I need ideas?

Question

We are planning our own wedding and need some ideas. We want to keep the costs low. We are paying for the entire wedding ourselves and need some cost cutting ideas.

Answer 1

You need to go thrift shopping. I found my wedding dress for $75.00. We went to walmart and got the flowers and put them together ourselves. We also found my bride's maid's gown at a thrift shop for $2.00. If you know someone who can sew they may be willing to help with alterations. Depending on your budget you may want to keep the bride's maids to just one best friend or sister or two. Then for the guys we got them matching dress shirts that matched my colors with black jeans. And my mother-in-laws friend, who is a pastor loaned us his church for free. My entire wedding cost $600.00. Or you may want to just go to the clerk of the courts, get married and then have a massive wedding reception, which is usually more fun than the cerimony anyway. And you can still wear a wedding gown to that or maybe just an evening gown that could pass for a wedding dress. At the thrift stores there's a lot of "prom dresses" that people have donated that could pass for one. It took us 2 weeks to find one for myself. As for the cake, I would keep it simple, cause most of it goes to waste any way. Like maybe a full sheet cake. Or you can go to craft stores and for very little cost they have classes on how to make your own wedding cake, and they usually have how to books, and all the supplies you need. Good Luck, Hope I've helped you in some way.

Answer 2

Find a hall that doesn't have a liquor license. It's much cheaper to bring in your own, typically they mark up liquor 100%. Also, to really save money, only serve beer and wine and soft drinks. A buffet is usually cheaper than a sit down dinner and it's nicer. Everyone can pick what they want to eat instead of getting whatever shows up on the plate. I usually starve at sit down dinners, because they're usually something I won't eat.

Don't let the florist talk you into $50 centerpieces. Not necessary, there are lots of centerpieces that can be done for less than $10. Go to your local arts and crafts store, buy a glass bowl, fill part way with water and float some blooms in the water. Much less than a typical florist arrangement. If the bowl is shallow enough you can also put a pillar candle in it. Check out the neat centerpieces they did on Design on a Dime wedding, link below.l

Don't buy a four figure wedding gown. I have seen a $5000 gown up close and personal and I'm here to tell you, it doesn't look that much better than a $500 gown from Davids. You can't tell the difference at all in the pictures or on the video.

Don't rent limos or any other kind of transport, they're a very expensive, waste of money. I went to my wedding in my dad's pickup (it looked nice, not a beater). We left the church in my mom's car, she has a nice Cadillac.

I will say that you should spend as much as you can on a photographer. This is the only part of your wedding that is permanent. Go with the best person you can afford.

Don't buy really expensive invitations, no one but you and maybe your mom, will keep them. I ordered mine from one of the companies that advertises in the wedding magazines. Send away for all those catalogs and order from one that you like.

Order a small tiered wedding cake to cut, instead of a cake that will serve everyone, and have sheet cakes in the back that the caterer can serve to guests. Also, a good place to get a cake that's not too expensive is a grocery store with a good bakery.

Skip favors all together or go with something simple and inexpensive. Wrap up some Hershey kisses in tulle and your good to go.

I hope this was helpful, have a good wedding. Also, something to think about is a destination wedding, you won't have as many guests but it's alot cheaper, especially if you go to an all inclusive place.

Answer 3

a wedding in the nude would probably save TONS of money, somehow it hink this idea will probably not make the cut though lol

seriously though if you want to get the most bang for the buck when it comes to a wedding its ALL about the location, you could find a place that costs nothing but has some really beautiful natural landscape and have the wedding there, like at the beach or something,because it is outside there will be no need for a bunch of decorative crap. i think if i ever get married and i have a choice as to how my wedding is gonna go im going to try and keep it as simple as possable, simple and REAL, why go all nutso and over fancy it just makes most opeople uncomfortable while there there anyway. i think a bunch of friends in a really great location would be awesome, forget all the formalness for everyone else, the bride and groom should look tops and you oughta spend some realy dough on the catering but other then that why bother? its the first day of a wonderfull marrage (hopefully) best not to have it be a day of stress or discomfort OR costly.

Answer 4

Try to do as much as you can yourself, like arrange your own flowers and centerpieces, ask a relative to bake your cake or do it yourself, purchase a dress off of ebay, if you find one you like, or buy a bridesmaids dres sin white, because they're so much cheaper.

If you have basic computer skills (which you probably do, since you're on the internet), you can print your own invitations, response cards, programs, and place cards (if you even want those).

Walmart, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, and all sorts of those type of stores have a 'wedding' aisle, with all sorts of things from guestbooks to veils to cake decorating how-to books to favors.

If possible, you can have the reception at a parents house or the church you rent may have a large room for that purpose. A buffet-style dinner is much less than a sit-down meal, or you can just have snacks and not serve a meal at all, though you'd have to be careful not to plan the reception at a meal-time, or else guests will be expecting a meal.

Several people have suggested not serving alcohol, and that's a good idea, but would not go over well at all with our families, so we will probably buy a few kegs and several bottles of different things, and have a bartender friend mix drinks.

That is pretty much how I plan to do things. We are pretty much going to be doing it ourselves, too, and will have a budget that is probably less than $1,000.

Good luck and congratulations!

