Hello! I am planning a spring wedding with about 60 people total. The reception venue is just a private, family property. We are planning for more a celebratory dinner vibe, rather than a huge party.

That said, I don’t think we will need to be providing a ton of alcohol based on our guest list. Ideally, I would like to provide the alcohol from a wholesale club & just leave it an open bar until the supply is gone. Mostly beer, wine, & seltzers. We are also considering doing signature drinks & premaking them.

Since we would like to provide our own alcohol, our caterer won’t serve it. I’m looking at getting a bartender, but can’t decide if it is worth the cost? Is it tacky to skip the bartender & just let everyone grab their own drinks? If we opt out of a bartender, we won’t have any liquor out, just anything that is in the pre-made signature drinks.

None of us are huge drinkers, so I’m just trying to figure out the best way without spending another $500+ on a bartender! Advice appreciated! Thanks!

Want to keep my party under 75 people as the hard upper limit. I have some friends who I know as a couple so I’d want to invite both, but then there are some long time friends with spouses whom I’ve never met. Would it be weird or rude to not invite their +1s while some others are invited as a couple?

We are looking to get married in October 25 or spring 26, and hoping to keep to somewhat affordable by wedding standards. Any recommendations for places in Minnesota, potentially in hotels?

EDIT 3: putting this one at the top bc I feel like it’s the most important. Some of you are saying I’m in the wrong for wanting to get married two weeks before her. I knew it was risky, which is why I asked, if she had just said no we would’ve moved it. It’s that we have 3 dates we could choose from and she blacklisted all of them for being “too close”, even the one after, bc it’s “too close” to the second wedding she’s having a month after the first

EDIT 4: for those of you under the impression that we like rage/jealousy started planning our wedding after her engagement, that’s not correct. We were looking for a house, we didn’t want to pay for a house and a wedding at the same time. We had everything planned, venue picked, dress picked, guest list etc, just no concrete date. It just ended up that we were in a position to confirm it around the same time she was, it wasn’t meant to be malicious

EDIT: for those asking about travel, most of his family is local, but one couple will be flying in from out of state. Her wedding is 3 hours away, despite living locally, while ours is not. Again, not intentionally, I thought it would maybe be convenient for the out of state family to travel and stay for both, rather than travel twice

EDIT 2: we’ve decided to do a month before hers instead, and we agreed that if she makes a huge fuss about that too, we’ll move it back to July. Those of you that emphasised that it’s her special day, not month or year, I needed to hear that. Thank you

I need opinions from others planning a wedding

Throwaway cause I’m a baby, also posted on AITA

My (27f) fiance (26m) and I have been engaged for almost two years, we were waiting for more things in life to line up before we committed to planning a wedding, but at this point we just decided screw it, there may never be a right time.

In the midst of this his sister got engaged and set a date for the beginning of August 2025.

My fiance and I started dating and got engaged on the 20th, so we decided to keep the theme going and get married on a 20 as well. Between 2025 and 2026 we have 9 days that could work (excluding weekdays). That led us to choosing July of 2025, which also happens to be our 8 year dating anniversary. We haven’t booked anything, and I reached out to my SIL to double check with her about the date, specifically because I didn’t want to be rude!! I explained that we had very few days to choose from and part of the reason we chose July was because it was our anniversary. She responded, said it was fine, but with the caveat of “you probably won’t get that date, we didn’t get the day we wanted” Well, we did. Again, we didn’t book it because we had a feeling, but she said it was fine!! And then turned around to her mother and was upset that we were being rude for getting married two weeks before her. This led to my future MIL coming to us and kinda saying that we were TA. She’s having a second wedding the beginning of October, meaning the end of September for us is also out. If we pushed it forward, the earliest date before July would be June, but according to her that’s “still too close”. For reference June 20 and August 9 are too close, July 20 and August 9 are too close (fair) and August 9, September 20, and October 11 (her second wedding) are too close together. Idk what the problem is if we’re getting married after her?

