The Miles City Star is doing a bridal section next week. We are inviting people to submit creative ideas on how to cut costs, either in some areas or as a whole, when planning a wedding. If you have some you'd like to share, please e-mail the Star at [email protected] Thank you!

I'm thinking Vegas.

Seconded.

Don't get caught up thinking you have to have something better and more expensive than what your friends put together for their weddings. Basic and simple can be terrific.....Shop around, you would be surprised at deals you can get, or items you can borrow from past brides..

I got married in the front yard, cut the cake in the dining room, and the reception was held all around the house. My dress cost $40 and was made by my SIL. Since we will hit #33 this summer, I think cheap works as well as expensive.

is there still going to be a Bridal Expo @ the town and country club on the 11th?

Yes it is!!
Mark your calendars for the Chamber of Commerece Bridal Fair March 11th 6-9pm at the Town and Country Club. Have a glass of champagne, sample cakes, foods, and visit the vendors. The fashion show begins at 7:00pm. Even if you're not a bride-to-be, we'll have tons to see from many great Miles City businesses. Everything you need to make your wedding special, is available in Miles City.

We hired art students to flip burgers and dogs, instead of catering.

Also, brew your own beer.

My wedding may be more unique for those who know me. Seven years ago in May, my husband and I got married at Bullis-Graves Memorial Chapel. Yes, a funeral home. It looked like a church on the inside and we were married by Don Neese, the JP of Miles City. We had our reception catered at the Eagle's Club and each brides maid and groomsmen rented their tuxedos. We had our honeymoon in the Black Hills of South Dakota in Deadwood.

We were on a budget and I kept to it. My invitations came from The Star and I had my oldest daughter's dress made to match the rest of the bridesmaids.

It's funny to think back on it but we are still married 7 years later.

It always made me sick how much people in California spent on their wedding. $30-40K was nothing to spend on a wedding. I always thought MC weddings that were catered by the Ladies' Aid made a lot more sense.

My wife and I got married in the park in Sidney, it was free, we just had to reserve it with the court house. My wife directed her bridesmaids to buy a little red dress that they would wear to church or a club and wear that. I directed my best men to wear whatever they thought was appropriate. We payed the pastor the normal fee. We borrowed our friends fancy looking kitchen table for the display. My wife got her dress on closeout for 100 bucks, I wore my suit that I already owned. Boom, weeding in the park, less than 300 bucks total. Didn't turn out to bad at all!

most important is to remember a wedding is 1 day, marriage is forever, if you can get friends &family to help, make cake, make your own invitations, have a friends help with organization prepare food, etc. Its your day, make memories,have fun, it's ok to spend money maybe just choose a few things you want to go big on, instead of everything, then you'll have money left for amazing honeymoon!!

The do-it-yourselfers are the core of our business, and all of them are on a budget. While not overly lucrative, the ones I call "redneck weddings" like what you see on TV are the most fun to work with. 'Cuz I like to deal with the most realistic, down to earth types... it seems they're less likely to be what we call "Bridezillas."
What can happen is, as the family and guests arrive, they notice that not enough planning and supplying had occurred; so everybody passes the hat and goes last minute shopping. Saturday mornings get pretty crazy in our wedding department!
My best advice is always "don't sweat it, make it fun not stressful."
Also: if budget allows, hire a wedding planner to handle the hard parts!

IMO, the amount of money people willingly spend on a ceremony to get permission from the State and God to sleep together without a guilty conscience is outrageous.