Question from A Baltimore Bride:

I am ‘pre-planning’ my wedding next year in July in Baltimore, MD and really need to stick to a budget of 12-15K.  I’m planning to have NO MORE than 160 people.  I have no idea where to start to create a fabulous wedding!!  I’m trying to have my wedding and reception at the same place.Please help as to where to begin.

Answer from Mrs. 12k

First of all, congratulations! If things in Baltimore are anything like they are here in Detroit, beware that Objects May Be More Expensive than they Appear. So I think it’s good that you’re starting early. If I were you, I would start by listing all the wedding things that will have a cost associated with them. That could include ceremony/reception site, catering, open bar and flowers for example. Of course there are more things, but these should definitely be considered. Rank your list based on what’s most important to you and your fiance. For us, for example, the decor wasn’t as important as the food. You know, different strokes for different folks.

Anyway, after you rank your list, call around and send emails to companies in your area to get ballpark figures for 160 people. You’d rather get a quote on the high end now and end up paying less down the road rather than the other way around. Keep in mind that sense your wedding won’t be until next year, if you don’t have a contract in place with a vendor, their rates could go up between now and then.

Hopefully that gives you a good place to start.

Good luck!

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Technorati Tags: Baltimore, Bar, Planning, Wedding

Lately, I’ve been getting the same question pretty frequently: Did we stick to our 12k wedding budget?

The short answer is no.

Here’s the long answer:

Before I started planning, I should’ve done more research on how much average costs were for weddings and receptions in our area. I would have had a more realistic view of things. Instead we threw out an arbitrary number based on our first estimate of how much we might’ve been able to save leading up to our wedding date.

We compromised on a lot of things like decor, catering and parking for our guests. But after a lot of discussion, there ended up being some things we absolutely did not want to comprise on.

Like the premium open bar. Everyone enjoyed themselves so thoroughly, which in turn made it a crazy good time for us. And I’m so glad we were able to slip that one in.

In the end we ended up spending about 15k. We saved a lot in a lot of places but ended up going over after all.

It’s one of those things. If I had it to do over again, I’m confident we could’ve gotten a lot closer to 12k but we’re not expecting any do-overs in this lifetime.

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Technorati Tags: 12kwedding, Bar, Catering, Decor, research, wedding budget

If you missed the first 75, you can find them here:

101 Ways to Save on Your Wedding: 1-25

101 Ways to Save on Your Wedding: 26-50

101 Ways to Save on Your Wedding: 51-75

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76.    Use silk flowers in your real bouquet to replace those blooms that you really want but are too expensive or difficult to get
77.    If you have a bar, nix the iced tea/punch offered by the caterer. Your guests can soft drinks from the bar instead
78.    Before you purchase anything online, use a site like retailmenot.com to find discount codes and promotional coupons
79.    Use Ball canning jars as vases. You can usually find a case of 12 for less than $10.
80.    Grow your own wheat grass to use for centerpieces or to hold the escort cards
81.    Use chalkboard paint and chalk to transform a piece of plywood into a seating chart
82.    For the groom and the groomsmen, most places will provide a free tux for the groom with 5 or 6 paid rentals.
83.    Use carnations. One of the most expensive flowers, carns look gorgeous when bunched together instead of just being added as an afterthought
84.    Use branches from your own yard to serve as the tree to hold escort cards
85.    Use a clothesline with clothespins to display your escort cards, especially if you’re planning an outdoor wedding
86.    Check sites like travelzoo.com for hotel deals to block rooms for your out of town guests
87.    For the cake, skip the intricate adornment work and instead opt for a plain cake with simple details that can be dressed
88.    Have your rehearsal dinner at a local eatery that’s special to you as a couple. It doesn’t need to be formal, so choose a limited menu within your price range
89.    Add your wedding and engagement rings to your current homeowners or renters insurance policy and get a multiple-policy discount
90.    Skip the videographer. Instead, have a family member document your day. It’ll be a lot less expensive (hopefully, free!) and a lot more meaningful
91.     Sew your own ring bearer pillow. Of course you can add your own style to it, but simple directions can be found at http://www.ehow.com/how_17555_make-pillow-ring.html
92.    If you absolutely must use a credit card to pay for your wedding, which I highly discourage, find a card with 0% interest or a cash back feature: http://moneycentral.msn.com/banking/services/creditcard.asp
93.    If you’re interested in using a live musician during the wedding ceremony, contact the Music School at your local University and offer the gig to a talented student
94.    Instead of providing a full open bar for your guests, choose a few signature drinks that will be available throughout the night. This will cut down on the variety and amount of liquor that the bartender will need to stock
95.    Skip the champagne toast. Instead, guests will naturally just toast with whatever they have in their glass at the time.
96.    Host wedding parties (bridal shower, bachelorette party etc.) at someone’s house rather than renting a separate space
97.    Have your wedding in a park or other natural space, where little to no extra décor is needed
98.    Use your bouquets or pew arrangements as reception décor, either a the cake table or head table.
99.    If you’re completely overwhelmed and have no idea where to start, hire a wedding planner. If you really research and find a good one, they will actually save you more money than you think with all their industry connections and insight.
100.    Find your flowers at local farmer’s markets. In Detroit, for instance, the Eastern Market is a great resource for a wide variety of inexpensive flowers
101.    Look for contests online to find giveaways on everything from dresses and shoes to airfare and spa services

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Technorati Tags: Bar, Decor, Flowers, Free Stuff, Discounts, Contests, list, rings, Wedding Party, Wheat Grass

So, we went to a wedding last weekend and at the reception they offered two signature cocktails, plus a cash bar. I’d never thought of doing a combination of free and for-pay drinks, but it’s a good idea. One drink was after the bride’s tastes and one was after the groom’s tastes. It’s nice because as long as you pick good cocktails, your guests are probably pretty content to just drink those.

One of the brides at Weddingbee has decided to have 5 signature cocktails, all named after the couple’s pets. What a cute idea. I don’t know yet how we’d name or even choose our drinks, but I do think it’s a good place for us to get creative. Maybe they could match our wedding colors. Or they could be our favorite drinks. Or they could be named after the places we’ve traveled, or our personality traits, or locations unique to Detroit, our hometown. The possibilities are endless!

And let’s talk about the savings. Many thousands of dollars for an open bar vs. a lot less for a few signature drinks. If we can figure some way to bring our own liquor, we’ll do that and try to save even more money.

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Technorati Tags: Bar, Budget, Cocktail, Idea, Reception, spirits