Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding!

I understand that everyone has a budget, and there are plenty of ways to keep costs down:  

• 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.  

just married. by vebullock featuring silk scarves

Kate Spade silk scarve
katespade.com

Unexpected Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding Day!

Today I want to talk about a couple things that could save you money on your wedding day!

Over the summer, and into the Fall, three of the couples I am working with have opted to not have a bridal party.  A bridal party is something that people just assume needs to be part of your big day.  The biggest cost to the bride and groom when it comes to a bridal party is the flowers.  If you have five bridesmaids and five groomsman in your bridal party, plus parents, grandparents, and the two of you, you could be close to $700 in just bouquets and boutonnieres.  There are many expenses the bridal party takes care of, but flowers isn't one of them.

Something else is bridal party gifts. No one says you have to give them gifts, but it is expected.  Spending at least $50 on each person is pretty standard.  With ten members of your bridal party, that's around $500 that you probably didn't budget for.

Also, if you don't have a bridal party, a rehearsal dinner isn't necessary.  It's again, a large cost, and if the two of you are paying for it yourself, it could break the bank.  If someone else has offered to pay for the rehearsal (it's traditional for the grooms parents to pay), you can still have it with family, close friends and out of town guests.  You could also explain to the person that offered to pay that since you're not having a bridal party, a rehearsal dinner isn't necessary, and maybe that money can be put to better use somewhere else in the budget.

It's becoming more and more popular to have a close friend of family member marry the couple  instead of hiring an efficient or minister for their wedding day.  I have three couples this year that have opted for this option! If you're getting married outside, or at a venue other than a church, you're going to have to hire an officiant or a minister to marry you.  It's again a cost most couples don't think about. Good officiants charge between $250-$400, and some even charge for traveling and the rehearsal!  If you have someone you know marry you, it will be much more personal. You should offer to pay the fee for them to get ordained, but that's only around $50.  Get them a nice gift to thank them, but even then you're saving so much money.


Hope this helped!!
xo, Val

outside wedding. by vebullock featuring bridal gowns

Nicole Miller bridal gown
nicolemiller.com

Home decor
paperstyle.com