I Am Lost!!!!!

Don't forget Hobby Lobby. A lot of times they have their wedding decorations 50% off. If not they are always having cupons for 40% off one item. My sister got married this summer and bought her brides and grooms cake at Walmart. They turned out very nice. I have a size 2T flower girl dress and blue bridesmaids dress you can have if you are interested. E'mail me and I can send you pictures. Good luck.

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A.,

Here are my two cents: You are EXTREMELY stressed. When I am extremely stressed, I just want the stress to GO AWAY. You have the power to make your wedding planning stress go away, which is, forget about a wedding! I say this b/c since money is so tight for you, it's not worth it!! Save your money for important things, like your kids. Don't waste the little money you have on flowers or food for your guests or anything else. I say just go to city hall and get married and be done with it. To celebrate your marriage, either go out to dinner w/ your family and perhaps close friends, or order in (that will even be cheaper)! Have some champaigne and celebrate! Your stress is NOT worth it! It will make you sick. Congrats on your upcoming wedding, hopefully stress free and at city hall.

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Once upon a time, before society magazines and bridal shows made people think otherwise, a 'normal' wedding would take place in the morning, at the local parish, usually on a weekday (when the clergy had free time) and was followed by a 'wedding breakfast' often provided by the church ladies or the bride's extended family. Everyone wore their regular 'Sunday best' and wedding presents were rare, given only by very wealthy or very close relatives. The guest list was either 'the parish' or the couple's parents, best friends and siblings --like 40 people, max.

No decorations, no 'entertainment' and no expectation of 150 people being fed, wined and danced in some fairy tale castle until the wee hours. Of course, much of what happens at weddings today wasn't done by royalty at gala 'balls' 200 years ago. Or, rather, the kinds of things that happened at balls have all been collected together and now couples are expected to re-enact everything possible, all in one day, all at tremendous expense. Why?!?

Fresh, local flowers that are not 'arranged' by professionals make nice decorations and bouquets --they are a lot cheaper than exotics and anything a pro wrote 'wedding' on. There is something about the word 'bride' that brings out the dollar signs, in many industries. Even party planners tend to add 50-200% to their prices just because it's a wedding, not a retirement or birthday. Which is ridiculous, but apparently a great many people are going along with it.

If you time the wedding and afterparty for between obvious meal times (like wedding at 1:30, party from 2 - 4:30) people will not expect to be fed, or fed much, and you can just do the cake thing and leave.

Remember, this isn't your Princess Day. That was your 5th birthday. This is your 'I'm an adult who can be fiscally-responsible' celebration of the beginning of your marriage. There is no reason to go into debt for this, not the least because debt is a bad place to start a marriage!

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You are going to do what you want to do, but I strongly remember one of your previous requests. I went and looked and it was just August 6, 2009. That is WAY to soon to be getting married. You say that he changed but yet you describe how he was going right back to his old ways. My advice is still the same, learn to stand on your own two feet. Just because you don't want to be alone, really? Grow up and get help before it's too late!!!!!!!

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I didn't read other responses, but my brother in law just got married last week and we helped with a luncheon after the wedding. We started at the dollar store for decorations. One of the best things we found was for centerpieces for the tables, some heart-shaped candy dishes, then got bags of candy, like after-dinner mints, and Hershey's kisses, to fill the dishes - simple, looks nice, and everyone loved the candy! But the dollar store has some surprisingly nice decorations, streamers, balloons, stuff for centerpieces, tablecloths, and of course, paper plates, napkins, cups, etc. in a variety of colors - so if you're not looking for anything too fancy, I'd start there.

Our wedding was in my in-law's backyard. One thing I did to cut cost was to get a basic 3 tier cake from the local grocery store - no decorations. I decorated it with fresh flowers from that season. We didn't have centerpieces. Each bridesmaid had a small handful of wildflowers and I carried 3 cala lilies, all tied with a simple ribbon. Dinner was a backyard BBQ. Our wedding was simple, inexpensive and turned out beautiful. Remember to have fun and enjoy your day. Good luck on your new journey!