I don’t want to start a fight, she’s already booked and put a down payment on their venue, but she’s got us pinned in a lose-lose situation. She’s not the only one that wants to get married, but she’s dictating what we’re allowed to do. We’re trying to schedule for June 20th instead, with the mindset that it’s over a month away and she can deal. The other part of me (that my fiance strongly disagrees with) feels like if she’s not adult enough to tell us the date is too close that we should just do the date we chose.

Family is really important to my fiance. We wanted to get married with as little issue as possible, but we knew as soon as they got engaged that this was going to be an issue.

What do we do?

So, WIBTA for getting married two weeks before my SIL?

We can’t afford to shell out thousands on a videographer. I really just want a recording of the ceremony without any frills or editing. And I doubt anyone’s phone has enough storage room to record the whole thing lol. I thought about buying a video / cam recorder and a tripod to record the service. Thoughts? Recommendations? TIA for any advice or ideas

Hi, my partner and I are planning a wedding in/near Denver, CO for summer 2026 . We are on a tight budget and are looking for an affordable dinner buffet option for 100 people. We unfortunately have a couple of dietary restrictions: gluten free and dairy free for us and a few family members. We will also need vegetarian options for at least 10 people. I have priced out some middle ground catering options and it has been at least $8,000 before tax and tip. And that was for the cheapest option of tacos. We would be more comfortable spending $2,000 to $4,000. Neither of us are foodies and really just want average food but are restricted by those dietary needs. I hate the idea of paying for a not-so-great but verified “wedding caterer” that just serves dry chicken and iceberg lettuce salads that I feel like a lot of weddings opt for… We honestly would rather do Chipotle or Cava or even Qdoba because it would be filling, we know it tastes good, and easily fit our dietary needs. However, I have no idea how to go about the logistics of ordering that? Will they price jump if you say it’s for a wedding? What time do you order it to be delivered before you need to serve it to keep it warm until dinner? How/where do we hire wait staff to set up and take down the buffet? Has anyone ever done this and do they have any tips for how to go it about it/ how it went?

We are leaning towards an idea like tacos because it’s a “make your own” that can accommodate easily for dietary restrictions. We are also open to other ideas like food trucks or other catering options. Maybe a local Denver restaurant that others have had a good experience with? We would love to think outside the box on this one because we don’t want to spend so much money for food. Any ideas or advice would be much appreciated!! Thank you!!

Hello everyone, I am looking into planning my wedding and quickly realized how things add up! I was wondering if anyone had any advice/suggestions on venues in California, Arizona, Las Vegas or Utah for an outdoor wedding. I am looking to do something in nature or near the beach ( a vineyard?) no preference. I also wanted to see if it could be budgeted to around 5k-6k for 35 guests. If possible for (outside caterer, venue,flowers, chairs, photographer). Venue is most important to me but also trying to work this under a budget. Thanks in advance!

Hi! Has anyone held their wedding reception at Leu Gardens? If so, do you mind sharing what your final cost was including vendors? I want to host mine there but worried about the required catering list pushing me way above budget.

I’ve been browsing online and found a few items I like so I’m trying to see how they’d look all together. I didn’t realize until I put them into a collage that the dress is cream and veil is white, does that look bad?

Hello all, so unfortunately a local bride page blasted my already hired and 50% deposit paid HMUA for my wedding next year. Apparently she cancels night before and sends someone else hours late leaving brides and bridesmaids scrambling. All the negative reviews were under her old name (yeah red flag i missed) her new name had good reviews. My question is should I text her my concerns? Or just cancel and eat the pretty big 50% loss, I don’t think I can dispute through zelle or break my contract . Anyone been in this situation? It’s stressing me out!

I’m not ashamed to have a low budget, but really, reddit?

(no hate to that sub ofc!)

Our daughter's micro wedding was yesterday and thankfully, it went off with relatively few hiccups.

