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Ways to cut costs If money is not flowing freely for your wedding and you need to watch your pennies (as most people do!), there are many ways to cut costs that won't take away from the final beauty and wonder of your wedding. 1. Pay attention to the number of people you ask to be a part of your wedding. Each attendant standing up with both of you costs money (dress/tuxedo, shoes, flowers, gift, lunch/dinner, transportation, etc.). Just be aware of that. And each person invited to the reception costs you money (dinner, drinks). Pay attention to the numbers and be SURE you invite people you WANT at your wedding. 2. Flowers are an important part of a wedding, but you don't have to pay extravagant prices for bridal florist flowers -- many grocery stores offer wedding flower packages that are far more reasonably priced than florists... and even better is going directly to flower GROWERS (greenhouses etc.) and arranging it directly from the source. You will save a LOT of money this way. You can also add candles into your ceremony in place of some of the flowers and save even more! 3. The wedding DRESS is also a very important (and often COSTLY) part of the celebration. If it's not as important to you to KEEP the dress after the ceremony, there are many very beautiful dresses you can RENT for less than 1/10 the price of purchasing one -- after the ceremony and the photos, it gets cleaned and returned and you still have money in your bank account for other things you need! 4. Bridesmaid dresses are so often a "waste of money" because they are so formal and unique that most people won't wear them in public again! Think about two options for bridesmaids dresses: RENT them (again, cheaper and no worries after) or purchase nice evening-wear dresses in neutral or matching/complementing colors at a department store or ladies store (and save a LOT of money)! 5. Depending on the food/dinner decisions being made for the reception, oftentimes it's the APPETIZERS that add up to outrageous amounts that you don't expect. If you are having a sit down meal, perhaps an appetizer tray on each table (versus having a table covered in appetizers which can be more than twice or three times as many!) would suffice -- and maybe you can even do without appetizers completely by just having a basket of buns and butter (or chips and dip/salsa). Tip: Makeup Most brides tend to forget that it's important to consider the "photo quality" of their makeup on their special day. Wear it slightly darker, slightly more dramatic than you would on an average day at work, because you are "on stage" and will be photographed from all angles and over a number of hours -- and you want to have your eyes, your cheekbones and your lips to be as nice for the last photo as they were for the FIRST one! Tip: Small Emergencies Things do tend to go slightly awry on wedding days, so just make you are prepared for the little emergencies that may come up. In your makeup bag, tuck away a couple of clear Band-Aids, clear nail polish, a couple of safety pins, a small purse-size hairspray, needle and thread, aspirin (and maybe a bottle of water?), and an extra pair of panty hose. IF the need arises, you'll be prepared!
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Tip: Don't forget your nails! Whether you have beautiful hands and nails already or desperately need an overhaul done before you show your hands in public, it is well worth your time to make sure that your hands are taken care of. A professional manicure is the best choice -- but if it is not possible or financially feasible (usually only about $25-$40) make sure that you have (at the very least) soaked your hands in a warm water/olive oil bath for at least 30 minutes the day before the wedding, then buff and put clear (or a soft color) polish on your nails, and then keep hand cream nearby until the reception. Remember: you will be shaking hands with a LOT of people during your ceremony and reception, and there will be a LOT of photos taken of your hands and your rings... so don't let this step be missed! Tip: Table Centerpieces Table centerpieces don't always have to be expensive. If money is not an issue, flower arrangements or candle/flower/trinket arrangements are beautiful -- but if money needs to be considered, you can still make a table absolutely beautiful with a twirled and entwined 4 or 5 types and variations of ribbon laid and twirled in the center of each table, and sprinkle wrapped candies/mints or flower petals or photo trinkets or anything of your choice amidst and within the ribbons. Beautiful and far less expensive than flower arrangements! Tip: Hair It's a tradition (and a good idea!) to have all of the wedding attendants get their hair styled for the wedding -- but if at all possible, avoid doing major hair transformations within 2 weeks before the wedding. Perms, colorings, and major hair length changes should be done AT LEAST 2 weeks before the wedding in case things don't turn out quite as planned and need to be "fixed up" in time for the big day. Tip: Cake Ideas Some brides and grooms and opting for a new concept for their wedding cake instead of the traditional cake with the "cake cutting" ceremony. A neat new idea is to have individual cupcakes (made from the wedding cake mix of your choice, of course!) decorated and arranged in a tiered fashion! The great thing about this way is that each cupcake can be individually decorated with a separate "topper" or "favor", and it's easy to hand out each cupcake after the bride and groom share a cupcake during the reception. Consider this -- it's new and fun! Tip: The Unveiling If you are planning to wear a veil for your ceremony, make sure your hairstylist knows this. When you take your veil off, it will be important to have a hairstyle (and enough back-combing, pins and hairspray in it!) that stands up to the movement (and maybe even a bit of static cling from the veil). Spraying the inside of the veil with a spray of hairspray before putting it onto your head also helps with the unveiling. Tip: Don't ASSUME on the $$ It's important that everyone involved in the wedding planning be absolutely sure who is paying for what and who is responsible for what. Write it down and make sure everyone involved agrees to it every step of the way, so that there is less confusion (and less disagreements) along the way! |
