How do you plan a wedding on a tight budget.?
April 7, 2009 by myunique
Filed under Featured, Plan A Cheap Wedding
I'm getting married in August and I'm on a very very tight budget. Does anyone have any cheap ideas to make it elegant?
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I am a wedding planner and just got done planning my own wedding (got married in March) and I only spent 600 dollars TOTAL on the entire wedding (minus my dress). We had a BEAUTIFUL wedding, with 75 guests and 14 bridal party members, so I really got the most for my buck. Join my newsletter The Complete Wedding E-Guide, it is packed with money saving tips, ideas, and tasks, it is your virtual wedding planner….send an email here: cwegsubscribe@yahoo.com
Ok on to money saving tips
Whatever you do, don't invite some to the wedding but not the reception. That is very tacky and under no way acceptable, you can do the opposite though, but the reception is the real budget eater. Get that friend who takes great candids to do your wedding pics, just use a digital camera (you can instantly see any mistakes). Then download a free photo editing program and edit your pics. Any great photographer will tell you that a great picture is all about editing. Don't serve food, you can technically get away with only serving cake and punch, just don't let your reception run past 7 pm. That is the main dinner hour and guests will expect a full meal. Don't serve alcohol, big budget consumer, and if a guest leaves your wedding and has any accident you are legally liable for any and all damages (in most states). Use silk flowers for everything and tie up your own bouquets and boutonnieres, both are very easy to do, you only need ribbon, hot glue, rubberbands and for the buotonnieres-safety pins and hot glue. If you are getting married in a church, most have decorations already there you can use. Don't buy an aisle runner (unless you are getting married outside) it is a waste of money. Silk flowers can be purchased at Wal-Mart for 1.00-4.00 for 6-12 flowers or at the Dollar Tree for 1.00 per dozen. Dollar Tree has flower petals also, you can get 300 for 1.00. Use a CD instead of DJ or band. Get your cake of your dreams, just a drastically smaller size than needed, then have a sheet cake of the same flavor tucked away out of view and already cut to serve your guests. Print your own invitations, Wal-Mart and Wiltonprint.com have these kits and cost 20.00 dollars for 50 and look just as beautiful. Make your own favors, use tulle material (5.00 dollars for about 75 yards) and wrapped candy. Just cut the tulle into 6 inch squares, put about 5 pieces of candy in the center, grab all the fabric on the sides, bring to the middle in a bunch, twist and tie with ribbon. You can make 75 favors for 15 dollars. Whittle the guest list down to very close family and friends, come on your Great Aunt Sally kin by only marriage and twice removed and her 5 kids really aren't going to miss you. Use this to eliminate guests: Haven't talked to them more than 5 times in the past 6 months? Don't invite them. Skip out co-workers too, unless they are very close friends. Leave kids under 16 or 18 off the guest list, not only does it save money, saves your wedding from the tantrums of the bratty kids. If you do leave out kids, it is ok to include immediate child relatives- your own kids, siblings, nieces/nephews