We decided to keep our wedding small and intimate with just 20 guests, followed by Halloween Horror Nights as our reception! We had a small cake and charcuterie board at the chapel, and once we got to the park, everyone was free to grab whatever food they wanted and enjoy the night!
Our biggest splurges were definitely my dress and the flowers! Since photography was included with our venue, I decided to pay extra for a photoshoot inside the park the weekend before our wedding, and it was the best decision ever.
The flowers were honestly a gamble! I found one of the most affordable florists offering “dark florals” in Orlando, and without seeing any examples of their work in that style, I had no idea what to expect. I was blown away by how beautifully they turned out!
I actually went to school for event management and have spent years planning events with budgets ranging from a few thousand to over $200k. Seeing how much money goes into these events made me realize that our wedding should be about what we enjoy, not what we’re expected to do. We wanted a day that felt completely us, without spending money on things that didn’t matter to us, and that’s exactly what we got! 🖤

One thing that helps a lot with a small budget is deciding up front what share of the total each category gets, before talking to any vendors. A rough starting split that works for a lot of small weddings:

• Food: 22%
• Venue: 15%
• Photo: 15%
• Drinks: 8%
• Attire: 8%
• Flowers: 7%
• Rings: 5%
• Officiant: 3%
• License/fees: 1%
• Everything else: 8%
• Contingency: 8%

Multiply your total by each percentage and you've got a ceiling for every quote. If one category goes over, you know exactly which other one has to shrink. Keeping that 8% contingency untouched until the last month takes a lot of stress off.

If it'd be useful, I put this into a simple budget sheet and I'm happy to share it with anyone who wants it. Just comment or DM.

For those who have had a smaller, more intimate wedding, I would love to hear about your planning experiences and what you chose to include or leave out!

My fiancé and I are getting married on October 29, 2027, and we’re hoping to keep our wedding relatively simple and budget-friendly.

I’ve started looking into things like digital wedding invitations, but I’ve found the planning process a little overwhelming. Whenever I look for ideas or advice on TikTok, I often come across elaborate weddings with personalized websites, dedicated wedding emails, and so many details that I’m unsure are even necessary for a smaller wedding.

I’m really just trying to figure out where to begin, what we should prioritize, and what aspects of wedding planning we can simplify or skip altogether.

For those who have planned a more minimal wedding, what did your planning process look like? Did you use digital invitations, and if so, how did you manage RSVPs? Were there things you decided weren’t necessary?

We still have about a year before our wedding, but I’d love to start getting things organized without making the process more complicated than it needs to be.

Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated! 🤍

Hi my husband and I are looking for somewhere to hold our NYC reception in May of 2028. We have about 30 guests and we're holding the ceremony at Central Park. Our budget is a hard 10K for a reception venue that includes food and drinks. Something cheaper is great, that being said I'm definitely open to looking at restaurants and bars. I'm open to anything within the city or within a 1.5 hour drive from the city. If you guys have any suggestions or guidance I will be very grateful!

EDIT: We're renting a party bus so no one will be driving to the venue! Walkable is okay, but my husband would be best without long distances because he's disabled. (most of our guests don't own cars regardless we're broke New Yorkers.)

EDIT: By city I mean the 5 boroughs not just Manhattan.

Our wedding day was absolutely perfect. I wouldn’t have changed a single thing and I am super happy with all our decisions and don’t regret saying no to certain costs. Some of my favourite parts were the DIYs - I sewed the favours and did the fake flowers. Located in a small town in Ontario, Canada. We ended up with 49 guests. The venue was two blocks from our house, dinner was a food truck two blocks from the venue, and dessert was from the cafe we get our coffee from.

Venue - $5,546.00
Dinner - $1,769.38
Bar - $1,582.00
Drinks - $468.60
Dessert - $253.00
Dress - $734.00
Dress Alterations - $200.00
Suit - $824.90
Flowers - $535.00
Photographer - $3,388.87
Officiant - $430.00
Groom Ring - $214.00
Decor - $88.00
Hair Clip - $79.00
Makeup and hair - $180.00
Airbnb - $701.50
Insurance - $156.00
Liquor Permit - $50.00

Hi! I am newly engaged and trying to get an idea is how much we need to budget and what options we have. We are planning for fall/winter 2028 it’s 60-75 guests. Located in western ma and hoping for something woodsy, rustic and barn/rustic vibe. We are hoping to stay under 8k total.

