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1.
Cut 10 guests from your guest list -- at $100
a head, that's a $1000 savings.
2. Hold the ceremony and reception in the same
site. You'll save on flowers, decorations,
site fees, transportation, and more.
3. If you book the reception space far ahead
-- a year or more -- you may be able to
negotiate a better price.
4. Fewer people get married in the winter
(November through April -- December is an
exception), so you'll generally get better
deals during these months.
5. Consider certain holidays, such as
Halloween, when sites aren't so sought after.
6. Consider a night other than Saturday. There
will probably be better availability for
Friday and Sunday (or even Thursday) dates,
and you may be able to get a lower rate on the
space.
7. Instead of a grand ballroom or banquet
hall, think creative and less expensive like
university- or publicly-owned buildings,
community centers, the church or temple hall,
a photography studio, an art gallery, a
friend's loft, a theater, a restaurant's
private room. Note that you may have to
purchase a permit to marry in a public place,
and you might incur other expenses such as
renting tables, dinnerware, etc.
8. Think off-peak hours and
lunch/brunch/teatime. Rates will probably be
reduced, and the food for these meals is often
cheaper.
9. Borrow items like punch bowls, dishes,
tables, glasses, and linens if you can.
10. Return all rental items on time, so you
won't incur late charges.
11. Instead of buying individual place cards,
post the seating assignments on a beautiful
easel.
12. Remember that less is more -- eliminate
ice sculptures and other extravagant
ornamentation.
FLOWERS
13. Supplement centerpieces with pillars and
tapers.
14. Choose flowers that are in season and/or
locally grown -- they're less expensive than
out-of-season or exotic flowers that must be
shipped to your area.
15. Avoid roses around Valentine's Day when
prices can double.
16. For the bouquets, use multiple, less
expensive flowers like baby's breath and
daisies, and fill them out with ivy. Or walk
down the aisle carrying one or two large,
stunning blooms like orchids, tulips, or
sunflowers, tied with a ribbon. Sometimes a
single stem says it all.
17. If you're getting married in a naturally
flowering place like a park or garden, you may
not have to bring in many flowers or plants at
all. If you're marrying around a holiday, your
church or temple may already be decked out
beautifully.
18. Take ceremony flowers along to the
reception site. Or arrange to share the cost
of ceremony decorations with the couple
marrying directly before or after you that
day.
19. Pluck your own petals for your flower girl
instead of ordering them from your florist.
20. Put pretty flowering plants on the tables
as centerpieces.
21. Consider single flowers in bud vases as
simple-but-elegant centerpieces.
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food
& drink |
22.
Don't assume you'll save on wait staff if you
choose stationary hors d'oeuvres like crudites
and cheese and crackers. Talk with your
caterer about cost differences between
stationary and passed hors d'oeuvres, and more
affordable ingredients.
23. Select lower-priced entrees like chicken
instead of beef or pasta instead of scallops.
Simpler vegetables, like broccoli instead of
asparagus, will help cut costs, too.
24. Minimize courses. If you're having a
cocktail hour, do you really need an appetizer
course? Do you need soup *and* salad?
25. Choose expensive ingredients -- such as
white truffle oil and caviar -- sparingly.
26. Opt for local or in-season ingredients to
save on importing costs.
27. See if your favorite neighborhood
restaurant caters.
28. Don't give guests a choice of entrees on
the day of the wedding -- either request meal
preferences on your reply cards or select one
entree that appeals to all tastes.
29. Think about a cocktail reception with just
drinks and hors d'oeuvres, or a
champagne-and-cake reception after the
ceremony. Time your celebration appropriately
(early or late afternoon), so that guests will
not expect a full meal.
30. Consider a wedding breakfast or brunch (omelettes,
muffins, pancakes, French toast) or a tea (a
variety of tea flavors, finger sandwiches,
scones and jams, etc.) to save money on food
and labor. Limiting alcoholic beverages to
Bloody Marys and Mimosas will save on alcohol
and complement these foods well. Guests also
tend to drink less liquor in the morning and
early afternoon.
31. A good wedding cake is often dessert
enough -- you don't need pastries and ice
cream, too (maybe just some fresh fruit for
the hard-core health buffs).
32. Get a small, decorated cake to cut during
the reception and supplement it with a sheet
cake of the same flavor that's cut in the
kitchen for guests.
33. See if your caterer offers a selection of
standard cakes as opposed to ordering a
customized design.
34. Instead of a custom-made cake topper,
crown the wedding cake with a family trinket
or fresh flowers.
35. Serve only wine, beer, and soft drinks at
the open bar, plus a round of champagne for
the toasts.
36 During cocktail hour, instead of an open
bar, serve passed wine in glasses. Or serve
traditional wedding punch -- you'll need less
liquor, and you won't have to use the most
expensive brands.
37. If your caterer and reception site allow,
buy the alcohol yourselves; you may be able to
return unopened cases, instead of paying your
caterer or banquet manager a flat rate for a
set amount of open-bar hours.
38. Close the bar an hour before the reception
ends and provide soft drinks, sparkling water,
and coffee. This should also reduce the risk
of tipsy guests attempting to drive home.
39. Use house brands at the bar instead of
ordering the premium package.
40. Keep the cost of wedding favors to a
minimum; Jordan almonds wrapped in tulle is a
perfectly acceptable expression of your
gratitude. |
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43.
Use your computer to design your own
save-the-date cards.
44. Instead of mailing out 100 save-the-date
cards, send out a friendly email to all your
guests.
45. Compare prices of ordering invitations
from a stationer, online, or through a
mail-order catalog.
46. Consider thermography, a less-expensive
process than engraving, which still gives a
raised look to the words.
