Help with planning a destination wedding on a budget

[hinodis]

My son is getting married! The wedding is going to be on Mackinac Island. Between the two families they have $14,000 to spend on the wedding. I have not planed a wedding in 25 years. LOL The bride does not have a Mom so she is counting on me to help her. Little does she know I need all the help I can get!

 

[mrsklamc]

Well I can't help with the Mackinac part...I loved the company my dress was from; maggiesottero.com; and the invitation company, rexcraft.com

Only other thing that comes to mind right now was that I had a very specific vision of the cake that the baker and I had discussed in detail months in advance...and apparently she forgot and lost her notes because I was mortified to walk in to the reception and have it be completely wrong. So I would have better detailed the details that were most important to me in contracts. Good luck!

 

[jimanda44]

Davids Bridal has a ton of sales thru the year. Some dresses even go for $99! I would shop around and keep it simple. We had a small wedding, saved on everything except the photographer and video. It's SOOOO easy to let things spiral out of control b/c weddings are fun and you start seeing and getting all these great ideas. It's not about any of that though. It's one day and you'll remember it fondly whether you spend a ton of money or not!

 

[cdrn1]

My DD had a beautiful destination wedding in Playa del Carmen last fall. They had 50+ guests and the tab was under 10k. They went there and looked at the resorts and comparison shopped and got prices, then they wrote a proposal to the one they wanted: they described the kind of ceremony and reception that they wanted, and offered what they were willing to pay. A wedding planner from the resort worked with them to make it happen. They went down a few days ahead of time, and went to the Sam's Club (yep, they have em in Mexico!) and bought their simple but elegant table decorations and flowers etc, and the morning of the wedding her sister and I went in to Playa in a frantic search for a basket for the flower girl (we ended up getting a basket of hot sauces and took the bottles out LOL!) and the whole thing was sooooooo beautiful. A friend did their wedding pictures in exchange for them paying for her vaca, the party had their hair done at a local salon on the cheap (they all looked amazing!). Overall a budget wedding but in the end no one knew it was, and everyone had a great time. I think too much emphasis is put on the ceremony and extras when really what you remember is the wonderful love and friendship shown to the couple by the people they are close to. Sorry to be so wordy but it really was a most excellent wedding!

 

[cdrn1]

Are you having the wedding somewhere on Disney property?

Mackinac Island is in Michigan...I got no problem with someone asking a question like that here. The money she will save on the wedding will, in all likelihood, be spent on a Disney vacation....

 

[hinodis]

Well I can't help with the Mackinac part...I loved the company my dress was from; maggiesottero.com; and the invitation company, rexcraft.com

Only other thing that comes to mind right now was that I had a very specific vision of the cake that the baker and I had discussed in detail months in advance...and apparently she forgot and lost her notes because I was mortified to walk in to the reception and have it be completely wrong. So I would have better detailed the details that were most important to me in contracts. Good luck!

I never even thought about getting the invitations online! What an excellent idea! It would probably save us money. We are thinking of having "fake" flowers for the wedding party, I have a friend that can do that for us. The bride will have a fresh flower boquet.

 

[mrsklamc]

I had not even considered fake flowers until I saw an acquaintance's calla lily bouquets for her wedding and they were amazing. Very realistic. We had fake calla's and real roses.

 

[Princess Nancy]

DH and I went to the Grand Hotel just weeks after my freind had gone to Mackinac for her sister's wedding.

Kathy had searched for a good hotel rate and then headed there for the weekend. She was not impressed with the hotel.

I loved my trip but was certain it had cost me tons more.

When we sat down and looked at it all, she had spent so much on food and tips and transporatation that was all included in my rate that I had actually spent less.

Be sure to really look closely at the packages at the the Grand Hotel vs. elsewhere on the island!!

 

[smokeyblue]

I would really suggest trying to find a wedding planner. There are many of them listed on one of the tourism pages for the island. The hotels themselves may also have a wedding planner. Time to make phone calls and start e-mailing.

You can save a lot of money by having the wedding on an off-weekend or off-season wedding.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

Do you know where the wedding will be? If they are thinking Grand Hotel it would probably be cheaper to go to WDW. I attended a wedding there a couple of years ago and it was extremely pricey.

