Brides Helping Brides ™ - Spinoff on budget thread...

luvsun27 Posted: Jan 07, 2004 09:57 AM

Spinoff on budget thread...

My budget is only 15K for 100 people...and some of you have budgets that far exceed mine. Who's paying for at 40K wedding? You? Your parents? FH's parents? Everyone? What about where you are going to live after the wedding...do you already own a house? Do you currently live at home? I'm just curious how with the housing costs on LI and the expenses of just everyday living...people can afford such elaborate weddings. Please....don't anyone be offended...I'm just trying to understand. Personally...I own my own condo (I bought before I met FH). I make a really good salary...and I'm finding it difficult to pay for my 15K wedding with all my other expenses. I'm just wondering what everyone else is doing. Thanks much!!

jenny2penny Posted: Jan 07, 2004 10:03 AM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

I know what you mean.

FH & I moved in with his parents so we can save on rent and put that towards wedding (we are paying for) and a house to buy.

I am a huge budgeter and savor and I am still totally stumped that people with more guests than me can do it for less. Are they really including every little thing? I did and I am at $28,000. Down to baskets to put program/throws in at church.

nan&dave Posted: Jan 07, 2004 10:06 AM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

My parents, my FI and I are paying for our wedding. We plan on living with my parents, since they will be semi-retiring and leaving to Dominican Republic. We'll be staying with the house, until we find something we like. FI and I do live with each of our parents, so thats how we get to save some $$$. Also, since I'm the first one to get married on my dads side without having kids or living with FI (no one get offended please, my family is very old-fashioned), they are offering to help in any way that I want. One of my uncles is paying for the band, dj, and flying in the mc from Dominican Republic, (he offered).

btrflygrl Posted: Jan 07, 2004 10:06 AM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

I'm with you luvsun....I moved into FH parents' house with him to save money and we plan on leaving NY (we are awaiting a car accdt settlement and hoping it will be quite large....) and buying our own home. Our budget is looking like it will be around 15K also for I'm hoping around 150...we invited 195 people!! But I'm at loss of understanding at the girls that are lucky enough to have their weddings at the castle and the mansions....and even though my wedding is like theirs..it's still my dream wedding

Jordan Posted: Jan 07, 2004 10:10 AM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

We rent, don't own...but we're saving for a downpayment while saving for the wedding. Talk to me about stress in a few months - but so far, I have to admit, it's been really easy and painless. We opened a joint account just after we got engaged and have been depositing $$$ into it every week directly from our paychecks. As of the year mark, we were able to pay for everything we've booked and are currently saving for the HM, rings and like I mentioned before, a house.

ETA: We are paying for the wedding ourselves (with the exception of my dress - my dad bought that for me)...and while we started out saying it would be about $30k...it will wind up being closer to $40k once we've booked the HM.

Jan05Bride Posted: Jan 07, 2004 10:13 AM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

You have FM

wc0143 Posted: Jan 07, 2004 10:23 AM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

I think we budgeted $25K, but I wouldn't be surprised if we end up around $35K.

My mother gave us $10K towards the wedding and we put another $9K we got when FH's mom passed away in the wedding fund. The rest of the money has come from me (FH has been on an employment/unemployement roller coaster since Feb02).

We own our home, but believe me it's hard to keep up with expenses (I miss living in an apt in Queens paying less than $600/mo to live in my Aunt's co-op!!).

Sometimes I think we are completely 'fiscally irresponsible' but I like to think it's only $$$ and life's too short to get too worried about it.

Call me Cleopatra ...

NYCHICK Posted: Jan 07, 2004 10:25 AM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

It is a joint effort in my case. FH, my parents, his parents and myself. We don't pay rent because it is FILaws house. We live in Queens.

julz33 Posted: Jan 07, 2004 10:32 AM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

We are paying for our own wedding (about 25K for over 200 guests). To save money ion rent we live with our parents. It sucks, but figure thats 12K saved a year. We are also recent college grads. FH graduated only 2 years ago and me last year, but somehow we both managed to get good jobs right away and we save about 60% of our paychecks into a joint wedding/house account. I cannot believe how much money we have already I don't buy designer clothes or bags and don't go out as much as I used to. If I did I wouldn't survive! We already have enough money to pay for the wedding but we are still using credit cards to help build our credit. While I could probably afford to have a more expensive wedding, I would much rather own a house. I know this is wrong to depend on but I think we will make most of our money back (because I know for a fact that we are getting 2 very large gifts from FIL's and my grandparents). It is safe for me to assume this! And we will still haver money left in our account. Theres our Downpayment!

BoogieDownBride Posted: Jan 07, 2004 10:41 AM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

We budgeted about $28K for everything, including HM, for about 120 people. We are paying for everything ourselves, but we're expecting a generous gift from his parents after the wedding. I have 50% of my paycheck going into the joint wedding/saving for a house account, and that has us pretty well taken care of for the wedding, but personally I am having a hard time having only half of my income for bills, rent, and personal expenses. The holidays have made it much worse...I feel like I never have any money at all. And when I see how low my checking account balance is, I want to cry!

