20 Ways to Make the Most of your Wedding Budget
1.) Use your favors to decorate your place settings or table.
2.) Double your center pieces up as décor for the aisle during the ceremony.
3.) After you finish pictures have your bridesmaids put their bouquets on the cake table as decorations
4.) Rather than offering a fully stocked bar offer beer, wine and a signature cocktail.
5.) Attach your place cards for reception seating directly to your favors.
6.) Use framed pictures of you and your fiancée (both separately and together) as additional décor for the venue.
7.) Donât over-do the servings of cake. Most wedding cakes are twice as much as a needed.
8.) Using lots of candles is an expensive and beautiful way to decorate (make sure the flames are covered!)
9.) Ask your photographer if getting your photos on a CD and making prints yourself is an option.
10.) Give your DJ all the details about the layout of the venue to avoid incurring unforeseen set up charges.
11.) Use disposable cameras on each table that way your have tons of extra pictures for minimal additional charges.
12.) Select an invitation that is standard size to avoid additional postage charges.
13.) Burn a CD of you and your fiancéeâs favorite songs and print your picture on it as a favor.
14.) Rather than a full bouquet have your bridesmaids carry a single long-stemmed elegant flower. It can make a dramatic impression.
15.) Opt to not have a groomâs cake.
16.) Have your bridesmaids wear their pre-owned dresses; just make sure they are all the same color and shade.
17.) Simply have a champagne toast than an open bar at the reception.
18.) In lieu of a gift pay for your bridesmaidsâ manicure, pedicure or facial the week of the wedding.
19.) Use white Christmas lights for décor on stairwells or railing for inexpensive décor.
20.) If you donât have to get married of Saturday night, go for the afternoon, or anytime Friday or Sunday. Space rental is likely to be much cheaper.
punk_princess_1369 January 4th, 2009, 3:36 am
Very tight budget wedding, what are cheap ways to make it look nice for an outdoor wedding?
Some things have come up and my dad is coldhearted and doesnt want to pay for my wedding now and so is leaving it up to me now…so I was planning on having an outdoor wedding which I originally was just going to have the wedding reception outdoors…but will cost less for me now to do both outside now…but I would like to make the area look nice and such, so what are cheap ways I can decorate the outdoor area…and should I get one of those arch things I dont know what its called at the moment lol…any ideas???
Tree January 4th, 2009, 8:38 am
There are a lot of brides with similar situations. Go to the community board and post your message on there so other brides can help you. http://www.weddingchannel.com/
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3timescharmed January 4th, 2009, 8:40 am
Make thing yourself like invitations and decorations. Use things around your house to decorate or borrow from somebody you know that just had a wedding. The dollar store has tons of things to decorate with.
Instead of hiring a DJ use your own CD's and have a family member help you out or make mixed CD's to play straight through. Instead of catering make the food yourself. This can be a lot of work if you make something elaborate. But if you have a small group and get platters from a local deli that works great. You could also have a back yard BBQ it will probably still be warm enough in September.
You cold make the flower out of silk for the attendants that would save money for arrangements. Also if you learned to do them yourself and just bought the flowers that would save a ton of money. There are very easy to follow steps at http://www.michaels.com do a search there. You could even make the bridal bouquet or have that be the only one out of real flowers. If you are getting married in the church you don't need to decorate at all if you don't want. You can even make your own unity candle. Smaller wedding party and guest list also helps cut cost.
For one wedding we used tulle along the sides of the pews and hot glued silk rose petals on it. That was very pretty! That would work along an arch too.
Enlist Help of as many friends and family as you can. Ask a few people to take pictures at the wedding. You could hire a photographer to just take a few important Pictures. Or search on the internet for poses you like and have family member take those. You could also look into a local photography school to see if a student would like some experience.
http://www.theknot.com/
http://www.cheap-chic-weddings.com/…...
These site have good information!
EDIT
Forgot to add about the gazibos
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product_listing.gsp?cat=133024 there are a lot of cheap ones that you can find at local discount stores. Or even an garden arch that you could find for around $20 and decorated with flowers, vines, etc. http://www.countrycreations.info/archesindex.html
you could even make one out of trees or branches tied together.
Fish bowls with floating candles or just flower centerpieces. Having it outside you wouldn't need much to make it very nice. Just use your surroundings.
Congrats & Good Luck!
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Simply_Renee January 4th, 2009, 8:42 am
First of all, many of us paid for our own wedding…
If the venue isn't set yet, try somewhere that already has a gazebo. You can find good deals on floral garland to wind around it & look pretty. I have also seen white Christmas lights used. Ebay is a good place to look for flowers. Ribbons, greenery and bows are also pretty.
If you can't get a gazebo, try RENTING an arch, chairs, whatever you need. It's a lot cheaper. Our local rent-all place has arches, candleholders, etc for rent.
For the reception- try simple centerpieces. A friend used beta fish in pretty vases with a plant in the top dish and a ribbon tied around the vase as centerpieces- then she gave them to us bridesmaids as gifts. It was pretty cool.
Just do a lot yourself, and have your friends help if they are willing. Ask your parents to help you make things & decorate too.
