2007-11-07 11:52:52 · 12 answers · asked by Melly Belly 1 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
Hi Melanie:
Congratulations! Here is my list of money saving tips:
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
Good luck!
2007-11-07 15:43:29 · answer #1 · answered by iloveweddings 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's very easy to get legally married by submitting a marriage application to a justice of the peace and signing the papers. It doesn't cost much at all, and you will be married. If you want a big lavish ceremony, it is going to be expensive. Weddings are a lucrative business and nobody is about to lower their prices on traditional cakes, gowns, etc. If you want a religious wedding without spending a lot of money, you'll have to break from tradition. It is possible to have an outdoor wedding. Talk to a priest, rabbi, minister, or whoever performs marriages in your religion. You can buy a dress that is not a traditional "wedding dress" but is still suitable, and do the same for your attendants. You can hold the wedding on a friend or family member's property for free, and it can be very beautiful to be outside on the grass in the sunlight. I've seen people do this and been much more impressed than I ever would have been with a traditional wedding in a stuffy church.
2016-03-14 01:56:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do as much as you can yourself. If you have a friend or family member who has a nice house or yard, you could have your wedding there. Or could rent a banquet room at a hotel. We did that and it was so much less than renting a reception center. The downside is that hotels will have restrictions on what kinds of food and beverage you can bring in. You'd be surprised at what kinds of places can be rented for weddings. My brother had his at a golf course clubhouse. A co-worker had his at a room on a college campus.
I wouldn't recommend that you skimp too much on photos. If you are thinking of NOT hiring a professional photographer, make sure you have someone VERY trustworthy take your pictures. I had a friend who didn't hire a photographer and I didn't see anyone taking photos at her wedding. When I asked her about it, she said someone volunteered to do it and all they did was follow her around at her reception. I ended up taking a lot of the photos with her friends and family because I didn't think this person would. Professional photographers can be expensive, so make sure you shop around. If you happen to know one personally, see if they will cut you a deal.
Print your own invitations. There are lots of templates and downloads available on the internet. Some of them are free. You can also buy paper to print them on at many craft and office supply stores.
Cut things out of the wedding that you don't need or really want. I mean, let's be honest, is there really a need for wedding favors? Do people really keep those? Why spend money on something someone is just going to throw away?
Don't worry about a ton of flowers. Fake flowers might not be as eye catching as real flowers, but think of it this way--they last forever.
You can buy a lot of wedding decorations at craft stores and stores like Wal-Mart. And they have some pretty neat things. Shop around.
Don't have a ton of groomsmen and bridesmaids/flower girls. That just more dresses/tuxedos and flowers to get for everyone. Limit it. If I let every friend that expected to be be a bridesmaid, I would have had like five bridesmaids. Instead, I had just my sister and my husband's sister. I didn't have to spend as much that way and there's less people to try and manage for photos.
2007-11-07 12:32:06 · answer #3 · answered by ∞Infinity∞ 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
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.
2007-11-08 02:12:45 · answer #4 · answered by Kelli M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
eBay! Dollar Stores! Rentals! Thrift Stores! Walmart!
Do what you can yourself in advance if you are the arts & crafts type you can make most of your decorations to be exactly how you want them. Also, this way they are ready to go way before the wedding!
Buy your table linens and other light-weighted decor on eBay. You can easily resell anything in good condition and make some $$$ back.
ALso try eBay for vacation rentals or look on the internet for last minute (90 days or less) cruises. This affords you a nice-cheap vacation. My fiance and myself won't be honeymooning until after the New Year when the rates go down, otherwise we simply cannot afford it!
We found serving trays for food at thrift stores- all were practically new but we still thoroghly cleaned them, then repainted them to match our decor. We can also reuse them for Christmas!
2007-11-07 13:10:00 · answer #5 · answered by okeydokeyjal22 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Stay away from websites and magazines sponsored by The Wedding Industry. Their purpose is not help you do what is correct and practical, but to get you to buy stuff and then buy more stuff. If you can manage to give a birthday or holiday party without some item (like specially purchased cake slicing tools, personalized favors, programs, etc), you can probably manage to give a wedding party without too. Get your guidance from Miss Manners and Emily Post, who aren't trying to sell you anything.
Invite ONLY people you know, not a bunch of strangers -- no "and guest" or "and family" invitations. If you want to include Cousin Martha's boyfriend and don't know his name and address, then ask Cousin Martha. If you're not sure whether Uncle Dave is seeing anyone, then ask him "Is there someone special you'd like me to invite?" If you put "and guest" on the invitations, people feel like they HAVE to scrounge up some kind of date, even when they'd really rather attend alone. Why would you want to wine and dine people that not only do YOU not care about, but even the guests who dragged them along don't much care about?
2007-11-07 15:21:27 · answer #6 · answered by kill_yr_television 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thing me and MY mom did for my Wedding. I ran around $500. for a 350 people wedding.
1. see if your mothers wedding Dress fits you or can be tale-rd for you.
2. Make your own food.
3. get marred in your own church and have your Recession there as well.
4 get the different groups like the men and women's groups in your church to help serve the food.
5. Do Buffy still
6. make your own flower arguments. You can get books and flowers and every thing you need at Walmart.
7. get family members to pay for other thing like pitchers as wedding gifts, playing the organ, DJ and or food (wedding Cake).
8. do the clean up your self as well or get family to help. I got family to help by giving them left over food from the Wedding.
9. go with a them at all most any thing can go with. I did Easter because I get married the week before Easter. I filled Easter eggs with candy as wedding fave-rs.
10 to to Dollar store for Decoration's. I got Rabbit's at a store that was going out of for 10 for a $1. So shoppe around.
11. Don't be to picky about what Dresses your Brits mad-es where.
12 Keep the Wedding party small
13. Do not in site that the Men where tutors, Black jeans white shirt and Black vest look relay cool.
2007-11-07 15:29:50 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
yup.
book a fire hall or elks lodge or the sort for your reception.
some are nice enough inside you can even have the ceremony inside them.
keep your menu simple, buy shrimp for cocktail when it's on sale at the grocery store, not from the person doing the catering.
if at all possible do the food yourself (only if you will save money doing so- sometimes inhouse catering is cheaper than diy)
shop at shop rite or grocery stores for wedding cake. keep it modest in size - ie have a cake to feed 50 the other 50 + get sheet cake
they cut the cake up in the back/kitchen so nobody would know the difference btwn "the" cake and sheet cake.
oh if crafty diy the cake decorating instead of paying extra for the baker to do it.
for instence- fresh flowers that you place yourself instead of paying for the baker to pretty it up themselves.
dresses from 2nd hand stores or online shouldn't be considered cardinal sins. they are great ways to save money!
rent flower girl dresses from online sites- or shop 2nd hand or on craigslist for dresses- they probly won't wear them again as fast as kids grow
try silks instead of real flowers. aforal.com and save-on-crafts.com has a great selection.
or if you want to diy the flowers - check stock at the grocery store- many have x bunches for x $
shop ebay for wedding favors, if you want candy in your favors- shop after holidays depening on your theme or colors- ie easter- great for spring weddings - pastels etc...
vday and xmas - great for red.silver. pink themed weddings
halloween- great for fall weddings.
2007-11-07 12:04:32 · answer #8 · answered by nataliexoxo 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Search for everything on eBay! I recently got married and bought 80% of my stuff on eBay from my dress to confetti for the reception. I saved a bundle of money!
2007-11-07 11:58:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get the book "Bridal Bargins". I am currently using it and it gives tips on the best ways to save money and get what you want for the wedding of any budget!
2007-11-08 15:37:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