How much is your wedding costing you?

[Gin Bootles]

i haven't calculated it out yet, but i am trying to stay in a 6,000 dollar budget. but idk if its possible..

[JMikla]

• Flights & hotel (upgraded to a preferred suite with jacuzzi @ Dreams PV - $3085.00
• DIY Boarding Pass invites $150.00
• 1 week honeymoon @ Verana - $4020.00
• Wedding @ Las Caletas (includes transportation to mariana, boat ride for all of our guests, cocktail hour with appetizers, dinner, drinks, decor, sound system & dance floor, flowers, centre pieces,  bon fire and fire dancers for 70 guests - $11,933.00
• Photographer - $2,500 (includes 2 photographers for 12 hours)
• Dress & Veil - $1375.00
• Groom's Attire - $1500.00
• Hair & make up - $220.00
• Budget extras for Stagette/Stag, Spa treatments, flowers for the girls (buying white flowers from Costco) $1000.00

 

Grand Total - $26,683

 

I did not include alterations or shoes here as I have not looked into that yet.

[Danz]

Ours will probably cost us the same or even more then it would if we had it back home. We are trying to keep it under $20K + travel expenses of about $5K. I just could not justify spending $20K back home for 1 day that would be over before we knew it. We would also probably spend most of the time talking to people our parents invited that we barely know.  I can justify spending $20K over the course of a week with all of my closest family and friends. Best decision EVER!

[adevnturelovers]

I think for the states with big cities like mine NY , Cali, Chicago, etc., etc. , having a wedding here is insane. Like I said my best friend is having a central park wedding and she is over 80,000 at this point for about 150-175 guests. 

 

Another girlfriend of mine just spent 10,000 on flowers, flowers alone!!! Her wedding is about 65,000. I knew way back before I even met my fiance I just can't even imagine paying that much.

 

The crazy thing is after the wedding 3 out 4 couples who have these huge weddings either don't have a place to live !! They can't afford it!!! I just can't do it lol

 

Originally Posted by LovesJakeyPoo 

Yeah that's how I feel!! I was totally shocked when I heard but i guess their budget for alcohol is like 15k....lol that's the cost of my entire shin-dig! we are paying out of pocket too and hoping not to charge anything DW is the way to go if you ask meeh!

 

[LovesJakeyPoo]

I know I totally agree it kinda hurts meeh a little bit to even spend 15k....lol especially when i need a new car!

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by adevnturelovers 

I think for the states with big cities like mine NY , Cali, Chicago, etc., etc. , having a wedding here is insane. Like I said my best friend is having a central park wedding and she is over 80,000 at this point for about 150-175 guests. 

 

Another girlfriend of mine just spent 10,000 on flowers, flowers alone!!! Her wedding is about 65,000. I knew way back before I even met my fiance I just can't even imagine paying that much.

 

The crazy thing is after the wedding 3 out 4 couples who have these huge weddings either don't have a place to live !! They can't afford it!!! I just can't do it lol

 

 

 

[Gin Bootles]

wow 10000 on flowers! eek i could never afford that! but that is awesome for you! i am sure it will be beautiful

[future mrs k]

We had originally budgeted for $10,000.00 but I think we will just about doubled that budget so far......

-$3700.00 for flights and hotel

-$2500 for my dress and accessories (incl. alterations)

-$400 for BM dreses ( I only have 2 BM and I paid for their dresses)

-$250 for my bouquets (I made my own feather bouquets)

-$1500 for photographer (we paid for her trip to come so she will take pics all week for us!)

-$500 for Groom and groomsmen attire

-$4500 for the wedding package (we went with the highest package we could that upgrades us to the presidential suite and offers private ceremony location and private palapa for a sit down dinner)

-$1500 for reception dinner (we have over 60 people booked so far and we only get 10 people included in our package)

-$2000 for extras (private transportation from airport to resort, BM hair and makeup, rehersal dinner dress, etc.)

-$??? for wedding bands

[clgriffi7]

I think I will end up spending about $25.5k by the time the whole wedding process is done.  That includes $900 for the legal wedding event, $21K for the wedding in Mexico, and $3.5k for the party back home (AHP).

The breakdown for the Mexico wedding is:

- $450 in paper goods (from STDs, to invites, to programs, to thank you cards - including postage)

- $2700 for attire (for bride, groom, 1x MOH, and 3x groomsmen, 3x flower girls, wedding bands)

- $300 in extras (these are the detail items I bought that were simply for pictures - think underwear embroidered with "Mrs. ____")

- $500 in gifts for parents and bridal party

- $3000 for photographer (including plane tickets, 5 night stay for him and his wife + small fee = engagement, bridal, rehearsal, wedding day, TTD, and excursion photos)

- $3100 for travel (for B & G for 8 nights + 1 GM for 5 night - free nights for group booking)

- $2000 for group excursion (totally a splurge) 

- $2800 for the wedding package

- $5700 for wedding add-ons (DJ, dance floor, centerpieces, extra guests, $400 in donation favors, hair/makeup for MOH, MB, & MG, upgraded cake, etc...)

- $600 for OOT bags

 

I never really looked at the total amount before (across all 3 events) - but that is a lot of money.  However, I know we would have spent at least that $25K on a traditional (single day) wedding back home and not had nearly as much fun!

[Gin Bootles]

wow that is incredible! i thought DIY was cheaper, i might have to rethink all of this

[clgriffi7]

There are definitely ways I could have cut costs with just minimal impact to the wedding if we needed to save the money.  (I am a bit older of a bride and have been saving money for years - so my fiance is not getting in my way of spending my money on the wedding - smart man, eh?)

 

For example I could cut the following:

- $2000 for the excursion

- approx $700 for the legal wedding, if we just went to the courthouse and didn't plan on taking family out to a nice dinner

- approx $1500 for the DJ and dance floor (could use an ipod and with a rented sound system and just dance on the sand)

- approx $600, could trade in the cocktail hour to pay for the extra guests at the reception

- approx $1200 on photography, could have used the resort photographer that comes with the wedding package at the resort and just pay for a TTD session with that photographer

- approx $2000 on the AHP by just reserving a room at a local bar and paying for a tab (not worrying about food or cupcakes or slideshow) - just a chance to hang out

- approx $1000 by making all sorts of other smaller cuts (cheaper gifts, less in OOT bags, not paying for bridal party attire, bringing centerpieces to Mexico, etc.)

 

So it is definitely possible to make a DW considerably less expensive than a traditional wedding.

 

Originally Posted by Gin Bootles 

wow that is incredible! i thought DIY was cheaper, i might have to rethink all of this