Wedding Cost in California?

Question

Ok so i know weddings in California are expensive, but how expensive? I've looked on line but not everything gives me prices. So i look at hawaii weddings and it does seem alittle cheaper but my family mostly my grandparents cant really travel because of their age and plane tickets. So i am confused if i want a destination wedding or a church wedding with a reception. So everyone is waiting on me for a wedding date but i just dont know.

If you have any advice and can give me an example of what a wedding cost that would be very helpful. I dont want to spend a lot of money. I know its wishing for too much but i dont want to go over 10,000.

Answer 1

It really depends on what area you live in and how many guests you want to invite. The less guests you have at the wedding the lower the cost.

I think that it could be done under $10,000 - but there are a lot of variables that will effect your cost.

What part of California are you in?  

Answer 2

This website is great www.weddingcompass.com it gives you locations by area, photo galleries so you can see what they look like and if you like it you can request more info like pricing menues most of them are really cool dont bug you just email you all the info and packages. and if you decide that you want to do it there or check it out then you just call them. its possible good luck!

Answer 3

I live in California and its really pricey!  I was looking at getting married here, but the catering is definitely going to cost you an arm and a leg.  The cheapest I found is $49.95/person not including drinks.  It averages all the way up to $100/person.  Also most places have limits, ie you have to have 100+ guests, and if lower they charge you an extra fee.  Your catering alone could be $10,000.  

I am ending up doing mine in Indiana, thats where my family is and where I am from, so it worked out being cheaper.

Good Luck with yours!!  I hope I gave you a little info. :)

Answer 4

I believe you can have a wedding within your budget.

One idea is to have the wedding at a Palm Springs wedding chapel in the Autum season. It is beautiful during that time of year in Palm Springs and the weather is wonderful.

There are wedding chapels in that area where you can have a ceremoney and stay inside your budget.

There are also services such as a horse and carriage, catering for 12.00 a plate, plenty of great hotels and the scenic historic district in Palm Springs.

If you consider  having a cake and champange reception, rather than a catered meal, this will enable you to spend more on a good photographer.

Another possibility is to have a small ceremoney and cake reception in Palm Springs and then start your honeymoon by staying at the Mission Inn in Riverside California which is about an hour and 45 minutes  from Palm Springs.

This would allow you to take stunning photographs at this historic & gorgeous Inn.

You could reserve the honeymoon suite for 2 days the night before your wedding ceremoney  and your wedding night.

That way you and your groom could have photographs of yourselves and  wedding party before  your wedding ceremoney in Palm Springs.

There are balconies, mideveal castle architecture, beautiful gardens,water falls, fountains ect, curving staircases marble floors victorian furnishings and stunning  stained glass windows. You can have photography done here if you have reserved a room.

Your bridesmaids can carry silk flower arrangements you make earlier.

( get the silk flowers from a discount craft store).



If  you would like to save on  your wedding dress, one way to do that is to find a lovely brides maid dress and order it in white, off white or ivory.

If you sew you can also make your dress and headpiece.

You can design your own invitations, announcements and programs and print them your self.

If you want a church wedding, Christmas is a great time because most churches are decorated for the holiday with pointsettas, and other traditional christmas decorations, which will decrease the amount of money you spend on decorations. There are lovely churches in Redlands California including the Babtist, Lutheren, and Episcopal churches. Also there is a historical chapel at Redlands University in Redlands California. This is a christian university. The historical chapel is very pretty.You can contact the administrators of these churches by an internet search.

There is a lovely wedding chapel in Redlands California called the Orange Tree Wedding Chapel. It is a  wedding chapel in a hisrtorical  victorian mansion in the middle of an orange grove in southern California.Their prices are very reasonable and it is a beautiful place to get married.

Well good luck!

Answer 5

I live in Southern California in LA County (but not in LA) and yeah, it's expensive to do out here.

We're managing, though, to pull the whole thing off for 130 people for around $7,500 (including honeymoon).

One way we're keeping costs low is by having our ceremony in a church. It is free for us because we know the pastor, but overall is cheaper than the $500-$1,000 reception places ask for to do the ceremony there.

Other ways to lower costs is to consider a Friday night wedding, or to have your reception during the day on Saturday or Sunday and not the night. Our reception place had a $3,000 food minimum for early receptions as opposed to an $8,000 minimum for the night! That's a big difference, and a lot of places do this.

Anyway, the moral of the story is it takes work to do it, but you can definitely do your wedding and reception for under $10,000, even in So. Cal.