Newbie: Groom-To-Be Help Needed!

[bburl09]

Hello everyone.  I am in desperate need of some wedding advice, and I hope the experts on this forum would be able to assist me.

But first, let me tell you all my story (I'll be quick):

 

My name is Brandon, I'm 26 and currently going through my first year of dental school in the great state of Georgia.  I've been dating the same wonderful gal, Lindsey, for 6 years now and I proposed to her in late spring of 2013.  We picked up all of our belongings (including our 3 dogs, all Chihuahuas) and moved away from both of our families so that I can go through 4 grueling years of dental school.  My fiance and I have been really stressing about what kind of wedding we are going to have, since money is an issue for us.  My bride-to-be has already purchased a dress (from what I hear, she looks beautiful in it) but we are still at a loss as to how we will actually get married.  We will be paying for the entire thing on our own, and after several weeks of trying to find the right venue, the right guest list, photographer etc, we decided to just travel somewhere and get married/mini-honeymoon there.  We have the dates figured out already, which will be very close to May 21 - May 28.  I have my one and only summer break this summer which is only 5 weeks long.  This will be our only shot to enjoy our wedding/first week as a couple. 

 

Now that you all know a bit about me, i'll give you guys a few details:

It would be best if we could get married inside the U.S. (passports seem like an unncessary expense; that money could be better spent elsewhere)

We are both hoping to have some great photos taken, so we were hoping a beach type wedding/location would be possible

The plane tickets will be provided by my parents (my father travels a lot and has graciously offered to redeem some of his miles for our tickets)

I'd say that we have about $2000 to spend for the whole shebang.  That's what goal we have set for ourselves, and will try to stick to it.

 

Any helpful advice you guys have would be greatly appreciated.  If there's any other additional information that is needed, I'll be happy to provide it.

 

 

[TammyWright]

welcome Brandon!  Have you looked into florida or south carolina?

[Moments That Matter]

Welcome to the forum, Brandon, and Congrats on your engagement and upcoming wedding!!! sounds like you have a good idea of what you're looking for, so that's always a great start you'll find lots of helpful info here as well as some great resources.

All the best with your studies and wedding plans - cheers!

 

team MTM

[rvalenka]

I would definitely look into South Carolina or the Outer Banks, North Carolina. The key to keeping your budget would be a minimal guest list. Guests are the expensive part! Good luck and congratulations!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[krisdaversa]

Hello everyone.  I am in desperate need of some wedding advice, and I hope the experts on this forum would be able to assist me.

But first, let me tell you all my story (I'll be quick):

 

My name is Brandon, I'm 26 and currently going through my first year of dental school in the great state of Georgia.  I've been dating the same wonderful gal, Lindsey, for 6 years now and I proposed to her in late spring of 2013.  We picked up all of our belongings (including our 3 dogs, all Chihuahuas) and moved away from both of our families so that I can go through 4 grueling years of dental school.  My fiance and I have been really stressing about what kind of wedding we are going to have, since money is an issue for us.  My bride-to-be has already purchased a dress (from what I hear, she looks beautiful in it) but we are still at a loss as to how we will actually get married.  We will be paying for the entire thing on our own, and after several weeks of trying to find the right venue, the right guest list, photographer etc, we decided to just travel somewhere and get married/mini-honeymoon there.  We have the dates figured out already, which will be very close to May 21 - May 28.  I have my one and only summer break this summer which is only 5 weeks long.  This will be our only shot to enjoy our wedding/first week as a couple. 

 

Now that you all know a bit about me, i'll give you guys a few details:

It would be best if we could get married inside the U.S. (passports seem like an unncessary expense; that money could be better spent elsewhere)

We are both hoping to have some great photos taken, so we were hoping a beach type wedding/location would be possible

The plane tickets will be provided by my parents (my father travels a lot and has graciously offered to redeem some of his miles for our tickets)

I'd say that we have about $2000 to spend for the whole shebang.  That's what goal we have set for ourselves, and will try to stick to it.

 

Any helpful advice you guys have would be greatly appreciated.  If there's any other additional information that is needed, I'll be happy to provide it.

 

I went to a wedding down in Florida a few years a go. My friend from Montreal rented a house and had it catered for under $2,000. They got married on the beach and a lot of the friends and family brought a bottle or two of wine or food and helped decorate. It was beautiful! maybe that is something you can think about?

[RaynDrop]

Hello everyone.  I am in desperate need of some wedding advice, and I hope the experts on this forum would be able to assist me.

But first, let me tell you all my story (I'll be quick):

 

My name is Brandon, I'm 26 and currently going through my first year of dental school in the great state of Georgia.  I've been dating the same wonderful gal, Lindsey, for 6 years now and I proposed to her in late spring of 2013.  We picked up all of our belongings (including our 3 dogs, all Chihuahuas) and moved away from both of our families so that I can go through 4 grueling years of dental school.  My fiance and I have been really stressing about what kind of wedding we are going to have, since money is an issue for us.  My bride-to-be has already purchased a dress (from what I hear, she looks beautiful in it) but we are still at a loss as to how we will actually get married.  We will be paying for the entire thing on our own, and after several weeks of trying to find the right venue, the right guest list, photographer etc, we decided to just travel somewhere and get married/mini-honeymoon there.  We have the dates figured out already, which will be very close to May 21 - May 28.  I have my one and only summer break this summer which is only 5 weeks long.  This will be our only shot to enjoy our wedding/first week as a couple. 

 

Now that you all know a bit about me, i'll give you guys a few details:

It would be best if we could get married inside the U.S. (passports seem like an unncessary expense; that money could be better spent elsewhere)

We are both hoping to have some great photos taken, so we were hoping a beach type wedding/location would be possible

The plane tickets will be provided by my parents (my father travels a lot and has graciously offered to redeem some of his miles for our tickets)

I'd say that we have about $2000 to spend for the whole shebang.  That's what goal we have set for ourselves, and will try to stick to it.

 

Any helpful advice you guys have would be greatly appreciated.  If there's any other additional information that is needed, I'll be happy to provide it.

 

Hello Brandon! Congrats!  It is wonderful to see a groom so involved!

 

 

A good place to start is by making a couple of list.  "Wants" & "Must Haves"  Once you know what you and your FIs priorities are for your perfect wedding you can work on getting the details to work.

[amy330]

Congratulations and good luck in your planning.  I'm sure it will be beautiful!

[deborahssalinas]

Congrats on your engagement! Planning up a wedding can be really stressful so it would be ideal that you start with the planning right away. Choosing the apt wedding venue is usually the hardest task - so make sure that you make the right decision in choosing the right wedding venue within your budget! 

[RandL2015]

I know a lot of people love Charleston, SC. Beautiful beaches.

[acw271011]

Hi Brandon! Congrats on your upcoming wedding! I agree with the others that have suggested South Carolina or Florida. there are spots on the Keys that aren't that expensive. I remember looking into a place in South Carolina - I've attached the link. It's not far from Myrtle Beach so hotel accommodations wouldn't be a problem, and they offer beach locations. Might be worth a look. As well there are always the reviews on this site to take a look through and see if there is something that might work for you.

 

http://www.seasideweddingchapel.com/about-us.cfm

 

Good luck and happy planning!