We had designed and printed wedding programs ourselves that included the order of events, a note about which side the guests should sit on (the couple decided to have their guests seated opposite of where they normally are, with the idea that the bride and groom could then look over and actually see their families and friends from where they stood), and a note asking guests to remain unplugged during the ceremony. Looking back at it now, I wonder if a strategically placed sign might've been a better choice, as I'm not sure the guests actually read the darn things.

We did have some minor issues with timing on our mini-processional (no wedding party; just us parents and grandparents, plus a flower girl and ring bearer), as we did this without a wedding coordinator. We initially couldn't hear the music cues well in the foyer of the church, where we were lined up. But it all worked out and we managed to all get down the aisle at the right moment. The ceremony went off as planned and was very sweet.

Another minor hiccup was the photography, only in that we were taking photos in the foyer with guests milling around instead of heading over to the Fellowship Hall. A wedding coordinator would definitely have helped here. The couple did provide a shot list but it kind of went out the window, so I am not sure that they got all the specific photos they wanted. We'll have to see once they come back. The professional photographer is a friend of the groom's, so I believe it was done as a gift. We're grateful for however it comes out.

I had posted previously about adding to the catering that the groom's parents had arranged. The MoG changed her mind a couple of times, going from a light afternoon tea-style spread to drop catering to what we ended up with finally, which was a buffet of sandwich wraps, charcuterie, fruit, veggies, and cheese.

The sandwiches and charcuterie went pretty quickly, leaving a lot of fruit and vegetables left over. Everyone enjoyed the catering and the groom's mom did a great job with it. I am glad, however, that we added a dessert spread. I'm a hobby baker, so we added three types of breads (lemon, banana, and cinnamon crumb cake), apple rose tarts, truffles, and of course, the wedding cake. We ended up with only a small amount of leftovers from the dessert table, especially since the caterers thoughtfully left to-go containers for the guests - a genius addition in this case.

All in all, it went well. Here are my biggest takeaways:

~ If you're not hiring a wedding coordinator, ask a friend or family member to assist at least a little. Having a coordinator would've alleviated some of the craziness surrounding timing of the processional and guests hovering while photos were being taken.

~ We had to scramble to get two family members to open the church doors for the bride's entrance, as it was something we totally forgot about. Again, definitely something a coordinator would've helped catch beforehand.

~ Have a couple of practice sessions with the flower girl, particularly if she's younger. My granddaughter was our flower girl and she very much benefited from getting to practice how fast to walk, sprinkling her flower petals, and such.

~ Leave yourself extra time for pretty much everything, especially if you're DIYing things. Hanging the pew bows took us longer than expected because the curved tops of the pews were more slippery than expected, causing the fabric to slide around and making them hang funny. Thank goodness we had tape handy and got them hung just right.

~ Speaking of tape...make sure your emergency kit has things like tape, scissors, bandaids, moleskin, and safety pins. We needed every one of these things and luckily, we had them.

~ Plan carefully when it comes to food and beverages. We had some leftovers, but I think it's better to have that than not having enough.

~ Make sure you provide a photography shot list and be willing to speak up if needed. My daughter is pretty much a go with the flow kind of person but was a little irritated that some of the shots she wanted were missed.

So, that's it. I appreciated this sub very much, as it provided a lot of great ideas and tips. My girl and her groom were happy with everything for the most part, and it was a great day.

https://preview.redd.it/9qn8w9apwrxd1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=9cfd86f765b9fd1d5f324d15b29a48a17dcfa60c

Hi! I am seeking recommendations for a nice-ish restaraunt that allows large groups. We are on somewhat of a budget and will be having 40 guests at our rehearsal. Any ideas/recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone, I was interested in maybe purchasing bouquets or DIY bouquets from FiftyFlowers but they don't service Canada unfortunately. I'm wondering if there are options for Canadians that have a good reputation? thank you

