Ways to Save on Weddings

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A bride wants nothing more than to have her day be “the” day of her life.  Weddings can be expensive though.  That said, even a bride on a budget can have the dream wedding she’s dreamed of her entire life…it’s just a matter of planning and being creative.  There are so many ways to save on weddings from the beginning to the end.  From using finds at the dollar store, ebay.com, consignment shops and craigslist.org. Personalize the event by using inexpensive personalized wedding labels etc.  Here are some ideas for you:

Invitations

Invitations can be very costly.  One way to get around the cost, is to shop online to find the best price and if possible, using a coupon or promo code along with a cash back site.  If either the bride or groom (or whomever is paying for the wedding) has a credit card that offers rewards – it would be beneficial to use that credit card to take advantage of the rewards offered…that is, only if you can pay that card off when the bill comes in.  If not, you’re creating another expense – interest charges.

An alternative to ordering invitations would be to be to design and print them yourself.  One can find free designs on websites throughout the the internet.  Card stock can be had for very little money when one shops at stores like Joann Fabrics and Michaels using the 40% off coupons.  It’s easy enough to find envelopes that you can print out a design on and/or use personalized wedding labels to dress up the invitations and envelopes.  You could also use wedding labels on the invites – depending on the style and wording you’ve chosen.

Wedding Gowns and Tuxes

If the bride’s heart isn’t set on a brand new gown, one can be had for a decent price at Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or consignment shops.  Ebay.com may even have one that could be altered to fit or redesigned a tad bit to get the look the bride is achieving.

An alternative would be to find a sewing pattern and have someone make the gown.  One can sign up at Joann.com to get their coupons in the mail, and/or install their mobile app.  It’s important to remember – the more detailed the gown is, the more costly it will be in addition to it taking more time to make.

There are also online websites that have wedding party attire that is relatively cheap compared to other places.  They have gowns for the bride to gowns for everyone in the wedding party. They have shoes and wedding party gifts.  JJshouse.com and dressfirst.com are a couple that come to mind.

Most generally, the guys will rent tuxes so that they all co-ordinate.  With that being said, should you only need one or two – check out Goodwill, the Salvation Army and/or consignment shops.  Oh – don’t forget ebay.com and craigslist.org – they may have something that can be altered as well.

The Church and Reception Hall

There’s a fee for the church and a fee for the individual performing the ceremony.  Then there’s a fee for the reception hall.  To cut costs – it’s possible to have the ceremony and reception all in one place.  Town Halls and other organizations often times rent out their spaces for a lot less money than it would be to have the wedding at a country club.  In addition, country clubs don’t usually allow you to bring your own food, which is something to think about if you’d rather do the food yourself.

Or maybe – you have a relative with a gorgeous backyard or a local park that will allow you to have your wedding day there.

Decorating the Reception Hall

Rather than hiring someone to do this for you – do it yourself.  Balloons, ribbons, flowers, tableware etc., can be found at dollar stores for cheap.  Ebay.com may have something that would suit your needs.

Flowers

Make your own bouquets, boutineers, flowers for the tables, church, etc. by purchasing wholesale flowers online and utilizing cost effective materials.  Utilize YouTube to learn how to put the arrangements you want together.  The post Make Your Own Wedding Bouquets Using Wholesale Flowers has lots of ideas and suggestions on how to cut flower expenses.

Wedding Party Gifts

There are so many different things the bride and groom can get for their attendants.  Gifts don’t have to be expensive – maybe a goody bag of several different items would be all that is needed.  Placing the item(s) in a gift bag designed by you and adding a personalized wedding labels to the bags or even to the products that you’ve chosen rather than engraving and of course – depending on the product.

Thank You Cards

A gift, whether it be in a showing of attendance or receiving gift, should never go unnoticed.  Again, you can make your own thank you cards and dress them up using personalized wedding labels.  I think the coolest wedding label to attach to the thank you, would be one personalized with a picture of the bride and groom.

The Toast

Instead of serving champagne for the wedding toast – how about using a sparkling cider, sparkling juice or a non-alcoholic wine?

Mealtime

Mealtime is another great expense.  However, if you were to shop at a club store and could get a group of family members together to help you out in making the dishes – you could do a buffet for a lot less money than having the event catered.

Wedding Cake

Maybe a friend or a friend of the family could make you one for a lot less money than it would be to have it made at a bakery.  It’s even possible to get a wedding cake cheaper at your local grocery store bakery.

Photographer

Instead of hiring a professional photographer, look for a freelance photographer or someone who does this type of work on the side, that doesn’t rely on the income for a living.

A way to get pictures that may not be gotten otherwise, is to leave a camera or two on each table with a card asking the guests to take pictures and leave the camera for you to develop the pictures.

Music

One can hire a band, but a DJ would be less costly.  It may be where the couple could even hire a student from a music school or high school.

A wedding doesn’t need to cost a fortune – it just needs to be memorable.

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