Anonymous wrote:The main things that make a wedding good for guests are comfort. Places to sit, comfortable temperatures, good bathrooms, food, drink.

These things are especially important for anyone older but also anyone infirm and you can’t always tell who that is. If it’s not going to be comfortable, you need to be very clear and keep the guest list small.

If your guests are comfortable, cheap is fine! Nobody needs expensive to have a good time. You need to know the size of the guest list, at least a good estimate, before you can pick a venue though. If you tell us what it is and if it’s in dc, and the overall budget, we’ll have ideas. “On a budget” is different for everyone, it could be $500 or $50,000.

+1

There are a lot of good ways to save money, many of which have already been mentioned. There are also bad ways to save money, like not adequately feeding your guests or providing seating for everyone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the PP who wrote about unique ideas - I see lots of people are recommending an outdoor wedding in a location that is not a venue - backyard, beach, etc. I just want you to know that any vendor worth working with will plan for and charge you as if they have to run it in a thunderstorm. Think about all the setup and equipment that has to be protected while still operational, the mud on the ground, and so on.

I think as soon as you're dealing with wedding vendors, the price shoots up.

If you're looking for a wedding that looks like a wedding but with charming quirks, that's going to get expensive.

If you're thinking of a party associated with nuptials that focuses on the guests' comfort, that's easier. Think delivered food but not wedding catering, Costco flowers and beverages, friends who love to put together playlists.

Right, as I said in my previous post, you can DIY the whole thing as long as you have people in your circle who are at least somewhat competent AND you are willing to accept the inevitable logistics snafus and have the personality to roll with the punches.

The problems start when people demand low cost bespoke perfection. Customers have different, much higher standards for vendors who service the weddings (as opposed to, say, a milestone birthday party), so the kind of person who can make any dream come true is going to upcharge.

I attended a wedding with only about 20 attendees. One of the parents hosted. The couple made all the food. One had professional cooking experience and it was all delicious. It's one of my favorite attendee experiences, partly because it was so personal and intimate.

Another friend's wedding was a surprise wedding at a house concert party. We were all gathered to watch a concert at the couple's house and then they threw in a mini ceremony followed by extra music and dancing. I think it was a BYOB situation and they provided heavy appetizers. The only risk with that one was that we almost skipped it because it felt a little far to travel for "just a party."

I also enjoyed a different home potluck wedding that was for an older couple who had lived together a while but never married and needed to because of a health situation. I think we had about a month's notice. The invitation said not to bring gifts but please feel free to bring food or drinks to share. I think at least 150 people showed up! I don't know what they would have done if it had rained.

I think the #1 way to keep an event low key and less expensive is to limit your guest list. You can do a low key 25-50 person wedding much more realistically than a 150 person wedding.

Anonymous wrote:I am the PP who wrote about unique ideas - I see lots of people are recommending an outdoor wedding in a location that is not a venue - backyard, beach, etc. I just want you to know that any vendor worth working with will plan for and charge you as if they have to run it in a thunderstorm. Think about all the setup and equipment that has to be protected while still operational, the mud on the ground, and so on.

I think as soon as you're dealing with wedding vendors, the price shoots up.

If you're looking for a wedding that looks like a wedding but with charming quirks, that's going to get expensive.

If you're thinking of a party associated with nuptials that focuses on the guests' comfort, that's easier. Think delivered food but not wedding catering, Costco flowers and beverages, friends who love to put together playlists.

I am the PP who wrote about unique ideas - I see lots of people are recommending an outdoor wedding in a location that is not a venue - backyard, beach, etc. I just want you to know that any vendor worth working with will plan for and charge you as if they have to run it in a thunderstorm. Think about all the setup and equipment that has to be protected while still operational, the mud on the ground, and so on.

The main things that make a wedding good for guests are comfort. Places to sit, comfortable temperatures, good bathrooms, food, drink.

These things are especially important for anyone older but also anyone infirm and you can’t always tell who that is. If it’s not going to be comfortable, you need to be very clear and keep the guest list small.

If your guests are comfortable, cheap is fine! Nobody needs expensive to have a good time. You need to know the size of the guest list, at least a good estimate, before you can pick a venue though. If you tell us what it is and if it’s in dc, and the overall budget, we’ll have ideas. “On a budget” is different for everyone, it could be $500 or $50,000.

This might help.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Weddingsunder10k/

My brother and his wife got married at the courthouse, then we went out for dinner (maybe 12 people total).

I went to a wedding in college where people from our music frat got married and we got together and did an outdoor BBQ for the reception (the family paid for the food). Because everyone was a musician we took turns playing.

A friend had hers in her parents backyard. Thrifted a dress and had the reception in a tent in the backyard as well. It was lovely and simple.

Another was married on the beach in Virginia Beach, she wore a long white cotton dress, her guests and one bridesmaid wore resort wear type dresses, and the guys wore short sleeve tropical shirts, with the groom in a white shirt. Rented a nearby beach house to stay and had the reception there. Another fairly small wedding. Had photos taken on the beach.

It’s hard to give specific advice without at least general location. I’ve been to several beautiful weddings that I know were done on low budgets. The thing they all had in common was a small guest list.

Would this be in the DMV?

I've helped make flowers for 2 weddings.

One, the mom was a former florist employee. So I was only allowed to insert greenery into floral foam while the mom and friends worked with the expensive flowers. The other, we made centerpiece baskets using garden flowers. These baskets looked great.

It depends on your circumstances. Do you have friends who can sew you a dress, do your makeup, put together centerpieces, etc? Is anyone an event planner, or a caterer, and can procure things at cost? If yes, that’s your way to save.

If not, and you’ll be hiring everything out, the main way to save is to completely get rid of an idea that you’ll be able to produce an event unlike any other on a shoestring budget. I can guarantee you that your unique ideas will create headaches for the professionals and cause them to raise the price. Tell your vendors that you are trying to save money and listen carefully to their suggestions. They know what makes their lives easier and costs them less so they can pass on the savings to you.

I went to one done on a pier in a small town in New Hampshire, at night about 20 minutes before the town does fireworks. About 50 people attended, and then everyone walked down the pier to a restaurant and ate a late dinner and got ice cream at an ice cream shop. A friend officiated, fireworks were free, they paid for the dinner and dessert. Another friend played photographer.

Have you attended a wedding that was lovely and fun yet clearly was done on a budget?

I’m looking for tips and ideas on locations, unusual venues, etc.