Planning a wedding

[Dyno]

Hi peeps

I know there are some married types on the forum and I need to start planning my wedding. I've looked around at quite a few venues and our favourites tend to cost about $20k. This is about twice as much as I had hoped for. Especially when I have to factor in the cost of a honeymoon as well.

What is a reasonable price for a decent venue? What about photographers, flowers, makeup, decorations etc..... Does anyone have any info on that?

I know PSB has a few talented photographers. A question for them: Is it possible to obtain the digital copies along with the prints? I imagine wedding photographers want to make as much money by keeping the digitals so they can make more money off every print needed. It's just that if I am paying a couple of grand for photos I would want the digital copies thrown in regardless. Am I dreaming?

Help me out guys

[Havago]

20K is alot of money just for a venue.
4 years ago my whole wedding cost me just under 15K for everything.
Only had about 90 people.

[Barfridge]

Rule #1: never mention anything is for a wedding. If you do, prices mysteriously double.

I think the whole wedding things is getting ludicrous. I could think of hundreds of better ways of spending $20k than on one party.

We had a medium sized wedding (120 guests), held it in a large marquee at the in-laws property. All up it cost us $7-8k, because we did most things ourselves.

[Dubs]

If she ever said yes....

Dubs would have a registry thing with JUST immediate family

then spend 5k on a black tie party for my friends to celebrate - food and piss provided mebbe 30ppl


i think some of the venues now charge diff rates on weekends and different times of the year - maybe something to check

depending on if traditional fotos are an ABSOLUTE MUST have, maybe a bit of cash floating around to some keen PSB fotografic types for the day might pay off.

all in all i think your average, 80-110 person, wedding with cars venues fotos reception and all is between 20+30k

good luck and congrats

Dubs

[Stoneville]

thugluv gets married on Saturday, not sure how much it is costing cos I only paid for the honeymoon.

Will ask him later, but his is in Bunbury, not sure on the cost comparison.

[Aphex]

$20k for the whole thing or just for the recepetion?

Got hitched at Kings Park. $60.00. Thats it. Alot of places charge through the nose even to use their premises for the ceremony. Prices upto $800.00 for ceremony and photos at some places.

I got away with around $8k for the long bar at the Pagoda for 68 people. Buffet with everything you could possibly want, premium drinks package paid per head not consumption (with access to the bar for those that wished to purchase other drinks). Booze on consumption (so we could have anything) for the bridal party and parents/grandparents. Swagging on the bridal table, chair covers with bows etc, spa suite for the night and breakfast in the morning.

Car was $1900. Chyrsler 300C stretch from Central Park Limos.
Flowers? Umm around a grand from memory for all the flowes which included the usual boquets for the girls, a throw away boquet, button hole things for the guys and a centre peice for the bridal table.
Cake was done by the family so that was cheap but expect to pay $500+
Photographer is a family friend so the price was very very reasonable. But expect to pay anywhere from $800 to $2500 just for their services and then another $1000 to $4000 for the album and prints depending on coverage IE: Grooms prep, brides prep, full reception coverage. Viva and like places will not give you the digital negs so to speak but alot of indipendant photogs will now.
Video was shot in 16:9 HD and was full coverage of the day including grooms prep and full reception with three coppies of the DVD including highlights for a smidge under $2k. From Telleygram Video.
Suits we hired from Ferrari formal ware for around $250.00each
Wedding Dress for the girl was cheap as chips. Last in a designer series and with alterations was only $1200.00. Stunning dress though.
Hair and makeup? Bah bow. I dont know but im sure it was under a grand.
DJ for the evening was $800.00 including smoke machine, bubble machine and lighting. Also an MC if required. I will not recommend the guy to anyone. He was the only bad decission we made.

All in all the wedding and reception where a little over $17k but what a day. Many comments where made to the effect that it was the best wedding people had attended etc. Honneymoon was around $8k but had we been more prepared we could have done better for around $5k.

Just remember to tell the holiday mob that its your honneymoon. We enjoyed copious freebies at all hotels.

