[Dreaming07]

Should the bridesmaids colors , etc.. Match the décor ( table cloth, napkins etc... ) of your reception ?The table linens are going to be a bluish color and the naplins are a coral color .
Also, I have about $2500.00 left in my budget to get bouquets,corsages etc, dj,wedding dress,little things like that. Will my budget be able to do that ?

[Clough]

I would think that since you are going to the trouble of coordinating things concerning the decorating of the tables, that it would be good to coordinate the colors on the tables with whatever the bridesmaids and others would be wearing.

I do think that you might not have enough in your remaining budget if you are going to pay for all of the remaining items that you indicate that you are. You could probably do without the professionals preparing things like bouquets and corsages. But, your wedding dress and the dj are going to potentially cost quite a bit of money. Have you also considered the costs of who will be officiating at the wedding and playing for it, if you are going to have someone play for it? Does someone like a close relative of some kind have a wedding dress that you could borrow? Some daughters use their mom's wedding dresses.

What other plans do you have for your wedding, like where the reception will be held? And, how the food (if any) or desserts will be provided?

Will you have a professional photographer for the wedding and flowers professionally arranged?

As you know, there are many things to be considered in the planning of a wedding. We have just touched on some of them. I am sure that others will be coming along here with their own ideas as well as advise.

These have just been my thoughts for right now... I have been involved in a lot of weddings because I have been doing church music in churches for over 36 years.

[Dreaming07]

Actually we already have the reception hall, they cater and all that. We have a photographer .I am making my own invitations .Thats about all we have for now. The hall and photographer are paid for so that's out of the way. I know the DJ charges anywhere from $200- $500 . The dress I actualluy like is around $600.00. The church we are looking at is around $325 with the officant and the organist.
I am always afraid I am going to forget something. How much more money should I have?

[Clough]

Well then, why don't we put together some kind of wedding preparation checklist here to see what may have been overlooked. What do you think? You've got plenty of time to plan and prepare for the wedding.

Here are some things off the top of my head. Maybe others will come along and add anything that I might have forgotten.

Where the wedding is happening.
Where the reception is to be held.
The officiant at the wedding.
The musician or musicians for the wedding.
Flowers for the wedding decorations and also people involved in the wedding.
Flowers/decorations for the reception.
Advertising fees for the local newspapers.
Invitations.
Wedding gown.
Grooms outfit.
Bridesmaids outfits.
Groomsmen outfits.
Candles/candle holders for the ceremony. (Some churches charge a fee, especially when the larger, multiple candle holders are used.)
Aisle cloth for the aisle in the sanctuary to be used. (Usually a rental and cleaning fee for that.)
Decorations to possibly be placed on the aisle ends of the pews.
Janitorial fees for clean-ups in the church and/or at the reception hall.
Unity candle.
Wedding cake, desserts, food, drinks, bartender, servers, etc.
DJ
Reception hall.
Catering.
Possible insurance fees for reception events?
Transportation to and from the wedding as well as to and from the reception.
Gifts for people involved in the wedding ceremony.
Thank you notes for gifts received and people helping with the wedding in whatever way.
Notes and envelopes for payments to be made for people involved who will be paid for their services involving the wedding and/or reception.

Those are just some things that I can think of right now...

[Shell_Lee]

Just a few more:

Are you planning on having any centerpieces for the reception?
Are you having any wedding favors for your guests?
Money for hair, nails, makeup, etc... the day of the wedding.
Garter
Postage
Jewerly and shoes
Rental for groom's tux

I'm still thinking...

[Clough]

I think the more heads we have working together here adding things, that this could become a pretty comprehensive list of what people need to think about when planning a wedding! As a matter of fact, I have used the words in the sentence above "comprehensive list of what people need to think about when planning a wedding..." on purpose, because this site gets excellent coverage when people search for things on the Internet because of the words that are used in the threads.

For instance if I also use the words in phrases that people would likely use in searches concerning planning a wedding such as: Wedding Planner, Planning Your Wedding, Plan My Wedding, Things to Remember for Your Wedding, How to Plan Your Wedding, What to Do for a Wedding, etc. I'll bet that since I have just typed those words like that in the phrases, that in just a couple of days, people will be drawn to this site because those words and phrases concerning planning a wedding as connected to this site, will be showing up in the first couple of pages when people do the searches, especially on Google. As a matter of fact, they might show up on Google searches within minutes after I post this answer! I have seen that sort of thing happen with what others have posted in other threads when searching on Google.

[Dreaming07]

I have already put a deposit on the hall .My father is paying the rest. That's includes the catering , bar, centerpieces, cake, table linen ,napkins etc. So everything for the reception is covered.