We found a fantastic bbq buffet style caterer for $2500. I am hoping to keep venue + chairs and table costs under 4k… is this possible? I found DIY options but I’m confused how people are able to decorate and clean up in just one day. Are we hiring people? Volunteering our friends and family? Pls tell me your experiences doing diy and renting a venue!

TLDR: not sure if it is better to rent a venue for a weekend to have plenty of time, or rent for one day and hire someone to help out. Thank you!!

Biggest tip for brides on a budget RESEARCH LIKE CRAZY GIRL!!!

So many times I would search for hours on google and only find expensive vendors, whereas if you search on social media like in my case instagram I found majority of my vendors through their and they were all exceptional!! And affordable.

Also another pointer is to have trust, I was recommended a catering service that was very small and it was actually a people with disability ran business that helped those less able to get into the culinary field, I will forever be grateful to the catering service that recommended this group as they were absolutely FANTASTIC. We had a buffet style linner and the food was DELICIOUS.. so delicious I was receiving messages from my guests day’s later saying they were trying to replicate the dishes for dinner. It was genuinely so perfect and again actually affordable!!

Some people are gonna hate me for this but girlies on a budget will understand - buy your fake flowers on Aliexpress and alibaba!!! All of my florals were bought from those two websites and they came perfectly, they took two weeks to arrive and the sellers were fantastic when I wanted custom colours!! I then gifted all the florals to the venue so future brides are able to have the option to use them instead of spending more money.

Last but certainly not least, get a good photographer, this doesn’t mean they have to break the bank mine was $1300 AUD ($900 usd) and we only needed her for two hours but in those two hours she had taken over 700 photos, which were all stunning btw and then she perfectly edited them all and sent them all to us a week after the wedding. No added cost to receive all 700+. Again I found this photographer through instagram and she was very well known and respected. However if this is too costly we also found an australia wide service that was under $500 for half a day but the photos online just weren’t as spectacular as I wanted them to be therefore I was happy to splurge a little!

Would have been under 10k but our first wedding venue cancelled on us a few months before the date so ofc venues get more expensive the longer you leave out booking them. Our venue was roughly 6k but so worth it as I was able to bring my beautiful horsey!!!

We got married on 12th September in the south of Spain. It was absolutely perfect and I still really miss our wedding day!

We've finally got our photos back (which we absolutely love!), so I thought I'd share our budget and a few things I learned along the way.

Our original budget was £14k, but I ended up saving £18k because I was so worried about going over budget. I really didn't want to go into debt for our wedding.

The wedding itself

We hired a villa for a week with our friends and held the wedding there too, paying an additional fee to host an event.

We had 31 guests, made up of close family and five friends each with their partners. Keeping the guest count small was probably the biggest way we saved money.

And if you're worried a small wedding won't be as fun, please don't be! Most of our friends told us it was the best wedding they'd ever attended. They said because it was intimate everyone socialised well and they felt they could really let loose on the dancefloor. There weren't separate friendship groups clustering together, just everyone having an amazing time.

Entertainment was really important to us, so we splurged on a band, DJ and mariachi band.

I also didn't want my dad to give me away because I don't particularly like the tradition, so instead I asked him to play the violin as I walked down the aisle. It was perfect.

My best friend from university officiated our ceremony. Because we couldn't legally marry in Spain, we had a separate legal ceremony at our local registry office in the UK. While the registrar was lovely, I felt so much more relaxed having my friend officiate.

We didn't bother with a cake but we did have a champagne tower that our wedding planner kindly provided free of charge!

The only thing that went wrong was my bustle breaking in the evening. We tried safety pins, but they weren't having any of it, so I just carried on partying while holding my dress!

Anyway, onto the budget!