Answer 5

I saved a ton of cash on my flowers by doing them myself. I had an outdoor wedding with a wildflower theme, so when it came time to decide on the flowers all I was hearing from florists were carnations and roses. I decided to go to a local grocery and pick out 10 wild flower bouquets in their floral section. I took all the flowers and put them in a bucket with water. I then took them one by one and started to create my own bridesmaid bouquets and boutiners for the guys. I used daisy mums as decorations on the tables and on the terrace. (It was a fall wedding) The only flowers I had done professionally were my own and they were a gift from my mother. My wedding was beautiful and 8 years later people are still talking about it. The key is to focus on what you want and not what everyone else thinks you should do. You will find that creative ideas just seem to flow at that point. I also baked my own wedding cake and used wildflowers between the layers. It was gorgeous and people couldn't believe I baked it in my own apartment. It can be done, you just have to be REALLY organized. Good Luck.

Answer 6

the wedding cake is alot of $$$ we made our own we took a picture of the one we like and duplicted it ourselves looked like the real 1 in the store. asking price for cake was 3800$ and we got all the ingredients and decorations for cake under 300$. also hire a Dj alot cheaper than live bands. can allways request song ahead of time. the Dj will have time to find your songs. if you are having drinking at the wedding. The best men buy the groom a 24 case of beer each. and all proceeds of selling liquor goes towards bride and grooms honeymoon. alteast thats the way all people do it around here where i'm from. could be different for other places.

Answer 7

Don't go for an crazy, expensive gown.

Keep the flowers simple. Alot of people go for roses or orchids and these over-the-top centerpieces. Keep it simple. Big bouquets of carnations in a bright color wrapped in ribbon looks lovely. On the tables, short round vases stuffed (and I mean stems cut off completely) with carnations and greenery is hip and different. Or if summertime, slices of oranges and limes and lemons floating is a bowl really is bright and fun! Surround it with simple candles.

Order invitations on Ebay. I did that for a friends bridal shower and they looked GREAT! About $25 for 60 invites and don't feel the need for rsvp inserts. Include your telephone number AND email address for rsvp's.

Keep booze at a minimum. A GREAT cost saving, and I think cool thing to have instead is a "signature cocktail". Something fun and festive. If your colors are pink, have (without the top shelf liquor) Cosmo's or some variation. Summertime is perfect for Sangria. Cheap to make, pretty to look at and can be made by the gallon well in advance. Say your last name is going to be Jones...the drink is now the "Jonestini".
With that, have 2 different beers picked out on tap and a couple different wines (a red, a white) and soft drinks/coffee/tea. You will save a TON this way.

Make a "cocktail" party, instead of a full blown, full dinner reception. Starting later in the day, say 7pm. Serve a good variety of finger foods, drinks (like stated above) and dessert.
Instead of a full 3-4 tier cake, have a cake decorator make the cake out of foam rounds for appearance and pictures purposes. Instead, for treats for guests to indulge in or take with them...have cute cupcakes. MUCH cheaper. For extra nibblers, pick up big cookies from your local Costco or Sam's Club. You can usually get a couple dozen for about $5.00 and putting a nice plate of nibbles on a table later in the night is a nice touch.
(make sure the invites mention it's a "cocktail reception" so people don't expect to be fed a full meal)

DJ? Hire one, but if you do a cocktail party they would only need to be there til 10 or 11. It doesn't have to be an all night thing and you will SAVE!

Have your wedding on a Friday night, instead of Saturday. That alone can save you a couple hundred bucks.

Do your own hair and make-up.

Want a wedding favor? Know someone who can burn cd's? Or can you? Buy recordable CD's ($14 for 50 or so) and burn music that is special to you and your spouse, like your wedding song or college fight song, etc. Make a simple label to put in the case thanking the attendee's for sharing your special day. Be sure to include the date!!

Hire a photographer, but let them know you will only need them for an hour or two. They can take pics of the actual ceremony and arrival at your reception, but after that...arm a few friends with camera's (even disposable ones) and ask them to take some candid's throughout the night. I know I would feel a real part of the wedding if a friend asked me to help capture their special night.

Hope these idea's help! Good Luck!

Answer 8

You can save a TON of money doing your own flowers. Florists make a killing at weddings. Also disposable cameras intead of a photographer- then you have your guests take pictures and you get more personal, candid stuff. I would pick one thing to splurge on and then budget from there. Like you want a really nice dress, or nice cake. Also if you have friends that can cook, use it. Or have the wedding at a friend's house or your house.

Answer 9

For centre pieces buy cheap glass bowls ( the one's that are fluted on top), hot glue a ribbon in your wedding colour around the top, glue on a silk flower, fill with coloured water and float a candle. Shop around for the food, buffets are cheaper sometimes, and put two bottles of wine on the talbe, one red, one white, the rest of the evening have a cash bar. I have been to a very expensive wedding with 12 courses of food and they had a cash bar and nobody thought it was cheesy. It's become quite acceptable. Rent an arch for the headtable and string christmas lights around it. For invitations take a good picture of the two of you and order cards from the photo developing place that does the re-prints and find someone who has a nice handwriting to write the invite. Buy tiny baskets from a craft store with a handle, and I mean tiny,( shop around) and buy netting and wrap your almonds and tie a bow with your colors and put into basket.
You can buy already prepared note cards at Party Places, all you need to write on it is Thank you, your names and the date.

Answer 10

I did my own wedding two years ago. My biggest cost cutting was to enlist the expertise of friends. Everyone wants to help - let them. We had the church for free, flowers were bought at a farmer's market and then arranged by friends, dresses were made my my wonderful mother-in-law, the reception was at my church and the ladies from the church did all of the food and decorating ... so really - all of those people who want to help - use them! I also made our invitations.