Save Money on Your Wedding

Archive for June, 2009

Article by Charles Pruett

With all of the enhanced consciousness about the health of our planet, and “going green”, have you considered Green wedding favors to accent your upcoming ceremony? The growing popularity of this trend has necessitated new and inventive favors almost as vast as your imagination.

And if you are seriously thinking about an earth-friendly alternative to more traditional wedding favors and/or wedding invitations, just keep in mind there are excellent choices to be made of invites from completely recycled paper.

So what about your favors? How can you come up with something original to suit such an earthy premise? Seedlings or some other petite plant as wedding favors would certainly make for a one-of-a-kind token of your love for Mother Earth, while symbolizing the newness and potential of your love union. An accompanying card as an invitation to plant these living favors would be a perfect touch to bring added significance to your most “budding” of days.

The important thing to remember in “going green” with your wedding favors and wedding invitations is to keep it as simple and organic as you possibly can.

One way you can get ideas and inspiration is to look not only at the already available eco-friendly items when shopping for ideas, but look at all that might appeal to you, and then think about ways you can either find a ‘green’ alternative that achieves the same effect, or you can solicit the help of friends or family in creating your own spin on established standards.

Information provided as a service by: http://www.BeautifulWeddingInvitations.com

Written By: Charles Pruett

Article by Niki Camus

By Deborah LaFranchi

Everyone is aware that there is a recession. And to those lucky couples that have made the commitment to get married the challenges can be even greater. Let’s face it, weddings will never go out of style. During times of financial or economic stress in this country we have actually seen an increase in people getting married. Perhaps it is the security of knowing that you will have that other person there no matter what happens. Whatever the reason, weddings will never go out of style.

What is one of the most important elements that represent that day? The wedding gown, of course. Everyone wants to know what the bride will be wearing. All eyes are on her as she gets walked up the aisle. Most importantly, the photographs that are taken that day will reflect the way she felt. Those photographs will be the permanent memory that their kids, grand kids and beyond will have and see for many generations to come.

That is why no matter what budget you have for your wedding you shouldn’t skimp or push aside the importance of the wedding gown and the photographer who will capture your special day.

When planning the budget for your wedding find out just exactly what dress you want and make sure you make that a priority in the planning of the wedding. If it seems like a lot a money, then ask for help from your family or take on a second job to earn that money for the gown. Yes, it IS that important that you have your dream dress and it fits you perfectly. The food will get eaten, the flowers will die but the gown is something that represents your marriage forever. I am often surprised at brides that will spend $4,000 or more on flowers for their wedding but only want to spend $500 for the most important item of the day.

There are many ways to get the perfect gown if money is an issue. After all, getting married and being together is still the most important thing about starting your new life as husband and wife. But if you just can’t come to spend $4,000 on a wedding gown then look into alternative ways to get that gown. Borrowing one from a friend who recently got married, wearing your mother’s gown or even going to a thrift shop and finding a slightly used one are the cheapest ways to acquire a gown. If you are lucky enough to know someone who sews then why not have that person help and make the gown for you? There are many commercial patterns on the market now that will create a very beautiful and contemporary gown.

And if you are willing to spend the money, then having a gown custom made by a reputable designer is still the only way to ensure you will have YOUR dream gown that will fit you perfectly, be exactly what you want and you helped in the design of it.

But no matter what you decide, congratulations on taking responsibility for another person and wanting to create a life and family together. You can have the dress of your dreams on any budget.

Deborah LaFranchi is a professional costume designer who has worked professionally in the Los Angeles area for over 23 years. Until recently, only Hollywood had access to her unique talents but now she takes on private clients to design their “dream gown”. To learn more visit her website http://www.deborahlafranchi.com When contacting her please ask about her special offers of a free custom made veil when you have Deborah design your gown.

By Gail Vince

Wedding centerpieces may not be considered important at some festivities however a wedding is a different story. You set the mood of the occasion by complimenting you and your partner’s personalities with carefully chosen embellishments.

Choosing the incorrect wedding centerpieces can make or break the decorations so careful consideration when selecting the embellishments is vital.

Consider the wedding theme, the size your tables, color of your tablecloths, color of wedding attire and the venue’s décor.

