Where can I do an inexpensive wedding in northern virginia? (receptions, consignment)

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by RamblingMan

"The idea that a man should spend a significant fraction of his annual income for an engagement ring originated from De Beers marketing materials in the early 20th century, in an effort to increase the sale of diamonds.[1] In the 1930s, they suggested that a man should spend the equivalent of one month's income in the engagement ring; later they suggested that he should spend two months' income on it."

Engagement rings: good or bad? - Slate Magazine

I am glad you mentioned this. There have been many reports (TV shows, articles, etc.) regarding the DeBeers marketing practices and how everyone "bought" into it.

BTW, to everyone -- I think the hot thing these days are platinum rings, not silver or gold.

Originally Posted by Denton56

Generally the bride's parents pay for the wedding, not the young couple who is getting married.

I believe this is outdated. Most people I know, even in their late 20s and 30s, [these days] pay for their own weddings. By this time, they have careers that can support the payment. I know alot of people who have to convince their parents not to pay for things and simply come as an invited guest/parent of the bride or groom. their thinking is that their parents have already done alot and want them to enjoy themselves, not get stressed out over the details and payments. Furthermore, some brides may have parents approaching retirement and gawk at the idea of having their parents, who are making plans for retiring, to foot a bill for thousands of dollars (for a single-event in one day).

Besides, the OP has already mentioned that she is in her 40s and that it is the groom's second marriage. So I doubt their parents are footing the bill.

In addition , there is so much available these days for weddings that are DIY -- alot more than a few decades ago. As this thread has shown, there are many ways to obtain fllowers, handmade invitations, etc. that are attractive, functional, and affordable.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by tongyang

I gave my wife a moissanite ring for the engagement ring, looks like diamond (imo it looks better too) and you can get bigger sizes for the money. She loved it!

My parents only had simply bands when they got married. Left soon after their wedding and moved to the USA. Now, my mom has plenty of diamonds -- and after 55 years of marriage!

[joeclyde]

Big Weddings are done now.

Go to the Court House. Get hitched. Take some pictures with your family. Then just throw a big diner party.

If you rent out a hall, or restaurant. Make sure there is a lot of alcohol. People will have a great time. No matter what. You can still do the same ceremonies, and have cake.

* The worse is paying 30k for a wedding. Then get divorced and still have to make payments for that same wedding.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by joeclyde

* The worse is paying 30k for a wedding. Then get divorced and still have to make payments for that same wedding.

Anyone who pays for their wedding on credit is ridiculous. Your wedding should be as big/ expensive as you can (or are willing to) afford, right now with cash.

We paid more than necessary for our wedding, but were able to. I can't imagine making payments for a party that has already happened. It would irritate me every month as I wrote the check.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by Denton56

Generally the bride's parents pay for the wedding, not the young couple who is getting married.

I don't think this is really the trend anymore. Not since it's become commonplace for young ladies to go to college, at least. My parents paid for my college (thanks mom and dad!) and then told me that if I was old enough to get married, I was old enough to figure out how to pay for it myself. It made sense--they had given me the skills to earn an income, so between my now-husband and I we were able to pay for the wedding.

My parents did end up paying for a few little things (my mom made my hair appointment and paid for that, my dad picked up cases of beer for the reception) and my husband's parents paid for the flowers.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by spencgr

Anyone who pays for their wedding on credit is ridiculous. Your wedding should be as big/ expensive as you can (or are willing to) afford, right now with cash.

We paid more than necessary for our wedding, but were able to. I can't imagine making payments for a party that has already happened. It would irritate me every month as I wrote the check.

[peanutrach]

I think that having a nice, small wedding is doable on this budget but you will definitely need to prioritize and compromise. Since you noted that you will need to include your rings and honeymoon in this budget then you need to prioritize these items. If you would rather have a nice wedding/reception then I would recommend putting more of the money towards that and looking for lower cost rings and a "local" honeymoon where you find fun things to do around the area (e.g., wine tasting in Loudoun and visiting museums in DC). You can always upgrade your rings and take a nice vacation at a later date. If you would rather focus on the rings and honeymoon I would recommend going to the justice of the peace and having a nice dinner for your friends/family at a local restaurant or someone's home. I think prioritizing is the key and then everything should fall into place. Also, a friend of the family bought her wedding dress on eBay so that would be a good option to keep the dress cost under control. The important part here is that you two will be spending the rest of your lives together...plenty of time to have everything you want. Congratulations!

My husband I got married in June of last year. We don't even remember how the food/cake tasted or if all the center pieces were just right. We just focused on one another and had an amazing time. We always say that our wedding was perfect for us and we wouldn’t have changed a thing. Looking back, I think it was totally ridiculous of me to freak out about the details when planning the wedding. Just don't sweat the small stuff and you will be just fine.

[squareone0]

Originally Posted by tongyang

I gave my wife a moissanite ring for the engagement ring, looks like diamond (imo it looks better too) and you can get bigger sizes for the money. She loved it!

I never heard of moissanite, so I checked it out - and yes, they are quite nice and reasonable! Good tip! We also thought about going to Delaware to purchase the rings (no sales tax).

[squareone0]

Originally Posted by peanutrach

I think that having a nice, small wedding is doable on this budget but you will definitely need to prioritize and compromise. Since you noted that you will need to include your rings and honeymoon in this budget then you need to prioritize these items.

I think that is where we want to prioritize; we've agreed that it's more important to have nice rings and a nice trip. The most expensive part of all this I've found to be the food, and he has a rather large family (all fantastic people), so there is no way we can feed everyone. We are stuck there. But I hate the idea of doing a potluck. It's like asking the guests to do work to come to a party that you invited them to.

Having trouble regarding the ceremony too: (a) I'm not particularly religious and don't belong to a church; (b) fiance is of a different religion than me; (c) I am the only daughter/granddaughter/niece etc.; (d) my own mom never really had a real wedding (had to elope - and no, she has never pressured me); (e) dad and I are on ok terms at the moment but are not close - probably all TMI but I'm beginning to feel overwhelmed by all this. No one has pressured me regarding the details or made any demands that I include so-and-so, etc. Beginning to feel like between all these facts and my budget I can't go one way or the other comfortably. I know that it's our ceremony and our day, but I don't even know what that should entail at this point.

[michgc]

Originally Posted by squareone0

We also thought about going to Delaware to purchase the rings (no sales tax).

Although the price of gas could negate the tax benefit. On a $1000 ring, the tax would be $50. Gas to Newark Delaware (~200 miles roundtrip) would be about $40, although you'd probably need to go into Wilmington, which is a bit farther. Guess it depends on how much you want to spend on a ring, and if their prices are actually competitive to the ones sold here if it is worth it.