Planning Your Wedding on a Budget
Planning to get married in 2020? Our list of 10 items will help you have your dream wedding while still having money for the honeymoon.
1. Hold the ceremony at home, or outdoors.
Renting a building or function hall for your ceremony and reception can become the most expensive part of your wedding. Instead, consider using a public park with a beautiful view, your own home (or the home of a parent or friend) for your ceremony. In each case, you can also have your reception outdoors, creating a picturesque, memorable event while eliminating the cost of renting a venue.
If you do go the outdoor route, it’s best to have a back-up plan in case of bad weather; you don’t want to get married in a downpour that leaves all your friends and family soaked.
2. Guests can help.
By controlling your guest list and asking for help with a wedding instead of gifts, you can significantly increase your spending power and the level of your wedding.
Planning your guest list is a process and while you will be tempted to throw everyone you know on the list, that isn’t always a great idea. Remember that with each addition you make, you’re adding additional costs while also making your wedding less intimate. My recommendation is to always try to have an intimate wedding that will mean more to you and your guests.
At the same time, asking family and friends to offer help or services that align with their talents instead of a gift is a great way to keep your wedding on a budget. By asking closer friends and family to take part in your ceremony by giving their skills instead of bringing a gift. Great ways to do this is to ask any friend that may have musical talent or be a skilled amateur photographer, to help as your wedding gift.
3. Go minimal with the flowers.
Instead of spending boatloads of money on flowers that will die shortly after the reception, keep it simple but elegant — for instance, a single rose for each bridesmaid or no flower for the bridesmaids and a petite bouquet for the bride. If you know someone with a rose bush, you can actually make your own bouquets the day before the ceremony by cutting the roses yourself and trimming away the thorns. Another great option is going with fake flowers. They are less expensive, no one will tell and will create a keepsake from your wedding.
4. Make your own invitations.
With a quality home printer and some time, you can make very classy invitations on your own. Pick up a simple blank invitation kit on sale and make our own invitations. These kits can easily be used to create a very classic invitation that looks stylish.
5. Borrow stereo equipment or use yours from home.
Rather than hiring a band or DJ, place your own speakers around the reception room. Create a playlist on your phone or tablet of your favorite songs and have a party. Choosing your own songs is a great way to personalize your entire experience.
6. Stock the bar yourself.
In a lot of cases, alcohol is the second most considerable expense when it comes to a lot of weddings. Instead of opting for a full open bar, you can save money offering just beer and wine or a free cocktail hour followed by a cash bar.
If you have the reception at home, you could even do serve yourself bar. If you do rent a hall, ask if they’ll let you supply your own alcohol instead of using the venue’s, which can be a big money-saver. Look for a discount liquor store in your area and stock up on the basics.
Keep in mind that while it’s more cost-efficient to buy a keg of beer instead of cases, any leftover beer will go to waste, whereas you can store excess bottles for months. And that’s helpful since it’s a good idea to overestimate — you don’t want to run out of drinks halfway through the reception.
7. Ask if your vendors will be willing to display ‘vendor cards’ in exchange for reduced rates.
If you’re hiring people to provide services for your reception (musicians, a DJ, florists, caterers, photographers, etc.), offer to advertise for them in exchange for reduced rates. At the reception, put a small card by each person’s place setting that lists the businesses responsible for each service at the wedding, along with their contact information. Since this tends to be beneficial advertising, many companies will happily provide services at reduced rates in exchange for this opportunity.
8. Price shop for decorations – and consider buying used.
Decorating and Party companies run sales throughout the year. If you know what you’re looking for ahead of time, you can simply wait until it goes on sale and “pounce” when the time is right.
9. Wear matching suits instead of renting or buying tuxedos.
Unless you have a specific reason for owning a tuxedo (and few people do), you should rent one. To save even more money and have something that you can use in the future, you can have all of your groomsmen wear matching suits. Every man should own at least one suit.
10. Choose affordable wedding rings.
Wedding bands are traditionally an essential part of the marriage ceremony, symbolic of your commitment to each other. That doesn’t mean they have to cost you a fortune.
You’ll be wearing this ring every day for the rest of your life – so it’s important you like the way it looks and feels. But again, that doesn’t mean it has to cost $1,000 or more. Titanium, sterling silver, and other materials are less expensive, durable, and can be personalized for even more profound meaning.
Finally:
With any wedding, it’s essential to plan ahead. List everything you can think of and walk through these items step by step. As you’re brainstorming wedding ideas, you should get your closest friends and family involved with the details. Quite often, they’ll have surprisingly good ideas. Also, they might know a vendor, or have something you could borrow for your special day. Good friends and family are always there to help, and they’ll be especially happy to contribute to such a joyful occasion.
Good luck (and congratulations)!
