How to Have a Wedding For Under $5000

Going into this project, it is important to prioritize. What you absolutely must have for a wedding is a bride, a groom, an officiant, and a couple of witnesses. Everything else is really gravy. So the first step in pulling off a wedding for less than $5000 is to accept that you will not be able to have all of the little extras that you see in the bridal magazines. This is okay! The main rules to remember are: shop smart, DIY what you can, borrow or barter when possible, hire students or young professionals, and accept all offers of help.

A great way to have an affordable wedding is to have the ceremony in a free location. Some state parks will waive the rental fee if you do not bring things like chair and arbors. Keep your ceremony short and sweet, since guests will be standing for it. If you live in a state which allows individuals to become ordained online, you can even have a close friend act as your officiant instead of hiring a justice of the peace. Music can be quite simple. It would be lovely for the bride to walk to her groom accompanied by the sounds of classical guitar. Ask a talented friend to play or hire someone from a music college. The total cost for your ceremony will be next to nothing.

Some brides spend more than $5000 on just their wedding gowns! For the bride on a budget, the custom designer gown is not the most practical idea…unless you happen to score big at a bridal clearance sale (think Running of the Brides) or find one being sold on Craig’s List. But you can still look every bit the beautiful bride in an elegant gown with sparkling wedding jewelry without spending thousands. Consider a long white or ivory formal dress from a department store instead of a traditional wedding gown. You can find something gorgeous and chic at a place like Nordstrom for under $200. Definitely use the Internet to shop for wedding jewelry and veils at the best price, as well. Rather than buy white bridal shoes that you will never wear again, get a great pair of silver evening sandals that you can use again and again.

Wedding decorations are another area where you can save big. Plan on ordering your flowers online and arranging them yourself. The most affordable option is to decorate primarily around candles, and use the fresh flowers as accents. You can get 100 stems of roses for under $200 from an Internet floral wholesaler, which will go a long way if you are using them for bouquets and with candles for the centerpieces. Another idea is to spring for a more costly blossom like dendrobium orchids. It only takes one or two stems of these exotic flowers to create a stunning submerged centerpiece. For the rest of your wedding decorations, shop at craft stores at the end of the season clearance sales. Also check out wedding chat boards for newlyweds selling off their extra wedding supplies so you can create a gorgeous look without having to pay retail.

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