I need some help coming up with low-cost ideas for my wedding. For some context, I lost my father when I was in high school, and our family financials have never been the same ever since. My fiancé's family likes traditional ways of paying for a wedding, with the bride's family paying for it. Of course, this adds some stress as my mother is low-income, and I am a full-time college student with a limited part-time job. I am so blessed to have some family members/close family friends willing to help pay for my wedding (obviously, there is still a considerable portion on me as well). That said, does anyone have ideas on how to keep things like decorations, catering, etc, at a low cost? My fiancé and I plan to have a small wedding, between 30 and 40 people, with 50 being the absolute max. Is there anything else you wish you knew before planning/having a wedding, and can you offer any advice? Luckily, we have a venue in town that can work with our budget.

Hi all! Hoping some of you might have advice or leads to make this dream happen affordably. My partner and I are set on a small church wedding in Italy—keeping it to close family and friends, just 25 adults and 5 kids. The thing is, we’re on a super tight budget. We’re aiming to spend about €5000 on the whole wedding party, but it seems like every venue and service suddenly quadruples in price the second the word “wedding” comes up!

To make things more frustrating, we already hired a wedding planner who, let’s just say, hasn’t exactly been the hero we hoped for. Honestly, the only good thing she’s done so far is help with setting up the church wedding.

Here’s what we’re really after:

A simple villa or restaurant that’s nicel but budget-friendly for the reception. Preferably something with outdoor space where the kids can roam around and we can enjoy the view! We’re not expecting luxury, just somewhere picturesque, nice, and affordable. If you know of any low-key spots, underrated villas, or reasonably priced restaurants (even if they’re not “wedding” venues) in Italy, please share! Trying to get past the “wedding markup” has been so frustrating.

Thanks 😊

My husband has 3 kids from previous marriage (9yo girl, 7yo girl, 5yo boy), I have one from a previous marriage (9yo girl), and we have a 2, almost 3yo son together.

We wanted to incorporate our kids and make it special for them because me and my husband are already solid and feel it would be more special for us if the kids have a day to remember. We got married in the courthouse last year 🤣

I'd like to assign a special role for each kiddo. His oldest girl likes makeup and generally girly stuff, my oldest girl is more tomboyish and like video games, especially Minecraft, his second oldest girl (7yo) is a middle child and just wants to be a part of whatever older sisters are doing, so she's the one that it's hard to pinpoint a role for, but we need a flower girl, right? I don't want her to feel excluded at all, but I'm worried she will wanna do whatever her sister are doing lol the two boys both love cars and dinosaurs because of course they do. Oldest son especially loves dirt bikes and I'd love to incorporate that into a ring bearer role. Our youngest is still young and just goes with the flow I guess, so I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do with him because he probably won't remember it anyways, but pictures and stuff he will have.

Looking for any ideas that sound neat and can incorporate all their interests, because the way I'm imagining it will be a cluster fuck so I want something more simple if anyone has any decent ideas. Thanks in advance!!

Need to add that we are not religious at all, I am more agnostic, husband is atheist/undecided what he believes, so none of this has to include religious stuff. But his kids have a religious mom and they've picked up on some of that, so I'm not against incorporating their religious tendencies (I won't say beliefs because they're too young to have explored the world enough to see outside what they've been taught lol) like having one of them "officiate" maybe.

How did yall find a photographer and videographer? Was thinking of just hiring one of each for 2 hours to save money. Any advice is appreciated!

I have always wanted a relatively small wedding, but both my fiancé’s and my families are large. The financial burden of organizing a big wedding is really stressing me out, which is causing me to postpone it for a while. I’m looking for advice on elopements—do you think it’s better to elope and have a reception on the same day, or should I have a private elopement and plan a larger reception later?

Additionally, I recently found out that one side of my family (my parent and step-parent) has been bad-mouthing both me and my fiancé for what seems like no reason other than their financial status. (I have yet to address this because I would like to do it in person)

I've come to realize that I don’t truly want some of the things I had been planning and that I was primarily doing them to please them/not get judged by them.

