Wedding $$$

Now that boyfriend has proposed, I don't feel like I can call him "Boyfriend" on my bloggy anymore.

But calling him "Fiance"? I'll try - if it sounds too tacky I'll start using his name.

ANYWHO.

Do any of you have ANY idea how expensive weddings are?! I'm sure you married folk probably understand, but it's news to me!

Fiance and I recently realized we'll probably be paying for the majority of the wedding ourselves. With that being said, we I battled with the idea of not even having a wedding. I don't have $10,000 laying around for a rainy day. See: Polly's Surgery - that brat.

And it's looking like a wedding, with the number of guests we want, is a minimum of $10,000.  We don't want to take out a line of credit (which we are finding is more popular than we thought!) and we still have a honeymoon to pay for!

I thought if I can't have the wedding I'd always imagined (pretty dress, pretty hair, beautiful outdoor location) then I'd rather do the elope shindig. People keep telling me, "Don't forget what the day is really about. It's about your marriage. Nothing and no one else." so I thought WELL HELL. If it's just about the marriage then let's hop in the car, head to the courthouse and call it a day.

Keep in mind the people telling me this are always re-married. People who got their big day. Their big dress and big hair. Ended that marriage then had a smaller, more intimate ceremony the second time around. They got their big day - can't I have mine?

This is everything that has been flowing through my head.

Keep in mind I do NOT want a $30,000+ ordeal. I don't care if my guests have filet mignon and salmon. I don't care if my dress is Vera Wang and I don't need a $1,000 cake.

But a girl has basic wants!

So with that being said, here's how we've decided to cut costs without cutting guests:

• Friday or Sunday - A lot of venues give discounts if you have your event on a Friday or Sunday.  Aaron wants Friday, but I think Sunday is more ideal.  So we will see :-)
• Fall or Winter - When I thought about my dream wedding, Fall and Winter never entered my mind.  Ever.  It would be summer CLEARLY.  But venues will take off a good $1,000 if your event isn't during peak wedding season (June-September)!  While the weather in Reno/Tahoe can be finicky during October (2 years ago we got Snow on October 5th!) we're considering an October date instead.
• Food - this has been the hardest because I've said from the beginning I could care less for fancy food. The best wedding I attended actually had appetizers which I think is an AMAZING idea. But I've been convinced a full meal is ideal (since we're not having it in town). Most venues don't offer "cheaper" food. It's all or nothing. It's the filet mignon and salmon or nothing. I think a pasta bar would be PERFECT, so now I need to find a venue that agrees with me
• Booze - We want our guests to have a great time. And this typically coincides with an open bar. However venues charge up the wazoo for alcohol, so we've decided to limit the openness of the bar. It'll be more like a cracked bar.
• Dress - Seriously, I've made my budget $250. And that INCLUDES the veil and shoes and jewelry. It's possible - it has to be. There are dresses online that start at $250 (of course that doesn't include alterations). Don't laugh at me. Dresses typically start at $750 for a CHEAP dress. But I have the time to look, and I'll only be wearing it for 1 day.  Although I think I paid more than this for my prom dresses (thanks mom!)
• Flowers - I plan on minimizing the amount of flowers I use to the bouquets and possibly altar decorations. I'm trying to get creative with centerpieces using candles and other decorations. Flowers are pricy. And they die. So I figure I can cut costs by limiting flowers.
• CONTESTS - At one point in my life I had a contest winning streak.  I won concert tickets, a trip to the bahamas, CDs, Port of Subs, you name it.  I'm entering as many contests as humanly possible.  Stationary, dresses, jewelry.  Everything.  Maybe my luck will strike again and I'll win something.  Anything. 

Our last resort is an event in my parents backyard.  Aaron's ONE request was to not have a backyard wedding (and my friends have been shocked when I tell them this is what I'm thinking), so I'm trying my hardest to crunch the numbers and make our event happen with a venue.

If all else fails, we're eloping.