Tips For Planning an Inexpensive (But Awesome) Wedding
2011-07-26 17:12:56
You've heard the term 'dream wedding,' and you can have one...without the nightmarish expenses that many brides incur. Below are some tips to pull off an expensive looking wedding without an outlandish price tag.
Host a Friday night wedding. This will cost tons less than a Saturday affair. To save even more money, host a four hour cocktail wedding, rather than having a sit down dinner or buffet.
Haggle. Assume sticker price is never the final price. Ask for a discount for buying items in bulk. For example, if you're buying wedding favors, ask for a volume discount. Ask for a discount if your florist makes your bouquets and centerpieces. Ask for discounts just because you can - you never know what you'll get.
Skip the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Many officiants charge upwards of $100 just to practice your wedding ceremony the night before. Skip that, and the expensive dinner that goes along with it, in favor of a rehearsal right before the wedding.
Ask to buy the sample dress at a wedding store. See if the store will let you purchase a dress that's been worn for less than retail price. Also ask if you can see last year's dresses that are left in stock and purchase one of those at a discounted rate.
Buy cheap shoes, or borrow a fancy pair from a friend. If you wear a long dress, no one will even see your shoes. If you select neutral, basic shoes to wear at your wedding, you'll be able to wear them again at another event, saving future expenses.
Select inexpensive flowers for your bridal bouquet. Roses are nice, but carnations are significantly less expensive. Carnations are beautiful in their own way, and seriously, you're just going to throw your bouquet at a crowd, so why make it a huge investment?
Rent a display cake for your ceremony. You can actually rent a plastic foam cake for a small amount of money, then serve plain sheet cake to your guests. A large, delicious sheet cake can be purchased for less than $100 from a grocery or bulk goods store.
Take 'something borrowed' to the extreme. Borrow items from friends or family members, or search Craigslist for local people looking to get rid of their wedding stuff.
If you want a beautiful card box for your gifts but don't want to spend a lot of cash, take an old shoe box, cut a hole in the top for envelopes, and cover it in wedding themed wrapping paper. It's inexpensive and beautiful.
Instead of registering for gifts for your bridal shower, register for your honeymoon. Ask for gift certificates to the honeymoon venue of your choosing, or set up a fund in which people can contribute to your honeymoon fund. You'll end up with less clutter to return and your honeymoon cost will be greatly reduced.
Skip the unnecessary expenses. Forget the videographer, skip the fancy light show and forget about hired dancers. If your family and friends are fun, you don't need the bells and whistles to create wonderful memories and have a good time.
Ask a friend to do your makeup and nails. Getting these treatments done can cost hundreds of dollars, but if a friend will help you out, all you'll pay for is the makeup and nail polish.
Only invite guests to your wedding that you actually want there. If you've only met your mom's best friend's granddaughter once, don't pay the cash to have her at the wedding. If you're paying with your own money, the ony one who gets to decide on guests is you.
Attend wedding shows and try to win free things. You can win everything from money off of a reception to a discounted DJ to a free photography shoot. Wedding shows are fun, offer free food and provide the chance to win lots of things. Wedding shows are a must-do for every bride-to-be.
Make your own centerpieces. Buy used vases from thrift stores and fill them with inexpensive, seasonal flowers or other decorations of your choice. Or, go to a discount store and pick out fun centerpieces like faux bird cages or large candles.
Give away inexpensive wedding favors. Simply filling a piece of mesh fabric with candy in your wedding theme colors and sealing it with a ribbon makes a great wedding favor. Or, make cookies and give them to wedding guests as favors.
Forget expensive limousines - just have a friend drive you to and from your venue. Offer your friend $10 for gas (that they probably won't take) and call it a day.
Host a Friday night wedding. This will cost tons less than a Saturday affair. To save even more money, host a four hour cocktail wedding, rather than having a sit down dinner or buffet.
Haggle. Assume sticker price is never the final price. Ask for a discount for buying items in bulk. For example, if you're buying wedding favors, ask for a volume discount. Ask for a discount if your florist makes your bouquets and centerpieces. Ask for discounts just because you can - you never know what you'll get.
Skip the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Many officiants charge upwards of $100 just to practice your wedding ceremony the night before. Skip that, and the expensive dinner that goes along with it, in favor of a rehearsal right before the wedding.
Ask to buy the sample dress at a wedding store. See if the store will let you purchase a dress that's been worn for less than retail price. Also ask if you can see last year's dresses that are left in stock and purchase one of those at a discounted rate.
Buy cheap shoes, or borrow a fancy pair from a friend. If you wear a long dress, no one will even see your shoes. If you select neutral, basic shoes to wear at your wedding, you'll be able to wear them again at another event, saving future expenses.
Select inexpensive flowers for your bridal bouquet. Roses are nice, but carnations are significantly less expensive. Carnations are beautiful in their own way, and seriously, you're just going to throw your bouquet at a crowd, so why make it a huge investment?
Rent a display cake for your ceremony. You can actually rent a plastic foam cake for a small amount of money, then serve plain sheet cake to your guests. A large, delicious sheet cake can be purchased for less than $100 from a grocery or bulk goods store.
Take 'something borrowed' to the extreme. Borrow items from friends or family members, or search Craigslist for local people looking to get rid of their wedding stuff.
If you want a beautiful card box for your gifts but don't want to spend a lot of cash, take an old shoe box, cut a hole in the top for envelopes, and cover it in wedding themed wrapping paper. It's inexpensive and beautiful.
Instead of registering for gifts for your bridal shower, register for your honeymoon. Ask for gift certificates to the honeymoon venue of your choosing, or set up a fund in which people can contribute to your honeymoon fund. You'll end up with less clutter to return and your honeymoon cost will be greatly reduced.
Skip the unnecessary expenses. Forget the videographer, skip the fancy light show and forget about hired dancers. If your family and friends are fun, you don't need the bells and whistles to create wonderful memories and have a good time.
Ask a friend to do your makeup and nails. Getting these treatments done can cost hundreds of dollars, but if a friend will help you out, all you'll pay for is the makeup and nail polish.
Only invite guests to your wedding that you actually want there. If you've only met your mom's best friend's granddaughter once, don't pay the cash to have her at the wedding. If you're paying with your own money, the ony one who gets to decide on guests is you.
Attend wedding shows and try to win free things. You can win everything from money off of a reception to a discounted DJ to a free photography shoot. Wedding shows are fun, offer free food and provide the chance to win lots of things. Wedding shows are a must-do for every bride-to-be.
Make your own centerpieces. Buy used vases from thrift stores and fill them with inexpensive, seasonal flowers or other decorations of your choice. Or, go to a discount store and pick out fun centerpieces like faux bird cages or large candles.
Give away inexpensive wedding favors. Simply filling a piece of mesh fabric with candy in your wedding theme colors and sealing it with a ribbon makes a great wedding favor. Or, make cookies and give them to wedding guests as favors.
Forget expensive limousines - just have a friend drive you to and from your venue. Offer your friend $10 for gas (that they probably won't take) and call it a day.
