Save Money on Your Wedding

Posts Tagged ‘wedding budget’

So you’re tying the knot but have fallen short on the budget. Nothing comes quite as exciting as embarking on that amazing voyage called marriage with only you and your spouse to be as the main protagonists. Let’s face it, the grandest weddings in the biggest churches, with the most expensive gowns and suits, and inside the most expensive venue aren’t exactly the barometers for what is about to come. Sure, you’ll get a month’s worth of glamor and elegance, but what comes next wouldn’t necessarily be the same thing.


If you’re like me and you want to make sure that the marriage is not all about the wedding, then read on.


Go Traditional


Different nations have different traditions when it comes to wedding ceremonies, but one thing in common in all of the weddings I’ve witnessed is that all cultures have, at one point in time, valued traditional weddings more for their social value.


Instead of holding the wedding in a grand church or in a 5 star hotel, you could hold it in your own garden or home. That is, of course if you live in a place where there’s still lots of garden space.


If you don’t have your own house yet, you could ask close family whether they’d be willing to host the event. It wouldn’t hurt if your parents have a large garden. If they agree, make sure that you pay them and offer to clean up the mess afterwards. Most parents would be glad to accommodate their children’s wedding as long as it would not be boisterous and as long as they don’t have to do anything stressful.


Crowdsource Your Food


Okay, this is a little bit extreme but I’ve seen weddings using this approach when it comes to food. Some people have that knack when it comes to friends that they would gladly pitch in for a simple ceremony where everybody can contribute in their own little way to help out a friend. As the host, you could buy the ingredients and perhaps hire a knowledgeable and local caterer to cook up a delightful meal.


I’ll hazard a suggestion to cook the food yourself but that would just ruin your gown!


Gowns and Suits are for Your Grandparents


I can’t understand what the whole pomp and pageantry is all about. Weddings are meant to formalize the union of two people and not to bring yourself in debt. The last thing that newlyweds would want is to have to grapple with finances after the honeymoon.


If you’re holding a garden wedding, simple attires would do. For the groom, he could opt to wear a simple suit or a simple and white collared shirt with Khaki pants. Or, he could just borrow the suit worn by his father.


The same austerity measure applies for the bride. If she likes she could just opt to wear a simple floral dress or a white skirt.


At the end of the day, your imagination could do wonders for you and your spouse to be. Remember, it isn’t the wedding that’s going to mark you for the rest of your life. It’s the marriage and the company you will keep that comes after.

There are many ways to save on a wedding and I’ll share the ones with you that I used myself just a year ago.

First, when it comes to invitations, I suggest going to a copy store or a major chain like Wal-mart and buying the blank invitations with templates and typing them yourself. This is quite expensive (about $20 for a box of 40 plus printer ink), just make sure you find a pretty font such as a script font You can do the same for programs, just try to use the same theme.

Bridesmaids bouquets can be made using artificial flowers. Decide on two flowers that have your wedding colors, buy them in bunches and cut the individual stems off of the bunch, then put them together using floral tape and wrap ribbon around the stems. Also, use fake rose petals (can be found on an online auction site).

Favors are another area that can become expensive. If you know someone good with a computer it doesn’t have to be. Make bookmarks, laminate them, punch a hole in the top and loop a ribbon in the hole. Water bottles are another good idea. You buy the small bottles of water (like the kid size the sell at wholesale places), then you print labels on the computer, remove the label that comes on the bottle and replace them with the labels you make. Attach the label with super glue at the seam and tie a ribbon with a tag around the neck of the bottle. You can also make CDs with your wedding music and print the covers for the jewel cases. All of these favors are inexpensive, you just want to start on the early and get them out of the way.

If you are having a wedding at a wedding venue, like a plantation, a lot of the time if you are pleasant they will throw extras in if you just ask (mine gave me fireworks). Also, if you are having an evening wedding you can use white tulle in the room, and rent artificial floral arrangements from a party rental place, since they usually have candelabras for weddings available for rent. Also candle lighting is great, since you don’t need a lot of decorations if you have enough candles in votives around the room.

You can also save on after wedding transportation and drive your own vehicle, if it is an evening wedding, since you probably won’t leave until all the guest are leaving. If alcohol is going to be served at the reception, you can limit it to the toast and just buy one or two types of champagne and give everyone a glass just before the toast. These are just a few of a ways you can save on weding expenses.

There are many ways to save money on your wedding.

1. When you send out invitations, ask guests to respond by email or telephone – this will save you money on stamps.

2. Check Consignment shops for wedding dresses. You can usually find one still in good condition. Some towns have a shop where you can rent a wedding dress, saving you hundreds of dollars.

3. For religious weddings, consider having your wedding near a major holiday. The church will already be decorated, saving you lots of money on flowers.

4. Ask your friends and family to be a special part of your wedding by helping you assemble favors and make invitations, centerpieces, and other homemade inexpensive touches. Ask them what they did to save money on their special day or check internet sites like DIY for ideas. One of them can easily get an officiants’ license online to save you an additional fee.

5. Instead of hiring a photographer, buy a bunch of disposable cameras for your guests to use. They simply take pictures of what they like and leave the finished rolls at your gift table. You usually get more personalized pictures this way since family and friends know you and it saves you hundreds of dollars.

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.

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.