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krystalinereality January 4th, 2009, 8:44 am
The easiest way to cut costs in a wedding is to revise the guest list. A smaller guest list equals a smaller bill. Also, you could have a cake and punch reception instead of a full meal reception. Ask around and see if anyone you know has any expertise in areas that may save you money at the wedding. Perhaps you have a cousin who's a great photographer, or your aunt is a fantastic at arranging flowers.
Keeping everything simple is also a good cost-cutter. Instead of 8 bridesmaids and groomsmen, perhaps you could just have a bestman and a bridesmaid… your friends who expected to be in the wedding party should understand that you really want them there, but can't afford a large wedding party. Go for in-season flowers (there's a lot of choices in the summer and spring). Weddings on an unusual day (Sunday or Friday) also cut costs because the competition for wedding services is a lot less on those days.
Congratulations, and I hope you have a beautiful wedding
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KAZ January 4th, 2009, 8:46 am
Another great place to get really really really cheap decorations is:
http://www.orientaltrading.com
318 itmes found for the wedding search there. Below is the page I searched for Wedding.
I also found a lot of cute cheap things and flowers on Ebay.
Congratulations!!!!
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http://www.orientaltrading.com/otcweb/application?namespace=search&origin=searchMain.jsp&event=button.search&Ntt=wedding&Ntk=all&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&N=0&x=0&y=0
beh_sab2002 January 4th, 2009, 8:48 am
Potted plants like petunias or other perrenials. Or use candles like tea candles in small holders. Check your local dollar store for holders. add a few fake flowers with hot glue and it will look dressy and elegant for your wedding. There are several ideas on crafting websites too that would be inexpensive but pretty
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fabbymummy January 4th, 2009, 8:50 am
dont worry too much about costs and decorations as long as the two important people are there you and your partner it will be a special day regardless and one you will always cherish - good luck and happiness for both of you - i done a budget wedding at gretna green and wouldnt have it any other way - shop on ebay for some cheap wedding stuff or to get ideas get your bridal party involved many hands make light work.
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BrownTown January 4th, 2009, 8:52 am
Remember this… as nice as the accessories may be… if the actual outside place you have the wedding is crappy, then it's all crappy. My cousin had an outside wedding. She didn't have much of anything, just folding chairs, one of those arch thingies, and a PA system….. but it was on a cliff overlooking the ocean and that's what made it so nice.
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republicansarecruel January 4th, 2009, 8:54 am
I agree with brown. Spend money on a couple nice things, a good officiant, and a quiet location. Cut costs other places; like your dress, the flowers, programs, invites, a band, number of guests etc. Spend the money on an open bar (or bottles of wine at the table), decent food, and maybe one or two beautiful floral arrangements.
I'd much rather have a glass of wine in my hand, decent food in my belly, and some fun music than have a $300 centerpiece of lilies flown in from France and be staring at $1500 wedding dress, and never see the bride except during the ceremony.
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jbhiester January 4th, 2009, 8:56 am
The good thing about an outdoor wedding is that you don't really need to do that much decorating. Find a park, garden, a friend's yard or some other beautiful place (there are many that you don't have to pay a lot for) and let the place be the centerpiece of the ceremony. I saw an outdoor wedding where they did a great job of incorporating existing flower beds into the layout of the ceremony site. It was amazing.
The previous comment about a gazebo is a good idea, a ready made trellis and altar area!
Consider making the wedding less formal- this way you can save on your dress and you can get by with a buffet or tapas instead of a full meal at the reception. You can also consider serving just dessert and drinks instead of an entire meal. Forgo the open bar and serve wine and beer instead. The easiest ways to save money are by limiting the guest list and food/beverages.
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kaleenalynne January 4th, 2009, 8:58 am
http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=channel3540150&catid=cat470&navLevel=3. I chose tissue paper luminaries I found On the martha stewart website, I am also having a very tight budget wedding held outdoors, I am decorating the ceiling of the pavilion with these luminaries at different heights and the colors of the wedding. I am lining the tables with different candles, and not worrying about flower centerpieces beyond the hand tied bouquets used for myself and my bridesmaids, It draws the eye and down at the reception, Well I think it will be nice well see in september. Oh and tissue paper is cheap @ Orientaltrading.com,
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Good luck
jlcon January 4th, 2009, 9:00 am
Oriental Trading has some really nice and cheap wedding supplies. Also there are tons of catalogs listed in wedding magazines and websites that have fairly reasonable stuff.
If you are looking to dress up an outdoor spot, first look to a rental company. (You can find rental places in the yellow pages). They usually have the chairs and tables you'll need, and often the linens, plates, glasses, etc. Also, you can probably find a chuppah or gazebo there–they may even have rental plants. Plants are really a relatively inexpensive way to dress the area up–a few flowering plants in nice pots with some ribbon surrounding the party area will give it the feel of a venue and not just a grassy area.
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beckbeck January 4th, 2009, 9:02 am
Just a word of advice for outdoor weddings. You are going to need chairs, if you don't have to rent a bunch you might be OK, but renting chairs is EXPENSIVE!!!! The cheapest I could find was $8/chair. That adds us FAST!
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