Vegas. Really, the options are endless and wonderful!

Find a restaurant that also has beautiful outdoor space. Then have the wedding there and go in for the reception.

I recommend looking at 2941 in Falls Church and Trummer's on Main on Clifton. Or look at some of the wineries that have restaurants.

Alexandria courthouse is pretty. But you need an officiant. Then go to one of the many many restaurants.

Call the dupont circle hotel, book their top level party space, catering (chef manned and self-serve tables), plus open bar plus champagne for a toast. Bring your own music (laptop and great WiFi speakers) and any decorations (we went with a local florist but didn't do nothing bridal/wedding specific. They can give you a mike for speeches. You can do all that in a week or two, including tasting the food and wines to be served, etc. The bigger problem is whether a month is enough time for your guests to plan attending.

First - accept that not everyone will be able to attend, that you won't have some carefully curated "perfect/storybook wedding", free yourself from any preconceived notions of how things are "supposed to be".

Then:

I'd find a restaurant w/ a private room and book it. Invite my closest family and friends. Email the relatives and friends who are priests and see who is available. Buy a dress off the rack or on some discount/closeout rack at a bridal shop. Book a photographer.

Done.

Later - revel in the streamlined process, lack of stress, wonderfully joyous event, saved monies, and lifelong bragging rights.

And book an awesome vacation/honeymoon.

^beauty & photos.
Add those to the list.
As soon as your dress is picked, spend a weekend visiting a hair salon & makeup counters/stores. Tell them what's up and to just make you pretty. Let them take over as much as you can handle. Visit them as often as you can, so pick places close to home. I say often, because you can see this as a chance to give and get lots of feedback & take care of yourself/have fun during the month.
And photographer.

First dress.
Then venue for whatever small gathering you desire (or simultaneous with dress). Whether it's just a reception (marriage at courthouse), or if it's both wedding & reception, or if it's just a Maggiano's dinner reception.

Once those two things are settled, keep progressing on
1. Dress - alterations
2. Cake
3. Food
4. Touches of whatever you want
5. Save $ for honeymoon.

Keep in mind as you go that smaller guest list = easier and less expensive. Or at least with a smaller guest list, you can be as extravagant as you want and still afford it.

Let go of all the little crap that comes up. Remind yourself you are having fun and this is all about good stuff

-planned mine in 3mos and wish I had a do-over, knowing what I know now!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get married by wedding officiant at park for about $100. Have the reception at a restaurant. Maggianos ChevyChase and Tysons have private rooms for rent. Food + rent is about $800 for 20 people.

I would do something similar but I would probably pick a winery and a food truck!

I personally wouldn't do maggiano's because I wouldn't want my guests to google it and have a bunch of articles about a gathering for white supremacists come up. But that is a good idea in general.

Anonymous wrote:Get married by wedding officiant at park for about $100. Have the reception at a restaurant. Maggianos ChevyChase and Tysons have private rooms for rent. Food + rent is about $800 for 20 people.

I would do something similar but I would probably pick a winery and a food truck!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a cookout at a public park with our family and friends, my aunt made me a bouquet and the cake came from a Costco (ngl it was delicious!) - essentially free, we have a beautiful day to remember, and it required no planning on my end. 5/5 would recommend.

You can't have alcohol at a public park. Idk I'd want champagne on my wedding day.

That's not a universal rule.

It's often a ban on glass bottles rather than alcohol.

Pick up flowers the morning of from a grocery store in-house florist. Jan-March the selection is slim but any other time of the year there are plenty of pretty flowers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a cookout at a public park with our family and friends, my aunt made me a bouquet and the cake came from a Costco (ngl it was delicious!) - essentially free, we have a beautiful day to remember, and it required no planning on my end. 5/5 would recommend.

You can't have alcohol at a public park. Idk I'd want champagne on my wedding day.

That's not a universal rule.

Get married by wedding officiant at park for about $100. Have the reception at a restaurant. Maggianos ChevyChase and Tysons have private rooms for rent. Food + rent is about $800 for 20 people.

Church wedding and rented a private room at a nice local restaurant for 40 total with an open bar. We did have a photographer, flowers, and bought our favorite cake from a local bakery. Bride wore a white cocktails dress and DH wore his uniform. Biggest bill was a restaurant, but it all costs us about 5.5k. It took us a month to pull off and bride had a couple of meltdowns . You can do it!

City hall and dinner at a restaurant

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a cookout at a public park with our family and friends, my aunt made me a bouquet and the cake came from a Costco (ngl it was delicious!) - essentially free, we have a beautiful day to remember, and it required no planning on my end. 5/5 would recommend.

You can't have alcohol at a public park. Idk I'd want champagne on my wedding day.

Well we totally did, but I have no idea if it was illegal. I didn't even consider it because people drink there all the time, we love our parks in WA.