Agree with lots of advice here:small guest list and venue that doesn’t include a separate facility fee are key. There is a good chance that 20% or so of invited guests won’t attend so consider that when planning the list. If you ended up with 40 guests you could have a nice wedding for $25k.

After my very expensive wedding and honeymoon I got home and was scrolling through Instagram and an old friend I hadn't seen in a while had just returned from a trip to Paris. She had snapped a breathtaking photo of a couple who had just had their civil ceremony walking with their arms around each other through the bustling sidewalk. The girl was wearing a simple cotton dress that was short and very chic, a messy bun, and sunglasses. They looked so happy and in their own world. Made me regret the big expensive wedding a little bit.

I would probably rent a site at one of the MoCo parks and then get some kind of cheap delicious food (bbq or something).

Anonymous wrote:I got married in an attorney (who was also a civil celebrant)’s conference room. Me and my husband, sitting at a conference table:

“are you here willingly, to be married?”
“Yes”
“Yes”

And he signed the license. Boom. Done.

Then we walked around the street to a fancy bakery and got coffee and those fancy pastries that we never get because they are too fancy for everyday. Then we went to CVS to get a prescription.

It was a perfect wedding, for maybe $100. We spent the money that would have gone to an engagement ring and fancy wedding on a vacation house. In my name only. That’s love.

Your husband hit the jackpot. I am an introvert and don't really like being the center of attention. I am only 28 but when it comes time to be married I hope to find a woman like you.

A lot of these suggestions are harder than they sound.
30 people would be hard to do.
Just parents, grandparents, siblings and their spouses could easily be 20-25. If you both invite your best friend and a plus one, that’s your entire guest list. You can easily get to 75-100 people and still have everyone you invited be a very close friend or relative.

And if people are flying in or driving long distances to your wedding, it seems tacky not to serve them some kind of meal.

And then you do want to decorate the space and wear a beautiful dress and send out invitations.

Don’t tell anyone, Go to the Justice of the Peace and call it a day. Save the money for an investment property, rent it and save for retirement. Did that a few years ago and we’re about to call it quits at 55. 😉

First, keep the guest list small. Second, prioritize what you actually value- food or band or venue. Buy a cheaper dress. Go easy on the flowers - they die.

Anonymous wrote:For me, I'd prioritize fun, food and dancing - it's a celebration! I'd limit the number of people, find a restaurant/bar/venue that I really liked, ask a friend to become an officiant and get married right there and then kick off the reception. I'd keep drinks simple - limited range of beer/wine and non-alcoholic beverages. Food would likely just be a buffet and a cake from Victoria's Cakery in Fairfax (de-licious)! I might get myself a bouquet but if I had flowers on tables, they'd just be flowers I got at wholesale and put in small vases I'd get at yard sales, etc. I could even just do some tea lights in globes if the restaurant/bar/venue doesn't already have something. But, I could also do without them.

I would wear a dress I liked but not a white wedding dress. I WOULD have someone do my makeup because I'm not good at it. DH could wear a suit he already has or just something nice.

A good friend had a wedding like this. Did it later in the evening, heavy hors d’ourves, bar all the way open, lots of dancing. It was fun!

Find an inexpensive venue, like a historic house. Serve only one red and one white wine, with a modest champagne for the toast only; offer bottled water for the non-drinkers, and perhaps one diet and one regular soda option. Instead of a sit-down meal, have canapes/hors d'oeuvres. A small floral centerpiece on each table is sufficient decoration. Hire a regular bar band for $600-$800 which plays the kind of music you like, skipping the expensive wedding bands which can play 100s of songs, wear tuxedos, have 8 members and charge $$$$. Do limit the guest list to people who are truly important to you.

Finally, remember that the wedding is an opportunity for people to spend time with you celebrating your marriage. That doesn't require that people be entertained in lavish style, just that they be present. Anything you can offer in the way of hospitality is nice, but is not the main point of the occasion.

Anonymous wrote:How would you organize an ideal wedding in $25k?

Save your money and go to the courthouse. Get a reservation at your favorite restaurant, invite your closest friends and pick up the bill. People waste money on a big wedding, guests come for free alcohol, and after the wedding reception is over, you rarely hear from most of the guests. Guests talk about the bride and other guests, get stupid drunk and act like fools.

There are 86 divorces every hour, compared to 230 marriages an hour.
Marriage and divorce rates in the U.S. are decreasing for a range of reasons.
Estimates say 41% of first marriages will end in divorce.
As many as 60% of second marriages won’t make it.
Third marriages end in divorce 73% of the time.
The average lifespan of a first marriage before divorce is eight years.

Dinner with close family members. Go to the clerk for license. Then go an epic trip to the Maldives with stop in Dubai and maybe another city in Europe.

Anonymous wrote:Frugal brides should check out this place: https://www.stanthonysbridal.com/

They have lots of wedding dresses for $100. Local brides donate them so you can find high end designer dresses, then you just need to get them cleaned and tailored.

They can also advise you on other ways to save money.

Check out cheaper venues. Knights of Columbus in Arlington is pretty inexpensive for example but still offers the "traditional" wedding experience.

I wish I’d known about that dress place! I’m getting married on a budget and got a dress off amazon

Anonymous wrote:Pick up flowers from Trader Joes, the morning of. Have a friend take pictures. Outdoor park or someone's home as the venue.

And only invite 30 people or less. That is the key part to this plan.

Anonymous wrote:Keep it small. Biggest cost blow up is the number of people.

This is the number one way to keep a budget. Less people means less everything else. For $25k I'd say 50 people is a good goal, but that gives you a little wiggle room.

Anonymous wrote:How would you organize an ideal wedding in $25k?

I would actually spend $5k on the wedding and $20k on luxury travel