Does anyone know how to begin planning a wedding? I am not talking about a glamorous wedding. I have about a thousand dollars to work with. I have no idea where to begin.
135510
first of all you need to decide weather or not you want a big wedding or just a very simple one.  Then you need to decide who is going to perform the wedding, weather you want a church wedding or an outside wedding.  How many people are going to stand up with you.  How many guest you want to invite.  No matter how big or small the wedding it can all be stressful trying to get it all to come together..Good luck in the planning stages...Also be sure to include your groom and really listen to what he wants..Don't ask for his opinion and do the opposite, it just makes him feel unimportant.
256774
Try posting a projects at http://www.clienty.com and they can give you price quotes from vendors. It's a free service for brides and they helped me a lot. It's a really nifty site and they'll help you save money for your wedding. \n\nGood luck!
10463
First pick a day! then find you Pastor,Justice of the pease,Who ever you are going to have Marry you! That is usually the hardest part to get set.Make sure they are available the day that you want. Marrige license tend to expire within 60 days I think so figure that into the day you have set with your "Pastor".Week days are cheeper if your going for an inside wedding/reception.Out side is even cheeper. We did out side.Do you have or want a theme? Example: Hawaiian Theme go to Oriental Trading on line,it is a part/novelty company they have tons of party supplys in bulk. Based on you theme/ colors what kind of dress. In our wedding that was the most expencive.My bride's maids agreed to buy there own dresses,they actually had fun picking out matching dresses. We bought shirts for the Grooms men (We Know Guys)If you want it done right do it your self. and who knows what they would have came back with! any way...\nCake I did my own cake. 3 teirs white and chocolate. White frosting.My frosting recipe(feel lucky!) Mix powdered sugar and unsalted butter and only a table spoon of vanilla with about a cup of milk.Awsome frosting!The rest could be purchased at a rental place near you based on how much you are ready to spend. A big rental place is usually good about helping with number of guests and how far you can go on your budget. This is all if you choose to do an out doors wedding.\nHopefully I have been helpful. If you need any more advice e-mail me brudneyflower@yahoo.com
133204
take a breath and create a Plan B. This happened the day before my WEDDING!!!! My outdoor wedding was forecast to rain, and I mean dump rain, all day long. There was no Plan B. So I got all the people I could find eager to help me for the wedding, and we came up with 2 additional places to have the wedding at! \n\nAnother example is I was supposed to go to my employer sponsered school that wouldve givin me a license and a raise. It was a dream. For some reason, another person was chosen over me, despite my qualifications, and I was seriously bummed. A whole year of planning down the drain. That very same day, someone called and said I won a contract to open my own store. It was meant to be. I had applied for this contract the same day my boss was supposed to be signing me up for the school.\n\nSo, be quiet, and think alone. Then if you are not successful, ask certain friends and family to help you brainstorm. Just relax and let fate take its course. Sometimes Plan B is what was meant to be in the first place, and it will feel right.
68578
HOW COOL! \n\nwhat a fantastic "concept" wedding!\n\nI would go to the goodwill, vintage shops and on ebay..see if you can find a vintage tea length wedding gown and maybe some taffeta bridesmaids dresses (or have reproductions made) and "old style" tuxes. (it sounds to me as if you are going more for the elegant lounge thing than the fonzie thing here?)\n\nlook up some old bridal magazines and see if anyone you know has photos from their weddings in "the day".\n\nmaybe you can either get some vintage invites or have repo's made that are reminiscent of that romantic era.\n\nI would see if you can either get an oldies band or start burning cds with some frank, dean and other classic crooners. and find a dj. \n\nfor decorations just fine linens and a cake. but check out the old bridal mags...i f you want guests to "dress the age" then on the invite i guess you could put "sharkskin suit and crinoline skirts optional"\n\nit sounds wonderful! I just found a box of old photos of my parents and uncles weddings....they look so elegant!\n\ngood luck!
128359
My wedding was perfect to me because it was so stress free, we got married in Jamaica on vacation, everybody knew it was not like we eloped or so. but we just got our paper work together send it of and the rest was being taken care of by the hotel (thank you 'sandals' montego bay) the decorations, flowers, dinner, cake, drinks....we got married on the beach, lot of flowers.  it would have been a nightmare for me to plan a big party and try to do right by everybody and spent a whole lot of money on them. because my wedding was about my husband and me...and not a bunch of relatives. when we came back we had a small casual reception/BBQ. that was the perfect wedding for me
459396
I know this web site that has fabulous ideas and it might help you.Best wishes to you! Oh and they have a million dollar wedding dress on it!