[Lil_angel6600]

Should the bridesmaids colors and etc.. match the decor ( table cloth, napkins etc...) of your reception ?The table linens are going to be a bluish color and the naplins are a coral color .
Also, I have about $2500.00 left in my budget to get bouquets,corsages etc, dj,wedding dress,little things like that. Will my budget be able to do that ?

You can do that if you budget it right. I did all my own flowers for my wedding and it turned out lovely only spent 60 on all the bouqets and corsages. Now as for the music I didn't hire anyone I got a family friend to do the stereo and used my husbands stereo system. This is your wedding if you don't want the bridesmaids dresses to match the décor then that's your choice. Plan this out the way you want it.

[Picassa]

You can also have bridesmaids place their bouquets on the reception tables as décor after the ceremony. If they are fresh cut, then simply have vases with water to place them in.

[Angel Of Mercy]

I have been married two different times. The first was the very traditional wedding with everything imaginable, and the other a court house wedding. So romantic I know, but you know it wasn't the wedding that mattered to me, but the actual marriage that did. I was able to perform both of these weddings with less than $500 each. It is achievable. You just have to be creative, patient, and crafty.

Wedding Planner - Free online planning software

Here is a free online wedding planner that may help you keep track of all the things you need to take care of including financial.

Fact: each bridesmaid is responsible for their own dresses and attire.
Opinion: If you are planning on having them pay for their dresses, at least make it something affordable and easy on the eyes. This way, they can wear them more than once. I found my bridesmaid dress at Ross Dress for Less. I know that seems like the oddest place to find a dress for a wedding, but it was great. It was a black cocktailish dress that she has worn several times since. Her dress lasted longer than my first marriage!

I made my own flowers for both weddings. I used artificial flowers. I know that having fresh flowers is ideal in a wedding, but at least this way, you can keep your flowers for the rest of your life, without worrying about preservation. If you do not know how to make your own arrangements, find online tutorials or some craft stores offer this service. It is worth checking into.

The first cake I got was 3-tiers and I bought it at Albertson's. Crazy right? Not really. I paid $125.00 for this cake and it was beautiful. Did you know that Wal-Mart as well sells wedding cakes for cheap? My second wedding, I got bold and made my own. It was a "professional" cake, but it was very cute, edible and fit with my theme.

About your dress. There are several options. 1- Borrow it. 2- Go to David's Bridal. They usually have dresses on sale that can be $100 or less. 3- Look for bridal stores that are going out of business or having a fantastic sale. 3- Shop at Ebay. I know that sounds odd, but what if you could find that perfect dress that was only worn one other time, for less than half of what you would pay for it in the store?

Making your own invitations was a very great idea. This will save you plenty of money.

I didn't necessarily hand out party favors to my guests. I did get a bulk roll of tulle fabric, some bird seed (easier than rice for the birds) and metallic heart cutouts, the small ones, and put them together in that and tied it with a ribbon. I think the total price for this was $10 or less.

If you intend to dance at your wedding, a DJ is the best way to go. Live bands will probably cost you more than you are willing to spend. Besides, you will not have any variety to the songs they play. At least with a DJ, you can work with them to play the songs you want to hear. Also, please, do not do karaoke at your wedding. I have seen this done and trust me, if you do not want to worry about your ears on your wedding, skip this option.

Are you 100% set at having the wedding in a church? If you are not, check into renting halls and having either a judge or an officiant come to you. October in a lot of areas are still really nice to have a wedding outside. If you know someone with a fantastic place that you could borrow, or even at a pretty park area. You have options if you do not want to have it at a church. My first was at a church, but we were lucky, the uncle was pastor and he owned it. So, we didn't have to worry about paying for it.

I am sure I have plenty of other ideas, but am not thinking of them at this time. If I remember more, I will post another one.

Congratulations. I hope that you are very happy. Remember being frugal is key.

[Becca1025]

Try this website also Ann's Bridal Bargains They have CHEAP wedding favors, invitations, gifts, decorations etc. I love this site. Check it out.

[4ndr3w5]

Should the bridesmaids colors and etc.. match the decor ( table cloth, napkins etc...) of your reception ?The table linens are going to be a bluish color and the naplins are a coral color .
Also, I have about $2500.00 left in my budget to get bouquets,corsages etc, dj,wedding dress,little things like that. Will my budget be able to do that ?

I bought a small bouquet off eBay along with bridesmaid bouquets and spent only maybe $45 for all of them... mine and 4 others. I bought the guest book, bridesmaid gifts, fake flower petal, flower girl basket, bible boy suit, decorations, and a couple other things... ALL BRAND NEW off eBay. I think I only spent maybe $200 for all of it. I LOVE EBAY! SAVES YA LOTS OF MONEY... now my dress on the other hand... was $650!