This is part two of my cost cutting wedding blog posts...glad to see you've come back for more! In today's economy eveyone is interested in saving a few bucks and I'm here to provide you with more easy steps to keep your money in the bank without skimping on your perfect day.
6. Decorations! these beauties take up a large chunk of the budget, and it's no question as to why. What would a wedding be without decor?! A fun and cheap way to decorate your wedding, not to mention give it character, is to consider using unusual items to decorate with, such as family heirlooms, silk flowers or pillar candles that you personalized yourself. Little things like this can turn your wedding into a unique experience that people will walk away from WOWed. And best of all, these things can be resold after the wedding, earning you money in return!
7. Photography can be extremelely expensive today, but this is one area where you probably don't want to nix. A great way to lower the cost is to consider using a photography student or apprentice. They may not have as much experience working the events, but they will have just as much talent and will appreciate your business! Many times they will give you a package for a fraction of the cost of a “professional photographer.” If you find someone who matches your style and price range, book them!
8. Another obvious way to save money would be to limit the number of guests you invite. Remember that this is your wedding and people will have to understand that you cannot invite everyone you have ever met or spoken to. If you simply cannot cut your list any farther, consider doing an appetizer only reception, or a fun dessert-only reception with lots of festive cake, cookies and candies. This can turn into a fun theme and your guests won't even miss a sit down dinner!
9. If you find yourself invite 400 of your closest family members and friends and are wondering how to pay for a cake that size, keep in mind that most bakers will charge you 3-5 dollars a SLICE…that adds up very quickly! To keep costs down, try ordering a cake that feeds only a fraction of your guests for ceremony purposes and then having a big sheet cake to feed the rest. If your caterers are cutting the cake in a separate room and serving it to the guests, no one will ever know the difference!
10. Lastly, for all of your extra must-haves, consider buying used or borrowing. Whether this means buying your shoes, jewelry and decorations at a thrift store or on craigslist, or borrowing your table centerpieces from a friend. Regardless, it will save a significant amount of money and leave more to splurge on your honeymoon!