617558
If you're in the beginning phases of planning a wedding (which it sounds like you are), your best bet would be to talk to your fiance so that you can determine what you both want in your ceremony and reception.  Start broad: come up with what time of year you want to get married (winter, summer, etc.), what kind of place you'd like to get married (church, beach, etc.), and how big you'd like it to be.\n\nOnce you've narrowed down your options, go to a planning website like www.theknot.com, www.wedalert.com/, or www.brides.com.  They'll give you options on ideas, and you should be able to use their interactive planning calendars too.\n\nUse the given dates to plan dress shopping, invitation sending, and everything else.  They may even have a budget calculator to make it even easier!\n\nBest of luck to you...\n~mm~
665339
The price for the reception is very good. Depending on your area there maybe other places that will offer a competitive rate. If you have the money perhaps you should hire a wedding planner. They will have connections to get the best results for your budget. Also when you stress out they will be there to calm your nerves and reassure you that everything is going okay.  Sometimes your church or the reception place will have someone that can help if you can not afford a wedding planner. Best of luck.
237022
The important thing is for you and your beloved to have a day the feels special to the both of you.  Depending on where you live, some states allow a lay person(someone who is not a minister or a justice of the peace) to get a special license for 1 day, and they can marry you.  So that wouldn't be too expensive(maybe the person you ask to do it would even pay for the license themselves).  You could also find a justice of the peace, or go to your local city or town hall and ask if they do wedding ceremonies.  You could keep your ceremony small, and just have immediate family.  That way you don't have to pay for a lot of flowers or decorations.  Then for the ceremony, it depends on how many people you want to invite.  My ceremony was in my church, and then our reception was at a small hotel.  We had less than 50 people, but our total cost was still over $5,000, which included my dress, alterations, flowers, food, hubbies tux, etc.  If either of you belong to a church, you should be able to get married in it for a small fee(if any).  Then you could just do a small ceremony afterwards.  Some people are doing just appetizers, or just desserts.  It's basically just an hour or so, lets everyone mingle, then there could be a toast and people can go on their way.  As far as invitations, you can buy nice paper at an office supply store and print them yourselves.  If you have a small reception with just apps or desserts, include that so people don't expect to be fed.  But it's all perfectly okay!!
623273
www.theknot.com \n\nFirst make your guest list.  One for engagement party (if you're going to have one), one for wedding, one for reception. . . Then, trim it down.  Decide on a budget, then decide if you want to DIY (Do it yourself).  Pick everything from that budget:  The venues, caterers, rentals, dress, accomodations, florals, etc.  Decide on a date before you pick the above mentioned things.  It's easier to schedule a wedding that's at least a year away, because the dates you want are more likely to be open.  I could go on and on. . . just go to the theknot.com, maybe get a coordinator or some software.   You'll be fine, congratulations!!
579203
You could plan a wedding in a week if you really wanted to.  It just depends on your needs and/or wants.  You could definitely do the wedding you want on your budget.  My wedding is what I've always wanted and we're doing it for 8 grand.\n\nGood Luck!
666554
It is a huge job and there is a ton of money in the industry.  The average wedding now runs $20,000.  It also isn't all glamour and fun.  A degree in business administration would be a good place to start.  More important would be that you get internships, whether paid or not to learn about the business.  Spend a summer with a florist, a caterer, a rental company.  Get to know every aspect of the business...and make connections.  Your connesctions will make you or break you before your specific degree will.
