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Sticker Shock

December 30th, 2009 at 09:55 pm

I have a daughter who is just starting to plan a wedding for June of'11. I have been trying to (gently) get them to pick a date, so we can shop for a reception hall. I imagine that June dates fill up fast. So, I have been doing a little calling around this week, OMG! There are four places in a reasonble driving distance, and the prices are pretty similar (expected that) they average around $1000, not including the food! Then probably another $2000 for the catering, DJ, decorations, etc. Not to mention the dresses, flowers, rings. I think that we need to have a talk about what they expect their wedding to look like. Now they have not asked for a single thing, or help, but I was planning on offering to help out, at least. The grooms Father passed away in the Summer, and I don't think his Mother is in a position to put out much financially, so I am very curious to see what they have in mind. I was laying awake earlier, my mind just whirling with possibilites. My daughter will yell at me, but I can't help it, I'm a planner. I like to put it all down on paper, neatly in black and white, it helps me feel more in control. There is nothing more to do for now, but wait to see what happens. I'm not good at waiting (already guessed that didn't ya).

9 Responses to “Sticker Shock”

  1. creditcardfree Says:
    1262210916

    Good luck! Maybe you can find a number that works with your budget...and let them know that is the amount you are willing to help with. Anything more would be for them to pay for.

  2. gamecock43 Says:
    1262210930

    OMG weddings. A financial disaster. Weddings are soooo expensive. I just had one. you can check out my previous posts. There are a few ways to save some money...but on the whole they are just very expensive.

  3. monkeymama Says:
    1262221624

    Good Luck!

    Consideration for nice/affordable venue - public golf course. I got the tip from a friend who was getting married around the same time as I. Since we ended up getting married Sunday, 'twas free. Of course, we did the Sunday thing MORE so we could do it in a shorter time period (3-4 months to plan). Absolutely everything else cost the same on Saturday. But saved a few hundred dollars on the reception hall that way. OF course, I went to the most GORGEOUS wedding at another public golf course recently - it's just a great idea to keep costs down. Every other place we looked at was just insanely expensive in comparison.

  4. thriftorama Says:
    1262228133

    Well, two of my friends are getting married in October, and to save money on a reception AND ensure that everyone has fun--- They are going to rent a taco truck, pull it into our backyard and have the reception here. We are going to string thousands of christmas lights in the trees, plug the ipod into a friend's stereo system, and have some other friends contribute the booze. Voila. A memorable, comfortable, and FUN reception for not a lot of money.

    When I got married, a lot of people tried to tell me what we NEEDED to have for our wedding, but really, the point of a wedding is to make a public commitment to show your friends and family that you are serious about this person, and B. have fun.

  5. homebody Says:
    1262267057

    Thirftorama, sounds like a great time at that wedding!

    We were able to come in under $10,000 on YD's wedding in 2006 for around 100 guests. Morning wedding with brunch. All dresses bought off the rack at David's Bridal. The wedding venue provided everything except the alcohol: Brunch, flowers, cake and even wet towels to clean up after the cake feeding by the bride and groom!

    Hey if your daughter yells at you (I have 3), tell her she is on her own and as much as you want to plan to have a perfect wedding, heck let her worry about it. I was lucky, we had 12 days to get the wedding done so there was not much to argue over....we were both just happy to actually be having a real wedding instead of courthouse situation!

  6. HouseHopeful Says:
    1262294328

    Good luck with the wedding. I'm a big planner too, even when its to the annoyance of others Smile

  7. girltherapy Says:
    1262299527

    Thanks , I never thought about a golf club, we do have a couple in the area. I also really like the idea of an outdoor gathering, but June nights in Michigan can be real chilly, and you just KNOW that if you plan an outdoor anything, you need a plan B, or it will rain for sure! I'm sure that you'll be hearing more in the future!

  8. financeaholic Says:
    1262887039

    i'm getting married this winter (we were going to do june as well but getting into the game this late is financial suicide). so we pushed it off until winter. doing so, prices across the board will be deeply discounted. the wedding we wanted to have this summer probably would have cost about 7K. the same wedding in the winter will cost closer to 5K for about 100 people. and we don't exactly live in a LCOL area either - seattle. can they be convinced to wait a few extra months? i think the busy season for weddings ends in september so can they wait until october?

  9. financeaholic Says:
    1262887071

    look into community centers as well!

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