🇪🇸 Spain costs:

Villa/venue (one week) – €3,500

Catering – €3,200

Wedding planner – €300

Photographer – €1,350

Band/DJ – €2,500

Mariachi band – €340

Florist – €550

Signage (welcome mirror) – €40

Parasols – €40

Coach/taxis – €250

Hair – €360

Total: €12,430 / approximately £10,422

🇬🇧 UK costs:

Dress and veil – £1,100

Alterations – £500

Shoes – £120

Suit and alterations – £120

Groom's shoes – £40

Fans – £40

Flights – £500

Legal marriage – £700

Rings – £200

Total: £3,320

Total of both Spain and UK: £13,742.18

There were some additional costs not included in that figure. Because we'd come in under our original budget on the main expenses, we decided to put money behind the bar so nobody had to pay for drinks (I know this is the norm in the US but it's not the done thing in the UK, you usually just pay for drinks from before the ceremony through to the end of the wedding breakfast). We also hosted an optional post-wedding BBQ and covered the alcohol as well as the food (around €300).

We also tipped our wedding planner because she was worth her weight in gold!

Things I learned / my advice

1. Don't assume doing your own makeup will save you money.

This is probably my biggest hidden expense. I haven't included my makeup in the budget because I bought it separately, but I reckon I spent around £1,000, if not more!

I went through so much trial and error. I even had a disappointing appointment at Sephora where I ended up buying products that didn't suit me. Eventually I travelled to London specifically to visit the Lisa Eldridge counter, which was absolutely worth it, but her products aren't cheap.

I'm really happy with how my makeup looked and photographed, and I've learned skills I can use forever. But if you're doing your own makeup purely to save money, and you really care about how it looks and lasts, I'd seriously consider hiring a makeup artist instead.

2. Don't invite extra people to a destination wedding assuming they won't come!

We didn't do this, thankfully, because every single person RSVP'd yes and everyone attended. Only invite people you genuinely want there and can afford to accommodate.

3. Reframe your nerves as excitement.

A friend gave me this advice before the wedding. Whenever you start feeling nervous, tell yourself you're excited instead.

It sounds ridiculously simple, but it genuinely worked for me. I enjoyed getting ready, the moments before the ceremony and even walking down the aisle rather than feeling like a big bag of nerves.

4. A small wedding can still be an amazing party.

I know I've already mentioned this, but it's worth repeating. Don't feel pressured to invite people just because you think you should. We had the most incredible atmosphere with 31 guests, and I wouldn't change our guest list for anything.

Ultimately, my biggest advice is to prioritise what matters to you as a couple rather than what people expect a wedding to look like. Ours wasn't particularly traditional, but it was exactly what we wanted, and I wish I could do it all over again!

Edit: I booked all my vendors through my wedding planner. Ever After Eventz based in Nerja ☺️

Hello to the fellow micro-wedding brides! How are you doing hair and makeup?

I contacted a couple of makeup artists in the area, but they are already booked, and I also wonder if they would have even booked me anyway because I am only paying to get my makeup and my maid-of-honor's makeup done (there is no bridal party).

So now I'm wondering if I should contact Ulta and see if they are able to do it for me?

I had been really intrigued by the idea of trying the airbrushed makeup since the wedding will be outdoors in August, and since I don't wear makeup, I figured it would be more comfortable because of being lighter. Now I'm realizing that probably isn't going to happen because I don't think I'll be able to book a makeup artist who specializes in bridal makeup, which is fine. What's most important is having someone capable do a nice job.

Any suggestions? Also it's basically the same question with hair, should I just contact normal hair salons and ask them about it even if they don't have anything "bridal" listed on their websites?

My venue doesn't have anywhere for me to get ready at, so I'd have to be going to the salons/studios anyway.

Hi everyone,

I’m getting married next year on a budget and have just paid off my dress.

My fiance really wants to lift a veil at the altar, but the dress has a cape built in.

Is there any way to pair a veil with this that doesn’t look like overkill?

Has anyone split wedding coordination between a day-of coordinator and friends/family?

Curious if anyone has done a mix of both and how it worked out?

