r/Weddingsunder35k

I've been looking at Brilliant Earth engagement rings lately and their diamonds honestly look beautiful online, especially the lab grown options but I keep seeing really mixed opinions about them. I just wanna ask to those who bought a diamond from Brilliant Earth, how was the quality in person? Did the diamond look as good as it did online and would you still recommend them?

I’ve been looking at 1 carat lab diamonds lately and I’m torn. On screen they look decent, but I’m worried about how they actually hold up compared to the massive stones everyone seems to post on social media.

I want something that feels substantial for every day, but I don’t need a giant rock either. For those who went with 1 carat, do you ever wish you had sized up?

Hi,
Fiance and I just got engaged and looking at some options! I don’t know where to start with wedding planning but we’d prefer a destination wedding.
We’d be flying from Toronto Canada so hoping for direct flights and nothing further than 8 hours.

Max 75 guests.
We’d like to pay for guests accommodation if we can.
Budget of $25-40k.
How do you go about planning a destination wedding and picking the venue/vendors?

I’d love to know how you planned your wedding, where, and the total costs (please add currency)

Any tips would be much appreciated.

Context: we live in dallas TX and want to keep the wedding under 35k. Where do we even start??

Any help is appreciated. Just engaged as of 4 days ago

Engagement ring has already been bought but that’s it

Hey all!! I'm planning my wedding but I really want to take an eco friendly approach because I know how much wastage comes from wedding events. I want to make my day special and personalized without having too much of a negative impact on the environment. Does anyone have any ideas of how I could do this, specifically with flowers? I want heaps of flowers but I don't want to engage in mass imported wholesale flower production.

While planning my own wedding this year, I ended up going deep on venue pricing research and it kind of snowballed into a bigger database once friends and family started sharing their info too.

The database covers about 400 venues, mostly on the east coast (where I live), with pricing info ranging from around 2025 to 2027. If anyone's interested in the link, just comment or shoot me a DM and I'll share it with you (unsure if I can share it in the post).

My only ask: if its helpful to you, please add your own venue pricing to the database - it'll help the next couple!

TLDR: Got engaged, beginning planning, looking for a venue with wildflower fields, open to a national park as well. Based in Ohio but open to travel within the US. Micro-wedding (25-50 guests). Budget and timeline are flexible and currently based around venue but looking to lock down both within the next month.

Hello! My fiancé and I just got engaged in February. After taking some time to enjoy our engagement we have started the official wedding planning process! We are having a micro-wedding (25-50 guests) because we really want an intimate, stress-free vibe. Our budget is extremely flexible and more so based around our priorities than an actual set figure. Once we have a better idea of what the average cost is, we will base our budget around that. Our top priorities are venue and photography/videography. Our date is also loosely flexible (for now) because wildflowers are an important piece and we ideally want to be married at a place and time when the most wildflowers are in bloom. I am looking to get married next year and have seen times ranging from April to August related to wildflowers. I would like to be able to lockdown my budget and date in the next month.

For our venue we would really like a place that has wildflower fields (natural or planted). Woodsy, ethereal, and lots of varied colors is the overall vibe. We have considered the idea of doing a national park wedding in place of a formal wedding venue. I am more nervous about this because there would be other people there, and it feels like it's more up in the air in terms of finding good views with actual wildflowers. Any advice on either option (formal venue, or natural park) would be greatly appreciated!

Hey everyone! 👋

I'm in the early stages of building something and I genuinely want input from people who are actually in the trenches before I go too far down the wrong path.

The idea is a wedding planning app specifically built for brides who are doing it themselves — no planner, just you, your spreadsheets, and your sanity slowly leaving your body 😅

Here's what I'm thinking it would do:

Smart task timeline that builds itself around your wedding date so you always know what needs to happen next

Vendor bid comparison — log quotes from multiple vendors per category and see them side by side so you're not scrolling through 47 emails

Budget tracker that shows what you've paid, what's still owed, and when deposits are due

AI assistant for the hard stuff — like when a vendor ghosts you, tries to change the price last minute, or you need to write a firm but professional email and don't know how

All your vendor contacts and contract notes in one place instead of scattered across your phone, email, and brain

This is just an idea, not even thinking about monetizing it yet, y'all have plenty better places to spend your money. If this can actually be useful to you please let me know.

So my questions for you all:

Would you actually use something like this?

What's the most stressful or disorganized part of planning for you right now?

Is there anything you wish existed that nothing currently does?

What would make you NOT use it (already using something else, price, etc.)?

Totally honest answers only — if the idea sucks, I'd rather know now 😂 Thank you in advance, this community is incredibly helpful 🤍

I went with a diamond alternative a few years ago and at the time it just made sense, we had other priorities and it felt like the practical choice. Honestly I have zero regrets.
The stone still looks clear and bright to me and nobody as ever questioned it unless I bring it up myself.

I do occasionally have a passing thought about resale value but then I remind myself I'm never selling my ring, so what does it actually matter?

For those who went the alternative route, still happy with the decision?

Help a guy out! I’m starting to shop around and trying to figure out which vendors actually offer prices that truly match the stone’s quality. I don’t just want the cheapest option and I’m looking for great cut, clarity, and overall sparkle for what I’m paying. If anyone has recommendations or personal experiences with trustworthy sellers, I’d really appreciate your input. Where should I start looking?

Hi everyone, I’m having my destination wedding in Barcelona in May 2027. Does anyone have recommendations for bridal shops in Barcelona? I love Spanish fashion and would love to support local designers if possible.

A few specific questions:
• Are shop inventories typically browsable online, or is it mostly in-person discovery?
• Are there any off-the-rack options worth exploring?
• How do fittings typically work for destination brides? I’m planning a trip to Barcelona in January, so I could potentially do a fitting then.

Any guidance is so appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hi all,

Looking for suggestions for some wedding entertainment! We have some ideas in mind but we have a budget we’d like to stick to (lower the better) any recommendations are appreciated! 😌

We’re looking for a band | singer/s | musician/s for the evening as well as maybe a live illustrator. Our wedding is in Gloucester in June 2027. 🌟