Definitely have your friends be a part of it, and if they have a special talent, etc., that can be their gift to you for your wedding. For my wedding, one friend bought the flowers, another sewed the bridesmaids dresses, etc. Take advantage of Fall - pumpkins are EVERYWHERE in all kinds of sizes (for centerpieces). The other moms gave some great advice, so try to relax. It's YOUR day, do what YOU want to do and enjoy. Target even makes wedding cakes, and their cake samples are YUMMY. You're friends are just going to be happy for you, so have fun :)

Congratulations! I just wanted to tell you about my wedding. My husband and I were VERY short of money, basically no budget at all. This was back in 1991, and we were afraid he would have to ship out for the Gulf War, so we also had no time to plan things. My dress cost $40, and was just an ordinary department store one. I did splash out on new shoes. My husband wore his one and only suit. We got married at city hall, with my mother, sister and nephew as guests. After the ceremony we went to Burger King for something to eat, then home, and my mom took some pictures of us, and that was it!

We have been married almost 19 years now, and look back on that day with very fond memories. Remember, it's not the stuff, it's the love and the people that matter. We always meant to renew our vows and do the whole big thing, but so far we haven't, and I don't feel at all like I missed out.

Try and enjoy this time as much as you can, and don't stress too much. You don't need all the trimmings to have a successful marriage.

Good luck!

Here are a few suggestions:

Shop Sam's Club or Costco for flowers. You can keep it simple and just use simple vases and put the flowers in them. The best place to buy vases are at thrift stores. A friend of mine just put vases of flowers on her table and the different shapes and sizes really made it look professionally done. You can get some ribbon from Michaels or Hobby Lobby, be sure to use their online coupons.

For dresses for the kids go to Once Upon a Child. They even carry larger kids sizes. You can get a suit for your step son and beautiful dresses for the girls at a fraction of the cost. For the brides maid dresses, shop at JCPenney, Marshalls or TJ Maxx. Don't shop at David's Bridal or any other boutique store, they are way overpriced.

For decorations: I did labels that you print off the computer and wrapped them around the Hershey's candies (you know the combination of Krackle, Goodbar, and so forth). An Avery 5160 should work just fine. Then you can put them on the table and scatter glitter or confetti. You can also buy table clothes in bulk at Sams Club. Now is a good time to get candy since it is getting close to Halloween. You could also use Dove Chocolates that are shaped like hearts without having to wrap them.

Look online for ideas, there are a ton of great things you can do on a small budget.

Why not take advantage of the season and use a fall theme? You could buy pots of carnations and use fall leaves for decorations. You could wear the white dress and the others could wear reds, oranges, yellows and browns. Many people might even be able to use something they already own, depending on your degree of formality. You could purchase a simple white wedding cake from WalMart or Albertsons or Tom Thumb, etc, then add fall leaves, flowers or whatever to make it match the theme. You should be able to find pumpkins cheap after Halloween - cutting it a little close maybe - but pumpkins and decorative gourds are very fitting for a Harvest them.
What time of day are you getting married? Like others pointed out, the time of day you are getting married determines how much you have to feed people.
We got married at my parent's house in the evening and had finger foods and party trays from WalMart. My cousin made the cake. We used fresh flowers for the bouquets and silk flowers for the tables, etc. My mom still uses them as decorations 11 years later. Renting tables and chairs is not as expensive as you would think.
I would definitely recommend that you set your theme and your budget before you go to Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Otherwise you will spend yourself silly and wind up with stuff you don't need. (easy to do - trust me.) We used the clear plasticware, cups, plates, etc from Party City, but I would recommend that you check WalMart first, because they are cheaper. We used yards of fabric to make table cloths to unify all of the tables, then used it to make curtains later.
Good luck and have fun. We planned our wedding in 7 weeks. Just remember - as long as you have good friends, your family, a man that you love, some good food and a little music, everyone will have a good time. Don't forget to enjoy yourself. (Plus you have a two stepchildren and a little baby--maybe you can use the older two as wedding coordinators!)

Do yourself a big favor and keep it very simple. You will be glad later. Let your attendants/friends who participate choose their own dresses---various colors are pretty. Long-stemmed roses at Kroger are not that expensive if each person carries one rose. Since it is outdoors, you have God's trees, etc. as your backdrop. The less money you spend, the better.

go to www.weddingwishes.com you'll find a ton of services in the DFW metroplex that can help with your budget needs.

