I understand that everyone has a budget, and there are plenty of ways to keep costs down:
Here are some examples of things not to do when looking to save money:
- Trim your guest list by eliminating kids, and plus ones.
- Use candles instead of flowers as some, or all of your centerpieces.
- Check with your venue and see if they have vases, votives you can use before you buy/rent them.
- Skip chair covers and sashes if it's an extra cost at your venue.
- Have a buffet, or family style instead of a sit down dinner.
- Have a small cake for the two of you to cut, and have sheet cakes (hidden in the back of course!) or cupcakes/cake pops for your guests.
- Forget the limo and/or Photo Booth unless it fits into your budget. They're both fun, but not necessary.
- Try to borrow a veil, sash/belt, and/or jewelry from a family member or friend as your "something borrowed/old". It will save you so much money!
Here are some examples of things not to do when looking to save money:
- Not feeding your vendors. I once saw an article about ways to save money on your wedding, and one was not serving your vendors, or giving them a cheaper meal. This is something that is not okay. Your vendors will work VERY hard on your wedding day, and they deserve more than a turkey sandwich and a bag of chips.
- A cash bar. It's NEVER okay to have a cash bar. When someone gets invited to your wedding, they won't expect to have to pay for their own alcohol. Limit it to just beer and wine and one or two signature drinks if you have to cut bar costs, but don't make people pay.
- Only having one entree. Some people think that a good way to cut costs is to limit people's choices to only 1 entree instead of the standard 2 or 3. You will probably save $2-3 per person that way, but not everyone likes/wants chicken. It's best to have chicken or fish, a red meat, and a vegetarian option.
- Not having a DJ. Some couples feel like hiring a DJ is an unnecessary cost when you could use your friends speakers and an iPod. This is fine if you're just looking for some background music throughout the night, but not if you want people to dance and have a fun time. A DJ is what really gets the party started. There are ways to find a cheaper- but still a good- DJ.
- Skipping Hors d'oeuvres. My number one rule is: your guests should NEVER be hungry! When your guests arrive at the venue for cocktail hour, there needs to be food! I'm not saying you need to spend $5-$10 extra per person for a ton of food that will fill up your guests before dinner. You should however have some kind of cheese, fruit, veggies, etc. to hold them over.
Happy Planning!!
XO, Val.
No comments:
Post a Comment