Ryan and I are getting married a month from today! Yikes!

We've been together for just over 6 years now and are finally "tying the knot".

From the beginning of the relationship we both agreed that if we ever got married it would be a super small event. We both hate dislike very much large parties and spending money on such things so we vowed not to have the traditional huge fiesta - we just wouldn't enjoy it.

Our Plan:
We decided to get married here in Rochester with our parents, grandparents, and siblings at the town hall with a JOP (justice of the peace).

Costs:
The event is nowhere near the scale of a standard wedding but even at this size the costs add up.  Here is what the ledger looks like:

For the Bride:

• Dress $280.
  I didn't want a huge traditional wedding gown but I did go look at a few and was stunned to find the prices often well over $1,000! (I am naive I know)...and that's before shipping it in, altering, etc. I did want a white dress, but not a gown, so I ended up getting a terrific less frilly style. Unfortunately I didn't realize that shipment would take up to 6 weeks, so I had to pay for expedited shipping, but total cost was $280
  

• Hair and Make-up $100
  Again I don't want a super time consuming up-do or over the top makeup so I talked to a stylist and it looks like this will be about $100 with tip and everything.
  

• Flowers $75
  For my bouquet I wanted something small that I could hold on to. The first florist I went to quoted me starting prices of over $180 which seemed very high. I found another mom-and-pop place that even has more flowers available to choose from and no waiting list. After adding up the costs for a bouquet, a few corsages, and a few boutonnieres, the cost is about $75

• Shoes $30
  I thought I had a pair of white shoes to wear but it appears they got lost somewhere between home and college and buying the house, so I'll have to get a new pair but right now the stores don't have anything in white. I'll go back at the end of the month when they have Easter items stock and see what I can find. I don't expect to pay more than $30 for a simple white shoe.

For the Groom:

• Ring $75
  I found a really cool Tungsten ring for Ryan at the local jewelery store and then went online and found the same ring for a fraction of the cost (an 85% discount and tax free, it was exactly the same ring!) Cost: $75. We already had my ring as an heirloom so no additional cost there.
  

• Suit $80
  Ryan has a suit jacket already but could use a matching pair of pants. Total cost at Macy's $80

For the Wedding:

• Reserve the Town Hall $100
  We are going to have our wedding at the local Town Hall. The building itself is closed on the weekend, but the town historian is going to come let us in to the colonial era house in the back. Fee to reserve the room is $100 donation to the town.
  

• Judge: $100
  You need someone official to fill out the paperwork so a judge is in order. We are going to use one of the retired judges from our town. Donation of $100 is requested

• Fees and Paperwork: $80
  You need a marriage license to get a marriage certificate, both of which require paperwork and processing fees of $40. Something to note if you are in New York - the license is only good for 60 days and you need to wait at least 24 hours after you get it to get married; they don't want any rash decisions.
  

• Cake $32
  We are going to get a cake from a local bakery here: Cheesy Eddies. They have the BEST cheese and carrot cakes in town. I get a 10% discount through my job so the total cost for a 10" cake that feeds about 15-20 people is $32 including taxes.
  

• Dinner $400
  We decided to have dinner afterwards at a local casual place.  There are 14 people (including us) who will attending. Assuming ~$20 per person, plus tip and extras, that comes to just under $400
  

• Gifts $30
  I am going to make my own souvenirs to give to our family members (some of them read this blog, so I can't say what yet) but I basically have everything I need around the house. I expect the total cost for all 12 items to be about $30.

TOTAL: $1,382


We are lucky to have families that are generously helping with cost of the day's events and are also helping with a couple parties in our home towns: Ryan's family is hosting a small get together at his mom's house, and a summer barbecue at his dad's house, while my family is  having a dinner party in Connecticut.