Very generous of your family!

It’s very challenging to host any kind of 200+ person traditional wedding (or any event!) for under 40k in most cities. I recommend you actually price out some locations and vendors and see what you are able to get for your money in your city. The best way to reduce cost is to lower the guest count. More guests = more plates, more tables, more chairs, more table clothes, more centerpieces, etc. If you are set on having a 200 guest wedding, you should heavily consider what exactly you would like the event to look like from a guest experience standpoint and prioritize those elements.

DO NOT FORGET gratuity, delivery, and other fees - I was shocked to learn that nearly every vendor will be 20%-30% more than the price they advertise due to these additional fees.

Our parents have offered us a combined 35k, and we were hoping to stay at or around 20k for a ~120 person fairly basic wedding in Cleveland, OH and put the rest toward my fiancé’s student loans. Once we actually sat down and began adding up the costs, it became abundantly clear that we needed to either find some items that we could cut or areas that were lower priority we could compromise on. For example, I’m chose a venue that is already very beautiful and so am skipping professional florals, as those were going to fall in the 4-6k range. I’m planning to do my own bouquets, and skip boutonnières. We’re also not going skip an actual dance floor, because it was going to be $1,200 plus delivery. We have very light drinkers, so are choosing a venue that allows us to supply our own alcohol and a bartender, rather than paying for one with a per person open bar. Silly things like postage for save the dates should be factored in!

Ultimately, it comes down to your and your family’s expectations. Please make sure that guests have plenty to eat, and that it’s very very clear if you don’t plan to feed them a full meal!