However there are several quaint little churches around the island that might be a more cost effective option. Mission Point resort may offer a package. I have seen people in bridal gear out in their grounds.

 

[beansmom]

while the Grand Hotel IS certainly romantic ('somewhere in time' is one of my favorite movies), I imagine it is extremely expensive for just that reason.

And are they considering that since it's a destination, they may have to make a 'recon' trip or two to get everything settled? We're having to go to Dallas next month to find hotels, restaurants, bakers, etc. for our spring wedding.

We will also have to ship any favors, decorations, anything extra to the site. Now, I have tons of friends in Dallas who will hold things for me. Does your DD have someone like that in the Mackinac area?

I would call around to other venues--maybe a call to a wedding planner in the area. Subscribe to some wedding boards online, they have great ideas. www.craftster.org is another great site for budget ideas for weddings.

we are getting married next spring in Texas at a Ren Faire--for $2500 we get wedding garden, reception pavilion, officiant, live period music by a harpist, flowers, cake, head garlands and lunch for 30 people. We can pay per head for extra guests.

This is my 3rd marriage (and last!) and I would never deny anyone their dream wedding but if they can't swing the Island with their budget, perhaps they can do something in your area then honeymoon on the Island. Just a thought.

Good luck...let us know how it goes.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

My local wedding probably cost only about $3,000, including my dress and 4 attendants, Dh's suit, our rings, the food/cake was a gift, but mom insisted on giving our friend who was doing the food some money. My flowers weren't expensive either.

My invitations came from Party City and 125 were like $40 or less and they looked better than the expensive ones I had looked at the other stationary stores.


Suzanne

 

[Scurvy]

I know this might seem obvious, but there are all sorts of expenses involved in a destination wedding that people tend to forget to include in the budget. The first thing the couple needs to do is to make a list of everything they are going to be paying for, both the items directly involved in the wedding (like flowers, invitations, venue) and the expenses involved in the destination part. If they are paying for things for their guests or wedding party - like lodging, transportation to the island (or just transportation to the hotel, venue and other spots on the island), meals, "welcome gifts", any activities, etc. - then those need to be included in that list. I have seen friends forget to include things like those when they were working out their budget, and then they couldn't understand why they had spent so much more than they expected to.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Aloong the same lines as the PP, the bride and groom (and maybe you, too, as the "stand-in MOB") should really decide what elements fo the wedding are super important to them, where they should splurge, and where they're willing to cut back. Destination weddings typically mean a much smaller guest list, for example. But if the bride wants to have a full sit-down reception, that's going to be pricier than coffee and cake. Either one can be elegant, though.

But my point is, they have to decide where they really want the $$ to go. As an example, my sister always wanted to arrive at the church in a horse-drawm carriage. So she did--in a thrift store wedding dress! But, the carriage was really important to her, so I'm glad she got to have it.

Beyond that, I agree on going off-season would save money, and they should do all the research they can on-line.

 

[csharpwv]

When is the wedding? What season?

I've only read part of the way through - but instead of doing artificial flowers - have the bridesmaids carry a candle in a nice holder - or even one of the battery powered votive candles (if it's an evening wedding) Or just buy inexpensive cut flowers and make stem wrapped bouquets! I am just not a fan of artificial flowers at all - I think they're pretty tacky most times LOL BUT that's just my opinion.

However as a PP said the Calla Lillies are a good option - REAL calla lillies are very expensive and they usually arrive in horrible condition - they are actually a very fragile flower in that they bruise and chill burn very quickly because of their high water content.

If they are getting married in the fall - use fall leaves as an 'aisle' - it is so much prettier than a paper aisle runner - AND a lot safe!

If they are getting married at a resort their choices may be very limited.

For atmosphere nothing looks at beautiful as candles in the evening! And you can get dozens of candles on e-bay for great prices!

Instead of aisle/pew bows - we bought botanical paper cones and used inexpensive dried flowers (we had a fall wedding).

As far as food - think picnic style or hors devours only. To do a 'NICE' meal si out of the question for a budget wedding.

However, do not try to do a 'fancy' wedding on a minimal budget - do a budget appropriate wedding

Post then the wedding will be and we can all post more seasonal ideas!