Flowers are commonly chosen as wedding centerpieces for their variety, color, fragrance and ease of availability. Choosing flowers which are out of season can become costly and difficult to find. An alternative to using fresh flowers of your choice, you could use silk flowers on their own or mixed with fresh flowers.

The choice to use or not to use flowers is a personal one. The idea of using something other than flowers excites me because the imagination can really come into things. You can spend a lot of money on any kind of embellishments’ or by doing it yourself you can have the satisfaction of knowing that you have created this outstanding design and saved yourself a lot of money.

You don’t have to be a crafty person. Look through magazines, photos’ you have taken or family and friends have taken, website images or ask wedding venues if you can see a set up of a wedding that will be taking place if you are thinking of holding your reception at their venue. The latter could also be of benefit as you may be able to combine your ideas with that of a previous wedding party to reduce costs and time in setting up if you are holding your reception on the same day.

If you must have flowers a cheaper alternative but one which still adds elegance to your wedding reception, try the flamingo lily or birds of paradise. Place in a tall vase/glass and fill with white river rocks. Accentuate with white unscented pillar candles. The reason for using unscented candles at the table is that although scented candles emit a beautiful aroma, you may find this a bit overpowering and not want this whilst you and your guests are eating.

The use of fruits as wedding centerpieces can create a very attractive and affordable alternative. With a bit of creativity and imagination, you are able to make something wonderful out of fruit.

Place whole lemons’ in a vase combined with sunflowers. Use cut limes, sliced apples, whole grapes, berries or colored seeds…the list is endless. Tropical fruits, including pomegranates cut in half. Buy glass vases or containers for your centerpiece from markets, bargain shops or $2 stores. Use your imagination for a summer wedding!

By filling glasses with colored stones, water, rose buds or orchids and floating candles you are able to create a wonderful centerpiece. Alternatively, sand, shells and greenery create an effective display. Lavender, fruit, gum leaves – get those creative juices going – go green.

Collect (free) branches, leaves, pine cones, driftwood and spray with gold or silver metallic spray paint. Arrange in the center of the table with a few long lasting tea lights. Other alternatives are ivy, holly and rosemary. Dark table cloths really set this off. An eye catching arrangement!

Remember your guests. Try not make your centerpieces too bulky so guest have trouble talking to and seeing each other or that they take up large amounts of room on the table and then only allows very minimal room for placement of crockery and glassware.

Another extra to place on tables for guests is a disposable camera. This allows guests’ to take snapshots of other guests, or you and the bridal party. Photo’s that you would not normally have taken. One camera on each table is sufficient.

By Arlene Chorba

1. Pick a breathtaking location. Wedding by the lake, sunset wedding on a beach, wedding ceremony in a botanical garden — the possibilities are endless. You don’t need to worry about how to decorate the place. Mother nature already did it for you!

2. Determine a set number of guests that you want to invite and keep to your list. Invite only immediate family and intimate friends. This is a big factor in keeping your wedding costs down and stay within your budget.

3. Make your own wedding invitations. Look online and browse for Do-It-Yourself wedding invitations or you can go to your own local craft stores. You can also choose to make your own wedding invitations from scratch. My husband and I did our own. It was very involved and took a lot of time but it was worth it. Our guests were greatly impressed. Most of all,it helped us a lot to stay within our wedding budget.

4. Keep your centerpieces simple but elegant. Make them yourself, it is not hard. You can check for ideas from local craft stores. Look online for great deals, check eBay and other auction sites. Oriental Trading is a great place to start looking. They offer great items for so much less cost.

5. Look for inexpensive wedding favors. If you are getting married during spring or summer, you can have flower seed packets as favors. Another unique idea for favors is a personalized bookmark with a written poem, quotation or Bible verse that has a significant meaning for you and your bridegroom.

6. Buy a wedding gown that is on sale. Get one during off wedding season (usually September to February) when the bridal stores are slashing their prices to make room for new inventories. Another option is to look for wedding gowns at online auctions like eBay. Try looking at classified ads too. Be open and try other avenues. Don’t think that, just because you did not get your wedding gown from a wedding boutique, the quality will be less.

7. Pick the bridesmaids dresses from a retail store as opposed to a wedding boutique or bridal stores, it is a lot less expensive. Your attendants will appreciate it too, since I am sure they have their own budget to consider also.