[Hewie]

Do you really want to know ... some of it gets pretty scarey

[keez]

elope

[Hewie]

Yeah .... ^^ much betterer idea ...

[Pete]

I cried when i saw some of the invoices for my wedding so i stopped looking. Most venues we looked at were between $90 and $150 per head and do basic decorating. They are definately cheaper in winter and fridays and sundays are a little cheaper then Sat. if you go to a hotel get them to throw in extra rooms for your family aswell.

If i had a choice id just have a back yard bbq and spend all the money on a good honeymoon and a new car and new bike.

[Fastgirl]

My suggestion? Elope...go to a really great Island resort....have small amount of ppl with u for witnesses (really important loved ones) even pay for their flights perhaps? less stress for the bride...and dont bow to family pressure. I didnt...I paid for a wedding planner..they did everything as per my instructions...all I did was buy a dress...turned up..and it was all done. No stress. 45 ppl at our wedding..I hated the thought of inviting ppl who didnt matter to me..third cousins...family who had nothing to do with me. All ppl who mattered only. Was small and intimate...still spent 20k...that included our 5 star luxury Island honeymoon in Phuket...was awesome.

[Stoneville]

FYI we will have a pretty bike riding Marraige Celebrant, on here soon when she gets off her VTR and posts

Oh and she can srrive on her bike if you want

Gypsy where are you????

[Rooster]

Do you really want to know ... some of it gets pretty scarey

What he said.

Do it right tho mate, hopefully you'll only ever do it once!

[Satan1]

Truly shocking news, condolences.

[Rayrush]

I know a good dj

[Nero Diablo]

20K bugger off to Lasvegas do the thing in a day (its legal here) go have a look at the US or Canada and have a brillant time. Put 500-1k bucks over the bar at the local for friends and family and have 10k towards a house deposit. The only people that loose are the blood sucking leaches in the wedding industry, which is kinda like ripping off a real estate agent not only should be encouraged but a national sport.

Well thats what I would consider doing, females tend to get a little precious about thier weddings however.

[Cam]

So, here's what the wife and I did.

We started planning a huge vent. Bridal party, giant dresses, a boat cruise, a winery for the reception, all kinds of nutty shit.

The money was pretty astronomical when we started adding it up. Then we got into a trap of "Well, if we invite Barry, then we have to invite Walter. I know we haven't seen Walter in a decade, but if Barry comes, he will have to..." and all that kind of fucking bullshit.

About six months before the date we had originally set, we said "Fuck this" and canceled the bookings and got our deposits back on stuff. We didn't mention this to family or friends.

About a month later we got together with our nearest and dearest, immediate family and very close friends for an "engagement dinner". We had a very nice civil celebrant meet us at the restaurant and we had the ceremony in their gardens.

This way we got to spend an evening with the people we cared most about, instead of 60 people we hardly knew, everybody was relaxed, surprised and happy, and the entire shindig cost us about... $3000.

Two years later we're not still paying off a party we had, there's no three thousand dollar wedding dress in a box under the bed and we've got no regrets.

It really is just one day. Nothing changes after the fact, and you will be paying a lot of money for other people to drink your booze and start fights.

Just something to think about. Oh yeah, congratulations.

[Barfridge]

Cam: love your style mate. Did any of the ladies get pissed off that they didn't have a chance to play princess for a day? Cos that's what weddings are 99% about.

If there wasn't a power struggle about being 'the bride' then most women would already be in a lesbian marriage, and us blokes would be happily drinking a beer and watching the cricket.

[Zen]

I'd grab a celebrant, go to a beach and get married with your friends/family there in their best outfits but bare feet.

Book into a restaurant near beach and have celebratory meal with your partner, friends and family.

Then head somewhere for a riding honeymoon.

Lubberly.

[Cam]

Cam: love your style mate. Did any of the ladies get pissed off that they didn't have a chance to play princess for a day? Cos that's what weddings are 99% about.

Nope, no drama at all. The parents were a bit shocked, but pleased in the end. Everyone had a good time.