Saving Money On Your Wedding Day
It’s easy to sink $20,000 into a wedding. It’s an art to do it for $2,000. Unless you’re a die-hard traditionalist, you can save hundreds by cutting the cost of showy formalities like bridesmaid dresses (your friends will thank you) and even corsages. A backyard reception can be just as fun — and more intimate — than one in a restaurant or banquet hall, where the space will cost you. Try balancing the kind of wedding you envision with the kind of honeymoon you want (i.e., a backyard wedding may equal a lavish honeymoon; a weekend in a bed-and-breakfast will make a larger wedding possible). And if you’re saving up for a house, the honeymoon can always wait a year.
To avoid postmarital bankruptcy, check out the following list of suggestions for keeping costs down. Decide what’s crucial, what’s tempting, and what’s extraneous. Here’s some ideas on ways you could be saving money on your Wedding day.
Invitations:Find a good printer. The invitation is one of the first things guests see that’s connected to your wedding, so it should look nice, but this isn’t the place to go overboard. People will remember the event, not the invitation.Do it yourself. DIY invites are becoming more and more popular among brides, and sometimes the most creative projects actually cost the least to make.
Bomboniere:Think fun and memorable, not fancy. Your wedding guests will be honoured to have the chance to party with you and help you celebrate your marriage. Bombonieres are meant to be a parting gifts; they don’t have to be extravagant purchases. Some edible favours are yummy and affordable, and charitable favours can save a life and a little room in your budget. What beats that?Consider skipping favours? This issue is a hot topic for brides. Some love the idea of showering their guests with gifts while others appreciate the amount of money forgoing this tradition will save.
Reception Venue:Consider being flexible with the time or day. Saturday night is the most sought-after time to wed. If you can swing the reception for a Friday night, Saturday morning/afternoon, or Sunday, you’ll not only save money, you may also have more choices for dates.Don’t overlook the obvious. If you’re up for having a less traditional reception (and your guest list isn’t too long), think about places that are familiar to you. Is your cousin’s backyard perfect for a BBQ style reception? Does a friend own a small restaurant where you and your guests could be VIPs for the night?
Transportation:Borrow a friend’s ride. Wedding transportation is always a good place to save. Leased Bentleys and horse-drawn carriages are kind of corny anyway (unless you’re a debutante or Cinderella, of course). Instead, call up a friend who can loan you a nice car for your getaway.
Flowers:Shop for your own fresh flowers. Go with a florist for your bouquet inspiration, but if there’s time, have a trusted friend get your flowers at the local flower market on the morning of the wedding, and then set them up at the ceremony/reception sites.
Catering:Consider dinner alternatives. Along with the menu, discuss the cost of service (and tipping), alcohol, the wedding cake, overtime, and insurance when you meet with prospective suppliers. Also, a brunch, luncheon, or hors d’oeuvres reception will probably cost less than a dinner.Serve dinner buffet or family style. Both options, in many cases, will save you money and could allow you the chance to showcase great recipes of some family members (preferably those that don’t have other responsibilities in the wedding).
Music:DJs tend to be less expensive than live bands. If you really want to save money in this area and you’re having a more intimate reception, rent speakers to plug into a high quality stereo; then have fun switching back and forth between his and her playlists.
Photo & Video:Just record the ceremony. Don’t skimp on photographs or you’ll regret it forever. Your wedding video is another important keepsake you won’t want to pass up; however, taping only the ceremony will save you some cash.
Source: The Knot.com.au
