Wedding to elopement?

Planning is always scary and stressful so I think you need to take a step back and breath a second before making a rash decision. My husband wanted to elope originally but I knew that I would regret not being able to share that day with my family and friends.

There are ways to reduce the budget without sacrificing what you want. Ask friends for recommendations of vendors that they know such as photographers etc as you may be able to get a discount or even let your friend who is the hobby photographer in the group take your pictures. You can make your own centerpieces for relatively cheap if you want. You could make your own wedding cake and/or desserts; Use it as a bonding experience for you and your girls.

You also need to remember that a lot of things people consider "necessary" at a wedding aren't really a necessity anymore. You can forgo giving out wedding favours since most people don't take or use them anyway.

I hope the planning doesn't keep making you feel this way but I found that sometimes I needed to take a step back. Remember that as painful and hard as planning can be, it will ultimately lead to one of the best and happiest days of your life!

We had talked about eloping but I knew I would regret it--I've wanted to be able to celebrate my wedding with friends and family since I was little, and knew I would regret not doing that.

There are ways to cut costs. Food and alcohol are the two biggest expenses. Have a later ceremony (7:00) and then apps or dessert after instead of a full dinner. Or, have an earlier one and provide a lunch (usually less than a dinner). Don't serve alcohol or serve a limited amount, or have a cash bar. We decided to purchase alcohol and they will serve it. We only budgeted $1500 for that, but I'm okay if we run out of alcohol.

Flowers are also pricey, so we are just doing the bride and bridesmaids bouquets. Centrepieces and other decor will not have fresh flowers.

We did splurge on a photographer, but for save the date photos, we had a friend who took a few courses take them. They were decent photos, and I'm sure there is a beginner photographer near you that would be willing to take photos. Ask around and on Facebook for that, if you're interested.

We have this conversation literally once a week. We sat down and updated our budget last night to see where we are at and I thought my fiancé was going to have a heart attack. We surpassed his scary number and are inching towards mine. I honestly think this is a natural feeling when it comes to planning a wedding. Especially if you encounter any time of drama. It makes you want to just quit planning and run away together and get married without all of the BS. If you plan to elope, just remember that you will have to forfeit all of the money you have paid to your vendors so far. That's the only crappy thing. Thats the main reason why we didn't just go to the courthouse in the end. Good luck with whatever you decide.