Ways to save

[Kaylaface]

Does anyone have any ideas on how to save money while planning a wedding? I'm starting to plan my own and would love some tips. :P

[sweetvenus]

There are some good tips in this thread: http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=15933

[Nikita706]

Here are a few things we did to save money:

The easiest way is to simply cut down the guest list. Most caterers run about $20-$30 a person, which can add up quick.

Another way is to do the music yourself. We decided to make cds and rent a sound system. You could also use an iPod. That way we can choose exactly what music will be played, and we don't have to spend hundreds of dollars for a band or a DJ.

I also went to David's Bridal to get my dress. I went with a tea-length dress because it's going to be summer garden wedding, but there are tons of tea-length and full-length dresses that are under $400. Mine ended up being $350.

We also didn't hire a professional photographer. I have a friend who's studying photography at the local university who had access to lots of fancy equipment and was more than happy to do everything for us for $500. It was good for both of us, we'll get nice pictures for a low cost and he'll get some much-needed experience under his belt.

Most of all, use the resources around you. If you know someone who's an excellent baker, see if they'll do your cake instead of an expensive bakery (or better yet, cupcakes. They're easier!). If you know someone who's good with flowers, buy some flowers in bulk and have them arrange the bouquets. If someone has some acreage, see if you can use they're property for the venue. Connections are a brides best friend. :D

:cloppy:

[WebLady]

Here is another thread with some money saving tips -
http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?p=236467

[Kaylaface]

Thanks for the advice. :D

[Jacqueline]

We saved over a thousand pounds because we hired a venue that a relative works at. Ask around your friends and family and see whether anybody knows any vendors that can offer you a discount.

[May1708]

Do as much DIY as you can. Use the talents of your family and bridal party, if they are all willing to help!

Don't feel like you need to go all out. It IS a special day, but only one day of your life. It's your marriage that will last forever. Don't go into it with lots of debt and stress over your wedding.

Also, wedding catalogs have tons of "keepsakes." What are you doing to do with all that stuff when the day is over? Think about what items will have the most meaning to you and focus on those keepsakes. Not everything has to be family heirloom from your wedding.

And, finally, don't try to impress people! don't do things just because you think that's what people are expecting or how weddings are SUPPOSED to go. Defintely think about what would make your guests comfortable, but dont feel pressured into buying into "needing" everything.

Relax, have fun, and don't forget your true priorities!

[EarlyBird]

Please check out the DIY section. Its soo useful for ideas and anyone would be willing to give the instructions on how it was done. This site is really good for helping you think of ways to cut cost and calming your nerves. hope you will stick around.

Some things i have seen/done or heard of:

Using a professional for only ceremony and posed pictures. Then getting a student photg for the reception.

Doing the same with a band/dj.. cutting out the hour of cocktail hour and dinner hour and only have them perform the last 2 or 3 hours of dancing.

Asking to bring your own liquor/alcohol, (no corkage fee, thats where they get you)

Having your venue be a government building. Some of them here in fla were beauitful.

Do family style dinners where a large portion is served to each table and everyone serves themselves from the table.

Have non floral centerpieces and have your girls carry something like a candle or an umbrella , a rosary, etc

[stephw98]

Every bride searches for the wedding dress of her dreams—which can cost dearly. Instead of buying a new design, one option is to purchase a discontinued dress. These tend to be less expensive and can often be found at smaller dress shops or even consignment shops. Depending on the style of wedding you wish to have, food can be one of the most expensive parts of the wedding. To save money, consider heavy appetizers or a sandwich-style buffet. There are many sources from which to purchase invitations, but one of the least expensive ways to purchase invitations is to do them yourself! You can purchase beautiful invitations that you can print yourself and save.
Cheers

[Jacobs_Girl]

EBAY! I got lots of neat stuff off there, like my decorations for cheap! And GM and BM gifts yanno things you aren't going to use again and dont want to spend a lot on.

