10 Wedding Saving Tips

A budget is definitely an essential for planning your wedding. In fact, it should be the very first thing you do. You can have a beautiful wedding without extending your budget if you do some research and are a smart planner!  A wedding budget worksheet  can be a great help.

10 Areas Where You Can Save

Guest List:  Each time a name is added to your guest list, you are increasing your expense.  Each guest will add to your cost in the following areas:  catering, food, beverages, rentals, table centerpieces, invitations, postage, etc.  Don't invite anyone you haven't spoken to in five years. Avoid feeling pressured to invite all your work colleagues.  You can also decide whether to include categories such as relatives further than first cousins.  This will help to prevent hurt feelings.

Invitations:  It is not necessary to use engraved invitations.  There are many choices today that you can find to fit in your budget. Regular printed invitations work just as well. For a casual wedding, you can consider printing invitations from your own computer. Stationery stores now offer paper meant to be used at home for wedding invitations. Also, along these same lines, Save the Dates, although very popular these days can definitely be seen as an added cost. They can be a nice touch if you are planning a 3 day wedding event or a destination wedding but are not a necessity. There are a variety of wedding invitations on the internet as well. Find out more about the different types of wedding invitations in our previous blog..."Wedding Invitations".

Wedding Paper DIVAS

Ceremony Decor:  For church weddings, you may want to consider having your wedding close to a holiday.  The church will already be decorated saving money on flowers and other decorations.  Other ways to save money is to look for simplicity. A candlelit ceremony can be romantic, gorgeous and inexpensive.  Or use ferns and greenery instead of floral decorations.  If there is a nursery you use in your area, they may be willing to rent ferns/plants at a discounted price which could save on costs compared to purchasing plants. Other ideas for saving money is to consider having the ceremony in a beautiful park, college campus or other lovely outdoor site. You will need to check on regulations for holding your ceremony but this could save money on flowers and other decorations. My nephew and his wife chose the campus of the college that they both attended for their ceremony. It was a beautiful backdrop for their wedding and held very special memories for them as well as their families.

Catering:  Be honest with your caterer on your wedding budget.  Ask them to provide different menu options for your reception for you to chose from that fit within your budget.  The time of day of your wedding will also affect your catering costs. If your reception is held at a regular meal hour, you will be expected to provide a heavier menu.  If not, it is acceptable to go with a lighter menu. In such case, a lighter menu is less expensive than a full meal.  If you are planning on serving alcohol, ask the venue and/or caterer if you are allowed to purchase your own.  You can serve beer and wine rather than a full bar. 

Wedding Cakes:  Wedding cakes are anywhere from $2-$10 per slice.  So one way to save money, if you are having more than 100 guests, have a display cake that serves 75-100 people.  Then buy several different flavored cakes from your local bakery or from an individual to display.  Or you can have a sheet cake in the back, to serve the extra guests.  With either option, your guests will enjoy a sweet treat and there is still a wedding cake on display.  There are also non-traditional ideas you can use instead of the traditional wedding cake that could be money savers.  Also, if you are inviting less than 100 guests it is not necessary to order a large cake because it will look more impressive. If height is a priority, use separate sets so flowers or decorations can be added between layers.  At one wedding we coordinated, the bride's aunt made the wedding cake as her gift to the couple.  This was a great gift and a huge money saver.

It's Your Party!

Help from Others:  Think of a musician you know or a crafty friend who could help you with the decorations.  They are usually honored to be a part of your special day.Look for money saving tips everywhere.  Check out websites such as www.frugalbride.com, www.weddingsavingsnut.com and www.weddingbee.com.  Ask friends and family suggestions for how they saved money on their big day.

It's Your Party!

Flowers:  Since flowers will be needed for such things as bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, decor be sure to choose flowers in season to save money. If there is a certain color you have in mind, discuss the options with your florist.  Then choose the one that fits within your budget. You can also consider using wholesale flowers.  If you do, be careful they may not be as fresh as the ones from the florist. You also need to be able to put the flowers together or know a friend or family member who is adept at this task and is willing to help.

facebook.com/itsyourpartysc

Favors:  Wedding favors can be a nice gesture to thank your guests but chose wisely.  They can be a nice touch but not a necessity or a requirement for your big day.  If you do decide to give favors, a nice idea is to make a donation to a charity, a food favor, a small keepsake from your hometown or from the place the wedding is being held. We have also coordinated weddings where the photographer offered with their package wallet size photos of the bride to use as a favor. Whatever favor you decide to give, watch your spending and make sure it is something that has special meaning for you.

Mementos:  The wedding industry loves to sell you items that they say will be necessary keepsakes.  Having some mementos on your wedding day is nice but your don't need many.  It can really hurt your budget if you go overboard.  

Pinterest

Spending less on your wedding and staying within your budget doesn't mean you will no have the wedding of your dreams. Chose the elements that are the most important to you as a couple to have for your wedding.  Decide to spend on those areas and find ways to cost in other areas.  Remember deciding on a budget before planning your wedding will help you save money in the long run.  

If you have any comments or additional money saving tips, please share to help others with their big day!

Wedding Invitations...