8. When setting priorities in planning for a budget, wedding pictures and video usually top the list. Most couples do not want to skimp on this. Be wise when choosing your photographer and videographer. Since you are going to have an outdoor wedding, make sure that whoever you choose is very experienced and can work with natural lighting. Ask to see a previous client’s pictures and videos for proof of their work.

However, if pictures are not a priority for you and you don’t want to pay too much for these services, then another option is to go to a local campus or university near you and ask a photography major student if he/she would do the service for you. Students charge a lot less than the professionals. Just be cautious and make sure that you are getting a good one. Ask if they can show you their portfolios.

Placing a disposable camera in each table for the guests to use during reception is another source of wedding photos. Just don’t expect high quality pictures. From my experience, the resulting photos sometimes show poor quality, depending on the lighting available. If used outside with good outdoor lighting, the results are good. Pictures taken indoors show poor quality due to lack of good lighting.
bridal car

9. Rent a classic car or a convertible instead of hiring a limousine for a bridal car. Have a friend or family member have the privilege of chauffeuring you around. This could cut down a lot on your overall wedding costs.

10. Have your wedding events all in one place. Pick a nice country club for the wedding reception, set-up the wedding ceremony in their professionally landscaped lawn (they usually have gazebos too that you could use as a place to exchange vows) and have all the wedding party’s photos in the same place too. This would save you a lot of time and effort, not just for you but also for the guests. After the ceremony, the guests can then proceed to the country club for cocktail while the wedding party can have their professional photos taken. Also, there will be no need to worry about providing transportation for the attendants since everything is done in the same location.

If followed, these wedding budget tips can really cut down your wedding costs significantly. There are a lot more ways that you can do to stay within your wedding budget, especially if you are willing to compromise. Be creative, think outside the box.

by: Matt Campbell

The following article can be copied but you must keep about the author section.

Common format of a wedding reception:

• Arrival of guests at hall
• Introduction of wedding party
• Introduction of bride and groom
• Blessing
• Meal
• Cake Cutting
• Toasts
• Bride & Groom’s First Dance
• Father & Daughter’s Dance
• Mother & Groom’s Dance
• Special Dances
• Bouquet and Garter Toss
• Dancing and Fun

Arrival of guests at reception site

Typically, a wedding lasts about 15 minutes. However, some guests do arrive early to the reception. Therefore, be sure all reception to-dos are complete by the start time of the wedding. Also, all wedding vendors should be wearing proper attire for early arriving and late staying guests. All tables should be set-up including cake table, entertainment’s table, sign-in table, food tables, and tables with chairs for all guests. If you have a seating arrangement, all seating lists should be at the reception with everyone’s name with where they are sitting.

Introduction of wedding party

This step is not mandatory, but it is nice for everyone to know who the wedding party is as many have not met before your wedding. Create a “Reception Planning Guide” and give this to your master of ceremonies prior to your wedding. This details, among other things, the order of entrance into the reception site with their names and titles. The order of entrance is as follows: parents of the bride, parents of the groom, ushers with bridesmaids, flower girl and ring bearer, special guests, best man, maid/matron of honor, bride and groom. In addition, review the pronunciations of the wedding party’s names with the master of ceremonies.

Introduction of bride and groom

This is always the last of the introductions. Everyone should stand before the bride and groom enter. In addition, a special song can be arranged with the music entertainment and a special announcement made to punctuate a true grand entrance. Also, inform the master of ceremonies how you would like to be introduced: Mr. and Mrs. Smith or John and Jane Doe.

Blessing

This is another step that is not mandatory, but for the religious couples makes a nice setting. If you invite the person who performed the marriage ceremony to the reception, I would recommend having them conduct the blessing. If they are not able to attend, a parent or family friend is a good idea. Lastly, the master of ceremonies could give the meal blessing. Be sure to communicate with whomever is giving the blessing in advance so they are prepared to give a personal touch.

Meal

It’s time to eat! Bride and Groom, be sure to stop and take a moment to eat. This may be your only chance in the day. In addition, it is customary for the bride and groom to start the food line. Most guests know to wait until the bride and groom start the food line. So don’t be late!

