r/Weddingsunder35k

We're trying to figure out which wedding stationery is worth spending actual money on and I'm leaning toward doing digital save the dates, then putting more of the budget into the invitations later.

My thinking is that the save the date mostly needs to get the date onto everyone's calendar, while the invitation is the thing I'd personally want to feel a little more special. We also don't have everyone's mailing address yet, which makes sending paper save the dates feel like an entire project before the project lol.

For anyone who did digital save the dates and paper invitations, how did you handle the transition between the two?

I'm especially curious whether you used the save the date to collect everyone's mailing addresses for the eventual invitations because that would solve two problems at once. Also wondering whether email delivery was reliable enough or if texting them ended up being easier.

I'm probably overthinking this, but I don't want to spend weeks collecting addresses just so we can mail something whose main purpose is basically please keep Saturday free.

Hi everyone! 🤍
My fiancé and I are planning our destination wedding celebration for April 21, 2029, and we’re currently searching for beautiful venues throughout Europe!
While our current interests are Italy and the South of France, we are absolutely open to exploring other European destinations and haven’t ruled out any locations. We’d love recommendations from couples who have gotten married in Europe or are currently planning their weddings!
We’re especially drawn to romantic, historic venues such as French châteaux, European castles, Italian villas, vineyard estates, and beautiful gardens. Our vision is an elegant, timeless, romantic wedding with stunning architecture, lush greenery, manicured gardens, and a candlelit evening reception.
Here’s what we’re looking for:
Date: April 21, 2029 (Saturday)
Guest count: Approximately 70
Budget: $20,000–$25,000 USD for the wedding celebration
Preferred locations: Italy (especially Tuscany and Umbria) and the South of France (especially Provence and Occitanie)
Other locations: Open to absolutely anywhere in Europe!
Venue style: Château, castle, historic villa, vineyard, botanical garden, private estate with landscaped gardens, or another beautiful and unique setting
Accommodations: Ideally on-site or nearby, with guests paying for their own rooms
Packages: Preferably all-inclusive or offering comprehensive wedding packages with catering, drinks, coordination, and other essentials
We’re hoping to find somewhere that feels luxurious and romantic without spending an absolute fortune. We’re also very interested in lesser-known venues, hidden gems, and destinations that might offer better value for our budget.
If you’ve planned a wedding anywhere in Europe, I’d love to know:
Which country and venue did you choose, and would you recommend it?
What was your approximate total wedding cost and guest count?
Did your venue offer wedding packages, or did you book vendors separately?
Were guests able to book and pay for their accommodations individually?
Were there any unexpected expenses or things you wish you’d known before booking?
Bonus points for venues with transparent pricing, beautiful gardens, outdoor ceremony and reception spaces, accommodations, and an indoor backup option!
We’re still in the early stages of exploring our options, so we’re keeping an open mind about destinations. While Italy and the South of France have caught our attention, we’re more than willing to fall in love with somewhere completely unexpected!
I’d really appreciate any recommendations, personal experiences, photos, or advice. Thank you so much! 🤍

Trying to keep everything under $7k if we go traditional ceremony/reception. Finances are tight, weddings are SO expensive. Located in the midwest. We’re considering a small ceremony soon and a big party in a year but I’ve been dreaming of all the bridal things since I was little. I don’t see how we can do both. How can we still incorporate the dreamy wedding bliss while saving as much money as possible?

We’re booking an all inclusive venue so pretty much everything big is taken care of, but what are the little things I should be working on or planning to make or buy? I haven’t been to many weddings as an adult so I haven’t really noticed things that I would like or should have at mine.

My future SIL offered to make us signs, but what kind of signs would be helpful? Any other tips on what I should prep? Only other thing I can think of is like, party favors and a guest book?