How much does a wedding cost?

So my boyfriend and I are talking about getting married, and I would prefer to have a low cost wedding. My parents are paying for it and they said whatever we don't use on the wedding we can use for our honeymoon! Sooo....

How much does a cheap(er) wedding cost? 

I'm not into the designer dresses, fancy venues, catered $100 plates and whatever.  I just want a simple wedding (maybe about 50 people). 

Cost estimates? 

For an area reference, we live in the suburbs of Portland, OR. 

i think we're gonna do cupcakes and a small fancy cake for cutting.

i've never really dreamt of having a big huge fancy cake.

my friend didn't have a cake at all at his wedding, instead they had pie, kettle corn, a caramel apples. it was awesome.  

Agreed, but ships have a capacity and we couldn't afford to invite the whole church and any of our friends/mentors that would like come, and everyone's children to that reception.

We didn't want to exclude anyone and we also felt we owed anyone that came a gesture of gratitude for their attendance.

I think we managed it nicely.

I'm not entirely sure I'd go to a wedding if I wasn't invited to the reception. I was always under the impression that they are a package deal.

Jules, you should do a candy bar!!!

Original Post by jules817:

i think we're gonna do cupcakes and a small fancy cake for cutting.

i've never really dreamt of having a big huge fancy cake.

my friend didn't have a cake at all at his wedding, instead they had pie, kettle corn, a caramel apples. it was awesome.  

Yeah, that's been my experience with weddings, big or small, expensive or not, traditional or quirky, it doesn't really matter.

I honestly think weddings tend to be enjoyable by virtue of the fact that they ARE a wedding; and that all the ways you can dress it up are great, but probably unnecessary.

Weddings are what you make them rox.

In our case far more people wanted to attend our wedding then we could ever invite to a reception (maybe 4 to 1?), so we did for them what we could and all those that attended appreciated the effort we made for them.

Original Post by roxysparkles:

Jules, you should do a candy bar!!!

P's cousin did that, and a giant cake. it was really fun, but i definitely want cupcakes.

Original Post by ignayshus:

Weddings are what you make them rox.

In our case far more people wanted to attend our wedding then we could ever invite to a reception (maybe 4 to 1?), so we did for them what we could and all those that attended appreciated the effort we made for them.

i guess it's different when you're a member of a church like that. i can't imagine asking to go to or assuming i'd be invited to a wedding unless i was sent an invitation. i've never really heard of an open invite wedding other than on the My Big Fat Gypsy wedding show.

Also a fun twist on cupcakes are petit fours.

Yeah, I'm not sure how the invitations were handled: I remember the church got an announcement, but I don't remember how the other invitations were handled.

$205.18...including the best room at the Peabody for one night...heh.

My parents paid another...probably...150.00 to make the cake, the bouquet and sprang for the cheap champagne.

and no...it wasn't in 1882, it was 1982. ;P

Original Post by jules817:

Original Post by ignayshus:

Weddings are what you make them rox.

In our case far more people wanted to attend our wedding then we could ever invite to a reception (maybe 4 to 1?), so we did for them what we could and all those that attended appreciated the effort we made for them.

i guess it's different when you're a member of a church like that. i can't imagine asking to go to or assuming i'd be invited to a wedding unless i was sent an invitation. i've never really heard of an open invite wedding other than on the My Big Fat Gypsy wedding show.

You have been warned. I now realize I don't need an actual invite to attend your wedding. kthx!

Original Post by kathygator:

$205.18...including the best room at the Peabody for one night...heh.

My parents paid another...probably...150.00 to make the cake, the bouquet and sprang for the cheap champagne.

 

and no...it wasn't in 1882, it was 1982. ;P

I sincerely doubt you were the age of legal consent in 1982? :)

Heh.

Original Post by roxysparkles:

Original Post by jules817:

Original Post by ignayshus:

Weddings are what you make them rox.

In our case far more people wanted to attend our wedding then we could ever invite to a reception (maybe 4 to 1?), so we did for them what we could and all those that attended appreciated the effort we made for them.

i guess it's different when you're a member of a church like that. i can't imagine asking to go to or assuming i'd be invited to a wedding unless i was sent an invitation. i've never really heard of an open invite wedding other than on the My Big Fat Gypsy wedding show.

You have been warned. I now realize I don't need an actual invite to attend your wedding. kthx!

you can crash, but if you do, you have to wear pink.

Original Post by ignayshus:

Also a fun twist on cupcakes are petit fours.

A lot of those are really beautiful! Classic, somehow, too.

I have recipes for them in the 'formal dining' section of one of my cookbooks, so I'm sure they're wedding-friendly.

Original Post by jules817:

i wish that were possible for us, but even with it limited to beer and wine, we can't afford open bar for 150 people. especially the way our friends and family drink. we're going to do a cocktail hour. i've been to plenty of weddings recently without open bars and wasn't offended by it.

what are you saying?  :P

<3

Original Post by ignayshus:

Also a fun twist on cupcakes are petit fours.

hey uh, igy?  your link is definitely not what you think it is.

edit: unless it's just me getting small flours and chain underwear.  (you typed flour instead of four)

I clicked the link and I see mini-cakes, but I double checked the address and the search is:

petit+four

Not sure why you're getting naughty pants.

edit: just moused over it without clicking or copying the link address and it does say petit+flours

tis interesting, I'll switch it to a letmegooglethatforyou link

wtf?  seriously weird.

I got married for about $400 and that included our rings! Of course, we went to the courthouse so that and our license was 130ish dollars total ($60ish for the license and $50 for the judge), our rings cost I think about 150 total, I had a beautiful formal dress my sister had worn to a high school dance that I loved and used that. We only had his family and our children there and MIL bought our little cake (mostly for me I think). it was nice and laid back. and I guess that was really only about $300 huh? How's that for low cost?

ETA: I am in Vancouver, WA and I know someone that now lives in Portland that is able to officiate...She got ordained and has done a few weddings in the last few years. I'm not sure how much she charges, but I could always FB her and ask. You can always go to one of the local parks on a nice day (of course you'll want it to be warmer despite the gorgeous weather we've been having). I don't believe in breaking the bank for your wedding, save that for your house payment!