What are your budget ideas and cost-cutters?

Answer 1

We did a lot but here are the best cost-cutters we pulled off:

- Bought a bunch a cakes from our favorite bakery and displayed them on a nice cake rack. It's cheaper than a "wedding cake" and it fed more people.
- Buying flowers wholesale. We spent $160 on all our wedding flowers and we still had tons left over. For example, orchids wholesale cost us 8 stems for $6. They were selling them in a floral shop for $2 a stem.
- DIY all invites, programs and table cards. We saved money and they came out beautifully.
- Go to a MAC counter to get your makeup done. You have to buy $50 worth of product (a new policy) but it's much cheaper than hiring a makeup artist and the MAC employees do a fantastic job.
- If you have a friend who is good at taking pictures, see if they would take the important shots for a small fee or for free. We had a friend who was a professional photographer take our important shots as a gift to us. Not only that, instead of having disposable cameras, we set up a computer where people can upload their pictures. We had two other pro photographers attend our wedding (one of them being a wedding photographer) so we ended up with over 1000 professional quality pictures to choose from and we had all of them immediately!

We just got married this past Sunday, so when we narrow down some pictures I will post them on here.

Answer 2

Hi. Here is my list:

1. Keep things as simple as you can.

2. Have a small wedding party.

3. Have a small guest list.

4. If you can't have a small guest list, then possibly do a cake, punch and coffee reception.

5. Enlist HELP! If someone offers to make the cake, let them.
If someone knows how to arrange flowers....let them.

6. Print your own invitations using "boxed sets" that you can buy a Michael's, Walmart, Target and other discount or craft stores.

7. Do everything simply.......a bowl with floating candles for centerpieces is one idea.

8. Another idea for simplicity is to have the bride carry just a few nicely arranged flowers - tied with a nice satin ribbon. The same for the bridesmaids....have them carry 1 or 2 flowers instead of a big huge bouquet....you can save tons by doing that.

9. Don't waste money on a limo OR favors.

10. Go "outside the box" when it comes to a reception venue. Banquet halls and hotels can be expensive. Look around at other options....VFW halls, church halls. Because the reception is the biggest chunk of a wedding budget, this could be a substantial savings.

Good luck!

Answer 3

No one has mentioned it yet, but supply your own alcohol rather than through the caterer. It is HEAPS cheaper and if you have left over some places take returns.

Get married on a Friday or Sunday, or in the morning or early afternoon.

Make as many things yourself as you can

Negotiate with your vendors. Will they match or beat this quote you got from another place, will they throw in cake cutting with the price etc.

Have your photographs done in digital and get maybe 4 or 5 professionally enhanced, the rest just on a CD. Do not buy prints from the photographer. When you get your CD make sure you have copyright and do the printing yourself, its heaps cheaper (eg $5 an enlarged print rather than $50 from the photographs)

Don't need limos. Get family members to drive you. If several people in the family have matching cars even better.

Buy your dress secondhand. Some have not even been worn! Not only are you saving money, but you are helping the environment.

Keep centerpieces small. You don't need a huge vase of flowers on each table, in fact it makes it hard for people to talk. Consider a low Bowl with a single floating flower and candles.

Have cheap favours, they can even double as cent re pieces, like a big bowl of m'n'm's in wedding colours in the center of the table. Guests are given a bag to fill as favors.

There are heaps more, if you want to know e-mail me...

Answer 4

OMG, I'm the cheapest person it the whole world, and I'm planning a wedding for 200 and I'm doing it very low cost but perfect!!!

Location: we found a beautiful place outside that back up to a beatiful creek, called the guy who owned it, he said we could use it for Free!!

Invitations: Went to Hobby Lobby bought blank cards at 50% off bought 200 for $ 19.32 and supplies for about 15 bucks, four hours with my friend a scrap booking freak and I had the most beautiful invitations ever.

Food: Father in law and my dad volunteered the cooking and food and drinks

Photography: as a weding gift my aunt who does photograghy as a hoby said she would do it as a wedding gift.

Flowers: I lucked out my sister is a floral disigner, done cheap!!!

