How to have a wedding on a budget

When I got married the last time I didn't have much money and my soon to be husband didn't bring in very much either, so I paid for the whole shabang.

The first thing I did was figure out how much I was going to spend on this wedding and I stuck to that budget.

Next was the dress. I wanted a dress that was inexpensive but would allow me to feel like a princess. So I searched the web to find a dress that was inexpensive. I found one online at DHgate.com. They have beautiful gowns for less than what you would pay at a bridal shop. The one I purchased cost $150.00 and that included shipping.

The next thing was getting the place to have the ceremony and the reception. Churches, even if you are not a member, will not charge, but will require some sort of donation and that can range anywhere from $5-$50, depending on your budget. The hall I decided on was a "Moose Lodge" as a friend of mine was a member therefore it didn't cost anything more than $250.00.

Now came the guest list and what I was going to serve, and the entertainment. Since I was going to have 250 people, I needed food for that amount. A buffet style dinner was perfect. I served pulled pork and roast beef sandwiches, shrimp platters, vegetable platters, punch, and chips and dip. This cost me (since I did the cooking) less than $100.00.

The entertainment was a DJ whose total cost  for six hours was $200 as they were just starting out and didn't cost me anything as the entertainment was a wedding present.

The most expensive thing about my wedding was the cake! It was a two layer cake, two different flavors and it cost $350.

The budget I set for was $2,000 and I hardly came close! So for those brides who are on a shoestring budget...this is an idea and the money that you save could go to your honeymoon...which I didn't get as my husband didn't want to anywhere but camping...hopefully you won't have that problem!!!!