OT: Can I ask a question - did your parents help finance most of your wedding -- all of it -- or none of it?
We aren't paying for all of it - their ideas are little too grandiose for my wallet -- plus we're just getting her graduated from college, have another with 3 years of college left - and the bride-to-be is going on for grad school!
My husband and I came up with a set amount that we were comfortable with (and my DD and her DFi were very happy with) and anything extra is up to them and the groom's family.
But I know that we will be going over budget!
Can't help it - she's our little baby girl!
My parents paid for my wedding in full. When I say that, I'll tell you what they paid for. Any DFTW cost. So the Escape ceremony package and any enhancements I added (which included aprox. $300 in floral and $100 in champagne) and the dinner at Jiko (I choose the most expensive menu at $125/person and an completely open bar.) My BEO came in at the $8000-$8500 range (can't remember exactly) and my mom is actually getting a refund for upwards of $800 (people didn't drink nearly as much as they had us guesstimated at
). My parents also paid for Randy (the three hour package @ aprox. $600) and the offciant (which ended up being $175?).
Then they paid for there own expenses for travel and lodging.
We paid for everything else, including our attire, rooms, flights, invitation supplies, welcome bags, attendent gifts, guest book, jewelry, any thing you can think of. We also paid for our own honeymoon.
I tried really hard to pin my mom down to a dollar amount but she just wouldn't give me one. So, I minimized costs to the best of my ability and stuck with what I really wanted and passed on the rest and that was it. DH and I are very thankful that they paid for the wedding, but if I had known that we would be getting such a big refund back, I would have insisted on the DP. Not so much for myself but for DH. He would have LOOOOOVED something like that. Illuminations is his favorite.
His parents paid for the welcome dinner at Ohana. His sister (who doesn't have her own money, so really again, his parents) paid for the shower at Champps. And his mom paid for half my dress (which was super, super, super sweet of her!)
We're hosting an at home reception/party/bbq/open house. Whatever you want to call it and DH's parents are hosting that at their house and paying for it. It's going to be a struggle, but that should be saved for a PJ or a TR or another thread at least.
I'm also a bit older (30 in November) and went back to school a couple of years ago. My parents have always told me they would pay for school no matter what as long as I'm passing my classes. Well, I am and they have been. But I'm at a community college and I'm transfering to a local business college in another year for my bachlors. When I transfer I'll only have one full-time status year until I complete my degree and then because of the program I'm enrolled in, it'll only be another year to complete my masters. So again, while they're paying, I'm doing everything I can do to mitigate costs.
My parents are very middle class but they live cash only and they don't carry any debt. They also do not live beyond their means. DH's parents have a LOT more $$ but they seem to be a lot less willing to spend it on big ticket items (reasons why I think the at home reception is going to be a problem.) MIL will spend hundreds on discount merchandise that she doesn't need and no one wants, but she's less willing to purchase a full price item that would be useful or used. I would say I guess that's how they ended up with a LOT of $$ but really she spends more on the useless and unwanted, so I don't get it.
WOW, I've really ended up
Sorry about that. I hope something in my rambling helped you!
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