Cake Cutting

This is the traditional bride and groom making the first cut on their wedding cake. Then, the bride feeds half of the piece of cake to the groom and the groom feeds the remaining half to the bride. The cutting of the cake is a ceremony intended to symbolize the caring and sharing for one another. Forks may be used as they make the image very attractive for the photographer. Forks may also minimize the possibility of someone being hurt with the more playful squashing that sometimes happens.

Toasts

The toast is when the bride and groom toast each other then interlock arms and drink. Immediately following, the best man and maid/matron of honor make toasts to the bridal couple. Be prepared for other family and friends to follow with their toasts too.

Bride & Groom’s First Dance

The Bride & Groom’s Dance is the first dance between a bride and groom as a married couple. The dance is also commonly known as the “First Dance”. The timing of the bride groom dance can vary in the evening based on your preferences. The first dance can be done immediately following the grand entrance with the wedding party circling the dance.

Father & Daughter’s Dance

The Father & Daughter’s Dance or the Father Bride Dance is the dance between the father(s) of the bride and the bride. Brides, if you have more than one father in your life, one can tap the other on the shoulder in the middle of the dance so you can dance with both of them. If you do not have a father, a common substitute is a father figure or even your brother would make a very nice gesture.

Mother & Groom’s Dance

The Mother & Groom’s dance is the dance between the mother(s) of the groom and the groom. Grooms, if you have more than one mother in your life, one can tap the other on the shoulder in the middle of the dance so you can dance with both of them. If you do not have a mother, a common substitute is a mother figure or even your sister would make a very nice gesture.

Special Dances

There may be songs in your life that mean dear to your heart. You can ask the music entertainment to play these songs during the night or immediately following the formal dances. An example would be: If someone dear to you passed recently, you may ask the music entertainment to play Angels Among Us by Alabama.

Bouquet and Garter Toss

The traditional tossing of the bouquet is when the bride tosses the bridal bouquet to all single women in attendance. Immediately following the bouquet tossing, a chair is set in the middle of the dance floor. The chair is for the bride to sit and the groom to remove the bride’s garter from her leg. The traditional tossing of the garter is when the groom tosses the bride’s garter to all the single men in attendance. The people whom catch the garter and bouquet are said to be the next one to marry.

Dancing and Fun

This is what you pay the music entertainment to do…get people to dance and have a good time. Give the music entertainment music examples and limitations of what type of music you want but don’t give them a list of 100 songs they need to play.

About The Author

Matt Campbell is the owner and webmaster for Weddingmuseum.com. Weddingmuseum.com is a place to plan, book and rate your wedding day. You can email him at matt@weddingmuseum.com or visit www.WeddingMuseum.com.

Article by: Ron King

Want to make sure your marriage doesn’t end up on the rocks before you get to the chapel? Then set a realistic wedding budget — and stick to it.

In the process of planning a wedding, budget concerns often is a source of disagreement for a couple. They may have different ideas about what kind of wedding they want, and about what they can afford. To make the wedding a truly happy occasion, it is important that the couple discusses financial constraints early.

Set A Budget And Save For It

The first tip is — discuss finances before the wedding plans begin. Everyone involved in the decision-making process needs to understand exactly how much money is available for the wedding.

To maximize that budget, you should start saving early for your wedding. Advance planning and saving will allow you to maintain or even exceed your budget, comfortably. And that will make wedding planning easier and more fun.

Get Everyone On-Board

Once your wedding budget has been established, set it aside for a few days and then review it again. This gives everyone a chance to let the information sink in. The budget review after this waiting period gives the participants a chance to verify that they understand and agree to the budget. This is vitally important, because someone who does not agree with the budget may overspend in 1 area, leaving the rest of the budget in jeopardy.

Budget Line Items

When you’ve decided exactly how much money is available for your wedding, the next step is to divide the total into budget categories, such as the venue, food and drink, bride’s attire, groom’s attire, transportation, entertainment, photography, favors, centerpieces, and gifts. It is also advisable to set aside money for unforeseen expenses.

Who Pays

Part of establishing a budget is to be clear on who will pay for what.

Shopping And Negotiating

You will need to negotiate contracts for services, and so you must know the budget for each area of the wedding. If you have allotted $250 for entertainment, look for a DJ whose rate is approximately that amount, then negotiate to ensure that you remain under budget.