Planning to get married in 2020? Our list of 10 items will help you have your dream wedding while still having money for the honeymoon.
1. Hold the ceremony at home, or outdoors.
Renting a building or function hall for your ceremony and reception can become the most expensive part of your wedding. Instead, consider using a public park with a beautiful view, your own home (or the home of a parent or friend) for your ceremony. In each case, you can also have your reception outdoors, creating a picturesque, memorable event while eliminating the cost of renting a venue.
If you do go the outdoor route, it’s best to have a back-up plan in case of bad weather; you don’t want to get married in a downpour that leaves all your friends and family soaked.
2. Guests can help.
By controlling your guest list and asking for help with a wedding instead of gifts, you can significantly increase your spending power and the level of your wedding.
Planning your guest list is a process and while you will be tempted to throw everyone you know on the list, that isn’t always a great idea. Remember that with each addition you make, you’re adding additional costs while also making your wedding less intimate. My recommendation is to always try to have an intimate wedding that will mean more to you and your guests.
At the same time, asking family and friends to offer help or services that align with their talents instead of a gift is a great way to keep your wedding on a budget. By asking closer friends and family to take part in your ceremony by giving their skills instead of bringing a gift. Great ways to do this is to ask any friend that may have musical talent or be a skilled amateur photographer, to help as your wedding gift.
3. Go minimal with the flowers.
Instead of spending boatloads of money on flowers that will die shortly after the reception, keep it simple but elegant — for instance, a single rose for each bridesmaid or no flower for the bridesmaids and a petite bouquet for the bride. If you know someone with a rose bush, you can actually make your own bouquets the day before the ceremony by cutting the roses yourself and trimming away the thorns. Another great option is going with fake flowers. They are less expensive, no one will tell and will create a keepsake from your wedding.
4. Make your own invitations.
With a quality home printer and some time, you can make very classy invitations on your own. Pick up a simple blank invitation kit on sale and make our own invitations. These kits can easily be used to create a very classic invitation that looks stylish.
5. Borrow stereo equipment or use yours from home.
Rather than hiring a band or DJ, place your own speakers around the reception room. Create a playlist on your phone or tablet of your favorite songs and have a party. Choosing your own songs is a great way to personalize your entire experience.
6. Stock the bar yourself.
In a lot of cases, alcohol is the second most considerable expense when it comes to a lot of weddings. Instead of opting for a full open bar, you can save money offering just beer and wine or a free cocktail hour followed by a cash bar.
If you have the reception at home, you could even do serve yourself bar. If you do rent a hall, ask if they’ll let you supply your own alcohol instead of using the venue’s, which can be a big money-saver. Look for a discount liquor store in your area and stock up on the basics.
Keep in mind that while it’s more cost-efficient to buy a keg of beer instead of cases, any leftover beer will go to waste, whereas you can store excess bottles for months. And that’s helpful since it’s a good idea to overestimate — you don’t want to run out of drinks halfway through the reception.
7. Ask if your vendors will be willing to display ‘vendor cards’ in exchange for reduced rates.
If you’re hiring people to provide services for your reception (musicians, a DJ, florists, caterers, photographers, etc.), offer to advertise for them in exchange for reduced rates. At the reception, put a small card by each person’s place setting that lists the businesses responsible for each service at the wedding, along with their contact information. Since this tends to be beneficial advertising, many companies will happily provide services at reduced rates in exchange for this opportunity.
8. Price shop for decorations – and consider buying used.
Decorating and Party companies run sales throughout the year. If you know what you’re looking for ahead of time, you can simply wait until it goes on sale and “pounce” when the time is right.
9. Wear matching suits instead of renting or buying tuxedos.
Unless you have a specific reason for owning a tuxedo (and few people do), you should rent one. To save even more money and have something that you can use in the future, you can have all of your groomsmen wear matching suits. Every man should own at least one suit.
10. Choose affordable wedding rings.
Wedding bands are traditionally an essential part of the marriage ceremony, symbolic of your commitment to each other. That doesn’t mean they have to cost you a fortune.
You’ll be wearing this ring every day for the rest of your life – so it’s important you like the way it looks and feels. But again, that doesn’t mean it has to cost $1,000 or more. Titanium, sterling silver, and other materials are less expensive, durable, and can be personalized for even more profound meaning.
Finally:
With any wedding, it’s essential to plan ahead. List everything you can think of and walk through these items step by step. As you’re brainstorming wedding ideas, you should get your closest friends and family involved with the details. Quite often, they’ll have surprisingly good ideas. Also, they might know a vendor, or have something you could borrow for your special day. Good friends and family are always there to help, and they’ll be especially happy to contribute to such a joyful occasion.
Good luck (and congratulations)!
