Has anyone every planned, made, and paid for their own wedding and how much?

Question

I'm thinking of planning mine in the future and paying for mine too.

Answer 1

I planned my own wedding but that is good if you have the time for it, it requires alot of time and attention, the best  thing I did was have my wedding and reception at the same hotel, I ended up spending about 6 grand

Answer 2

yes and it was simple and small. we did the whole thing for about 4000.00. we cut alot of corners by counting on friends and family though. my advice? go to vegas!

Answer 3

Retailers and Marketers will never have you over a barrel quite as thoroughly as they do when you are planning a wedding. Put your Scrooge panties on and remember what sticker shock is. Marriage licenses in my city are $40. Anything beyond the cost of a legal marriage license is not required!! The combined cost of my entire wedding (my dress, his suit, rings (my engagement ring too), food, pictures, rental hall, Open Bar, flowers, the ENTIRE thing) was just shy of three grand. It’s not impossible to keep a wedding budget under control. Here’s something you may not realize…the day after the wedding the gal who spent $40 at the JOP is just as legally married as the gal who managed to blow $50Gs. The only real difference is that the first marriage won’t be stressed about finances. (Incidentally one of the top reasons for divorce)

My tips to help costs:

*Make/ purchase pre made food from a cafeteria supply (I used Gordan Food Service); with minimal work (re-heat, light prep) you can save the caterer bill.  We had enough for our 80 guests.

*Digital cameras and photo editing programs make great looking pics really easy.  I did not hire a professional for my wedding, and have loads of great pics.  Put out disposable cameras to be returned after the reception, and ask your guest for a copy of their digital pictures.  Out of hundreds of candid pictures you a bound to find some real gems. That move saved me about $1500, plus the fact that I have copyright to my own pictures and can get prints whenever I want.

*Non-Saturday weddings are also an option.  The place where we had our reception is $700 on Sats.  On Sunday it is $350.  We had a Sunday wedding.  I understand that is not an option for a church wedding, unless their services are held on a different day.  Most of our friends/ family are medical/ law enforcement, so nobody really has a normal weekend anyway.

*Suits for the groom and groomsmen are perfectly fine.  For the same cost of a tux rental, they could buy a nice tailored suit, which would be available for other formal occasions.

*Engagement rings don't have to be diamonds. Other gemstones are becoming more popular.  If you really want a colorless stone, white topaz is one option, and cubic zirconium is another. CZ’s have come a long way, and are no longer cheap looking. Jewelers can’t even tell the difference with the naked eye, and some come set in platinum, and gold. A lot of companies even guarantee the work, and if you lose your stone, they’ll replace it free. I personally have a 1.5 karat London Blue topaz ring.  It doesn't matter what it cost, it’s not like you are going to sell your wedding/ engagement ring, besides they are terrible wastes of money.  Have him spent the 2 months salary on a home improvement, or a mutual fund..something that will actually help you later in life.

And we didn't go so cheaply because we couldn't afford much, (We each had houses before we met, and now we have 2 houses).  We discussed it and felt it was a pratical decision. Sorry to go on a bit of a rant, but really, its only one day. Don't forget, your marriage needs planning and attention too.