It’s wise to shop around and compare prices for services. A company may come highly recommended, but if they are outside your price range, let them know why you are going to have to choose another company. You may be surprised at how willing they will be to give you a better offer.

Substitute Creativity For Cash

Doing things on your own is another way to stay under budget. Homemade invitations or making your own favors or centerpieces can greatly reduce the wedding cost, freeing up funds for other areas of the wedding.

Do not fall into the trap of viewing your budget as restrictive. Instead of thinking about what you can’t afford, focus on how you can make your wedding and reception truly unique. You will be inspired to create a wonderful, memorable wedding regardless of your budget constraints.

Anticipate The Unforeseen

Realize that there are bound to be snags along the way. If you go over budget in 1 area, you will need to cut the budget in another area. As long as you stay aware of your spending and realize the ramifications of all your actions, you can roll with the punches and alter your plans to accommodate any needed changes.

Make It A Wonderful Memory

A wedding budget can cause emotional strain on a couple and their relationship. It is important for them to discuss their finances and establish a clear budget for their wedding plans. Doing this early in the wedding planning process can help the couple to avoid conflict during the planning phase of the wedding. It can also make the wedding more fun for everyone, and start out the marriage on a positive note.

After all, working together is what a marriage is all about.

About The Author

Ron King

Visit http://www.gr8wedding.com to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

by: Georgina Clatworthy

Your wedding breakfast is one of the most important parts of your day. However, deciding if a formal sit-down meal or a relaxed buffet is most appropriate can be a difficult choice. Here we look at the benefits of both options to help you decide which will work best for you.

Help yourselves… the benefits of having a buffet

What immediately comes to mind when thinking about a buffet is a scene of dozens of guests queuing around a room patiently waiting to reach the food. Bottlenecks of people all trying to get to the cocktail sausages & smoked salmon blitzes before they’re all gone & the vision of everyone perched on a chair trying to balance a plate on their knee & get to grips with a rather messy morsal of what was once a parmesan cracker stuffed with cream cheese! However, it doesn’t have to be this way. You can still combine the ease of a buffet with a sit-down, silver service affair, where guests can help themselves & then sit & eat in comfort at their tables.

Having a buffet will give the choice of a wide range of dishes meaning you can serve something which will appeal to all & guests can choose exactly what they want. If space & budget are an issue you can opt for a finger buffet or cocktail & canape party. This sounds rather glamorous but this type of buffet dispenses with the need for tables & chairs, meaning you can invite more guests. It is also less expensive than a formal sit-down meal.

Because at a buffet your guests help themselves you will require fewer waiting staff which will cut down on costs.

For a spring or summer wedding, a buffet is a great option, particularly if you combine it with a barbecue or a range of sliced cold cuts. You can create a fabulous visual impact with the lay out of your dishes meaning you can save money by not having lots of table decorations. You can also create cozy seating areas with large floor cushions or even sofas & coffee tables for your guests to relax on.

A buffet can also create a great atmosphere as it allows people to mingle with each other.

Places please… when to choose a formal sit down occasion

For a traditional wedding a seated dinner is a perfect option. A sit-down meal is good if your guests don’t all know each other & is a an opportunity for your to decide who sits where.

A formal silver service dinner allows you to control the menu & portion sizes & will help your budget.

You can avoid the queues associated with a buffet menu as your guests will be seated & relaxed before the food is served.

Your elderly guests will appreciate a sit-down meal where they can eat in comfort without having to juggle a plate & glass.

If you wanted to decorate your tables a formal meal will give you the opportunity to create beautiful centerpieces & cover your tables with lavish linens, creating an impressive reception room.

About The Author

Georgina Clatworthy is a dedicated full time writer who composes informative articles related to wedding favors and wedding. She is connected with http://www.1weddingsource.com, today’s leading wedding planning social networking planning site.

Technorati Profile

1. Plan your wedding ceremony and reception in the morning, on a Friday or Sunday night and consider the winter months for all these times and dates will be less expensive.

2. Try to keep your guest list minimal.

3. Make your own veil. You’ll find that most craft stores sell how-to books and even supplies on designing your own veil, which can save you hundreds of dollars.

4. Shop online for your wedding dress. Go to a nearby bridal shop and try on dresses so you know they fit, and once you find some you like, search for them online, you’ll most likely find them, and for much less.

