You asked. 

Here’s the answer: You CAN have a fun wedding celebration for less than $5,000! 

Here are three sample wedding budgets from couples of different tastes and personalities, but all with three goals:

Get married. Celebrate. Stay frugal.

With a little creativity, these brides and grooms said “I do” and celebrated in style with 50 guests. Check it out!

Mark and Amy: Simple & elegant

A morning wedding saves on almost every item! Mark and Amy married in St. Louis, Missouri, in summer 2024. After a Catholic Mass, family and friends gathered on a beautiful rooftop terrace for a simple buffet lunch. Mark and Amy were able to bring their own alcohol for a toast.

Flowers doubled as both church and venue decorations, and Amy’s bridesmaids helped with DIY decorations and did each other’s hair on the morning of the wedding (Amy suggests YouTube hair tutorials for everyone!). Mark’s college roommate offered to take photos in exchange for the right to use them on his startup webpage for his new photography business.

When it came to attire, the casual morning wedding meant big savings. Mark and his groomsmen wore 3-piece suits instead of tuxedos. Amy’s dress was a simple, day dress from an Etsy shop for $200.
Amy’s sister made a basic white three-tiered cake decorated with fresh flowers. In lieu of favors, guests received a small card reading: “In lieu of favors, a donation has been made in your name to the Missionaries of Charity of St. Louis.”

Other items came to:

Venue $1,500

Catering $1,200

Alcohol $400

Wedding Attire (bride & groom) $600

Flowers and Decor $250

DJ and Sound System Rental $300 

Invitations (Digital) $100

Wedding Cake $55

Guest Favors (Charitable Gift) $300

Miscellaneous $200

Total: $4,905

Notes:

• Prioritizes a beautiful venue and a traditional catered lunch with finger foods.
• Outsources specific items to family and friends, drawing them into the celebration experience.
• Flowers and simple decorations keep things elegant.
• A buffet luncheon is more affordable than a plated dinner.

Jordan and Madison: Family & DIY

Save on the venue, prioritize being together. Opting for a free location is key to a great reception and gives you incredible flexibility when it comes to budget, especially in expensive parts of the country. Jordan and Madison married in Fall 2024 in Connecticut and held their reception at a family friend’s renovated 18th-century barn in exchange for cleaning it out. A few repairs and more extensive decorating upped that budget line, but the result was still less expensive than many options in the area.

As a result, they were able to host over 100 guests (including children) for much less. Like Mark and Amy, family and friends were recruited for the cake, music, potluck dishes, and setting up the venue. Instead of a DJ, they created their own Spotify playlist and asked two friends to MC the evening with a prepared script.

The DIY wedding helped Mark and Amy reflect their own values – God, family, and community – in the way they planned the reception.

Other items came to:

Venue $0

Chair and Table Rental $500

Catering (backyard BBQ potluck, plus pig roast truck for 100) $1,700

Alcohol $450

Wedding Attire (bride & groom) $500

Flowers and DIY Decor $400

Sound System Rental $250 

Invitations (Paperless Post) $75

Wedding Cake $75

Guest Favors (country bandanas) $50

Total: $4,000

Notes:

• Focuses on a DIY and personal touch, saving on venue and catering costs.
• Friends or family help with photos, food, and decor. 
• A digital playlist replaces a DJ.

Michael and Sienna: Simple & vintage

In the spring of 2024, Michael and Sienna married in a simple ceremony at their local church in Gainesville, Florida, and then headed to a state park picnic area with a lake overlook for the evening. Music was courtesy of Spotify on a borrowed sound system, and they danced the night away with just over 40 guests.

For the casual event, the groom wore a 1950’s style 3-piece suit, and the wedding party bought their own vintage-themed attire with a few color parameters. Flowers came from Trader Joe’s, and the bride arranged them with her bridesmaids after the rehearsal prior to the wedding. They lucked out when a friend offered to cater the event for free as his wedding gift, so they were only responsible for drinks.

They sourced all their plates and stemware from thrift stores, aiming for a shabby-chic eclectic mix of china and wine glasses. Decor was DIY using vintage hardcover books and thrift store vases. As with all of our thrifty couples, the cake was delegated to a family friend. In lieu of favors, guests were encouraged to take home their one-of-a-kind wine glass as a memento. 

By far the biggest expense was the photography package. By scrimping in other areas, the couple was able to get everything they wanted to remember their special day.

“We got ourselves dressed in a state park bathroom, sure! But it was so worth it… and definitely set the tone in our marriage for what really matters – our promises to each other, our family and friends, and freedom from soul-sucking consumerism!”

Other items came to:

Venue $200

Bride’s Dress, Shoes, and Accessories (off the rack, no alterations) $750

Groom’s Attire $100

Flowers $100

Plates & Stemware $250

Table Linens & Other Decor $400

Catering $0

Drinks & Alcohol $450

Wedding Attire (bride & groom) $500

Flowers and DIY Decor $400

Invitations (Green Envelope) $59

Wedding Cake $65

Photography $1500

Total: $4,774

Notes:

• Went for fun, vintage, and casual with lots of family and friends supporting.
• Saving big on the venue and catering allowed for a splurge on photos.
• Sienna’s love of thrifting came in handy with plates and stemware doubling as durable (and practical!) party favors.

We hope these sample budgets can be adjusted based on your priorities, guest list, location, and budget. Opting for digital invitations, a smaller cake, or reducing decor can free up funds for welcoming more guests or focusing on one, bigger expense that means something special to the couple. 

Overall, every couple we spoke with emphasized the importance of intentionally being counter-cultural with their receptions. They ditched the bridal magazines (and even their relatives’ expectations) and reached out for help and support.

What about you? Have you been to wedding receptions that opted for community over consumerism? If you’ve planned a wedding, where were you able to cut costs? Comment below!