Both a couple and their loved ones will always remember a great wedding. Many people think the more you spend, the classier the wedding is. That is not true. You can have a beautiful wedding without breaking the bank. In this article, you will find lots of money-saving tricks and creative ideas to plan an unforgettable wedding.
If you’re taking care of the food yourself, shop at a wholesale store, like Costco. If you shop wholesale, you will be able to purchase your wedding food affordably. Think about asking friends to contribute to the food bill.
Keep transportation in mind when planning your wedding. Make sure your guests will have ways to be transported back to wherever they’re staying. This is good for those drinking alcohol.
It is a good idea to hear the speeches of those who will be speaking at your wedding so you know that their comments will be appropriate. Remember that your guests will include people across a wide range of ages, and a joke that younger generations find amusing might be offensive to older guests.
If the idea of a thousand-dollar, thousand-calorie wedding cake leaves you with cold feet, contact local boutiques and specialty bakeries and ask about smaller, individual-sized portions. For example, cupcakes can be made to be gluten-free, topped with fruit, or include artificial sweeteners.
Personalize the wedding so that it reflects your personalities, and that of your relationship. Choose a theme that matches your time together!
Make sure your venue has enough space for dancing. People love to dance at weddings and no one wants to be crammed in a small space. If needed, move tables and chairs to free up some room for dancing.
Wedding pictures are very important, you can look back at them whenever you want. It pays to spend the extra cash to hire a wedding photographer in order to reduce the chance of some amateur screwing up your wedding photos.
For any stylish and fashion forward bride, there is always the option to add some flare to a bouquet with a splash of diamonds, rhinestones or Swarovski crystals. Doing this isn’t difficult. It works with adhesive crystals, costume jewelry, and expensive antique jewelry. Make sure that it will match everything else in your wedding outfit by remaining consistent with the colors you choose, the cut, and also the size of your stones.
There’s nothing more important in a wedding than the person who you are marrying. Don’t rush into this decision. Consider the things you need in a relationship, the thing you’d prefer to do without, and how all this applies to your potential partner.
You can save a lot of money by purchasing cupcakes or mini tarts rather than a large tiered wedding cake. They taste great, are easy to eat and are affordable. Guests can even take a cupcake home.
Take the time to think about what you want to say in your vows since these words mean so much and will heard by all of your guests. The vows should reflect the fact that marriage is not easy and will require sacrifice on the part of both partners. Express how much you love the person you are going to marry in your vows.
If your family joins you for a destination wedding, have them join your on your honeymoon as well. Many hotels will reduce their prices for extended stay vacations as opposed to just staying for the wedding itself. Then you can have a memorable wedding and your guests will enjoy a mini vacation.
Women with skin that is sensitive should adopt a healthy skincare routine a couple months before their wedding day. Get a bridal facial that incorporates oatmeal, rosewater, sea salt and a good scrub.
Do not make all your guests wait around while you’re taking your pictures. Have pictures of the couple and groomsmen in advance. Even pictures with parents can be shot in advance, reducing the time that guests must wait for you to arrive at your reception.
Don’t go overboard on decorating tables with flowers. If you have too many flowers, they can actually become a hindrance to your guests. Some people attending your wedding may have pollen allergies, as well. As an alternative to flowers, place non-scented candles on the tables. This will also help to create a romantic ambiance.
If you are having a destination wedding, why not treat your guests with an indulgent gift basket delivered right to their hotel rooms? Useful items you will want to include would be tourist maps, sunglasses, hats, disposable cameras and brochures of fun places they could visit while in the area. You could also toss in a few suggestions for local eateries and cafes.
Be sure the disc jockey you employ for your reception knows which songs you want and which sorts of songs you do not want. Maybe it’s country music, or heavy metal, or even your “special song” from an old lover. Make sure to tell your husband-to-be what type of music won’t be played.
Always guarantee full control of a lighting system at the venue, particularly the ability to dim or brighten the output. Although this may seem trivial, you want the option of having a low-light setting during your first dance and a more brighter setting for the rest of the celebration. Be sure to find out about these details before you decide for sure.
When you are planning your reception set the time for the afternoon hours. People consume less alcohol during daylight hours, and this can lower your bar tab. It will also be cheaper if you have a lunch time reception and you can have better food or use the money saved to invest in your honeymoon!
Ask to borrow something from a friend to wear on the day you get married. By doing this, you can get the look that you want and add a special touch to your wedding.
