Ultimate Planning Guide for a $5,000 Wedding Budget

Planning a wedding on a $5000 budget is perhaps more work than planning a wedding on a $15000 budget. When you are on a fixed income you have to spend every dollar carefully. The last thing you want to do is spend all your money on the wedding and have nothing left for the reception. It may seem impossible at first to plan a wedding for $5000 but it can be done, all it takes is a little bit of patience and a little bit of help. Follow this guide and you may just be able to have the wedding of your dreams for less than $5000. I did.

One of your biggest expenses for a wedding can be the brides wedding dress and veil. Buying a dress in a bridal shop can cost hundreds of dollar but there are other options. If you are not opposed to wearing a second hand dress Internet sites such as eBay are a great resource for finding dresses at a fraction of the cost. If you purchase your dress through eBay be to find out: if the dress has been altered from it's original measurements, the exact measurements of the dress, if it can be resold (does it appeal to others besides you) or returned if it does not fit. You can also find veils on eBay for much less than you would pay in a bridal boutique. If you don't want to wear a dress that someone else has worn you can also check David's Bridal where they sometimes offer wedding gowns for as low as $99.

Save the date cards should be sent out as soon as a date is decided and a venue is secured. There are many styles to choose from online but these small notes to friends and family can become expensive in the long run. For the bride on a budget save the date cards can be made on your home computer. Purchase some nice stationary at the office supply store and design your own Save The Date cards using a card making computer program. 200 count, white 5 ½" x 4 ½" parchment postcards can be purchased from Office Depot for as little as $9.99.The rest takes a bit of imagination and a trip to the post office.

Invitations are something that most brides agonize over for months. Finding the right design, and wording can be complicated depending on who is paying for the wedding. In addition to the wording and the design the prices of invitations can be astronomical when you consider all the envelopes, RSVP cards, and extra postage due to the size. A simple, affordable, and elegant way to invite your guests is to find an invitation that wraps all these components into one. For as low as 112.00 for 100 invitations Seal-N-Send.com can provide their unique tri-fold invitations that combine all the usual elements. The bottom portion of the invitation is a tear off RSVP card. The invites fold into their own envelope and are sealed with a small sticker. Seal-N-Send recommends that the invitations be placed in an envelope but they can be mailed as is without an extra envelope. Their website also allows the bride to be an option to order free samples and preview invitations before ordering. The one thing to remember is that it's better to order a few more than you need because it is cheaper to order extra with your initial order than it is to order a second printing.

Most couples choose to wed in a church, though this is not always the case. If you have chosen to hold your ceremony in a church rather than have an outdoor ceremony you may be able to get the cost of church for a small fee or no fee at all if you are a member of the congregation. The church may require you to pay a small security and damage deposit that is refunded following the service. It is important to remember that even if the church does charge a fee you should purchase a small gift as a token of your appreciation for the minister performing the ceremony.

Reception halls can also be very expensive. If you live in a large city the reception hall may be your biggest expense, however there are ways around paying high dollar for the use of space. Some churches have fellowship halls near the church where you may be able to hold your reception. This could be a great advantage because your guests will not have to go from one location to another. However if you plan on serving alcohol at your reception check with the church about their policy, some churches will allow it while others frown upon it. If you want to move the party elsewhere check with the motels in your area to see if they have a reception area that can be rented for a small fee. If neither one of these is an option you may be able to find a family member with a large enough home and yard to accommodate your reception. Have an outdoor reception at the home of a family member and skip the formalities of the reception and have some fun with your guests.

Depending on whether or not you want a formal reception with a five course meal or a casual reception with finger food catering can either be really highly prices or very inexpensive. Planning a wedding and all that it entails for $500 or less demands that a more casual reception be chosen. You could have a local restaurant cater your food for you (which can be relatively inexpensive) or offer meat, cheese, and fruit trays to your guests. The time of your ceremony should also be taken into consideration when deciding how to feed your guests. Later in the day weddings are more formal than early afternoon weddings. If you choose to go with a casual finger food reception make sure the wording on your invites lets your guests know there will not be a 5 course meal.

Finding the right tux for your groom can be something that takes almost as long a finding a wedding dress. Renting a tux can be done for as little as $100 for everything including shoes, vest, tie, shirt, jacket, and pants.

Photography can be one of the most expensive parts of a wedding. If possible look for up and coming photographers in your area. Up and coming photographers may be willing to give you a discount if you allow them to use your photos for advertisements to promote their business. Also you can later recommend them the friends for their wedding days and events if you like their work. If you choose to go this route be sure to get a sample of their work from other weddings and celebrations and if at all possible check with past clients about their professionalism and find out if they were satisfied with the photos. Also check with local colleges and high schools to see if they have a photography program, using students could be risky but it could also be a wonderful choice.

Entertainment depends greatly on the type of reception you plan. If you have a friend with a huge collection of Cd's ask them to be your DJ. Post an ad in the newspaper detailing that you are looking for a DJ or live band to work for a small fee but that you would be willing to provide them future references if needed. Make a few mix Cd's with popular wedding songs and let them play in the background. Chances are your guests will be too busy focusing their attention on the bride and groom to pay much attention to the entertainment.

If you are willing to take a chance on someone who isn't a "big name" in wedding cakes you may find a great find. Like the photographer you may be able to get your cake made , delivered, and set up for next to nothing. Your wedding cake does not have to be extravagant. Choose something smaller and serve your guests a cheaper sheet-cake rather than everyone eating off your multi-layered cake. Make sure to take time to sample options of cakes with the baker and inquire if there is a satisfaction guarantee, especially if you are choosing someone without a lot of experience. Also, let your baker know they can use photos of your cake for advertisements and that you will provide recommendations and act as a reference if needed.

If you have a friend who is a hairdresser have them do your hair for your big day as a wedding gift. If this is not an option check with the local beauty school/academy, they may be willing to do your bridal party's hair for little cost. As for makeup, do your own, just remember you may have to apply it a little more heavily than usual since there will be a ton of pictures taken and you don't want to look washed out in your pictures.

You want people to remember your wedding day for years to come and because of this favors are something you can give your guests. Some people go with personalized napkins or matchbooks while others choose to go with less traditional options. No matter what you are looking for in the way of favors the best thing to remember is that no all your guest will want to take something home so you don't need favors for every single guest. You may want to do one favor per family depending on how much money you have left in your budget after purchasing all the higher ticket items. If you are looking for low cost favors a great site for doing this is My Wedding Favors. My Wedding Favors offers over 200 favors under $2.00 each.

Rather than renting a limo rent a luxury car for the weekend. The cost will be cheaper. Luxury cars such as the Cadillac LTS and Lincoln Towncar can be rented from companies like Enterprise Rent-A-Car for as low as $75 per day during weekends in the summer. If you can't afford the high cost of a limo this could be a very inexpensive option for your wedding day.

If you are lucky the alter in the church where you plan to get married will be decorative enough that you won't need many flowers for decorations. If you choose to go with live flowers use only flowers that are in season because they will be more inexpensive than out of season flowers. For bouquets use either a simple cluster of flowers with the stems wrapped in ribbon or use a home-made bouquet made from ribbon, flowers, and some simple beaded strands. If you choose carefully you can make bouquets for you and your bridal party for under $20 each.

No one said that planning a wedding for $5000 or less would be easy so if need be call in a few favors from your friends and coworkers. Use your contacts for suggestions, recommendations, and even for help on your day. You want your wedding to be beautiful and memorable but it does not have to be extravagant or expensive to be either. People will remember the day not for the flowers that were in your bouquet but for the happiness you found and experienced on the day you turned two individuals into one family.

Best wishes on your journey!