Cake: I started a cake decorationg class at hobby lobby for $15 we will learn wedding cakes in course 2 and my freind the scrap booking freak also decorates cake and will do all the last minut stuff.

I googled everything, got the best deal there was, a got great ideas that i could make ALOT cheaper than they were selling things for. Good luck!!

Answer 5

I am hand beading my own veil, making all of our own paper goods (invites, direction cards, RSVP, programs, menu cards, place cards). We are using www.vistaprint.com for Save The Date magnets as well as thank you post cards (save a little on postage too), I did a TON of purchases on E-Bay and purchased my gown from www.bridalgowns.net. The dress I chose was $600 in all the local bridal shop (some a bit higher) and the bridal gown website had it for $480 including shipping. Always look around for deals. If you have your heart set on something go on the Internet and search for it. Chances are you will save a bit of money. Never be afraid to ask for a discount or different price. What's the worst that will happen? They'll say No. We save $500 on our photographer. I emailed many people and gave them a list of what all we wanted to include and asked for a return email with prices. We then counter offered everyone with the price of $2000 because that was our middle of the road budget and we only had 2 agree to it. We then re-visited those 2 websites and made out decision. Ask friends and family members to help with any DIY projects...it turns into a night full of laughing, quality time, story telling and you get your DIY work done too!

Answer 6

Make anything instead of ordering it. I made my bridesmaid gifts, party favors, table decorations, invitations, coursages and boutoniers (silk flowers from Michaels or JoAnn are very nice) All of the craft supplies were bought the fall season before my wedding so they were on sale and clearance and then we had the whole year to make everything. It helps spread out the cost over time rather than all at once too.

I had a small decorative cake and the rest were sheet cakes (they are easier to cut and uniform pieces too)

My Mary-Kay lady did a mini-show after we got our hair done, she was a family friend same as the person who did my hair and the bridesmaids. Both ladies gave me a discount as a part of their wedding gift.

Answer 7

the ceremony and reception will both be held at a family member's home, so no cost there. we'll be ordering flowers in bulk from costco and sam's club and having a family friend make the bouquets and arrangements as our gift. DIY centerpieces, programs, favors, decorations. a friend of mine that's a pastry chef will be doing our cakes. groom's sister will take the formal pics, and we're encouraging guests to bring their digital cameras so they can share their pics on our wedding website. no catering, we'll make all the food ourselves. no bridesmaids or groomsmen. groom's brother will play acoustic guitar for ceremony, and all other music will be dj'ed by a friend. the two wedding dresses i'm looking at (haven't decided yet) are both under $350 (bridalonlinestore.com & netbride.com). my wedding ring set is an heirloom, so we only have to buy his. and i plan on shopping around to find the best prices on all the little stuff, and most likely i'll be going on ebay as well.

Answer 8

I didn't do this, but:

-Make your own invites, menus, and programs. Wal-Mart, Michael's, etc. offer kits, or just use a word processing program and stock paper.

-Centrepieces can be bowls of fruit, candles, or an arrangement of your favours (2 birds with one stone, and you won't have to figure out what to do with your centrepieces).

-Have a friend drive you guys around. Put a "Just Married" sign on the car, and you are good to go.

-Have your wedding out of season (i.e. Jan-March) and/or on a weekday (i.e. Friday) or a Sunday.

-Browse rack sales for dresses, get a bridesmaid's dress in white, or money is REALLY tight, look into a consignment or second hand gown.

There are lots of websites to help you. Search "Frugal Bride" on the web.

Have fun!

Answer 9

Im getting a cake to feed a certain amount of guests, nothing too expensive and having a sheet cake as well

Im having silk flowers from the flower factor as my cousin can get them at a good price!

I'm having the ceremony/reception at the same place! So no limo is needed!

EDIT: We are also making our own wedding invitations at scrapbook studio!

Answer 10

I had cupcakes instead of cake for the kids. Grocery stores usually have good cakes for cheap. Skip favors or do something cheap and edible. Use minimal flowers and do as much as you can by yourself or with the help of family and friends.