May 12, 2010

The Beginnings of a Wedding Budget, Part 2

Okay, after breathing through a paper bag for a few minutes, I think I recovered enough from the last post. So onward with the pricing horrors...

Stationary:
(all of these are based on getting cardstock in bulk and making them myself)
Invitations: $50
Save-the-Dates: $30
RSVP Cards: $0 (I don't want them but my mom does and she promised to pay for them, lol)
Programs: $25
Thank You Cards: $30 (buy bulk cards too)
Stamps: $120 (would have been around $160 but my mom is paying postage for the RSVP cards, and this is for the invites, save-the-dates and the thank you cards)
Guest Book: $25
Total: $280

Rings:
Bride's Ring: $500
Groom's Ring: $500
Total: $1,000

Transportation:
Transport to Ceremony: $300
Transport to Reception: $2000
Total: $2,300
This is all completely up in the air, because I will have 100 out-of-town guests, some with cars, some without. All of them need transportation to the island, that would be $600 round trip, $300 one way. I can't afford it, but the best way to get everyone to the reception is to go by boat! And have the cocktail hour on that boat! But that's a private charter, plus food and drink, so that's a lot of money for something that's really extraneous. But it's the most straightforward way of doing things, so I'm including it in the budget until I figure out a better/cheaper way.

Gifts:
Wedding Favors: $150 (if I'm having favors, they have to be cheap!)
Gifts for Bridesmaids: $100
Gifts for Groomsmen: $60 (he'll probably just give them nice beer, lol)
Gifts for Parents: $0 (my parents have already said no to gifts, and *hopefully* his parents will agree to none as well)
Gifts for Each Other: $75 (we won't over-do it)
Total: $385

Ceremony:
Location Fees: $1300 ($6.50 per person, per 1.5 hours)
Officiant's Fee: $350 (researched price)
Total: $1,650

Other:
Wedding Coordinator: $0 (can't afford one :P)
Rehearsal Dinner: $0 (praying his parents will do this for us)
Engagement Party: $0 (no point)
Showers: $0 (if my family/friends want to throw one, great! if not, that's great too!)
Salon Appointments: $150
Bachelorette Party: $50 (hoping my girls will buy me drinks, lol)
Brunch: $150 (hoping to have add-ons to an already included continental breakfast at a hotel)
Hotel Room: $250
Total: $600

Semi-Total: $6,215
Grand Total: $20,680

Oookkaayy then. That's kinda $5.7K over my budget...and that's already including the cheapest venue package I could find online...plus a lot of DIY projects...

This is going to be quite the challenge.