Wedding planning?

i have a bunch of questions..answer what you can..anything is appreciated





what are good/cheapish favors for the guests?


what are good gifts for the bridal party?


flowers that are cheaper than roses but pretty just the same?


general prices for an open bar (and different options of a modified open bar), djs/ bands,partial catering.


do people usually pay for the bridal party's dresses and suits?


for the guests hotel rooms?


is it a bad idea to make people pay for their drinks?


any other advice?

Wedding planning?
1. Edible favors are the cheapest and you get the most bang for your buck.


2. Bridal party gifts can be jewelery, purses to match dress, bath products, gift card etc


3. Go to a florist and they will show you when you meet with them. They help you pick everything out.


4. A DJ can run anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand. A band will run from $2,500 to $10,000 depending on size and quality.


5. Bridesmaids pay for their own dresses and know they are expected to do so


6. Guests pay for their own hotel rooms


7. People should not have to pay for anything when you invite them to a party and expect them to bring a gift.
Reply:Best idea I have seen so far to save $$$$ for a wedding, is to have your wedding on a weekday. Yes, I know it sucks but you can have a huge wedding in a great location and not pay the high price.





What are good/cheapish favors for the guests? Dollar store statues with personalised ribbons of couples name and date printed on there. My personal fav - fish inside bowl with a couple of heart shaped stones and some flowers in the bowl.





what are good gifts for the bridal party? Gift certificates to Target. Personalised white sweat suit outfits.





flowers that are cheaper than roses but pretty just the same? I do not like or know much about flowers but i hear you can buy from a wholesaler a lot cheaper.





general prices for an open bar (and different options of a modified open bar), djs/ bands,partial catering.





do people usually pay for the bridal party's dresses and suits? that is a 50-50 call. I have been in two wedding and the first one I supplied my own dress and second one was paid for by bride.





for the guests hotel rooms? NO....





is it a bad idea to make people pay for their drinks? No....





any other advice? see above statement.
Reply:You've already got some really good answers, but I thought I would chime in about the favors. There are some good ideas at http://www.chocolate-candy-mall.com/choc...


whether you want to make your own or buy some inexpensive ones. One of the cheapest mentioned there that I think is really cute are the customized Hershey's kisses. They would probably be just as inexpensive as making homemade favors.





I love the dollar store, but, honestly, that is just a bit too tacky for wedding favors, and I'm a real penny pincher. The stuff there is cute, but looks like it is from the dollar store, if you know what I mean.





I hope your wedding is just perfect for you. Congratulations!
Reply:Favors - you can skip them if you are trying to economize.


Cash bar - most people think that this is rude - to ask your wedding guests to pay for their drinks. If you can't afford an open bar, have just wine, beer, and soft drinks. If you can't afford wine and beer, have no alcohol.


Have a great time. Try not to stress out.
Reply:I think it's very important that you pay for your guests' beverages. Plus, people don't bring cash to a wedding. I can totally appreciate the costs, though. It's about 15.00 to 25.00 per person for beverages, depending on the caliber and event length. Then again, two nice drinks at a nice restaurant would be 16.00 to 20.00...it's not much worse than that. =)
Reply:For favors, I printed on velum paper a panoramic view of Prague (my husband is Czech) and wrapped it around clear candle holders. The city of Prague glowed! I also made the center pieces from clay pots which I decoupaged with pretty rice paper and filled them with dried flowers. These were very well received by the guests. I had my flowers for my bouquet done at the local flower shop for $30. I had frescia, hydrangia and dragons tongue (it was simple and beautiful). For the bridal party, I made them braclets from beads I had bought in Prague the previous year. For the bar, we purchased all of our own wine and beer (no hard liquor, it ups the cost of the bartender) and we hired a bartender to serve. Very affordable. Also, if you buy your own beer and wine, anything that does not get drank, you can return for a refund. I did not pay for the bridal parties dresses, they purchased their own. But we had a really cool wedding, it was art deco themed and my three gals had a lot of fun shopping at their local retro stores.


As for the guests at the hotal room, a baskey of snacks, local stuff, is good and inexpensive. Remembner, this is YOUR day and you ar enot required to pamper anyone but yourself. You should be the one papmered.


The best advice I can give you, is if you are going to hire a DJ, go see them in action first. Our DJ was a nightmare.


Most importantly tho, always keep in mind what the purpose of the day is, and be sure that you keep that focused. YOU are getting married, not throwing a party for everyone. Take care of YOU first. You only get one shot at it, so make it a good one.


Do research on line for planning, make yourself a 3 ring binder and keep a spreadsheet of your budget.