5. Supply your own alcohol for the wedding if you can, you’ll be sure to save.

6. Opt to not have a dinner reception. Choose to have a brunch, cocktail or dessert party instead.

7. Use silk flowers. Silk flowers are beautiful, look real, and are always less than real flowers. Better yet, you can even rent them.

8. When decorating, use more greenery and baby’s breath, with fewer flowers to cut costs but still make the setting look fulfilled.

9. Create your own invitations. You can easily create a design with use of a computer and software programs available for this task, as well as purchasing your own wedding desktop publishing paper.

10. Consider using local universities qualified but inexpensive musicians, photographers, and videographers. Professors can point you in the right direction to finding the best students in the program.

About The Author

Nathan Dawson writes for http://www.marriedfinances.com and http://www.successfulmarriageresource.com, great online sources for marriage and finance information.

Once you have got over all the excitement of your engagement, it is time to get to work & plan the wedding. Your first task should be to draw up your wedding budget, without one you will find it very difficult to accomplish anything. A carefully though out budget will help you determine how much you can afford to spend & how much you can allot to different aspects of your day. Here are some tips on drawing up a sensible budget you can afford.

Who’s Paying for the Wedding?

Traditionally the bride’s parents would pay for the whole wedding, however in modern time’s couple’s have either pay for their wedding themselves or split the cost between themselves & the parents. If you can pay for the whole wedding yourselves then you are in a great position, but if you need to ask your families to help out then you will need to approach it diligently & sit down with them to discuss it. Be prepared to be asked how much you think it will cost & how much you want (or expect) them to chip in. Don’t base your wedding budget on the average amount for a wedding (around $25,000) but on what you can afford.

There are several options:

Your parents decide on the amount they are prepared to contribute, you then set your budget & make up the difference yourselves.

Your parents pay for specific items such as the flowers or catering.

You will then have to decide how to pay for everything else.

You set your budget & split it evenly. This is a good compromise & good if you have a divided family. For instance, you, the mother of the bride, the father of the bride, & the groom’s parents will each contribute $5000, for a total of a $20,000 wedding budget.

How Much Do You Really Need?

This does depend on your budget, but a good starting point is to work on an amount per guest such as $100 per head. From this you can allow $50 per head for catering with the remainder going towards everything else. However, where this fails is if you are having only a small intimate affair with say 10 guests, here you may find $500 does not go very far! As a starting point this does however, work for a large wedding & can allow you to have a lavish do & a lot of guests. You can of course throw a wedding on a shoestring, but be prepared to compromise on a lot of the details.

Figuring Out a Basic Wedding Budget

Use the wedding budget planning worksheet to set out the basic figures. If you already some of your costs put them in & adjust your other figures till the budget works for you. If you know anyone who has recently got married ask them for the prices the paid to local vendors or ask if you can borrow their planning notes to help you. Remember to keep figures realistic or your whole budget could go through the roof.

Making Room for What Matters in Your Wedding Budget

Think about the most important aspects of your wedding day to you. Spend more on your ceremony & photographer than on flowers & favors. If you wedding is small then your catering bill won’t be so high as a big wedding, so you can allocate more money to other things.

Ways to Save on Your Wedding Budget

If, after you have drawn up your budget, you discover that the final figure is way above what you can afford then it is time to make some compromises. Go through the budget & take out anything that isn’t really necessary or that you are prepared to do without. Things like the number of bridesmaids – do you really need 12 attendants? Think about how much twelve dresses, 12 pairs of shoes, 12 set of accessories & 12 bouquets will cost. Keep attendants to a minimum, if they are really good friends they will understand. Look at having your ceremony & reception in one place, which will save on transport costs & you will get a better rate at the one venue than paying for two. If after doing that the numbers are still too high, then it is time to go back & look at what is really important to you on your wedding day. Maybe consider a small wedding now & renewing your vows in 5 or 10 years time, when you could afford a bigger party.

Once the figures add up, set your budget & stick to it. This is easier said than done, but it is vital to achieving the best wedding you can afford.

About The Author

Georgina Clatworthy is a dedicated full time writer who composes informative articles related to wedding favors and wedding. She is connected with 1weddingsource.com, today’s leading wedding planning social networking site. Visit the author’s web site at:
http://www.1weddingsource.com