She Strengthens

The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Budget Wedding

Getting Started

When I began planning our budget wedding, I turned to Google for inspiration. However, I quickly realized that most articles about weddings under $5,000 were about small ceremonies with separate receptions for friends and family. The cost of these receptions was conveniently omitted. I decided to document my journey to plan a budget wedding, and our final total came out to be $6,004.41. This amount includes our 40-person wedding and reception, a larger reception the next day, and our mini-honeymoon in West Virginia.

The Power of Favors

My top tip for planning a budget wedding is to don’t be afraid to ask for help. We were lucky to have talented friends and family who were more than willing to pitch in. My sisters lent their skills, from calligraphy to flower growing, and one of our friends played guitar during the ceremony. Our friends and family were incredibly generous, and our budget wedding wouldn’t have been possible without their help.

Breaking Down the Costs

Venue
We chose a cidery as our venue, which forced us to keep things small. The barn was stunning, and the view behind us was breathtaking. We set up a few different tables with open seating, and it worked out beautifully. The final cost for four hours of space rental and two kegs of cider was $1,830.

Photography
We decided to hire a professional photographer, and it was worth every penny. We saved money by only having the photographer around for three hours, which cost $750. We didn’t care about pre-wedding photos, so it made sense to only have them there for three of the four hours of the actual wedding. Having only one photographer was limiting, but overall, I don’t feel like it was a sacrifice.

Food
We did all the food ourselves, with some help from friends and family on the day of. This was probably the area where we saved the most money. We kept the menu simple, and it all came together surprisingly easily. The final cost of food was $1,136.

Music
We created a playlist and had two speakers, but unfortunately, the wifi didn’t work consistently, and the music had some trouble a couple of times. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it was the big error of the evening. The final cost was $0.

Flowers
I got my wedding flowers at Trader Joe’s, and I truly love their flower selection and prices. My sister grew some gorgeous bouquets for the centerpieces, but they didn’t come in too well. At the last minute, we asked our cousin to work her magic, and she created beautiful flower arrangements. The final cost was $84.

Centerpieces and Decor
My husband made liquor bottle centerpieces, which looked perfect with our Trader Joe’s bouquets. Aside from being free and made out of recycled materials, my favorite part was that guests were super excited to take them home as a wedding favor. We also invested in globe lights from Target, which added so much to the space. The final cost was $200.

Outfits
I bought my dress online from a vintage site, and it worked out well. The quality wasn’t as great as it could’ve been, and the fit wasn’t perfect, but for a dress that I’ll probably only wear once, it was fine. My husband’s suit was dapper as hell, and we could not have been happier with how it came out, especially since it was $400. The final cost for both of us was $983.

Wedding Makeup
I don’t think I’ve ever worn as many different kinds of makeup products as I did on my wedding day, but I’m glad I did. My wedding makeup stayed perfectly through the whole evening, including crying and dancing. My biggest tip is to use tons of luminizers for a healthy, ethereal glow, and to invest in a good setting spray to ensure it lasts through the night. The final cost was $45.

Wedding Hair
My sister convinced me that it would be worth it to get my hair done, and I’m glad I took her advice. One million bobby pins and a can of hairspray later, my hair stayed almost totally in place for the entire night. My sister offered to pay for my hairdo as my birthday present, which was incredibly sweet of her.

The Final Total

Our budget wedding required a lot of preparation, research, and hard work from my husband and me. I’m thrilled by how it turned out, and I hope that our story can inspire others to plan their own budget weddings. If you have any questions about how we pulled off our budget wedding, leave a comment and I’ll try to get back to you.