Finding a Wedding Officiant:
There was a time when most people had their Minister, Priest, or Rabbi perform their wedding. They received a tradition wedding of their faith and were happy. With a drop in the number of people going to service every week, or mixed faith couples finding each other, or the need for a wedding designed for the couples gone are those days however. Finding a wedding officiant can be time consuming and costly then if you do choose someone that person can make your big day the best day or worst day of your life. It is crucial to find someone who understands that the day is about you not an opportunity to be on stage, that the person is professional, comfortable, and able to meet your needs. Most importantly that he or she will do everything in their ability to ensure that you get the wedding you want in as stress free an environment as possible. Most couples should speak with family members and friends to find their officiant or Minister to perform their wedding. If this does not work you need to ensure that you meet with your Wedding Officiant and know what you are going to get. You need to both be willing to ask questions and possibly answer some. It is important that you find and hire the person who you feel most comfortable with and then work with him or her to ensure that the wedding delivered is the wedding you want.
Picking a venue:
Rule #1- Understand The Logistics
While getting married might be the fairy tale dream come true both the Bride and Groom need to understand that it takes a lot to get ready for the big day. While planning the wedding a lot of people miss things like transportation of equipment, materials, supplies, and even people. Then if they do plan for it many don’t think of a contingency plan if something is missed or forgotten. Logistics are huge in planning and prepping for your big day. One major portion to keep in mind when planning your logistics is finding out what the venue covers is it full service or are you paying for just the space or something in between.
Rule #2 - Visit The Venue At The Time Of Day Your Wedding Will Be
You venue might be a dream come true in the morning or evening but depending on where the sun is or how the traffic is during certain times of the day can throw a wrench in the best laid out plans quickly. Always make sure you visit your venue during the time of day that you are going to schedule it for to ensure that it is what you want when you want it and help stop any surprises that might jump up.
Rule #3 - Decide On Your Wedding Style & Feel
Before anything else ensure you know what you want for your wedding. If you want a big ceremony or small, outside or inside, what type of acoustics? These questions and many others will help you pick you venue. There is nothing worse than picking the venue and then not being able to have the ceremony that you wanted because of constraints laid out because of the venue.
Rule # 4 - Ask, Ask & Ask Again
As with anything else make sure you get all the information that you need. Ask questions of the venue and if something is not specifically spelled out ask don’t assume that you are going to get what you want when the venue will not cover it. You should find a venue that fits your ceremony not a ceremony that fits your venue.
There was a time when most people had their Minister, Priest, or Rabbi perform their wedding. They received a tradition wedding of their faith and were happy. With a drop in the number of people going to service every week, or mixed faith couples finding each other, or the need for a wedding designed for the couples gone are those days however. Finding a wedding officiant can be time consuming and costly then if you do choose someone that person can make your big day the best day or worst day of your life. It is crucial to find someone who understands that the day is about you not an opportunity to be on stage, that the person is professional, comfortable, and able to meet your needs. Most importantly that he or she will do everything in their ability to ensure that you get the wedding you want in as stress free an environment as possible. Most couples should speak with family members and friends to find their officiant or Minister to perform their wedding. If this does not work you need to ensure that you meet with your Wedding Officiant and know what you are going to get. You need to both be willing to ask questions and possibly answer some. It is important that you find and hire the person who you feel most comfortable with and then work with him or her to ensure that the wedding delivered is the wedding you want.
Picking a venue:
Rule #1- Understand The Logistics
While getting married might be the fairy tale dream come true both the Bride and Groom need to understand that it takes a lot to get ready for the big day. While planning the wedding a lot of people miss things like transportation of equipment, materials, supplies, and even people. Then if they do plan for it many don’t think of a contingency plan if something is missed or forgotten. Logistics are huge in planning and prepping for your big day. One major portion to keep in mind when planning your logistics is finding out what the venue covers is it full service or are you paying for just the space or something in between.
Rule #2 - Visit The Venue At The Time Of Day Your Wedding Will Be
You venue might be a dream come true in the morning or evening but depending on where the sun is or how the traffic is during certain times of the day can throw a wrench in the best laid out plans quickly. Always make sure you visit your venue during the time of day that you are going to schedule it for to ensure that it is what you want when you want it and help stop any surprises that might jump up.
Rule #3 - Decide On Your Wedding Style & Feel
Before anything else ensure you know what you want for your wedding. If you want a big ceremony or small, outside or inside, what type of acoustics? These questions and many others will help you pick you venue. There is nothing worse than picking the venue and then not being able to have the ceremony that you wanted because of constraints laid out because of the venue.
Rule # 4 - Ask, Ask & Ask Again
As with anything else make sure you get all the information that you need. Ask questions of the venue and if something is not specifically spelled out ask don’t assume that you are going to get what you want when the venue will not cover it. You should find a venue that fits your ceremony not a ceremony that fits your venue.