What corner did you cut to save the most money?

Question

I'm looking for places where I can cut corners the most. Just curious what others did out there that still looked very tasteful. Details are welcomed. Thanks brides! :)

Answer 1

1. I made my own invitations, place cards, etc. with supplies from paper-source.com. They looked professional because I used a professional graphics program. But it took a lot of time.

2. Our reception site was pretty so we didnt need many flowers to decorate. We just floated a few flowers in low glass dishes of water for centerpieces. Then the bouquets and boutinneres. That kept the florist bill very low.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Don't do party favors. Probably not your biggest expense, but it's a huge waste. Most people leave them and no one really wants more junk.

Choose flowers in season. We got lucky too because the cathedral is a national historic site and doesn't allow flowers. I would not decorate the church. We got fresh flowers (roses) and did our own centerpieces. We also encouraged the guests to take them home. The wedding party bouquets, boutonnieres, coursages for grandparents etc. came in under $700.

Pondering more........

Dinner by the plate is probably better and less expensive than a buffet. Caterers tend to go with low cost items like macaroni salad, baked beans and applesauce. It's easier to have choices on your RSVPs. Chicken, Beef, Vegetarian.

Don't allow too many choices at the open bar. Most people can survive on beer and wine. If you can't afford a bar, don't have one. Personally I wouldn't go with a cash bar. I think that's just plain tacky.

Get several people to take pictures rather than a professional photographer.

Get a Master and Mistress of Ceremonies rather than a wedding planner.

Ask your venue about things like a Wedding Cake. We were going to go with a baker, then there were transport fees and cutting fees. The club where we had the wedding had a pastry chef. The cake was absolutely gorgeous and half the price, with none of the hassle.

Answer 3

No wedding cars, we found they were extortionate. My mother and father will drive me and my bridesmaid to the registry office and a friend of mine will drive me and my husband back to the reception.

No official photographer, my brother in law will take pictures and we are also handing out disposable cameras throughout the reception so that people can take pictures for us, we'll pay for the film to be developed.

No big cake, with only 35 guests it seems pointless, we've got a cup cake tower instead (£33 instead of £300 for a cake).

No wedding dress, I am wearing a cocktail dress instead, which I am having made for me, when I asked for quotes saying it was for my wedding the average quote was £500, when I said it was for a garden party I was quoted £180.

BBQ wedding reception instead of sit down meal, we are having an awesome BBQ, steaks and salmon and decent food rather than cheap burgers etc, but it still cost around half of the cost of a sit down meal.

No DJ or band, again the wedding is small so no need for a band or DJ, we are playing music through the sound system from an MP3 player.

Having the reception at my sister in law's home rather than a "wedding venue". She has a beautiful open plan house with a large garden and deck, why look elsewhere when they have been so kind as to offer us their home to use.

Answer 4

I booked my reception for a hotel that provides all decorations, linens, centre pieces etc. in their wedding package. A few hotels do that. Our hotel also has a deal where if you have a certain number of guests (over 100) the reception room is free and all you pay for is food and beverages. Also we knew we have family members in each of our families that drink a lot so we decided to go for a cash bar. We couldn't possibly afford all that alcahol ourselves. Some people think cash bar is tacky, but if you can't afford it, you can't afford it.

I kept my dress simple and just bought a a few nice excessories to funk it up. We're getting a family member with photography experience to take our pictures for us instead of hiring a photographer with overpriced packages, and we bought an invitation kit and got another family member with graphic design experience to print them up for us.

For flowers i didn't bother ordering any for the church as churches are generally beautiful enough as they are. All i got were bouquets and bouteniers for the wedding party and parents. And i thought it to be a tad rediculous to pay for a limo to drive me to the church around the block from my house so instead I am getting my dad to drive me, with his car decorated in wedding pom poms. He'll be renting a tux anyway so it'll be almost like having a limo driver, minus the champagne which we really don't need anyway. That really cut down a lot.

Just think about the things that are most important to you, things you can make yourself, and things you think are silly to spend too much money on. That should help you decide what you can cut down (or out) and still have the beautiful wedding you want.

Answer 5

Only had professional photographer for formal portraits. My brother in law took pics at the ceremony and reception.
Family members made squares and dainties for the midnight lunch at the reception, to go with the coldcuts, buns, cheese, etc.
Don't bother with limos.
Flowers from the church went to the reception site to be used at the head table. Don't spend a lot on decorations.
Don't cut corners with the food for the reception or the full open bar.

Answer 6

Flowers are sooo expensive! For our fall wedding we are using very tall slim vases filled with pears. Then we are having branches come out of the top of the vase and are hanging votives from the brances with ribbon. Saving us a lot of money. We are also using pears a lot throughout the reception to still make things decorative and festive without the cost.

Answer 7

We are on an extremely tight budget and have very little to spend, and this is my 2nd marriage so I'm using silk flowers from Hobby Lobby and having them make them for a minimal fee instead of using real flowers. I am buying my cake (a small 3 tiered) from a supermarket who makes excellent cakes and it is only a fraction of the cost of one from a professional bakery. My wedding is a traditonal one but it is going to be small, probably 25 to 40 people so my family and I are making the fruit, veggie and meat&cheese trays, the arrangement for crackers and finger foods. My aunt is a wiz at taking beautiful pictures so she is going to take them at the wedding, mostly posed pictures, and a few at the reception. Since it is mostly family and close friends I'm using a fabulous stereo system and making cd's of my fav. songs. We decided we wanted something nice and pretty, but not expensive because we chose to spend more on our rings and our honeymoon.

Answer 8

I did everything myself and exhausted myself in the process! Be sure, if you want to cut corners, to ask family and friends for help, especially those who have a creative streak!

My husband's family provided a barbecue for the dinner. It was very nice.

I got my flowers at Hobby Lobby. They had adorable, small pre-made bouquets. I just bought a nosegay holder and added ribbons myself.

Sandy

Answer 9

Our whole wedding was done with help of the family and done beautifully for about $2,000 including my dress!
My mom took the pictures, Family helped with the food, We had people in our church help, someone we knew did the cake and it was paid for as our wedding present by a relative. Used our home church which cost 100.00 the pastor 50.00, the banquet hall was owned by our church so that was also a wedding present to us 100.00 everyone chipped in really made me realize how valuable family is, noone could believe it was done for so little! We got all of our decor from a garage sale for 200.00 a woman had just had her wedding and her family hand made all of the decor, Our DJ was the pastor's son, he did it for cheap, Hair was done for myself and all the bridesmaids by a friend for very little. I met someone who offered to hand make me a veil, she also did all my alterations for free! it was beautiful!

Answer 10

My sister hired a student photographer from the local technical college instead of hiring a professional photographer. Her photos turned out beautifully and she saved a couple grand.