$10,000 Wedding

They say the average cost of a wedding in 2008 in the US was $29,000. I don't have that. I don't even have the ten grand that the seasoned brides that I know say is the very minimum you can spend for a wedding that is catered for 100-150 people and that is doing a lot of stuff yourself. I suppose if your family owned a place on a river with a barn, a farm, a winery, your dad played in a band, and your BF was a baker and a seamstress, it would be doable, but I don't have that exactly, to work with. But wouldn't that be great. Oh, and you would still need someone to officiate and someone to take photos.

I am going to get a bit of help from my folks and FH and I have approx. 8 months to save. If we could save $8000, I would be amazed.

Truth is, I don't really want to spend more than that or even that. I would love to save my money for a house, a honeymoon, and well, to have some savings.

What I want:

• Oregon wedding
• a used or vintage dress
• handmade favors
  
• not a lot of flowers
• a wedding weekend, so our tribes can get to know each other, not just meet at the wedding
• A unique setting (or a pre-wedding event that is in a unique setting)
• a band that people will dance to
• not to create a lot of waste, i.e., green wedding but still with printed invitations
  
• local, season food
• it to be Oregon with a little bit of the South (FH is from Georgia) and a little bit of Europe (German, and Polish)
• not a sit-down dinner
• kids at the reception
  

What I do have on my side:

• two family vacation homes in Oregon (central coast and north coast)
• family property in Central Oregon, very primitive (camping, no electricity and only outhouses)
• access to two private clubs in Portland that are quite nice (old school)
• a friend who is a wedding photographer (if I buy him a plane ticket and put him up, maybe he will help)
• Oregon is near Washington, where liquor is cheaper
• very crafty friends and set designing mother
• enviro self and FH
• a big family
• very supportive and offbeat parents

What might be difficult:

• I live in Washington, DC 3,000 miles from wedding location, will only get back once or twice before wedding
  
• haven't found a place yet, but have lots of ideas
• don't know how many people will make the trip from outside of Oregon
• I have a big family (easily 30 without going to great aunts and second cousins)
• We don't want our alcohol budget to be as much as our food budget

So here it goes......

First inspiration, I was at a bachelorette party recently in Sonoma, CA and saw this bouquet on the counter of the restaurant I went to.