There are many decisions that go into planning a wedding to make it YOUR day special! One of the decisions you will have to make is the type and style of wedding invitations to use.

One of the tougher jobs of planning your wedding is tackling your guest list. There are several things you need to consider before starting your guest list.  Your budget, your venue and the size of your wedding will all come into play.  The person paying for your wedding should also be a big part of this part of the wedding planning process.

A good way to begin the process is assigning 50% of the number of guests to the bride and groom and 25% to each set of parents.  Some of the names will probably overlap on each groups' list.  If it turns out that one person doesn't need the total number allotted to them, you can redistribute the number to whoever has requested more.

Steps to help create a wedding guest list!

1. Determine the size of your wedding.
2. Each of you draw up a list of must have guests.
3. Know your budget.  At this point, the number of guests you invite will have a great affect on the cost of other aspects of your wedding; catering, reception, venue, etc.
4. Secure the location of both the wedding and reception sites.  This will determine the number of guests who will be able to fit in both locations.  Knowing the location will also give you an idea of the style of invitation you would like to use.

Once you have written out a draft of your list, place each guest into a relationship category.  The first tier consists of essential family members (grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, first cousins); the second tier is close friends and extended family (great aunts and uncles, second cousins); the third tier is colleagues and other friends.  When you know how many guests you can afford, start cutting the list from your bottom tier up if necessary.  You will save hurt feelings if you eliminate entire groups of your list (such as co-workers or social club), rather than inviting just a few.  That being said, if there is someone particularly important to you, of course you should invite them.~www.realsimple.com 

After deciding on the guest list, your next decision is what type and style of invitations to use.  Nothing sets the tone of your wedding like your wedding invitations.  There are 3 main types of wedding invitations:  formal, semi-formal and informal. So when deciding on your invitations chose that one that best fits your style  of wedding.

There are 4 main print styles of invitations.

Engraved

A printing press raises the letters from beneath to 

best express distinctions of texture and contrast.

source

Thermography

Words leap off the page with an infusion of ink and powder.

source

Foil Stamping

Shimmering metallic foils create a lavish and striking effect.

source

Letterpress

Deeply pressed indentations give an artisanal look and feel.

source

Certain Etiquette Guidelines

Wording

Wedding invitations are usually written in third person. The first line identifies the hosts. The hosts' names is then followed by a line that extends the invitation; "requests the honour of your presence".  If the ceremony will not be held at a place of worship, a less formal; "requests the pleasure of your company". Next the names of the bride and groom are named in full and then the date, year, time and location.

Punctuation

Punctuation is commonly avoided except after "Mr., Mrs. Dr.". Names, titles and first letters of a sentence, as opposed to lines, are capitalized. All words, dates, times are spelled out. For example, "3:00 pm" should be written out as "three o'clock in the afternoon" and "July 27, 2013" as "The twenty-seventh of July two thousand and thirteen". Avoid contractions and do not abbreviate.

RSVP

The invitation can also include a RSVP card with a deadline of 2-3 weeks before the wedding. The RSVP is usually on a separate card included with the wedding invitation. Etiquette for the RSVP card should also include the same formality as the wedding invitation. The cards can use the simple wording of I/We are able to attend or I/We are unable to attend.

Addressing and Mailing

For formal invitations, the return address should be written on the envelop flap. It should be wedding hosts' address and not any names.  The invitation should be address specifically to the individual or individuals invited and use titles as necessary. An invitation addressed to Mr. Jones indicates that Mr. Jones should attend the wedding alone without bringing an additional guest. Mr. Jones and Guest indicates that Mr. Jones and one additional guest may attend the wedding. Mail invitations 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding.

Children

Children under the age of 18 do not need to be named on the outer envelope, but if their names are not included on the inner envelope, indicates that they are not invited. If children under 18 are invited with their parents, include their names on the inner envelope. Children who are 18 or older should receive their own individual invitation even if they reside with their parents.

Follow-Up

Once the invitations go out, all you have to do is wait for the RSVPs to come. Unfortunately, manners and rules of etiquette are often left by the wayside as guests do not always reply.  If guests do not reply, the Emily Post Institute declares a bride, groom, parent, friend or wedding coordinator can call guests a week after deadline has passed to personally ask for their reply.

Save The Dates

Three day wedding events and destination weddings are on the rise and so are the custom of sending Save The Date cards. They are intended to give guests an extended notice of the wedding date to allow proper planning. When the wedding is a far away location or a busy travel time, the advice notice is a much appreciated gesture. These cards need to be mailed at least 6-8 months prior to the wedding.

I hope this has helped to answer any questions you might have had concerning your wedding invitations.  Please share any advice you can give other couples on their wedding planning journey.

Teal, Turquoise or Tiffany Blue?

Is it teal...is it turquoise...or is it Tiffany blue?  There are so many shades and at times it is hard to distinguish between them.  I started this post calling it a "Teal Wedding Inspiration". But the more pictures I posted the more confused I became.  Whatever you decide the following images are, they are all beautiful colors and would make a lovely color choice for a wedding.

source

source

source

source

source

source

source

source

source

source

source

source

source

source

source

source

source

Please share your color choices for your wedding!