[candars]

If you have your reception in the afternoon, after lunch but before dinner, then you could just have drinks instead of food. You might want to mention that to anybody coming to the wedding, though. You can also check out places like Dilliard's for a wedding dress, depending on the style of dress you would like. Department stores often have sales...look through the dresses on their sale racks and see if any of those would work as a wedding dress. You an do this for BM dresses, too. Also, Saturdays are really expensive! Just keep in mind, anything that is specifically for a wedding, will be more expensive. Get ideas of what you want from wedding shops, but then look at other places and see what you can find that's similar...hope this helps! You can also google "save money+wedding". You will come up with a ton of websites that have suggestions for you! Good luck!

[MrsKittyManes]

Dollar Stores! Before buying expensive vases and such check out your local dollar store, they often have the same or even prettier vases for much cheeper.

[karyljm]

Find a family member or a great friend with a huge house and yard and have the reception there.

[Nekochanpurr]

SALES!! i got a lot of my flowers 40-60% off at Michaels!

[pinkroses88]

1. Buy from wholesale stores. You can find online wholesalers or in the phonebook.

2. I remember watching the news about people who get their weddings sponsored by the vendors and they save thousands! You can find local vendors and online companies who can help you do it.

3. On church decorations, try to find out if there is a ceremony before or after yours. You can try to get together with their planner and see if they are willing to split costs with you. (Make sure that you would be able to agree on the same decorations too)

4. Subscribe to different newsletters and websites. A lot of them have deals with many vendors and pass on discounts to their members

5. We saved a lot of money by doing a lot of stuff by ourselves. But I also made sure to recruit lots of help. Sometimes "do it yourself projects" can be a little more difficult than expected.

6. Shop at sample sales for wedding dresses. They don't happen often but when they do they're amazing. Be sure to arrive early!

Hope this helps! Good luck and best wishes!

[Whitewater]

My tip is to really think about where you want to get married, and then try to fulfill that but do it somewhere that most people don't think about, or that aren't very popular but would be perfect for you!

Trust me, this will save you money! Here's an example:

Two friends of mine were getting married to each other two years ago. They found a lovely arboretum near where they lived, it was perfect for them and their wedding was simple but beautiful. They paid $25 to rent the outdoor space for the entire day, because it was the standard city park rental rate and nobody else in the town thought of that particular park as a marriage ceremony location.

Two years later, I called the city to inquire about renting the same space on a weekday for my ceremony, and I got quoted $200!!!!!!

My fiance and I are getting married in a different city arboretum in a different town (which actually suits us much better than the one my friends got married at, it's a lot more formal, for one thing, and bigger) but because hardly anybody even knows it exists, much less uses it for weddings, the price I was quoted was $50 for 12 hours!!!!

Considering that every single other outdoor space in my city (particularly those which are popular for weddings) was charging $300 minimum (and in many cases, $500-$1000, some were charging $1000 for 4 hours, and $200/hour after that), the fact that we did our homework and found a place that's not used a whole lot REALLY saved us some MAJOR money. Our ceremony location is beautiful, formal, and doesn't need to be decorated because it's outdoors and the massive flower beds will be blooming, not to mention the lily garden and the fountain!

Oh, that's tip #2. If you can find a setting that's already naturally decorated (maybe a formal cathedral or a garden or someplace like that?) you can save a ton by only doing decorations for the reception and not having to do them for the ceremony, since they'll already be there.

In our case, the formal garden we're getting married in doesn't need a thing in the way of decor, because it's already naturally beautiful. So we're saving about $300 right there.

The total we've saved by wisely choosing our ceremony site is close to $2000 (half of our wedding budget!), just in ceremony site and decor alone.


Whitewater (who is also planning on buying wholesale flowers and making bouquets etc DIY, it's a lot easier than it looks and will again, save us probably $1000, maybe more.)

[Kaylaface]

Thanks you guys. so far your answers have been very helpful!:grinhappy:

[PJBride]

Use the internet and your personal contacts. I found the expensive dress of my dreams in a boutique and then found a girl selling it online new with tags for $400. Also, a lot of colleges have places for alumni to tie the knot. We got a gorgeous ballroom for next to nothing just by going through my university, so that might be an option for you.