I understand when my husband and I got married we didn't have a lot of money either. I know that I have seen commercials on TV for David's bridal having a sale for dresses for $99. And with flowers we did them our selves. See if you have any friends that are creative and if they will help. We bought most of them at traders village in Grand Prairie. We did not have professional pictures taken we just found a friend that would take them and that we before dig cams where popular. And to video it you can find someone to do that I am sure. There are many ways to cut corners. The cake was the most expensive thing I think we had but there are places you can get those done and if it's not a hug wedding then you don't need a really big cake but yes you want a nice one.

Good luck and God bless you and your family!

First you need to decide what is really important to you and what isn't. For my wedding we didn't do centerpieces because they were expensive and I didn't find them necessary. We didn't do champange toast because people can toast with what they are already drinking and champange can be expensive. Craigslist is a great please to find people reselling dresses, deocrations and other items. Also for pictures put instant cameras on each table and just have the guest be the photographer. Check the grocery stores for flowers. I'm not from the area either, but the grocery stores in Maryland all do wedding flowers and are pretty inexpensive compared to a florist.

If you'd like a photographer check out erickeithscott.com. We're open that day. Our packages "normally" start at $1600 BUT for a small wedding like that we could work w/you. Decide what you'd like to spend and let me know. Be honest and I'll let you know if it's doable. Every bride needs her day captured.
C. P. Reinoso
____@____.com

I got married last year, and we had our wedding within two weeks! I planned the whole thing almost all online in one day. We had a very small wedding in Las Vegas though. I bought my dress on David's Bridal online. They have $99 sales all the time.
We already had our rings, but mine were bought off ebay. We paid less than $40 for the whole set. My husband's was more expensive, but that's another story.
My cousin got married recently and bought the bridesmaid's dresses at Ross. It may have just been the maid of honor's dress. I can't remember.
It's also all about who you know! Do you know someone who takes great pictures? Makes cakes? Etc?
You can totally do this!! I wish I could help, but the only thing I could do for you would be the bachelorette party that you wouldn't be planning yourself anyway.
Good luck and congratulations!!!!!

If you need invitations I would be happy to help www.WorksofaWink.com, email me and I will give you a discount ____@____.com

I can have the invitations to your pretty quickly in order for you to get them mailed out in a timely fashion.

I also have a friend who did my sisters photography for her wedding and did a WONDERFUL job and is very affordable. She really only does small, intimate weddings so it would be perfect for what you are looking. She also will give you the CD with all of the images so you can share with family and you don't have to order prints through her. That alone will save you a ton of money. Her website is www.Watermelon-Photography.com and her name is Laura Beltran

Good luck and Congrads!

check out trieft stores for dresses and hobby lobby for every thing else

My (now) mother-in-law did my cake. www.tastfullyyourscakes.com SOOOOO good and she doesn't charge nearly what should could.

We found my center pieces on clearance at Garden Ridge, which is pretty cheap to begin with, and pre-ordered the flowers from Costco. We assembled them ourselves and it turned out great. I ordered some tea leaves to submerge in the water of the vases and hide the flower steams. Super cute. We also bought our table cloths because, believe it or not, it was cheaper than renting them from somewhere. Look online for commercial type linens.

There's a place off 75 in McKinney called Paper Lion and they do a very quick and great job with invitations. Best job and price that I could find.

Good luck and congrats!! I am sure it will be beautiful!

I can totally help you and would be happy to!! My number is ###-###-#### and email is ____@____.com

I have another wedding that day but I can help with flowers, photography, budget planning etc. I won't charge you for advice or referrals so don't think I am trying to make a quick buck because you are pressured. I specialize in helping brides have wonderful weddings despite their budget and time constraints.

I have a wholesale flower market you can go in yourself and make your bouquets etc. I would be happy to give you step by step instructions. I could also do them for you if you want and I am less expensive than you will find anywhere else. Quote is free.

I myself had a quick, budget wedding so I totally understand your situation. Please give me a call. I have an extensive referral list. While I am not personnaly available to do your photography I cna refer you to someone who is. My blog is bmjevents.blogspot.com if you would like to see examples of my flowers, photography and event coordination. Good luck with everything!!
B.