BEST OF LUCK AND CONGRATS!!!!!!
Reply:do people usually pay for the bridal party's dresses and suits?





NO





for the guests hotel rooms?





NO





is it a bad idea to make people pay for their drinks?





NO
Reply:a good/cheapish favor for guests is anything edible. people love eating and this way you ensure it win't go in the trash. good gifts are things they can reuse. jewelry for the girls and a pocketknife for the guys, for example is a good idea. i'm getting my girls cute jewelry and paying for their make-up the day of the wedding. for the guys we are getting them theis kit that has a map, flashlight, tire pressure gauge thing, and a swiss army knife that can go in their glove box. tulips are beautiful and inexpensive flowers, and pretty much in season all year. also, they have a ton of varieties. stay away from orchids, stephanotis, calla lillies, hydrangea as these are a pretty penny. i don't know how much an open bar is b/c my place includes it (there's really no other option where i live in nyc), but it's probably somewhat pricey since many people skip it. it's my opinion that this is one of the areas that should never be skimped on, just like a good dj and photographer. my dj cost 1500 for a somewhat base package, but i don't know where you live so it may be different. np, you do not have to pay for dresses and suits for the party, they are responsible for that. and another no for paying for the hotel rooms. YES, it's a terrible idea to make people pay for their own drinks. at no other party you throw would you charge a person for a drink, so why would you do it for your wedding. other advice....find out where you can save and where you need to spend. list everything you need to pay for, and in that, choose a top 3 that's most important to you. put most of your budget towards that and find ways to elegantly cut corners on the rest. for us..music, food, and pictures were most important so we went with high quality vendors. as for limos, florist, etc. we found ways to save money b/c it just wasn't as important. have fun in the whole process, have date nights where the both of you do not talk about the wedding. congrats and good luck!
Reply:cheap party favors.. candy gifts wrapped with a note about the date on it on the tables





bridal party gifts: jewlery that they were to the wedding. I recieved earrings that they went out and made it was really nice.





open bar idea.. have the family run it and go out and buy handles of things and what ever is there is what is available.





the bridal party usually pays for their own dresses. You pick them out with them and they pay for their own gowns. Part of the deal of being in the wedding party.





Good Luck planning!
Reply:WOW, you did have a lot of questions!





Cheap/Good favors would require you to go to the website www.orientaltrading.com. They have a section there for weddings which includes many things such as napkins, balloons, favors, bubbles, cameras, etc. Everything there should be within anyone's budget.





As far as flowers you can do a number of things...if the event is taking place in a church use everything they have to save on having to spend too much money adding more. Also, you can look at a craft store, Wal-Mart/Dollar Store, even and buy artificial ones you like and get together with friends to put them in vases, etc. for use.





bars/djs, etc/ depend on where you live so I can't really help you there





Yes, people can pay for their own dresses/etc. but let them know ahead of time so they have the option is saying no because they themselves can't afford it or at least find a bridal place that rents to help them offset the cost rather than buying.





Guest staying over night from out of town etc. can stay with relatives...ask for a vacant room at an aunt's, cousin's, or uncle's house rather than a bought gift for the couple. Otherwise, guest coming from out of town simply need to be mailed a brochure of local hotels in the area and it's up to them to decide if they want to attend or not.





Paying for drinks: I would suggest (if you have enough money) to find a liquor outlet and purchase some liquor for your guest along with non-alcholic drinks, and after it's gone...it's gone. Besides, you aren't getting married so people can get drunk for free anyway.





Other advice: Don't worry about what others think about your day, it's not for them in the first place.
Reply:what are good/cheapish favors for the guests?


- Pay a photographer to take professional photos of guests (kinda like at proms) and the photographer will mail the photos to each guest. I just went to a wedding that did this and it was really nice and the pictures turned out beautiful.





what are good gifts for the bridal party?


-Bracelets are great! My sisiter got her bridesmaides these. For the groomsmen, Personalized flask, zippo light, or luggage tags.


Tickets to something for both are great too!





General prices for an open bar (and different options of a modified open bar), djs/ bands,partial catering?


Go to www.weddingchannel.com. Here you can search for local vendors and find the correct pricing for your area.





do people usually pay for the guests hotel rooms?


- this depends on how wealthy you are. Hotels will offer special dicounts to your guests if they book a room by a certain date. You can send this out in your invitations.





is it a bad idea to make people pay for their drinks?


- guests dont enjoy going to a wedding that makes them buy their own drinks. I enjoy drinking at weddings to celebrate the newlyweds and dance and have fun with confidence. I'll prticipate more when i got some drinks in me. If you want them to be fun and active I suggest spending more money in this area rather than another.





Hope this helps ya!!