47. Ask stationers whether or not a package
price is available if you order all your
stationery at once (invitations, thank-you
notes, announcements, etc.).
48. Send invitations that, when completely
assembled, are light enough to require only a
single stamp for mailing.
49. For weddings with less than 50 people,
formal invitations are not required; you can
send handwritten invites on the paper of your
choice.
50. Want the look of custom-designed invites?
Ask a graphic designer friend to design your
invites, then get them printed at local
stationer.
51. Include reception information on the
invitation to avoid printing a separate card.
52. Save money on mailing out wedding
newsletters by creating a personal wedding web
page -- it's a simple and easy way to keep
guests informed.
53. Avoid extra costs of including a map with
the invitation. Include directions on your
personal wedding page.
54. Include small postcards as your reply
cards. You'll save money -- and trees.
55. Forgo the tissue insert -- it's just for
show (originally used to keep ink from
smudging, but generally no longer needed).
56. Consider buying beautiful ready-made
thank-you cards instead of personalized ones. |
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 57.
Compare hourly fees and package deals to see
which is more cost-effective for you.
58. Ask your photographer and videographer if
they can limit their hours of participation;
for example, can they only cover the first
couple of hours of your reception instead of
the whole thing?
59. Find out how long the photographer will
keep your negatives; you may decide to buy
prints later, after the other wedding bills
are paid.
60. Inquire about the possibility of
purchasing the negatives from your
photographer; you may be able to get reprints
yourselves at a lower cost.
61. Keep prints simple. Special treatments
like sepia tones, multiple exposures, and
split frames cost more due to additional
darkroom work.
62. Talk to your videographer about
eliminating technical add-ons you may not
need; cutting out special video effects, for
example, could save you money.
63. Photographer's albums can often be pricey.
Get the real deal for yourselves and make your
own for friends and family.
64. Talk to your photographer and videographer
about their need for assistants; some visual
professionals can work alone to help you save
costs.
65. Have one roving videographer at the
reception and multiple cameras just at the
ceremony.
66. Condense the efforts: Hire a photographer
for the ceremony and portraits, hire a
videographer to cover the party, or vice
versa.
67. Bonus items like engagement portraits or
special video presentations during cocktail
hour can add up. Choose these special features
wisely.
68. If your photographer bills you for each
roll of film individually, be sure to set a
roll limit up front.
69. Save on disposable cameras costs by
putting them at every other, instead of each,
table.
70. Inquire about discounts if you purchase
all your prints or extra copies of your video
at once. |
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 71.
Start shopping right away. The more time you
have, the better you'll be able to find a
version of your dream gown in your dream price
range.
72. Think about buying a top-of-the-line
bridesmaid dress -- in white. While it may not
look as impressive (or be cut as well) as a
bridal gown, you can probably be outfitted for
under $500.
73. Keep in mind that simpler, unembellished
dresses may be less expensive than ornate ones
decorated with lots of crystals, beads, and
lace.
74. Ask your bridal salon if the gown you love
is available in a less expensive fabric -- a
polyester blend is often less expensive than
pure silk.
75. Buy a sample dress. If you're lucky enough
to fit into a dress right off the rack -- as
opposed to having it made for you -- you can
save money. Where you'll need to spend: You'll
probably be on your own for the cost of
alterations and cleaning that may be needed
before the wedding.
76. Rent or borrow. Though you won't have a
lasting memory or an heirloom your own
daughter might wear some day, this is an
option. Check the yellow pages for
resale/rental stores near you, or ask
girlfriends whose dresses you liked if they'd
mind if you wore theirs. This may be touchy --
be tactful and selective about whom you ask,
and make sure you take care of all cleaning
costs.
77. Stop yourself from redesigning a gown and
take it as is -- adding sleeves or changing
embroidery styles can add up. And after all,
the designer is the expert, right?
78. If it (generally) fits you and you like
it, wear your mom's dress. You can update it
with alterations or by adding embellishment
such as beads and lace (at a cost, of course).
79. Find out if your bridal salon ever has
veil sales. Or if you're the crafty type, you
can buy a veil kit from a craft store and make
your own veil -- though you might not have
access to top-of-the-line tulle or crystals.
80. Look for shoes that you can dye after your
wedding, so you can wear them again.
81. Opt for "something borrowed."
Friends can be great sources for accessories
like jewelry, gloves, or shoes.
82. Consider going off-the-rack -- choose
bridesmaid dresses from a department store or
catalog. Be aware they may not have a bridal
look, and you might not find all the sizes you
may need.
83. Make the hair accessories for your flower
girl: a few rose buds tucked into her tresses
can be very pretty.
84. Browse the formal section of department
stores and outlet stores to find Mother of the
Bride and Mother of the Groom dresses -- you
may stumble upon a great sale. Party dresses
are often marked down for clearance after
major holidays.
85. Ask your bridal salon if they offer a
discount when you buy all your dresses -- your
gown, your maids' gowns, and your moms' gowns
-- from their salon.
86. Have the mothers consider renting their
dresses. While they won't have a special
outfit to remember your day, renting is often
a less expensive alternative to buying.
87. Ask a talented friend to sew the dress for
your flower girl. You might not get the same
look you see in magazines, but your little
girl will feel special nonetheless.
88. Struggling with the costs of both a
professional makeup artist and hair stylist?
Find one who can do double-duty.
89. See if your local tux rental shop offers a
discount for the groom if all the groomsmen
rent from the same place.
90. Instead of spending big bucks on
full-service salon treatments for the entire
bridal party, have a girls-only party the
night before the wedding, and do your big-day
primping yourselves. |
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Article
Provided by The Knot - click
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