[marissa afterflats]

My fiance's brother had cancer. He needed undergo tests, treatments etc, and we paid for everything since he has no one to help him. The problem is, our wedding budget suffered. We don't want to postpone it. We still have $3000? Can I have a simple wedding with $3,000.00?

Please help!

[Ohio Wedding Planner]

You can do a wedding on any budget! The first place to look for cutting cost is your guest list. As long as you keep the wedding small and intimate, you'll have all the money you need! There are lots of ideas available but your question doesn't give specific details on the ideas you have for your wedding so I can't give you specific tips, but there are always ways to keep cost low without compromising the quality you'd want for your big day!

[Seyi Cedar Events]

Hi Marissa

Sorry to hear about your brother in- law's ill health. Pray he gets better soon.

It is indeed possible to have a wedding within that budget as long as you are realistic about what you can have for that budget.

As previously suggested, I'd say you should look at your guest list and see if you can keep the number down.

Look for a hotel/venue with an all inclusive package - by that I mean food, beverage, some light decor and maybe even integrated PA system that you can bring your music on an iPod for instance. Will save on the cost of bringing a DJ.

Some flexibility on your date might also save you some money by having a mid week or Sunday wedding.

Wishing you all the best with your wedding plans.

[Florida Wedding Planner]

Hello Marissa. I am so sorry to hear about your future brother-in-law. In order to give you some real advice, we'll need some more information as indicated above. Feeding your guest accounts for up to 60% of your wedding budget so if you can keep you guest list low (for example below 40 people) then you should be fine. Other tips would be to buy your dress off the rack or have your ceremony at a park or beach with have no or little fees. You can also have your reception at a restaurant that has private rooms. Sometimes these restaurants do not have Food and Beverage minimums that you have to spend which helps with the budget. Choose a ceremony and reception location that already has decor. This way, you do not have to spend money on decorations.

Good luck!

[Weddings Unlimited]

You can have a beautiful ceremony and reception on your budget. It may not be the big dreams you've had, but what you have done for your future brother-in-law far outweighs your dreams. Have a small family gathering a the church (sit them in the choir area), and host an intimate reception of cake and champagne at your home. The important thing is that you are getting married!

[Certified Wedding Planner]

Marissa, you can certainly have your wedding on any budget you set. What you and your husband have done for your future brother-in-law is priceless and I hope that his health is improving.

Making a few changes to the original vision you had for your wedding planning is essential. Keeping your guest count down should be made a priority. Having passed hors d'oeuvres with intimate candle votives as a decor element would really be nice. Also, for a more rustic feel, you may want to bunch together flowers from your own backyard or even a neighbors or close friends flower garden and tie them together with pretty satin ribbon. Maybe add your favorite brooch to pull the floral look together. For the ceremony music you could ask a friend who plays an instrument to orchestrate a small piece for you. Or you could even reach out to the local high school or community college for a small 3 piece quartet ensemble who would love to offer their services to you.

Whatever DIY wedding ideas you add to stay within budget, remember that above anything else, your wedding should be a reflection of you and your "hubby-to-be", and as long as you all are happy and bliss with things, your guests will embrace that same happiness and celebrate in your excitement the entire day!!!

Enjoy your day!

[Bridal Consultant]

What you've done for your fiance's brother is admirable! You two show exactly what love is all about - sacrificial giving of oneself. If you and your fiancé can do this NOW - before you are married - I can't wait to see what you will do AFTER you get married. What a blessing!

The advice given here is wonderful and very true. You can absolutely have a wedding on ANY budget! Your question is a loaded one though. I think a better question would be: "Can I have the wedding that I WANT for $3,000?" No matter what your wedding budget is, you must first sit down and figure out what is most important to you about your wedding. I'm sure that your "wedding vision" has changed now that you've gone through cancer treatments with your fiancé's brother. Things look differently. Sit down and make a list of the most important things for your wedding: music, location, dress, cake, photography, etc. Then, when you've figured out your list of must haves vs. things that I can live without, you can proceed with finding vendors to fit your budget. That's tough. When it comes to weddings like these, I like to use an old theater motto: Beg, Borrow, and Steal. LOL - please don't steal!!! And think of it as asking instead of begging.

Last fall, I had a bride who had the same budget as you. The bulk of her budget was spent on photography and food. She found a dress at a local boutique when they were having a "rack sale" and found her dress for 80% off the original price. The men wore black suits they already had with matching ties. Her invitations were hand-made on a computer (and were beautiful). She had lots of candles on her tables and simple flowers (meaning one rose on each table). She purchased fabric to make a cloth table runner for her tables. She made wedding programs and bookmarks to give guests and purchased wedding bubbles for the grand exit. Her wedding and reception were at the church she attended. Big savings there! Her church had tables, chairs, china, cups, flatware and tablecloths she could use free of charge. The church also had vases she could use for her flowers on her tables. Her music was on an iPod that was piped over the sound system. Her cake was made by her MIL who was a former baker. She bought her flowers wholesale. Her food was from a "Mom & Pop" catering company and was kept simple (mini sandwiches, veggies, desserts, punch, coffee) but there was plenty!! Even for 200 people!!! She saved so much money by borrowing and using items that were already available - even the trees and plants around the church were used for the reception area and we put lights in them to dress them up. In the end, everything was beautiful.

I share all this with the hopes of giving you ideas and things to look for. Look for things you can borrow and who you can borrow from. Look for items you can make yourself. Don't be afraid to ask! One bride went to a local Christian Academy and asked if their handbell choir would play at her wedding for the prelude. Turns out, they played free of charge because it was a performance credit for them! Bonus for everyone! (She sent a donation to the school's music department later.) I suggest finding a wedding planner/coordinator to help you find some vendors like a good photographer, for example, who would fit your budget. Most coordinators have an hourly rate. You can hire them for an hour to help you with budget planning, locating vendors, etc. That's what this bride did with me. She was able to consult and brainstorm with someone in the industry which took a lot of the stress off of her.

I wish you the best!