Weddings on a Budget

Brides on a Budget

A wedding is the celebration of a lifetime. Few milestones are as significant and planning your special day of celebration and meaningful memories is a monumental undertaking – especially if your last name does not appear on the Forbes 400 or the ‘A-List’ of Hollywood celebrities.

From Daunting to Doable

The cost of an ‘average’ wedding ($26,989 in 2012) can be daunting. Many Say Anything Design couples add a touch of tasteful creativity to their special day without breaking the bank. From a unique thumbprint tree guest book when guests arrive to the magical beauty of wedding sparklers when they send you off, brides on a budget know that little things can make a big difference.

Good News

With a little creativity and planning, even the tightest of budgets can be stretched to create an extraordinary wedding celebration without skimping on style or class. And if finances are not an issue, spending less on one day makes more available for the rest of your married life.

Here We Go

Here’s our list of 25 ways to plan a fabulous wedding without mortgaging your future:

Establish Priorities

1. Decide what is meaningful and important to you as a couple and plan accordingly. Is it the guest count, food, photographs, band/DJ, or something else that matters most to you?
2. Focus on the most important things and do them well. Don’t try to ‘skimp by’ on everything.

Ask Around

3. Who do you know that would be honored to be part of your special day?
4. Would your aunt who loves to bake provide wedding cupcakes in lieu of a traditional cake?
5. Is your brother a graphics geek who could create customized wedding invitations for you?
6. Do you have a friend in beauty school who would love to do hair and make up?
7. Does anyone in your church own a flower shop?
8. Who is the best photographer/videographer you know?
9. Would a cousin in seminary want to perform the ceremony?
10. Who could provide sound equipment or DJ services?
11. Who own a luxury car you could borrow for the day - and who could drive it?
12. The list goes on. You can still pay these people or at least cover their expenses but the savings will be as extraordinary as the results.

 

A Unique Guest Book

Choose Carefully

13. Special touches are great but be sure these ‘extras’ are meaningful to you as many of them will not be remembered. Make them count.
14. For example, a unique guest book that everyone will see and use as they arrive - one that can be framed and displayed in your home is a high impact extra.
15. Wedding sparklers are another example of an ‘extra’ that photographs well and is unique and memorable.
16. Many ‘extras’ like save-the-date notices, programs, bathroom
    baskets, guest favors, and monogrammed napkins will be quickly forgotten and are likely go unnoticed if they're skipped. Choose carefully.
17. A special wedding platter or set of unity sand vases for the ceremony can remind you of your special day for years to come.
18. Avoid buying one-time use items like toasting flutes or a cake knife/server set. The venue or caterer can provide them at no extra charge.

Cut Costs

19. Commit to a simplified décor and let the overall theme (not a tight budget) mandate dozens of elegant and less expensive choices.
20. Use single-stems instead of bouquets for bridesmaids and boutonnieres of greenery instead of blooms for groomsmen.
21. Decorate the platform with striking and less conventional décor like branches with berries or greenery instead of traditional flower arrangements.
22. Use elegant candelabra for table centerpieces instead of fresh-flower bouquets or floral sprays.

Buy Used

23. There are few better bargains than buying something used only once from someone who will never use it again.
24. From Craigslist to online bulletin boards to specialty consignment shops, everything from gowns and tuxedos to vases and votives and can be rented or purchased for next to nothing.

Be Creative

25. Plan your wedding on a Friday, Sunday, or weekday evening. Discover the ‘slow dates’ and your preferred venue will suddenly be available for much less.

Keep the Main Thing, the Main Thing

Weddings don't have to cost a fortune. And never forget that you are marrying the person you love and hoping to share your special day with family and friends. Everything else, regardless of style, class, or cost, is less important.

See you next time…