Thank you in advance! 🫶 I welcome all advice and recommendations.

We are planning to get married on a tall ship next summer in the PNW. We've selected the date to be the lowest-probability of rain for the whole year, with a ~2% chance of rain in the afternoon historically. And if it does rain, it's likely to be super light rain that won't be a problem. However, this year on the statistically least-rainy day of the year, it rained quite hard! We can't count on the statistics.

All this to say: we need to come up with a rain plan for the very unlikely event it rains too hard to sail. The ship doesn't come with any on-land space, and we don't want to plan a full second event "just in case", as that sounds expensive and time-consuming. Does anyone have any suggestions for this kind of plan?

I wanted a fun and unique way of asking my potential bridal party to be bridesmaids since we all don’t live in the same state and they don’t know that I got married, yet. I came up with the idea of pretending that I “need some feedback” on a survey project I need to complete for a sociology class. I want the questions to start out generic and slowly turn into questions revolving around my wedding theme their dress sizes, shoe sizes, etc. So far I only have the wedding related questions, lol. What are some questions I could put in the beginning to throw them off?

Where do I start? Wedding Planner?

Hello beautiful future brides and grooms! I got engaged 2 weeks ago, and have just been enjoying the celebration.

But…to be honest I thought I’d ever get married, and really haven’t thought about my wedding vision in years. It seems like there are so many steps and I’ve only just added two things to a Pinterest board!

That all being said…

1. I’m wondering where the best place to start.

2. Any recommendations on a paper planner? Physical or digital - something to stay organized?

Trying to get flowers for around $500-700. I need 9 bouquets and a 5 centerpieces. Most likely going to go two large Sugar Plum DIY Flower Kits from Fifty Flowers ($250 each). Any other good budget options out there? I know costco is a good option also, but I didnt like their flowers as much based on the pics on their website

Looking for advice.

So I went to a bridal shop closing sale and found a really beautiful dress. I didn’t really feel too pressured by any sales associates to buy a dress, but I felt like with the prices, that I just HAD to buy my dress. My mom was the one who actually paid for my dress which was so amazing and kind of her. The dress after taxes and everything was $350. So definitely a steal considering it was originally $2,300.

BUT I’m regretting it now😫 again, it’s a very pretty dress, but I was back and forth between and fitted silhouette or an a line gown. I went with the fitted, it now I’m wishing I went with a line.

My wedding isn’t until next October but I’m already stressing about making sure my body is on point as the fitted dress really highlights your figure. I just feel like an a line is so much more forgiving.

What would you do? I’ve been keeping an eye out for any trunk sales, closing sales, and fb for inexpensive dresses. I don’t know how my mom would feel about it. ( I know that her dress silhouette choice was also a line so I’m hoping that will help her)

Has anyone had past experience with having to find a place for a bridal party to get ready on the wedding day that differed from their wedding? My venue doesn’t have space for hair, makeup, and pre wedding photos. My apartment is too small and my hair & makeup vendor is a little too far to drive to them (45 minutes)

What have other people done in the past and what was your cost commitment?

I’m thinking of booking a suite at a hotel near the wedding venue but curious if any other brides have pulled something off that was cost effective.

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'm on the lookout for an affordable Colorado-based photographer who can bring our pre-wedding photo vision to life! I've attached some inspiration photos (ctto) to show the style we're hoping to capture. Since I’m currently overseas, I’d love these photos to tell our story and bring a little piece of us together even from afar. Any recommendations would be so appreciated—thanks so much in advance!

https://preview.redd.it/7lyxq9e64hxd1.jpg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6210ef6d8c36785917c6a63a3dd89d144175904f

It’s October 2024 right now, is it wild to try to plan a wedding for summer 2025? How much time did you need to get organized?

Edit: I am a teacher and get the summers off, so it just seems so much easier to do it just the summer.