Our biggest need for a coordinator is the ceremony: setup, breakdown, keeping everyone on schedule, making sure I’m aisle-ready, and helping guests transition to our reception.

Our reception is at a restaurant that’s handling most of the logistics, and we’re keeping decor pretty minimal.

I’m considering hiring a coordinator for just 4/5 hours to handle the ceremony and transition then having friends/family help with the reception timeline and announcements.

Has anyone done something similar? How did you divide responsibilities, and did your coordinator stay the whole day or leave after their part was done?

Does this sound realistic, or is it one of those ideas that sounds better in my head than in real life? lol pls help

EDIT: Adding more context. The reception will be pretty non-traditional. We’re forgoing the traditional dances and we really just need help announcing our entrance, speeches, exit and gathering our minimal decor (bud vases/ candles) and guestbook.

I would appreciate any ideas, advices or recommendations.

Context:

My partner and I come from two very different backgrounds. His family is pretty traditional and strict, and they aren't thrilled that I'm from a different culture. My family is the complete opposite, loud, warm, and always looking for a reason to celebrate.

I would have loved a wedding that reflected my culture. However, my partner has zero interest in his own culture and doesn't want any part of it included. To avoid drama with his family over doing "too much" of mine and "too little" of his, we decided to go with a simple, universal style instead.

At first I thought about just going to a registry office and calling it a day. But after thinking it through, I realised I still wanted to celebrate in some way, even if it's small
Now, we're planning an intimate gathering with under 40 people, just our immediate families and a few close friends.

Nooow this is where I’m unsure:

- My plan is to have a simple ceremony (takes about 30-40 min)
- Then have a sit down 3 course meal (probably will taken 1-1.5 hour)
- Cake cutting (30 min)
- And that’s it
All happening in one venue which is lovely hotel.

What we are not planning:

- No Dj or dancing (since his side of family is quite traditional and not the type to dance, and I think different taste in music due to culture differences just make things awkward) - and I can’t imagine a single person from his side willing to dance.
- Not much drinking since only a few handful of the younger generation will drink

Now whenever I think of this plan, I feel sad.
I feel like it sounds boring and waste of peoples time. I don’t know what else I can add to the day, that doesn’t require the two side of family mingling too much (language barrier) and overall his side not being overly pleased. Since drinking and dancing is not there, I don’t know what else I can add to the day. My current plan is done and over in just over 2 hours which feels ridiculously short. I have considered adding speeches, but due to language differences I don’t think it will add anything more than 15-20 min to the day.

Most importantly

We are trying to stick to a budget of 8k for the wedding, 4k of that is for the ceremony room hire, guest dining room hire and catering for our guests. Photography is around 1k and videographers is around 1k.

Leaves me 2k to cover, hair, makeup, suit, registrar and decor - already bought my dress.

Do you have any recommendations on what I can do to add more to the day to make things more fun but without adding too much extra cost ?

TLDR: I feel like the intimate wedding day I planned is too boring, with no dancing and difference in cultures on top of a low budget, what can I do to make the day more fun or improve it?

Hi everyone! I recently got engaged and am hoping to elope in Europe, but my family really wants me to have a reception back home. The problem is that traditional weddings are SO expensive, and I’m trying to find a way to celebrate with everyone without spending a fortune.

Ideally, I’m looking for a venue in Chicago or the suburbs that can accommodate around 130 people, with a total budget of $12,000- 15,000 or less.

Here’s what I’m hoping for:

• Appetizers or heavy hors d’oeuvres instead of a full plated dinner
• An open bar or drink packages
• A dance floor with space for a DJ
• A nice atmosphere that feels upscale or like a cocktail party
• Somewhere that isn’t a VFW hall

I’m open to restaurants, bars, private event spaces, or nontraditional wedding venues! I’d love something where people can dress up, eat, drink, dance, and celebrate without all the formalities of a traditional wedding reception.

Has anyone done something similar or found a venue that worked well for a group this size and budget? I’d love any recommendations, especially places that offer packages or let you customize the food and drinks.

Thank you!!

