We did it! NYC Springtime Sunday afternoon & evening 70 guests, $15k Wedding Breakdown
Waiting on high quality photos to share, but I wanted to go ahead and share some budget breakdowns for those of you who are stressed out about time and money to assure you...things are possible! We started planning in earnest in December.
Venues - $4500 - Finding this was the most stress-filled bit. We decided to cap ourselves at 100 guests at most when we made our invite list, in the end we had 60 adults and 12 children. The venue for the ceremony was the church we are members at and the officiant was our pastor, so that carried no wedding-related cost. For the reception, we wanted something nicer than the church basement but still walkable from our Upper East Side church. We found 202 East, a venue nestled above a HousingWorks Thrift Store on 77th Street. We paid 202 East $4500 in total, which covered: 4 hours of party time and 1 hour before/after breakdown time, table/chair/flatware/plate/cup/etc rentals, buffet setup with dishes, in-house soundsystem, coat check room and attendant, their people to work the event, clearing plates, cutting cake, serving food at buffet, and an open bar and bartenders.
Food - $1980 - The open bar was included in the venue price above. We ordered catering from a local farm to table quick-service restaurant called Dig Inn ($1650) and everyone was thrilled with the food. Those who knew it as an inexpensive local option still felt like it was better than most wedding food and it was very easy for it to be transparent for our dairy-free and gluten-free friends. We also got four large catering veggie/cheese/antipasto trays from the local Fairway ($330 delivered) to have out before dinner.
Cake - $650 - Butterfly Bake Shop's a la carte cakes, delivered, and about $20 in Sculpey clay from Michael's to DIY my cake topper.
Wedding clothes - $1650 - I had purchased a gorgeous dress at a Kleinfeld sample sale 2 years ago that could not actually be altered in the way that they had assured me it could be altered when I purchased it, so it was back to the drawing board in February. David's Bridal saved the day, at a total of $1200 with alterations. I DIY'd my veil for about $30. My two pairs of shoes came in at $200 combined. His new blue suit was $200 at K&G Warehouse.
Flowers & other random decor - $2200 - Bridal bouquet, 4 bridesmaids bouquets, bouts for the groom, groomsmen, and fathers, corsages for the flower girls and mothers, lemon leaf wreathes for the church windows (that traveled to the reception to hang on wall sconces the venue had), candles in the church windows with greenery around them, and a big altar arrangement that traveled to the reception venue. Found a lovely florist in Connecticut and paid her an extra few hundred to come down into the city instead of paying city prices. We also spent like $20 on little signs to put in front of the food and glittery mr and mrs sign for the sweetheart table (which was otherwise decorated with greenery from church windows, my bouquet, and the bridesmaid bouquet.
Photographer - $3300 for 8 hours
Invitations, escort cards, programs, card box, thank you cards, and postage - $700
Ubers around town that day and to schelp it all home after - $100
Hair for me, MOB, and 4 BMs at Blo Bar, and a MAC consult for me (With a few new goodies, but DIY'd makeup day of), a few nail appointments that month - $1000
A stay in a suite the night before and night of the wedding - $700
I look back and still am not sure how we pulled that off - persistence was key, and finding venues/people who are a bit removed from the super grand scale weddings that NYC is known for but who still had high standards. Can't wait to share pictures when I get them in!