I was planning on getting married on May 1 2010... but after looking into we still wont have enough money to pay for it all. My FI then suggested pushing back the date. I dont want to do that though :( SOOO now hes thinking of going to vegas have a mini wedding with close family and friends and then once we get enough money to have our big one then we will do it a year or so later. Anyone else do this

My friends did this... they got married in a small wedding on the beach with just immediate family and a few friends. It worked out great. I think they had like 25 people and spent maybe $1000. You could probably do it for cheaper if you look around.

I see you live in Cali so maybe Vegas is close to you but my biggest suggestion would be to do something close to home; that’ll make it even cheaper. Otherwise you have to pay for transportation and hotels on top of the other wedding expenses. Just my opinion. Good luck!

Don’t be fooled by the flashing lights!

Vegas is NOT cheep!

We priced a renewal ceremony for us and 10 friends.... still near 1000k!!!!! I looked at every cheep, trashy little white chapel... and for 30 minutes with 2 witnesses IN/OUT (don’t waste our time attitude by the staff) the best rate I could find was $300. I think I would have cried had it been my real wedding!

.....plus hotel, flight (which you could drive) and other expenses... it was going to cost around $3000 just for 3 days 2 nights (with the ceremony)

I say don’t waste 3k on a vegas wedding, clearly money is a factor, don’t waste your wedding budget on a pre wedding!

I have a few suggestions if you want to get married then have a larger party, you have a few other options.

1) you could incorp. the wedding into a Honeymoon trip. (We went on a cruise, it would have been beautiful to get married in Hawaii on one of the first days then celebrated our honeymoon the rest of the week) which if you were planning on taking a honeymoon this would just add a few hundred to the bill.

OR

2) Do a small ceremony close to home, you could go to the courthouse, or use your church, (there may or may not be a fee, but there will always be a fee for the officiant) A friend did this then went out to a trendy bakery downtown and had HUGE cupcakes for the reception then headed over to the shopping/eating district to celebrate that evening. It cost them only $200 that day! She also used a photography student to take photos for a decent price!

Good luck!!

Thanks,

I know we were looking into it and it would be around 3k. But my FI parents said they would throw a big reception at their house and cater and everything and would pay it all.
So now were thinking of doing that or just doing a vegas wedding only or just waiting till will we have money and have a 4k wedding lol so sad