Kelly9904 Posted: Jan 07, 2004 11:12 AM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

We have about 30K budgeted for the wedding and we are paying for it ourselves. (except my attire that is from my parents ) (although I think my FILs will offer to pay for a part --favors or invites or something)

We have been saving for the wedding and a house for 2 years!!!! (we only got engaged in July though) We live at home (FI just turned 27 and I will be 25 in a few weeks) and really have minimal expenses. We are also lucky to have good jobs that pay us nice salaries. We were lucky to be raised by parents who really taught us the value of a dollar and the importance of not getting in over your head so we dont have any debt (except our new cars) and we are really good savers!

I put about 50% of my salary away a month and FH puts away more than that. Its hard and scary when we think of the amount of money that we spent so long saving is going to be flying out the window in a few months for a DP and a Wedding but its the reason we thought ahead and waited to get married!

JimmysBride Posted: Jan 07, 2004 12:22 PM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

Our budget is 36K and I am paying for most of it (like 85%) myself. FH bought our home almost a year ago, and is supporting it by himself since I don't move in until after the wedding -- so he can't contribute much. I live at home, which helps a little. I'd actually be able to save MORE if I moved in with FH (damn my morals!! ). My mom is giving us the HM as a gift. But we aren't getting any more help than that. It's NOT easy and I originally only wanted to spend 25K. Before you know it though, everything adds up!!

june262004 Posted: Jan 07, 2004 12:50 PM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

Im not sure what our budget is. My parents are paying for our wedding We are paying for Video and Limo.

OctBride05 Posted: Jan 07, 2004 12:51 PM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

i am having a very small wedding, 60-70 people on a $10,000 budget( not including the hm) my parents and his parents are helping a little bit. were saving money by living with his parents right now and in the spring my fil's are building us an apartment above thier house where we'll only have to pay $500.00 a month. it's very hard ecspecially that i can't work right now, but we almost have all the money saved and it took us less then a year, so were doing pretty good.

AJsMommy122 Posted: Jan 07, 2004 01:36 PM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

I feel so much better reading this!! I always wondered where everyone is getting all this money.. we planned on 25k for everything but rings and HM. We are paying for it all by ourselves.. while we raise a child.. and I am not working! ( Just not ready to leave the baby yet!) -Thank god we decided on a two year engagement to save!! The only reason this is even possible is the fact the my FMIL owns a few apartment buildings and houses in queens and GAVE us an apartment. No rent no Utilities.. just the phone and cable and such. I appreciate her for that more then she can ever know. She also offered to help with the wedding but we feel bad - esp. since for our wedding she is giving us the house she lives in.. which lets us live for free and save rent from other people to buy our house.
( BTW - It looks like I might go over by budget by a few thousand )

sag530 Posted: Jan 07, 2004 02:37 PM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

Our budget is $25,000 for 150 people, and we are paying for it all ourselves. I am almost in tears everytime we sign another contract with another vendor, committing ourselves to spending more money. Hope our income tax returns are REALLY LARGE so we can pay for this. If not, ther's alway plastic which we can pay back with our wedding gifts. Luckily, I own my own homw, so we don't have to save for a house.

LIPrincess00 Posted: Jan 07, 2004 02:41 PM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

We each live with our parents right now and we opened a joint acct right after we got engaged and having been paying everything off every month so we have been saving for a house and making payments every month which really cuts down on the stress of having to come up with a 'balloon payment'.

nferrandi Posted: Jan 07, 2004 03:17 PM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

My parents are paying for the reception (200 guests), my dress and ivitations, my fiance's parents are giving us $10,000, which is paying for bands, photo/video and rehearsal dinner. My fiance and I are going to pay for the priest and rabbi, flowers, favors, gifts for the wedding party, honeymoon and rings. We estimating all of that to be $15-18K.
We already have a house, but we need to do some work and redecorating. The money is defintely a stretch, even with our parents help, but it will all be worth it in the end.

jlfp Posted: Jan 07, 2004 04:01 PM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

We are paying for everything ourselves as well ($20-25k,i hope; haven't worked it out exactly). . . as well as just bought a house in July, student loans, 2 new cars and all the other bills. Pretty much our income goes to all of the bills (not including the wedding) We are saving money by each working a second job ( I bartend and FH DJ's). All the money that we are making is going to the wedding. Hopefully we will save enough (if not my parents are giving us $5k as a wedding gift (and bought my dress) and we can ask for that early if we need). We have close family so if we are in a bind they will probably help out.

August2004 Posted: Jan 07, 2004 05:56 PM

Re: Spinoff on budget thread...

The only reasons why our budget is so high is because parents are helping out a lot and FI already owns a home. If we did not have either of these two factors, I would def not be having the wedding I am.