Anyone here had a full out wedding bash?

[Wagamama]

And how much did you pay for it? When I say full out bash, I mean BASH!! ultra formal event, around 200 people, sit down dinner, the whole 9 yards, and then some!!!

Thanks!!

 

[Mercy]

Yes, I did This was almost 22 years ago, my mom paid for it and I believe it was somewhere around $5,000. Not sure how much my wedding would cost nowadays.

 

[jennyanydots]

I suppose it will depend on where you are, what the season is, etc. You'll pay more for a Saturday night affair than for a sunday afternoon party, you'll pay more in a popluar month like June than for a slow month like January. Prices tend to double every six or seven years, so someone who got married a few years ago paid a lot less than you should plan on paying now.

 

[jel0511]

I did, 9 years ago though. At the time it costs us around $30k for everything: flowers, reception, favors, live band, photographer, etc. If I had the same wedding today, it probably would be closer to $50k, since all the prices have gone up, and my reception hall is now asking for $150 - $200 per person (we paid a little over $100), my sister wanted to have her wedding there, but it was out of her price range. DH and I paid for the entire thing ourselves, since our parents didn't have any money they could give us towards a wedding. We had good jobs at the time, so it wasn't that big of a deal. We also bought our first home around the same time, so we were broke for awhile!!!

 

[Jeafl]

We had a sit down dinner for 191 people, a 6-hour open bar with premium liquor, an 8-piece live band, a 24 foot sweet table, tons of summer flowers, pretty much the works. This was in 1985 and I think we spent around $16-17,000 which was a lot 19 years ago. DH and I paid for everything ourselves and I still say it was worth every penny.

 

[DMickey28]

Wow.... I would love to have that kind of wedding but I, nor my family could never afford it.

We are paying $6500 and that includes the two week cruise... only thing not included is the airfare...

 

[mt2]

We did. We were going to have cake and punch after in the hall but we invited family from overseas (not really expecting them to come due to the cost and it was right after New Year's) and THEY CAME!! What a surprise to us.

We had the entire banquet hall at the Hilton. Sit down dinner for 225. Fruit and Cheese table for everyone before the dinner while we had pictures done. A Bottle of Champagne for every table for the toast. We also had a very small bar that served wine. We had a live band (Iwanted a DJ but DH parents insisted on the band so they paid for it). There was also a dance floor.

I insisted that everyone got their food within 10 min of each other. I didn't want someone to have cold food when someone else had theirs hot. Each table had their own server. I was surprised at that because I never requested that many people. I put my fork down to talk to my maid of honor then went to take another bit of my salad and it was gone. Our server thought I was finished and wanted to get us to the next course.

I was able to get the entire wedding for $7,000. The reception was half price because it was on a Friday night and nothing else was booked that night. We were ssssooooo lucky.

Happy Thoughts to all,

mt2

 

[WDWLVR]

Mine was 14 years ago and the budget came in at under $10K.

This included the church, dress, limo, full reception (sit-down, family style, open bar), cake, dj, video, pictures, and wedding night hotel.

My dream was a very formal church wedding with a great party after and that's what we got.

This was for 150 people on a Saturday night.

edited to correct.

 

[sunni]

Price will vary greatly upon where you live, season, other events in the area, etc. Not to mention your tastes, if you prefer chicken you aren't going to pay what someone who has filet mignon and lobster does, though your event can be every bit as elegant. Same goes for flowers, it's possible to have a lot that cost little or a few that cost a fortune. Champagne doesn't have to be pricey to taste good (I highly recommend taste testing the brands your banquet facility offers).

Ours was $10K fifteen years ago. Formal, not ultra-formal. May wedding, 125 people, church wedding, banquet hall reception, live band. Everything except open bar and limo (DH had to use his 'baby'... sold it when we had a real baby, lol!). We live in a rural area, probably saved a couple thousand. Almost forgot, didn't pay for musicians other than an organist, my mother was our soloist (beautiful, but she almost lost it once when she looked at us).

 

[Aurora63]

Originally posted by WDWLVR
Mine was 14 years ago and the budget came in at under $10M.

You meant $10K, right?