298833
I am 21, when I got married my mother and my fiance's parents split the cost. Neither could afford the whole thing on their own. I got married at a chapel that offered in house photography (which is the most expensive and the most important thing about the day in my opinion). It hurt that I couldn't have the the huge wedding because there simply wasn't the money. My advice would be to definitely do what you can afford and only that. But do what you can afford. No less. No matter how frivolous you may think it is, you should offer to do all you can for the most important day of your daughter's life. That being said, there is no need to do ridiculously lavish things like fireworks at the wedding, or a 10 layer cake. Pick your battles here. The dress is going to be expensive, when she finds one she loves, let her have it no matter what the cost but make sure she knows the budget. If the budget is $10,000 and she wants a $5,000 dress she needs to know how much that leaves her. My fiance and I made our own invitations with a computer kit we bought. It was $25 at walmart and they turned out beautiful. \nHer fiance doesn't need to be pressuring you. If he wants more than you can afford tell him point blank he will have to get it somewhere else. Money can be an uncomfortable subject but you have to be upfront about how much you can afford. Ask what kind of wedding your daughter has in mind, a simple beachfront wedding, a huge cathedral wedding,etc. That can also help you figure out how much you will need to spend. Before you plan a budget, discuss the things that are most important and the things that could be simplified (invitations, the ceremony site,etc). Look around at different locations and offer help where it is asked for and make sure your daughter knows you are willing to help her in any way needed. The grooms family is supposed to pay for the rehearsal dinner so if he wants to impress friends tell them they can go all out then. The wedding traditionally falls on the brides parents but nowadays its up to whoever can pay. Bring both families together to discuss payment. And only pay what you can.\n\nAs to the other suggestions here: the brides family typically pays for the wedding. That includes flowers and liquor. So don't be petty about those things. You don't need liquor at the reception as that can drive costs through the roof. If you want liqour there have a cash bar instead of an open bar, or not at all. Depending on where you have the wedding,they may not allow liquor to be served.\n\nAs for an elopement, please don't encourage this. Your family will hate that they weren't included in the wedding amd couldn't see their neice/cousin/grandchild get married. As will you. Don't you think you will wish that you got to see them get married? Don't encourage that.\n\nYou didnt say whether or not your daughter has a career or not, so if she does and can afford to pay for the wedding I agree she should help out but as a gift to the married couple,it would be nice if you were to help out. But sometimes it takes a little longer to get a career together, so if she doesnt have one you should definitely help. But if she does have one and you choose to help, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Even if she was 40 and you were paying, there is nothing wrong with that.
664426
1. For a unique party favor my groom and I are giving out lottery tickets. Only $1 each.. I will have a note in the program stating the tickets were chosen because we are so lucky to have our family and friends with us on our wedding day.\nI will also add a line that all winnings will need to be split with the bride and groom!\n\n 2. Instead of having an ordinary guestbook, that you hardly will look at again, I am going to create a photo guest book.  My guestbook attendants will take polaroids of each guest... either individually or in a group, however they come, and put it on the pages of the guestbook/scrapbook.  The guests will then sign on the bottom of their picture.  My fiance and I will then have a photo album of all the guests at our wedding! :) GST\n\n3. We are getting married next year and instead of the traditional wedding we have decided to go with a "rock-n-roll" theme. We are going to have records displayed around the hall with our names on them and a picture of the two of us. Our colors are navy blue, black and silver so there will be plenty of those colors…from the silver glitter on the black tables cloths to the silver spray painted roses.\n\n 4. Since this is a second marriage and there are children that will be blended into a new family, we are decorating the tables at the reception with photo trees holding photos of my future husband and I and our children doing things together. We feel it shows that this marriage is not the union of just two people, but the formation of a new family.\n\n5. We had a shortage of single men and women invited to our wedding, most of our friends and family were already married.  So we needed to come up with something different to replace the traditional bouquet and garter throwing.  We invited everyone to the dance floor and the dj played several lovely, slow songs.  First the dj told all couples married two hours or less to sit down (everyone got a kick out of that).  Then a few moments later, any married a year or less, than five years, ten years and so on, until there was only one couple left.  They were neighbors and friends of my family and had been married for fifty years.  We asked them to stay on the dance floor while I took a seat and my husband made a big show of removing my garter.  We then faced the winning couple, congratulated them on their fifty years and asked them for their best marriage advice as we presented them with the bouquet and garter.  They were very touched and it gave us a great feeling too.
545370
I think a day of consultant is better then just a wedding consultant.  I really helps with all of the day of worries.  Have you tried joining theknot.com.  It is a great resource for finding everything you need for your wedding.  I own an online wedding boutique and would rather help my clients in any way possible to find that item then them have to hire a wedding consultant.  But if you do know one, as on theknot.com under your city and I am sure someone could help!  Makes life so much easier for the brides.  Let me know if you have any specific questions or something you are looking for...I am sure I can help!
383170
There are tons of pictures on this website: http://www.ultimatewedding.com/\n\nTons of pictures, some are posted by real brides like you, they come from multiple locations.  \n\nActually there are just lots of resources on this website period.  I hope you find something that catches your eye.  If not you should be able to work with your hairstylist/florist/baker to come up with something.  They usually have portfolios of hair, flowers, and cakes they have done previously as well as other inspiration pictures.\n\nI hope you find what you are looking for! Congratulations on your upcoming marriage.