Tight Budget? Money Saving Ideas For Your Wedding Cut The Cost…

Jul

Tight Budget? Money Saving Ideas For Your Wedding Cut The Cost…

I’ve yet to have any client tell me “the sky is the limit.” More often than not, they want far more for their dollar than their budget allows.

Today’s blog will give you a few tips and tricks to “have it all without spending it all on your Life Event.”Let’s start with the limousine. Do you really need one? White limousines are more expensive than black.

Try borrowing an old truck from a friend or relative or a convertible from a rental agency instead.Party favors can be expensive. Why not make a donation to a charitable organization instead? Cutting your guest list is a must but how to say no when everyone wants an invite? You wouldn’t leave out the nearest and dearest but, is it mandatory for your single guests to bring a plus one? You can invite your boss but not the entire office.

While many people will be flattered for an invite, just as many won’t be offended if they aren’t invited.

The more ornate the cake the more expensive it is. Do you really need that desert bar? Wedding cake can and does serve as the desert at a wedding. Skip the mini ice cream cones or crepe bar and spend your budget where it’s most important.

No one needs a five or seven course meal at a wedding. Cut the meal down to an appetizer and an entree instead. If you are concerned that guests will still be hungry, add a salad option.

Rehearsal Dinners can get expensive. Try going casual or ask the catering company to deliver to your home. Barbecues and buffet styled options at home are far less expensive than a pricey restaurant.

Champagne toasts aren’t mandatory. If you are serving wine and beer at your event, guests can toast with what they already have on hand thus skipping the expense of champagne for everyone. Truthfully, not everyone is actually going to drink their glass of champagne and many guests would prefer to stick with their own cocktail anyway.

By focusing on the expenses that are most important to you, you will keep your Event on budget and still have the wedding of your dreams.

We’ve all heard of the bridesmaid what really didn’t want to be part of the wedding. Ask yourself if you have a friend that you were “honoring” to be a part of your day that can actually afford the title of a bridesmaid. Destination Events are often cost prohibitive for young ladies struggling to make their rent.

A good way to lose a friend is to expect them to spend all their earnings on your expectations. I know, you thought you were being a good friend by involving them in the lavish excesses of parties and gifts, dresses and dinners but, not everyone wants to be a bridesmaid or even a groomsmen. Smaller scales Weddings and elopement packages are becoming more and more popular because the expense is remarkably lower.

Do you really need the dance floor and the band or will a DJ work just as well? DJ’s are far less expensive than having a band or two on hand for 4-8 hours. Sure, guests love a band but, if it’s something you can do without, perhaps you should.

Dance floors, tents, umbrellas and other expenses go into an outdoor reception. The weather can affect your day either going great or… being a disaster. Many venues are non refundable based on the weather so I suggest event insurance. The last thing you need is rain on wedding day when your venue is outdoors!

At a California wedding, the winds were so strong on the morning of the wedding that securing the tent was a problem. Luckily, the winds died down and the party went on but in Texas, we’ve had flash floods, hail and other issues on wedding day. At Willow Lake Event Center, ducks were swimming in the parking lot at one wedding.

Weather is highly unpredictable in Texas so if you are opting for an outdoor reception or wedding and reception, weigh carefully the additional expenses of dance floors, tents, umbrellas and the risk of bad weather.Indoor venues are more expensive but, by scheduling your event on off days, you gain a large discount. Most weddings take place on the weekends but, you could schedule yours during the week and save loads of money by doing an evening wedding instead to ensure your guests are off work.

Photography and Videography? Do you really need both? Videographers are often more expensive than photographers. Wedding photos are a must but, wedding videos? Not so much. Many of your guests will be capturing video for you anyway. I’m not a fan of wedding videos. My sons videographer took a year to finally hand over the wedding video and somehow managed to capture the worst moments of the guests on film! The first time I watched it, I was unsure of whether to laugh or cry about a six hour event cut down to the worst moments possible on film. Cut the wedding video and get the photos. A true videographer is an artist and as such, able to produce and create an amazing video. Someone who owns a video camera saying they can do the video is something else entirely. Trust me on this.Beautiful photos last a lifetime and you can always merge your photos into video if you decide to at far less than the expense of a videographer.

Flowers are always a big hit at weddings but, do you really need every corner covered in flowers? No. By being creative with centerpieces, you can borrow items from friends or use thrift shop finds to create amazing table designs that are eclectic and memorable.

Simplicity saves money. Books, clocks, candles, branches, signs, collectibles and more create beautifully pulled together centerpieces. Personal photos are always a nice touch on tables. Inexpensive frames can be found at the 99 Cent Store or Dollar Tree.

Have a friend who was recently married? Ask to borrow items left over from their wedding and incorporate items into your own.Chairs, chair covers and chair bows? Do you really need all of that? Based on the number of your guests and the number of set up/tear down people needed, putting chair covers on chairs is a time consuming and expensive endeavor. Topping them off with chair bows? Even more expensive. Yes, I know “you love that look.” Be prepared for chair covers and chair bows to be a hefty expense.Your options are garden chairs that need no ornamentation or simple additions that bring the chairs to life without window dressing them to death.Focus on “decorating” the wedding table and skimp on other tables if you must have thoroughly decorated chairs at your event.