Total Cost

From start to finish what is the total cost of your wedding? This is personal, so only answer if you want. I am asking because my dad thinks I am overspending, but I think we are about average. (We are paying ourselves, so my dad's opinion doesnt mean a lot). I am just looking to see if I have gone overboard. Thanks...Edited to say I think overall with everything it will be about 45,000 (give or take)...looking at that number is making me sick right now! LOL

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near $40,000

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55

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Approximately $50,000. All those wedding books are crap, they say 'oh you'll spend like $20,000, slightly more in larger cities' yeah right.

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I am only planning on 150 people. I love when people tell me, Oh Christy, you'll make all the money back in gifts! Are people crazy! If I had the amount of people that I want this wedding will cost like 60,000! AHHHHHH long island prices!

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I had 115 people and spent about $25,000, of course I had a Sunday afternoon wedding.

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LMAO-I would hear of people spending like 50 grand on their wedding and I'd be like 'oh my God they're crazy'. Well, I forgot we live on LI...my wedding is about 40-45 thousand especially since our guest list is 250+. Needless to say, I always wanted a Sat night wedding but a, now having a FRiday night to save a few thousand dollars. And we thought we were going to buy a house this year too!!!!

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We're spending close to $30,000 for everything and we only have 75 guests and I easily could have spent another $10,000 if i had it lol.

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I posted a while back on a national board that I was spending $45k for a Sunday day 175 guests & I was ripped apart by southern belles getting married in magnificent plantation mansions(according to their pics) & having 350 guests on Saturday night in June for $20,000. Well, now I've been married for twelve days & I keep finding receipts for 'little stuff' I didn't count before & then our amazing HM(we splurged when we got there) & I'm WAY higher than my original number. And we DID NOT get back what we spent-we weren't counting on it in any way. I still feel that every penny was well spent & wouldn't change a thing.
Don't let anyone that hasn't paid for a wedding on Long Island or in NYC in the last decade give you budget advice!

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We are spending about 20,000 for 175 people. We cut some corners by having it in Jan. as opposed to April and we are going with a dj (400) instead of a band (5000). I just had a baby so I didn't want to spend alot on the wedding...

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PMB - 20,000 is more my budge as well. who did you choose for dj and photographer?

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We had only 65 of our closest family and relatives on a Sat afternoon for a little over $10,000 ($13,000 w/honeymoon). We paid for everything ourselves and that is all we could afford, and I'm wondering how anyone can afford a $50,000 wedding when paying for it themselves w/o going into debt? If I had more $$ I would have had a Sat night wedding, limos (ceremony and reception was at the same place so really no need), gave more expensive favors, and went on a longer or more expensive honeymoon. I don't think we would have invited many more people, as our style was to have a more relaxing, quaint atmosphere. For those that can't spend a lot of money, it can be done!!
Edited to say our wedding was in June, but we booked it only 6 months before, so we got a discount per person.

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I'm not sure if you wanted HM costs included as well - since i'm not sure where we're going, I won't.
But I think i'm in the $20-25k range. Sunday day wedding in march, dj instead of band, no limos, about 100-115 guests all helped to keep it down. However, the dress and the photographer are more expensive than i wanted to spend but to me, spending more on photography is worth it.

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hi nina,

thats great news. I think I am having about 80 invited (probably won't all come though) Did you have photographer and dj? These are the two thorns in my side. I just can't justify their prices in my own head.

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Gracejilly,
I used Jam Entertainment-Joey is the owner and for ceremony, cocktail hour and reception is was $650 w/o the extras (lights/giveaways). They were really good. I only had 1 person as MC/DJ.

For the photographer, here is where we chose the more expensive side-Mark Kaufman Studios-b/c that style is what we wanted. He's great, b/c he's very flexible and willing to work with any budget. We decided we only needed him for 5 hours, getting ready, the 2 of us, group pics, 1st dance, table shots, and they left after toast and cake cutting, the rest was unneccesary to us. We didn't want to be pulled away from our reception for pics, and we didn't want cameras in ours or our guests' faces later in the reception. But, we still came away with amazing pics, lots of candids and b&w. So, we'll still be paying a little over $2000 for everything (still have to get the album), but it was the only expensive vendor we chose (aside from the Watermill). Good luck!

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about 33,000 for 185pp on a sat. night, not including my dress (500) tuxes, or honeymoon (5000)

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Im not going to post what my overall budget was but I think I spent a lot (ifyouthink LI is expensive, try a wedding in NYC!!!)

The reason Im posting is because all along I was a bit worried that I would be regretful that I spent so much on just one day. Well its allover and I can say I dont regret a penny spent..particularily on all those little things that lots of people say 'save your money' on (like favors, nice chairs, little touches...)

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Haven't booked everything yet but it's looking like $35-$40,000

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Reading your response is making me feel better. I am so sick of my family giving me a hard time about the cost, when they arent even helping me! It looks like I am spending about the same as everyone else! At least now I know I am not crazy. Thanks so much ladies!

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when all is said and done the total cost will be over $45k (including honeymoon)... I wouldn't feel bad about it.... After all, it only happens once in your life.