Congratulations! My friend and I are photographers and we would love to help you out! Just let me know what your budget is and I will put something together for you! We will make sure your special day is captured and you won't have to stress out over it! Plus the CD will be yours! Good luck with everything!

Evite whoever you can, get dress from resale shop. There is one in Frisco and The Colony. Also, there is a place in McKinney called 1/2 of 1/2 and they have pretty dresses. My husband is a DJ and we normally charge $200 per hour for weddings but since it is such a small venue and you are a mamasource customer we can do it at half price if he is available that day. Orientaltrading.com has bubbles and wedding accessories. As part of my husband's business he always does party favors for the guests for advertising purposes so he could do the bubbles for you. Sam Moon in Frisco for jewelry. K&G has good deals on suits instead of a tux rental. Usually on Fridays Albertson's has a dozen roses for 5.99-9.99. Cut them shorter and wrap wired wide ribbon around the bottom for bouquets. Also great for bouteneers. White tool goes a long way too. You can reach us at ____@____.com or ###-###-#### if you'd like to check our availability. We have already done 5 mamasource members and are awaiting their testimonies.
Good luck and remember you and your husband is all that matters. The wedding doesn't have to be expensive and wasteful.

Hi A. i can relate to your stress a little. I had to move in July after completely planning my wedding in New York and moved to Texas a month before my wedding. I had to start all over here. Planning a wedding in one month is very difficult but it can be done. First of all a great place to get invitations that will come in very quickly and cheap is Party City. My invitations came in in less than a week, however, they say up to two weeks. Keep in mind that I unfortunately had to order my invitations twice and both times they came in within a week. The invitations are 30% off the book price and anything else you buy from the book is 20% off. I do mean everything even the cost of different color inks or lined envelopes. For dresses we went to Davids Bridal your can buy them off the rack and they have dresses starting as low as $99. Flowers can get very expensive if you go to a florist. Instead of paying $700 at the florist I got my flowers at the grocery store (Krogers) and bought vases at Wal-Mart. The vases cost me $2 a piece and I bought one for every table. My flowers cost me a total of $180. I thought that was a definite improvement. I put together my own bouquets, boutineer and corsages. It was really simple the only thing i needed was ribbon, green floral tape and pins for the corsages and boutineers. Everything looked beautiful and was really easy to do. My big splurge was my cake. But if you go to the grocery store they offer wedding cakes for $100. Also, if you are having a small wedding then it will be more than enough cake. I hope this helps if you have any more questions or need more suggestions then you can get a hold of me. My e-mail is ____@____.com

Hi A.,
I could help you and would be willing to keep my fee at a minimum. I have done flowers for two weddings and am really setting out this year to make a full career change moving into the floral design and decorating fields. I am a very frugile person my self and strive at finding bargins. I know I could be a service to you and help see to it that you have a most beautiful wedding, "on a budget". I have references and would love to get together to discuss more. Feel free to call me at your convience. SandraLouther ###-###-####. Hope to hear from you soon! And, congrats!!!

P.S. I also have great connections for photography, invites, the works!! And the next response says go to the courthouse and forget the wedding. Well, the one thing I do agree with is keeping stress down, but to totally not have a wedding, I don't agree with. You can do this "on a budget". Sometimes less is more! I can help you and we can have a blast!

Find friends and family to help. My mom made my cake, grooms cake, and the flower arrangements. (She's a cake decorator and florist), I have a friend that's a photographer, so she did my photos for $200. Our other friend is a media guy, so he videoed it for free, etc.
See what the people around you can do. We bought the fake flowers on clearance and my mom made them look amazing!
You can find cheap favors on ebay. Handmake the birdseed send offs with your bridesmaids. I got my dress at a flea market for $70 and the bridesmaids dresses for $50 a piece, and my flower girl dress for $10. Look at kid's resale shops for a good deal. You can sub a communion dress or baptism dress, they're cheaper that an official "flower girl" dress. Linda's right, the word "wedding" comes with a price tag. Look for things that are not in a special shop. You'll save tons!