Times are tough...how do you get hitched without breaking the bank?

June 18, 2009 5:20 PM

How do you have a simple, affordable wedding in Phoenix, AZ?

Asking for a friend.....here are some details:

-Budget is $5,000. The bride will be making many items by hand, such as invitations, name tags, menus, centerpieces, etc.

-They have decided, due to the Phoenix climate, to get married in December.

-Guests will be between 100-150 total.

-Outdoor wedding, so a location with good backdrops for pictures, yet not necessarily opulent.

-Catering not necessary because food is covered by family and friends, but they would need to rent out stemware, flatware, tables, chairs, napkins, etc. So a location that does not require a catering license would be required.

-No money will be spent on limos, decadent flower arrangements, or anything, this wedding will be simple.


My question for my friend is: Where to go? Many wedding factory places in Phoenix, AZ have the full package and start at $5k not including the photographer. Many wedding items will either be done by hand or provided for by others, we are just looking for tips on garden-like venues, some affordable vendors, and suggestions for photographers. The bride and groom are using their own funds for the wedding and would like to keep it that way.

posted by penguingrl to work & money (7 comments total)

My friend does good wedding photography and is VERY cheap. (She's younger, but her portfolio will show you good things.)

MeMail me for details; she's in the Phoenix area and a charming girl.
posted by disillusioned at 5:29 PM on June 18 [1 favorite]

I don't know much about Phoenix in particular, but a lot of the wedding blogs have ideas for finding cheaper venues and vendors. Some people have had luck posting a request for services on the local Craigslist with a price the couple is willing to pay for the service. So, for instance, they could post an ad saying they wanted 4 hours of photography on date X for two locations and copies of all images in their raw form for $400. Or if they wanted some touchups, they could indicate that. Of course, they should request portfolios, too.

To save money, they will probably do well to stay away from "wedding venues." Opting for a public park with a shelter house would save a lot. Or look at local clubs/organizations that may have halls for rent (VFW, Kiwanis, etc.). They'd have to do more decorating at some of these places, but the rules about which caterers to use (or other guidelines) may be more relaxed. Some other brides are finding non-profit organizations to rent for a day in exchange for a donation to the organization. If there's some funky community art center or a historical center with a nice backyard, that might be a possibility. An art gallery may be willing to host a reception, too, in exchange for a small fee and/or the visibility the artists would gain by having their work exhibited as part of the reception.

So have them get creative and start looking away from traditional wedding venues. They may also find it useful to look at some of the blogs, especially those dedicated to budget/frugal weddings.
posted by BlooPen at 7:00 PM on June 18

My sister got married in phoenix, az on a relatively similar budget.

She was married at the University Club, outdoors in January. The weather was really nice. She had a late morning/brunch type wedding, to save money. The reception length was the same as a regular reception, she just had it earlyish and it was much less money. I don't know the specifics offhand, but I can ask.

I don't know who she used as a photographer or DJ, both were good.

She ordered flowers from a place like this (might have even been this place), and got modern looking rectangle vases from michaels or the dollar store. She ordered mostly hydrangeas because you get more bang for your buck since they are so large. Two in a vase plus some delphinium or something similar for filler, and you're good to go for centerpieces. She also did the bouquets (it was just hers and mine) in these flowers, perhaps she ordered one extra variety for the bouquets. The boutonnieres, too.

That's all I can think of as far as details go. If I've left something out, just ask and I'll try to get the answer.
posted by necessitas at 7:09 PM on June 18

I assume she's checked indiebride.com and theknot.com (specifically the local message boards), but if not, she should.
posted by cestmoi15 at 9:39 PM on June 18

Don't know what they're considering for DJs, but they've thought about just going the iTunes route, right?

I went to a small wedding last year and took some time to create a cd of accompaniment for the song I sang at the reception... and then we realized that the DJ was just a guy with a MacBook Pro, an awful lot like the MacBook Pro that I had used to record and store the damn thing with in the first place. Bonus: no Hokey Pokey if you don't want it! (Or an awesome one if you do, tee hee).

Think about finding some friends who are good "high-end amateur" photographers to supplement the photographer you do end up getting. I only had my father-in-law and another friend; all we paid her was a great dinner a few months later. They'll also have a good idea of who the important/close people are at the reception, which is always nice.

What other kinds of vendors are they looking for? Check out a theater costumer for getting the dress custom-made.
posted by Madamina at 9:11 AM on June 19

They definitely are doing the iTunes route. My friend wants to spend a good amount of their small budget on a good photographer. She knows Photoshop well, so she can do the editing herself, however, she knows pictures are what she will have left of this day. Her mother and the best man are both chefs and will be providing the food, although I think they are going to need to hire servers and all the dinner/tableware stuff.

There are many wedding factories in Phoenix from what we have searched online and they both just want a good venue that doesn't require a catering license and possibly rents out tables and chairs and dishes. Worse case scenario, the bridal party do the tablecloths and linens on their own. $5k is somewhat overshooting their budget, they really want to be as frugal as possible without doing the court ceremony.
posted by penguingrl at 1:02 PM on June 19

my wife and i married at the regency gardens in downtown mesa and loved it. its run by a couple that started it when they couldnt find what they were looking for in a wedding venue. we purchased a package that included everything from invitations to flowers to place settings to food to photography and all the vendors called us and worked around our schedule to arrange meetings. i dont know where their pricing starts, but i highly recommend them.
posted by phritosan at 3:12 PM on June 19