Congratulations!
Okay, I'm in the thick of wedding planning right now, so here goes:
Church: $1350 (1K for the church, 150 for the organist, 200 for the coordinator - my church is very expensive because I'm not a parishoner and its in the most exclusive neighborhood in New Orleans. But, it was worth it to me)
http://www.hnjchurch.org
Reception site rental: $1200
http://www.neworleansopera.org/guild.html
Caterer: $5000
We're doing a buffet-style dinner, because that's the norm down here. There's also going to be an open bar, because in new orleans, you just don't have a wedding without an open bar. The reception is going to be for about 150-200 people.
Dress: $1100 (It retails for much more, yay for internet dress shops!)
Band: $700 for 4-piece jazz band
This is what I've got so far. And I've done a lot of shopping to find the best quality at the best price. I'm not going to need a ton of flowers because both the church and reception site are very decorated in their own right.
I've got 5 bridesmaids and they'll be buying their own dresses/shoes etc. Keep in mind those "wedding budget calculators" include things like that which you might not be paying for.
Our wedding is going to be very traditional, very formal, and I'm a big pain in the ass. I could do this wedding in my parish church and the local country club for much much less than the ordeal I'm putting myself through, but hey, you only get married once!
