My wedding is next September, and I have already been planning it for over two years. I have a lot already bought for the big day. But I haven’t booked a venue or photographer yet, among other things. I’ve already spent a big portion of my budget, and I’m getting frustrated that I can’t get what I want. I wish my wedding didn’t have a budget!
If I didn’t have to stick to a budget for my wedding, I’d go crazy (in a good way)! I’d get everything I’ve imagined for my wedding since I was a little girl. It would be the perfect stress-free day!
These are the 10 things I would absolutely do if my wedding had no budget:
1. Hire an amazing photographer
I myself am a photographer, and I know that you get what you pay for. I would get a photographer who is great at capturing the moment, while still producing a great image with great composition.
2. Get a glamorous cake
I absolutely love sweets, and anyone who knows me knows that about me. I would get a cake that was absolutely breathtaking. It would have blue hydrangeas on it, and it would be delicious!
3. Invite more guests
I would invite all of my family, his family and all of our friends. It would be a big, happy celebration that nobody would forget. I know everybody would be dancing and having a good time!
4. Have a different fancy dress for the rehearsal dinner, wedding, reception and getaway
I think it would be so fun to have a different look for each part of the wedding. It would be a fun way to show off my personality. Although I already have my wedding dress, it’s always fun to try them on!
5. Get beautiful wedding bands for my man and me
I would love to get a beautiful statement piece that could also be worn everyday. I think a diamond wedding band would be beautiful, and look amazing by itself or with my engagement ring. I’d love my groom to have a very sturdy, masculine band.
6. Have a large wedding party
I would love to have about seven or eight girls in my bridal party, but it just doesn’t fit in my budget. It would be great to have all of mine and my groom’s closest friends and family standing up there with us on our special day. And all of the wedding festivities would be so much fun with a large group!
7. Book a very long and expensive honeymoon trip
My man and I are very busy people, so it would be nice to get away for awhile just the two of us. I’d love to go on a trip without worrying how to pay for everything. Just spending time together in a relaxing place would be amazing! Plus, we’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii.
8. Buy presents for my wedding party
I’d love to get each of my bridesmaids some jewelry from Tiffany & Co. It would be fun to pick something out to fit each of their personalities. And I think it would be so cool for my groom to give his groomsmen nice watches, or something else men like!
9. Buy my man an awesome wedding present
I would love to get my man whatever he wants on our big day, whether it’s the latest iPad or a new watch. I just want to make him happy!
10. Buy myself a wedding present
If I had the money, I’d buy myself a brand new digital camera and a bunch of new lenses. I would take pictures of my husband and me the day after the wedding using all my new camera gear. It would be a dream come true!
If you didn’t have a budget, what would you do for your wedding?
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guest
I was overall very satisfied with how my wedding turned out, but if I had extra cash, I would have spent it more on the dress, hair and makeup, dinner reception instead of lunch with unlimited open bar, paid for dresses/tux rental for the bridesmaids/groomsmen…and an extravagant honeymoon.
guest
You can always get a plain cake, and order some organic hydrangeas and have someone place it on the cake in a pretty way! Simple cake would be cheaper and the hydrangeas shoudn’t cost too much more. =)
If I had a bigger budget, I would have had a massive dessert room, spent some more on my dress, flown my out of country famiy in, so I could enjoy it with them. =)
orchid / 248 posts
For a photographer, if you find someone you like, allowing them to use your photos in their portfolio can get you a discount,
As for favors for your groomsmen and bridesmaids you could MAKE engraved glasses for them, I made my uncle a set of tumblers with the pepsi logo on them by buying some paste that creates a frosted finish on the glass. It’s relatively cheap, easy to do and very unique
For the cake, get a two tiered cake with the hydrangeas you want, and have a basic sheet cake for the guests to eat, rather than a huge fancy cake to feed everyone with.
You are getting married in September, AFTER prom season lol, go try on some cute white prom dresses, you can get them seriously cheap after prom and they are fancy enough to wear to the different parts of your wedding, PLUS you won’t have to worry about spilling on your wedding dress and being weighed down on the dance floor. Besides have you seen some of todays prom dresses? They look like wedding gowns
guest
I have always wanted to elope and I dont want things like cake, the bridesmaids/groomsmen, a massive dress, stupid flowers (I hate flowers), and all the junk like that. If I had a big budget to spend on a wedding I think I would put it all into a gift for my new husband, something nice for the house, and a big adventure of a honeymoon. I know that’s not really the common opinion but it’s what I like.
ranunculus / 3457 posts
I would love to have both my fiance’s and our families there. We’re from different countries so sadly it’s too expensive to fly everyone everywhere.
guest
My fiance and I are getting married at the courthouse by choice. We wasn’t too keen on blowing more than a couple of days pay on one day when the importance should be placed in the marriage itself. Not that I’m judging anyone who chooses to have a big wedding… But if I had more money, I’d definitely want to go on a fabulous tropical honeymoon.
guest
Mmm food. And cool wedding favors!
guest
when I get married I want a 10 layer cake with 10 different flavours
everything else, I don’t really care
magnolia / 1357 posts
I would love to just get married at the courthouse or to have a backyard wedding (and my backyard is small)… but my boyfriend doesn’t seem to like this idea too much; he says it would kill his mom if her oldest child didn’t have a “proper” wedding (using his words). I know it would also kill my mom, but I really just don’t want to deal with the hassle of the wedding and the wedding’s expenses.
