Advice needed

I would focus on putting most of the money towards the reception. That is the one thing everyone likes is the activites in the reception. advice: dont get a live band. it's better to have a dj play songs that everyone likes. if there is a lot of children present, get them their oun buffet table with food they would like. chicken strips, fench fries, mac n cheese..... Book everything soon. my wedding isnt untill next year, but when we checked out one place we have in my city, it was booked for our weekend, 2 years in advance! so we have found a place and already bookd it, but the funny thign was, right before we did, someone booked the wekend before, and after! so definately book almost everything atleast a year to 10 months ahead. Picking the right DJ. pick a dj who is full if life and exitement! not some guy who says 5 sentences the whole reception. Get a guy who will do randomly funny things, who like to get the crowd on their feet and dance. we have a guy whos probibly going to be dancing with the crowd! one thing we are doing is having someone film me and my fiance all day long to make a dvd movie of both of us getting ready, hanging with our groomsmen and brides maides, and then filimg the entire reception! it's a really neat idea! i hope any or all of my advise helps you!

You have taken a good decision. You are right. Do not spend all your money on the dress and all that. Instead make your honeymoon nice and memorable. If you do not have a good camera, buy one, so that you take lots of snaps. While buying a camera make sure it has a timer, so that you can take snaps of you two together, when you don't have a helping hand to take the snap.

I think you are very smart to want to save money for a nice honeymoon and save for a house. Perhaps you could go to Niagara Falls either the U.S. side or the Canadian Side. I am sure you would have a nice time and the scenery is spectacular...good luck and best wishes for your marriage.

ah, ummm.. i don't want to be the villain in this thread but getting married is easy. it is the married life that needs working on. are you prepared financially, emotional, and spiritually in raising a family? are you prepared to be a parent? have you already attended seminars about life as a couple? i hope you don't take my questioning in a negative way. its just that your still young. you would be only 21 by 2009, there are certain things you could not do when you are already married compared to when you are still single. your dreams will take a backseat to your married life. what i'm trying to say is this. have you fulfilled what you wanted to do? like finish college, climb Mt. Everest, be a professional billard player or whatever. you get what i'm saying?

you are a good plan woman.you want to a cheap small wedding and save money to get a nice honeymoon,it is a great choice.i think if you have enough money to prepare a honeymoon,you can chose shouzhou of China as your honeymoon spots,different orient cultrue will make you different emotion to the landscape.

I think it totally depends on what your partner wants as well, if he's fine with a small wedding as well or doesn't mind then just go ahead. Otherwise I'd say in a pretty much 1-time event like this you should go for the one with the biggest wish and not let the money play that big of a role in it.

First of all, best wishes on your upcoming marriage!! (You don't say congratulations to the bride, that's for the groom!) It's a GREAT idea to plan a wedding over a good stretch of time, I think. I had a year long engagement so I just did one thing a month and it was as easy as pie! No stress, no rush, no hustling around... And I think it's WONDERFUL that you want to use your money for a house! You don't need an expensive cake or dress to have a yummy dessert and look beautiful. One of the most beautiful brides I ever saw (and I've seen ALOT) was this gorgeous friend of mine who wore a slim silk white gown (no ruffles, no beads, no frills). She didn't even go to a bridal shop where they charge an arm and a leg. She was smart and went to a unique little shop that sold evening gowns. I think she paid around $120 for it. Her hair was pulled up into a sleek updo and she put a simple white flower in her hair and she walked in barefoot (didn't even pay for shoes!) They were married in a tiny garden at night-it was lit with tiny little tea lights and looked like a fairyland. She truley looked like an angel-you could see every guy's jaw DROP when she walked in. As for the honeymoon, do you like the beach, mountains, vineyards or country? Where do you feel the most romantic? Unfortunately I don't know much about the costs of vacations-sorry! :( Good luck and post about your progress!

I totally agree with you. No point spending all that money for just one day and end up being in debt. It's wise of you to look to the future and think of what's more important. I didn't have a big wedding either. And it was still very memorable, wonderful and beautiful. And after the wedding, people kept coming up to tell me that they wished they did it our way too. As for a honeymoon, how about a cruise? Maybe a Caribbean cruise? It would be exotic. And for one price, you get everything - all the food you can eat, entertainment, lodging, etc.

I could never fully understand the big, fancy, expensive weddings unless the family of the bride and groom are wealthy and they are doing if more for themselves than for you. But for a bride and groom to spend all that money when it is so difficult to make a go of it financially in the world these days, seems a bit pointless. A big overly expensive wedding could put you several years behind in buying a house. I think a really nice holiday is a great idea. I happen to love the Caribbean and there are some amazing spots. If you want a lower cost holiday, take an all inclusive package to the Dominican Republic. If you don't mind spending a bit more, my most favorite spot of all is Aruba. They have lots of shopping, friendly people, little crime, huge casinos and some spectacular beaches with the whitest sand you will ever see...

Dear girl, there is nothing wrong with a simple wedding. everything will be a lot more simple, because you choose summer time. try to buy a nice white flowing dress. and as a hand flower (bouquet), try using white orchid or water lily (if they are available in summer time - i don't really know, since i am indonesian). and as a cake, find a cake that would be enough for you and your future husband and both family. the wedding will take place in curch, ofcourse, and afterward followed by lunch for you and your family and close friends. that way you can minimized the budget and save some for buying house and a nice honeymoon. and for the honey moon, try to go to Asia. i believe in summer time, the airfreight will be lower rather than in winter. i would recommend thailand (they have a beautiful beaches) and Indonesia (my country!), where you can visit menado for a nice diving experience.