

We found a restaurant that claims (i am skeptical) they can do a 115 person ceremony and reception in their outdoor space..

i am having a hard time wrapping my mind around doing a wedding at a restaurant.. have you done it before? how did it go?

Hi all, I will be getting married this August 2, 2025 in Nevada City, CA and have been on the hunt for wedding photographers, ideal budget is 2-4k, I've been looking for photographers who are LGBTQ+, somewhat close in proximity to Nevada City, i.e. Sacramento, Tahoe, Reno, etc. I really love film and documentary style. Would appreciate any recs, thanks!!

Hi There Event Planners,

We make gorgeous made-to-order arches and backdrops in various geometric patterns. They're ready for paint, flowers, balloons, and many other ways to decorate for creating a picture wall or accent wall.

https://preview.redd.it/7rby2sthdgtd1.jpg?width=1081&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9fe4c7b54fea78ce5903dc63dc99d4b92115cdba

Art Deco style, with a collapsible design making it cheap to ship and easy to store/move.

We sell these at a budget-friendly $400 for the largest arch and stepping down in price.

We have a lot more designs coming

We can do custom engravings, 3d letter signs, custom centerpieces and more too. Just get in touch and we can make it happen. Located in NJ, but can ship freight anywhere.

Pics: https://imgur.com/a/gHbdEVb

Hey guys! We're super low budget and I'm wondering if y'all think I will regret not having a photographer for our reception. We have one for the ceremony and were considering just using the POV app (or something similar) for the reception. Thoughts?? Anyone do something/planning to do something similar?

Hi all! I am a 2025 bride, but my cousin is getting married on 10/12/24 and has asked me to do her makeup as I have done it for all of the other special events in her life. We are looking for recommendations on the best, long-lasting foundation that is $20 or under.

About the bride -

1. Pinkish/Olive Toned Skin - though she is getting a spray tan this weekend, so we are looking for something in the neutral to warm range.

2. She can lean towards being a bit oily, but has worn (and loved) the MAC Waterweight SPF foundation. We would like to avoid anything extremely matte.

3. Prefers a buildable look rather than something extremely full coverage.

Can't wait to hear your recommendations! Thanks in advance.

Send me the sites with the cheaper dresses that aren’t a scam.

I(33) have an idea. our civil wedding sounds sort of a nightmare about who to invite. We don't have friends (at least ones were close to) and our families hate within the groups lol as in siblings hate each other, divorced parents beefing, and they hate strong enough to make about them. Hence why we have to be selective.

The idea unfortunately still requires 2 witnesses for wedding. Besides officiant, was thinking of hiring a photographer that can capture the ceremony to after. Like make use of surroundings.

Do you think this is weird? Sorry we're just so stuck because I have anxiety and everyone we want is older and have ailments and lives far. They sound like they've grown to hate parties and outings.

Calling all brides on a budget! I’m getting married in August 2025, and one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is finding ways to save money, especially with photography. That was until a late-night Tik Tok scrolling session led me to discover the app Collab.

This is such a game changer for weddings! Guests can download the app via a QR code, which takes them to a shared album where they can upload photos from our big day! I am so excited about this as it only costs $50 per album, and it gives us access to endless candid photos that capture moments we might otherwise miss– like my grandma’s reaction to my first dance, or friends having a drink (or five) together. 

I think it's such a beautiful, cheap, and effective way of ensuring every moment is captured. Plus, candid photos are SO in right now. I wanted to share this for other brides who might be struggling to cut down on costs but still want a ton of great pictures.

I can’t wait to sit with my husband (yes, husband!) the morning after our wedding, coffee in hand, and go through all of the amazing photos our guests took. Cheers to making incredible memories without breaking the bank!