Like someone else mentioned, the important part is the marriage, not the wedding. It really bothers me that my mom keeps saying snarky comments of other people’s weddings and things they shouldn’t have done and insulting them and whatever… and then goes ahead and tells me that I have to do things I don’t want (I don’t want to wear the garter and I don’t want to throw the bouquet… I don’t care about cutting a cake and I could do without the plus one’s).
rose / 786 posts
As of right now, my budget is very limited. I don’t really care, because at the end of the day I’ll be married to the man of my dreams. But if I did have a little extra I would probably use it for hair and make-up for my and my bridesmaids. I do NOT want a huge bridal party. 5 or 6 at the most. So I wouldn’t be changing that. But I would probably also use it to buy my bridesmaids nice gifts. I have no idea what I’m going to get them at this point. It’s not going to be some crappy thing, but it’s not going to be super extravagant. It will probably be something for them to wear on the wedding day. Like jewelry or their shoes.
guest
That’s quite the list!
I’m not getting married any time soon, but if I had some large budget, I would probably spend it on:
1. Getting my husband-to-be a nice and meaningful wedding present. Not something as big or expensive as a car, but something that I’d know mean a lot to him.
2. Renting out a portion of a hotel so that distant family and friends could stay comfortably for the duration of the wedding festivities…or rent out a larger house so that everyone could stay there together (best wedding memory is of spending two days/nights with 50% of the wedding guests staying in the same house–insane two days, but definitely an amazing two days)
3. Either a longer honeymoon, or another mini-honeymoon after 6 months or a year after our wedding (I think it’d be nice to have a getaway every once in a while just to get to know each other better in a stress-free environment)
4. A nice photographer/videographer. I’ve thought more about having an awesome photographer than I have about having the wedding itself, lol. There are actually two photographers/videographers that I already have in mind, one in Toronto, the other in the Bay Area…I’d probably fly them out.
I don’t think I’d have a grand wedding even if I had an infinite budget. The best weddings I’ve gone to are the ones that gave me more memories, rather than the ones that had a lot spent on them. If I had the money, I’d probably spend it on small family and friends get-togethers until the day of the wedding. It would be awesome to have a sort of bachelorette trip, rather than a party–to just be able to go on a road trip with some girl friends.
guest
I have to say..I would probably do just about everything you already listed on your list! If I didn’t have a budget & were getting married lol.
I would love to be able to book a beautiful spot, overlooking the ocean, with a castle or large manor type accompanying it. The ocean & castles always have such a romantic feel! I probably wouldn’t spend too much on millions of guests, just friends & family, not like cousins 8 times removed & such. I would want a fancy wedding cake, & beautiful wedding bands for myself & guy. I guess in the end though..even if I get married in a freakin’ alleyway as long as it’s to the love of my life & some friends/family can attend – it’s totally worth it. No amount of money can compare to the memories & love ya know? Buuuut, it’d be nice to have the money anyways to go all out! Especially for the honeymoon! Private island with massages & crystal blue waters & drinks & exotic food? YES PLEASE.
orchid / 119 posts
In all reality looking at what I’d love to have for a wedding… I want a TLC wedding. I would lovelovelove to go shopping for my dress at Kleinfelds! Have them just pamper me and the owner gush over me, ughh! And Nick Arrojo (who was on What Not To Wear) to do my hair. I really don’t like cake, so I’d probably have a cake but then some super chocolate brownie sundae thing as well.
And I wish I could get married at Disney World with a character saying the vows and stay in the Princess Suite and ahhh!
guest
I don’t know, in my mind bigger wedding = more stress. So I don’t know how any of this stuff would make the day stress free. Maybe add “a very good wedding planner who you can trust to take care of everything and anything”.
Number 7 is the only one I’d really be interested in. But maybe along those lines, have a wedding somewhere abroad and be able to pay for everyone to fly and stay in a hotel. I’d love to get married in a castle or a cave or somewhere exotic with all my friends.
guest
I’m sorry you can’t have everything you’ve ever wanted for your wedding, but I hope your special day is wonderful none-the-less!
guest
If we were to live in a world where money does not exist (like the United Federations in Star Trek) , then I like to get married in a beautiful setting– place of ruins in the countryside with oak trees. Because I am an introvert, I don’t think I will be able to invite a whole lot of people, but I will make sure all the families and friends I love will make it. I’d also like the Flaming Lips and the Muppets to entertain for the reception. The honeymoon will definitely be fun!