Here comes the bride! And here come the price tags! A wedding should be a stress-free time enjoyed with family and friends. Music, dancing and celebrating the dearly beloved should be the focus of the day, not heavy costs. Here are five ways you can save money on your big day, or that of someone close to you.
1.) A Dress for Less
You don’t have to spend thousands for the perfect dress on your wedding day. In fact, it may be quite unnecessary. Many designers and bridal boutiques will offer “sample sales”, selling a large variety of high-end wedding dresses, usually with discounts of around 50%. Contact local bridal shops and wedding dress designers to find out when these limited sales occur.
Another option is a dress that’s within the family. A bride-to-be’s mother may have the dress she wore on her wedding day, and most likely used once. A trip to a seamstress will bring it to life in the 21st century, eliminating the shoulder pads and excess lace that somehow made sense in the 80’s. It may be worth asking the seamstress if they are interested in getting before-and-after pictures to use in advertising, in exchange for a discount price. Not only is using a family member’s dress inexpensive and practical; it may add some sentiment to it.
2.) Save on the Setting
Oh, the importance of ambiance… the overall “feng shui”. The location of the wedding is hugely important to the overall vibe. That doesn’t mean, however, that you need to spend a fortune on the typical country club or reception hall. Why not hold the reception at your beach house, favorite restaurant, a beautiful park or even your parents’ backyard? Save money and make the day more memorable with a unique venue.
3.) Get Crafty
What artistic skills do you have? Are you a scrapbook queen? An amateur artist? Are you skilled with computer design? Put them to use and make your own invitations and wedding programs. It will take more time than money but you’ll be happy with the creative outcome. Some nice paper and ribbon, paired with plenty of snipping and gluing will give you invitations and programs for a fraction of cost. Feel free to invite your friends to help; they most likely will be happy to.
4.) It’s All ‘Who You Know’
You have connections. Everybody does. Don’t let them go to waste! If you have a friend who is a florist, he or she may be able to help with the table arrangements. Do you know a talented photographer? Let them add your wedding to their portfolio! Don’t be afraid to ask a skilled friend for help. They will probably be honored to help with such an important event. Better yet, it can act as their wedding gift. As an incentive, give them the opportunity to advertise somewhere at the wedding, possibly with a note on the program. If a friend helped you with flowers, give her business credit by including “Flowers generously donated by Shannon McDonald of Pretty Little Petals” on the bottom of the program.
5.) Take Charge of the Tunes
The need to hire a bad wedding singer who will undoubtedly butcher Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” is gone.Why not let the bride and groom choose their own playlist? Then, instead of hiring a DJ, ask someone you know to lend a hand. Everyone seems to have a friend who is great behind a microphone. This person usually loves the spotlight, and has a knack for public speaking. All he or she will need to do is introduce a few people, get the crowd’s attention at certain times, and click ‘play’. Whoever you choose will most likely have a great time, and it will be much more personal than having somebody running the show who knows nothing about the bride or the groom.
Make your day more special by using extra creativity instead of extra money. If you have any tips, hints or stories about how to save money on a wedding, share them here!
