monieandjavietorres's Pink wedding

i know how you feel, when i first got engaged my mother and i looked at a "building" and it cost 7,000 to rent with no decor, no food, no tables, not cleanup and most important not guest parking!!

i am livin' by your philosophy..as long as its not outrageous its good for us. but i do try to get deals.  try sam's wholesale or walmart to get your flowers in bulk!!

Luckly I found this reception site that offers it at $3,000--thats includes up to 7 hours of rental, food, tables, linen, clean-up, security, and some decorations. It think it works.......It also allows us to bring our own liqour--watch out Sam's Club here we come :)

lol my reception (with food, cake, alhocol and all that jazz) will be about 13K but I do have a budget and I plan on sticking to it.

I'm sure you know how much you want or don't want to spend on the wedding. I would suggest starting at 60K and if that's too much go to 55 and if still too much 50 and so on. Once you hit a mark that you think you will be able to afford I highly recommend separating that into categories. Allocate the most to things that are the most important to you and so forth.

That is just my recommendation. Good luck with your planning.

I am with you we really didnt set a budget either!! We started to but then we kept getting help here and there so it was like pointless to try and set a budget for what we could afford. All in all we are really lucking out because really all that we have to pay for is the food!!! Well and some little things here and there!!!

no budget, but i know whats too outrageous to spend & all..

I spent the last 8 months planning our wedding and I STRONGLY suggest you set a budget. I cannot stress this enough. It is very beneficial to know what you have to spend up front. I personally have never had the experience of planning an event this large, and it can be very overwhelming. Because of my inexperience, I wasn't sure how much money to put toward everything. You said  "...we were looking at $13,000 (approx.) just for reception site, food and alcohol. To me that?s outrageous!!" How do you know for sure if this is outrageous, when you have nothing to base it on? Do your research! You may be surprised. Your reception will traditionally be the bulk of your expenses. It is VERY easy to get sidetracked and spend money on various details for your big day - trust me, it adds up. You don't want to start your life together in debt. Don't lose sight of what's important. There are some fantastic websites (and books!) out there to help you plan AND budget. I used www.theknot.com and it really saved me. WRITE ALL EXPENSES DOWN. Do NOT rely on your memory. You can justify anything to yourself. Unless you have very deep pockets, avoid a stressful situation and PLEASE allocate a budget. It will really help you. All the best!