 

[marlasmom]

Our daughter's wedding was 2 1/2 years ago at a beautiful private country club in NH on the Sunday before Columbus Day. I think the meal was about $25, plus extra forappetizers and the bar bill (nothing like NJ). We had a full open bar and served wine and champagne (sp?) at dinner. Bar was always open. Add to that the photographer, pianist for the ceremony, d.j., flowers, cake, favors, invitations, rooms and meals for out-of-town guests and I think we spent about $17,000 for 125 people. Maybe a little more when you add in her dress and we paid for the bridesmaids' dresses. We found a little bridal shop who sold the dresses for much less than other places - same dresses. Can't remember, but it was a major brand. COme to think of it we paid for all the bridesmaids to get their hair and makeup done and that was big bucks. Now that I think of it maybe we spent $20,000. At that point I never wanted to add it all up. Also big breakfast for bride, bridesmaids and out of town guests the morning of the wedding.

 

[Danauk]

I had that type of wedding.We had a sit down 4 course meal in the afternoon and then a buffet in the evening. We had this at a Hilton hotel. In the evening we had a live band but as DH and I were music students our friends provided it (it was so much fun.) I'm not sure how much it cost as my parents paid for it (they set up a fund when I was born to pay for my wedding!) I designed my dress and my bridesmaids dresses though and paid for them though.

 

[kerrynic78]

I am getting married this October in CT. We are having about 190 people, sit down meal at a country club. We think it will end up costing $35-40,000 and as it all keeps adding up, we keep wondering why we didn't elope!

 

[helenabear]

A friend of mine is doing a weekend wedding to the tune of about $40K. They had a few "gifts" from family but are footing over half the bill. They just saved up like crazy to do this.

You telling us something, Bella?

 

[WDWLVR]

Originally posted by Aurora63
You meant $10K, right?

Yes I did. Finger slipped

 

[Chattyaholic]

Our DD got married 4 years ago and I think we paid about $11,000, plus the groom's parents paid $2,000 towards the reception as they wanted liquor. They had about 350 guests, beautiful church wedding with lots of flowers, a string quartet, really good photography, videographer, limo, balloon release, lovely buffet dinner, DJ, cake, etc. I forgot about her gown - I paid for that personally, as my wedding gift to her. I know I'm a bit prejudiced, OK maybe a lot prejudiced but it was absolutely the most beautiful wedding I've ever been to and everything went so smoothly, perfect weather, etc.

 

[huey duey & luey]

I will be married 8 years in aug. I had about 185 people sit down sat night at a country club. I guess with everything except honeymoon (another 11,000) was probably 35,000 or so. It was 130.00 per plate.
Tara

 

[onecoolmama]

I guess I had a wedding bash. We did have a sit down dinner and 500 people (give or take 15). We paid about 30k because we had it on a Friday night...so great discounts!

Yes, it was very formal. My uncles all rent tuxes for our wedding, so everyone is dresses very fancy. I think our invitations said "Black Tie Optional."..but almost everyone came in one.

The DJ gave us a HUGE discount becuase they were really good buisness friends of my mom's and like I said the limos and the ballroom were cheaper on a Friday Night.

I had 55 people (including me) walk down the ailse. 6 Preists to give out communion...

Sorry this is a long post...but I have to tell my favorite wedding story! DH and I were dancing and this guy walked up to us and said, "I am not going to tell you who I am, or how I ended up here, but I just wanted to tell you this is the most beautiful wedding ever!"

DH and I still laugh about that!

 

[onecoolmama]

Here are some pictures...my wedding party was not all there

I had a terrible photographer! The pictures were good, but he took them at the end of the night, half the people had gone home and all of our makeup had worn off!

I made them give me credit back becuase he was soooo aweful!


http://www.geocities.com/onecoolmama77/onecoolmama.html

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

We had a great bash. About 100 people. I think About $65/pp not including dress and tux and limo and flowers and cake and and and . DH and I both are from New York but got married in Ohio, so the number of guests was less than if we were "home" We wanted to do soup to nuts, and believe it or not, $65/pp will get you a LOT in Cincinnati.

The best part of our wedding was that we had the reception in a hotel (Embassy Suites) and all of our out of town guests stayed at the hotel. In effect, our wedding lasted all weekend. Between people flying in the day before and the full included breakfast at the Embassy Suites, it was a weekend party. I had a BLAST. Since DH had his family coming in to stay at our condo 2-3 days before the wedding, I moved my family into a 2 bedroom suite 2-3 days before the wedding. Wow. Wasn't that a party!