It's gonna take a whole lotta money, or is it?

The budget! 

Probably the most frustrating part about planning a wedding. Especially if you're like us: Just getting started in your career and BAM the economy tanks! Now you're stuck in the same pay bracket you've been in for the last 4 years. Honestly though, I can't complain, my fiancé and I have both been fortunate enough to have survived the horrendous layoffs. Unfortunately we are both in the Architecture business so even as things begin to pick up we'll be one of the lasts to see it.

After we got engaged our office (yes we work together) gathered in our open meeting space and our boss poured champaign for everyone and gave us a very nice speech. Something about... "The times are hard but you've brought the smile to the office that we've all needed and you're moving forward while the economy is holding us back, you're taking a chance...." and a bunch of other mushy stuff I can't remember because I was lost at the bottom of my champaign glass.

But you know...... he was right,

 WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S ALWAYS A WAY!

First thing Levi and I did was move into a house together that increased our monthly rent. OK, that wasn't very smart but, I finally agreed to move in with him and we needed a house. We have a very large dog that requires a very large backyard. I did however pick up this cute piece of home decor to help remind us to save:

Chalkboard Piggy Bank $10.00 @ Target.com

   

Next we sat down and talked about what we expected of our wedding. Luckily we're both easy going and enjoy the natural beauty a nature setting has to offer. <----- This will save you $$ on decorating. We both also agreed on a rustic venue. A rustic venue comes with it's own charm and doesn't need anything more than a little sprucing to make it look wedding worthy.  We were able to find this in a State Park for less than half the cost most vendors charge for weddings. The State Park facilities we toured ranged from $80 a night to $800 AND came with tables and chairs to accommodate most sized weddings. 

Next we started talking to our friends about wedding costs to get an idea of what we were up against. OH BOY IS THAT A FAR AND WIDE RANGE! However very helpful! Since at least one of us had attended each wedding we were able to eliminate caterers by high cost first, taste second, and we managed to find a caterer at a low cost with delicious food that we both had already tasted! 

After word spread that we got engaged I was shocked how many people offered their assistance to help make our day special: We have friends that offered to: Play ceremony music, do flower arrangements who work at nurseries, roast pigs, search flea markets and vintage stores for decorations (some people just find the deals!), make cakes, coordinate our day/events leading up to it, take pictures, help make dresses, cook, set up and take down..... If you have friends with such talents RECRUIT them! They'll feel honored to help and be a part of it.

Everyone we talked to said the photographer would be an important/expensive check box on the budget list. This, I was willing to fork out some cash for until a married coupled friends of ours who recently had a baby mentioned they went to the local college and put an add up in the photography classroom for family photos. They said they had a huge response from students, graduates and even professionals looking for work offering outstanding deals. They were able to pick through the list and decide on what style they liked best. SCORE!!! That's a great idea that I never would have thought about!

Last do your reaserch! If you're reading this I assume most of you are, but there are lots of blogs out there that give crafty people like ourselves inspiration to do a lot on your own. A wedding isn't about the bells and whistles it's about having a good time and spreading the love with your family and friends, most people you talk to wont remember the decorations they'll just remember the time they had so don't fret on perfection, do some of it yourself and save a buck or two.

Here's a few ideas I've found helpful so far:

• Make a play list (On your invites ask each guest to choose two of their favorite party songs and write them down on the back of the return reservation card)
• Grow your own flowers or pick wild ones depending on your Season. I'm planning to make terrariums, those cute little chickadee cactus's reproduce themselves. All I have to do is pick a few from my yard and gather some moss!
• Hand-make your save the dates and invites
• Bake in bulk or can veggies/fruits for your guest gifts. I'm making my grandmas Strawberry Jam & his grandmas Apple Butter Sauce.
• Shop thrifty - There's lots of good finds out there if you take the time. Vases, jars, plates, linens, utensils, clothing, picture frames, furniture..... Pretty much anything
• Don't be afraid to ask for hand-me-downs. My 2-B sister in law is getting married this year and she's happy to hand down some items we're both collecting.
• Give yourself some time to be engaged. This will allow you to have time to do these things, to savior the engagement and enjoy a little time before being Husband and Wife - After all you have the rest of your life for that.

After most of these tips Levi & I have managed to come up with an estimated budget of only $7,000 and to be honest........ I think we can do it for less plus throw a band in there! 

Good luck and happy planning!