You’ll want to be able to dim the lighting at the wedding reception. This may seem like it’s trivial, having the option to lower your lighting during the first dance will be nice, and then you can brighten it for the remainder of your event. Check with the venue about these specific options before booking anything for certain.
Floral Arrangements
Perhaps you would consider a cruise ship wedding, with only a few close friends and family. This will allow you to enjoy your honeymoon as soon as the festivities are over. Some cruise ships offer special wedding and honeymoon packages.
Consider silk flowers for your wedding instead of spending a lot of money on luxurious floral arrangements. You don’t have to buy these fresh as you can pick them months in advance, saving you the hassle of worrying about your floral arrangements on the big day.
If you want to discover local talent to assist with your wedding, try Craigslist. Take along your groom to the first meeting, and ensure there is at least one face-to-face meeting prior to any money being handed over.
Different countries have plants that are not always native to where you live and may not be easily accessible, or be able to tolerate an extremely humid, or dry environment. Contact professionals near the destination site to find out which blooms are readily available.
Try to incorporate interests from both the groom and the bride when decorating. For example, if both enjoy traveling, then include little decorative touches that are reminiscent of their travels. For example, you could make your wedding invites or your save-the-date cards look as though they were vintage postcards or travel passes. An interesting travel bag decorated with colored bows and ribbons can be set up as a decoration alongside the guestbook or pictures of the bride and groom.
Make your caterer aware that the reception will be outdoors. Some foods may spoil quickly on hot days, and other dishes may not fare well in strong wind. One way to address the wind issue is to use decorative covers for the dishes. If you have to, use a small fridge for keeping drinks cold.
Dress any children attending your ceremony in comfortable attire. Try using soft fabrics that are loose enough to not be uncomfortable. Break in new shoes first, and make sure they are comfortable. You want children to be as comfortable as possible on that day so that they aren’t being distractions by fussing with their clothing.
Give your wedding guests something to do on your wedding day. Do not just have your friends and family stand around waiting for your nuptials to end. Examples of activities could include a volleyball game, or a contest of who can get to know the most people prior to the wedding. Your wedding day will be much more memorable when everyone interacts by having fun with each other.
You need to have a well-organized plan for every step of the wedding process, from food to reception events. You want to make it exciting and engaging to those who are part of the special day.
When you have bridesmaids, make sure you’re aware of what you want them to wear before you speak with them about taking part in your wedding. A simple disagreement over the bridesmaid’s gown can severely strain a friendship. Pick something affordable that goes with your wedding theme and that all the bridesmaids like. In this way, you can have an enjoyable wedding with no disagreements about the dresses.
Do your research before meeting with your wedding planner. Consider creating a scrap book of appealing fabric swatches and images that represent the style of wedding that you desire. Putting as many items on the board as possible to convey your desires will help your wedding planner understand what it is that you exactly want.
Compose your very own wedding vows. Though it might be simpler to copy another source, keep in mind that you know your fiance better than anyone else. You will become closer to your partner and make the day more romantic by writing the vows yourself. You can look to other people’s personal vows for inspiration and use them to help create your own original ones.
When planning the floral decorations of your wedding, consider where the venue is. Floral arrangements with lots of components won’t work well if it’s windy out. If however, you are having your wedding indoors, you can go as elaborate as you want.
When selecting a wedding videographer, interview as many candidates as possible and look at samples of their work. Inspect the sound quality while you’re at it. The days of VHS tapes and grainy film are long gone, and you can now choose from digital or DVD formats. Also, don’t forget about first impressions; they can help you choose the best person for a job.
Plan ahead. A year might seem like quite a long time, but there are many things that must be done. Begin planning as far in advance as you can in order to have many choices.
When looking for music for your wedding, be sure to research the DJ or band that you are considering using. Try to get good references from people familiar with their work. Once a decision has been made, you need to ensure the person signs a written contract for confirmation. That way, you will not have any bumps in the road when it comes to the all-important music.
Try serving small meals at the reception. This will help you to cut the costs. Choosing a small meal to feed your guests can end up saving you a lot of money. Another option is to cut the guest list.
Even though planning weddings requires a great deal of time and energy, it doesn’t necessarily require massive debt. Use the advice you’ve just been given to create a wonderful wedding day full of joy and happiness.
When planning a wedding, be sure to consider the weather. If the conditions of the weather are unfavorable then your guests might not want to celebrate during this time, like if the weather is raining or extremely hot, it could deter guests from coming to your wedding. Also, if the weather is cold at your party, they may want to leave. Do make sure that your guests are provided for during weather extremes at a wedding, such as having fans available if the heat is high.