 

[antmaril]

If the wedding is going to be at the Grand Hotel, there is a very informative "Wedding Guide" available on line. Gives you a very good idea what this might cost depending on how many people, lunch or dinner, bar, etc. None of it looks cheap, but a lot depends on how many people will attend the wedding.

The Grand Hotel Wedding Photo Gallery might be helpful, as well.

Good luck!

 

[EKW]

I'd be tempted to invest in a local wedding planner...one who knows reliable vendors on the island.

If your daughter doesn't mind silk florals, you could save a ton by doing your own and shipping them to the planner ahead of time.

Make your own invites using a theme that goes with the area.

Have a morning wedding...brunch is less expensive to serve than dinner.

Don't be pressured to indulge in the silliness of a lot of weddings today...you don't need a chocolate fountain or a bar of candies or individualized favors.

If you have a Penneys outlet anywhere near, they carry their line of wedding gowns deeply discounted...and often have (or at least these things used to be true) bridesmaid gowns for next to nothing. I was a bridesmaid in a wedding that got gowns there...the gowns were $20 each on clearance!

Try theknot.com or mywedding.com for more ideas!

 

[LuLuO]

I agree with going off-season. You can save a ton of $.

I bought my dream dress at a bridal resale shop. It was exactly what I was looking for. It wasn't "used" but rather a sample. However, I wouldn't have cared if it were used. I paid $400 including alterations. The original price of the dress was $1600. I found my shoes, silver sandals, at Payless for $12.99.

Forget favors. No one really cares if they get them or not and they usually end up in the trash or forgotten on the tables.

Buffet dinner. Doing it buffet-style saved us a lot of money and allowed us to be able to put a bottle of champagne on each table for the toasts.

I had silk flowers for my bouquet and for the bridal party. DH's grandma made them up. They were lovely and my bouquet still looks beautiful. We did not do flowers on the tables but had candle centerpieces which were provided by the venue.

Michaels, Target and even Kinkos have some very lovely invitaion kits you can use in your printer at home. I made my own invitations but if these kits had been so readily available I would have used one of them. They are so pretty nowadays.

I made our Unity Candle with a pillar candle from Hobby Lobby and some ribbon. I believe it cost me less thant $4 because I used a coupon.

I did my own hair and makeup. I hadn't planned on it but when I went for the consultation at the salon, I did not like how the thick makeup looked and I was unimpressed with the hairdo given the price they were charging. I saved over $200 doing it myself.

One thing I wouldn't skimp on would be the photographer. It was also important to us to have an open bar. Though not necessary, it is what is popular here.

 

[hinodis]

The date of the wedding is August 6, 2011. The wedding will be outside at Mission Point Resort. The resort has an awesome wedding planner that is already helping us. We are all going back in October to a huge bridal show on the island where we will be able to meet with all the vendors and get alot done. We have been going to the island for every summer for a 2 week stay at Mission Point for the last 11 years. We are getting a better then "rack" rate for this wedding. I am in need of ideas for things that we can cut costs on so that she can have the things that she really wants. There are so many things to remember! Like a PP said don't forget the little things when working the budget. I almost don't even know where to begin in figuring out the budget. They are getting married on at peak time and have decided to have a dinner reception, that was not negotiable, they want to have the fun and dancing. The guest list will be smaller as everyone coming has to travel. We are expecting to have 50 to 75 guests. She definately wants a carrriage. One huge expense seems to be the photographer up there - $2,000 just for his fee not including any pictures. Need a way to cut that cost!

 

[LuLuO]

One huge expense seems to be the photographer up there - $2,000 just for his fee not including any pictures. Need a way to cut that cost!

That price sounds very reasonable actually. We were lucky that I found a photographer who was just starting out on her own but was not a novice (she had been with another company for quite a while). She did our wedding for about $800 but just gave us a CD and copyright release to print our own photos. Now that her business is established she charges about $2500 (average for our area for a good photographer) and that includes a book with photos and a CD with copyright release.

Photos may not be important to everyone but the day flies by so fast. There are so many moments that will slip your mind and it is so nice to have a photo reminder of the day. So for me personally I'd cut back another area to be able to have a beautiful photo documentation of the day. But, that's just me.