Poll: Has The Financial Crisis Affected Your Wedding?

Our budget was fairly small to start with ($8000-$10 000) with most of it coming from my side of the family. However, my father is an investor, and told his clients to pull out their money, but didn't actually do so for him and my mother. In other words, my parents lost pretty well their entire assets in the markets (I only know the numbers of what I lost...). Needless to say, they have retracted their offer (and understandably so). Our budget is now $2 000 plus the cost of the venue, which we had already put a non-refundable deposit on ($1 000)--we could retract and lose the deposit, but it's $600, so why bother? Just as well to stay where we are and be happy. We've cut the guest list by nearly half. We are also not doing a catered event, but rather, rent a BBQ and grilling up meat and skewers, corn and potatoes. Serving salads and ice cream, and looking at cupcakes. We're also going to self-DJ the event, which was planned from the start, and make our own favours. The big thing that worries me, is the dress. The nicest one I can find on a budget is $400 (there's one I love that is $2500...whooops). I might also just have one made. We'll see.... ..has our wedding changed? Yes! Are we better for it? Absolutely!

We've cut just about everything. My parents were footing 2/3 of the bill, but due to the economic crisis and the status of my dad's job, they had to pull out. We're doing everything ourselves, and we had already signed contracts with most of our vendors. Thankfully, everyone seems to be in the same boat and is working with us. We're getting married at the high school where we teach to save ceremony costs; we've cut all our flowers except my bouquet. It has been a rocky two weeks, but as long as we're getting married, none of that other stuff really matters. :) You know, I think my wedding will be far more creative and gorgeous than anyone's on "Platinum Weddings"!