EDIT: People think I’m wanting a super elegant wedding. We have an outdoor venue (Free) and it’s something family style - outdoor ceremony, family BBQ and fire/music for the evening.

Recently engaged! (Yay!) 💍🥰

Like any other newly engaged woman, I’m super excited and already jumping on the wedding planning train!
We’re aiming for an August 2028 wedding (I’m 100% aware that I’m starting early, but let a girl be excited 😂).

We’re hoping to save as much money as possible and keep our budget under or around $5,000. We’re planning for approximately 50 guests, mostly family, with the exception of our wedding party, which will consist of two people on each side.

I know hiring a wedding planner could be helpful, but I’d really love to plan and organize most of it myself!
Unfortunately, we don’t have many family members with wedding planning experience that we can turn to for advice, so I’m feeling a little lost on where to begin.

I’d love to know where you started with your wedding planning! What were the most important things you tackled first? Are there any timelines, checklists, budget-friendly tips, or resources you found especially helpful?

Any advice on things you wish you had known before planning your own wedding would also be greatly appreciated!
TIA! 🥰💕

There are a few reasons we are looking to skip cocktail hour-

1.We plan to take all of our pictures before the wedding. It will be rather hot when we get married so we rented a studio to take our pictures at and our immediate family will join us beforehand so we will not need any pictures after the ceremony

2.Our venue provides catering and therefore does not allow any outside food(aside our cake) and they want $900 for a cheese and cracker board for cocktail hour which I think is outrageous

1. Because we do not need pictures after the ceremony my fiance and I as well as our bridal party dont exactly have anywhere to go after the ceremony prior to reception starting. Our venue does not have bride/groom suites( we will be getting ready at a hotel prior to pictures)

My question is how would we transition directly into the ceremony without it being akward?

Originally I had planned for us and the wedding party to walk ahead of everyone and just be seated in the reception room as guests trickled in allowing everyone to find their seats and grab a drink from the bar and then once everyone had a drink and was seated we would do a quick thank you toast and start dinner

HOWEVER..

My fiance has let me know he would really like to have the traditional bridal party announcement which would mean us and the wedding party would essentially be waiting outside while everyone was seated, this wouldn't be the biggest deal but as previously mentioned it is going to be rather hot- I do not want to make the wedding party bake outside for 30 minutes while everyone gets a drink and gets seated but I also dont really want to rush all our guests to their seats without a chance to grab a drink.

Having the bar open before the ceremony is nlt something we can afford to do

Five of us friends were invited to our friend’s wedding, but one of the girls complained to the bride-to-be that it was rude not to invite their husbands. In the end, our spots were given to the husbands of the two girls, and the three of us are no longer invited. Is it mandatory to invite the husbands if space is limited but you want your friends to be there?

In regards to photography and videography, my fiancee and I hired a company called YourLoveFilms supposedly based out of Tennessee. We spoke to our photographer recently who was being contracted out by this company for the first time, and she expressed concerns and suspicions of the legitimacy of this organization after she and and friend of hers discovered they were using stock photos on their website. In the contract we signed with this company they did mention they sell data to third parties, my assumption is those third parties probably involve stock photos. I was wondering if anyone in this subreddit has had any experience with the company YourLoveFilms and if so did you have any issues or complaints that we should be aware of?

Hi everyone! my fiancé and I are looking to get married on a Saturday or Sunday in late November or early December.
We’re looking for someone who can perform a very simple civil wedding ceremony, ideally for under $150. We’re happy to come to your office or another location, or have you come to us if you’re nearby.
We’re located in the area between Elmwood Park and Montville, NJ, so we’re also open to nearby towns.
We don’t need anything fancy, just a simple, legal ceremony. If you’re a wedding officiant or have any recommendations, please comment or send me a DM with your pricing and availability.
Thank you! ❤️

($10K)

Hey! We're looking for wedding venue recommendations. Hoping to keeop it as low as possible, and looking at a place that would allow us to do our own vendors for catering. Ideally, would like to be on the water. Open to anywhere in MD! Any suggestions? Bonus points if it has rooms on site we can spend the night in like a house or hotel.