This brief tutorial will help you to incorporate expensive flowers into an low budget wedding for your centerpieces. This wedding centerpiece is very affordable, coming in around $20.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Myths About Saving on Weddings
It can be very tricky learning how to make certain alternative routes work to save you money on your wedding. In actuality, some of them can and do, but many of the themes and ideas can really end up costing as much, if not more than the traditional route. Make sure you do a full cost comparison before you are lead to believe that something is the least expensive option. Here are some to keep an eye out for...
The hors d'oeuvres wedding
When it works: limited variety of options, very little seafood and meat, lots of dips and things that can be scooped as opposed to little finger foods that are individually prepared, served in buffet dishes- not passed
When it doesn't work: too many options (more work for the chefs), individually prepared apps with meat and seafood (i.e. bacon wrapped scallops, roast beef on a crostini with a dollop of horseradish mayo, crab balls, etc), lots of passed apps (more waiters, more work)
The "At Home" wedding
When it works: very small guest list (smaller tent, less rentals), perfect weather (maybe you don't even need a tent!), lots of helping hands (so you don't have to pay for prep and clean up)
When it doesn't work: lots of guests= lots of money for rentals (a large tent costs more than $2K! Probably what you would have spent on a banquet hall). Also, don't forget you'll need to rent silverware, linens, tables, chairs, dance floor, porta johns, etc. If the weather is bad, you might end up paying for side covers for the tent (another several hundred dollars), as well as an archway/tunnel tent leading to the bathrooms so guests don't get soaked. If you haven't considered how you're going to get all the tables, settings, etc set up and broken down, that costs a lot of money for hiring a crew.
Alternatives to the Wedding Cake
Ahh, the cupcake tower. This is a HUGE misconception in the wedding world. Cupcakes need a lot of individual TLC. They are frosted individually and decorated individually, then stacked on an intricate tower often times with a fake display cake on the top. Intricacies= Money. Don't be deceived into thinking that cupcakes are a cheap alternative.
Photo credit: http://thefuntimesguide.com/images/blogs/spring-wedding-cupcake-tower-cake-by-American-Candy-Stand-Cupcakes.jpg
When it works: family and friends make a variety of pies the day before the wedding; having a small display cake and a large sheet cake behind the scenes to feed everyone; having a candy station using a variety of chocolates/candy bought in bulk and displayed in fun jars/ vases
There are definitely a lot of great and creative ways to save money, just make sure you think of all the caveats and work involved before you take that plunge!
The hors d'oeuvres wedding
When it works: limited variety of options, very little seafood and meat, lots of dips and things that can be scooped as opposed to little finger foods that are individually prepared, served in buffet dishes- not passed
When it doesn't work: too many options (more work for the chefs), individually prepared apps with meat and seafood (i.e. bacon wrapped scallops, roast beef on a crostini with a dollop of horseradish mayo, crab balls, etc), lots of passed apps (more waiters, more work)
The "At Home" wedding
When it works: very small guest list (smaller tent, less rentals), perfect weather (maybe you don't even need a tent!), lots of helping hands (so you don't have to pay for prep and clean up)
When it doesn't work: lots of guests= lots of money for rentals (a large tent costs more than $2K! Probably what you would have spent on a banquet hall). Also, don't forget you'll need to rent silverware, linens, tables, chairs, dance floor, porta johns, etc. If the weather is bad, you might end up paying for side covers for the tent (another several hundred dollars), as well as an archway/tunnel tent leading to the bathrooms so guests don't get soaked. If you haven't considered how you're going to get all the tables, settings, etc set up and broken down, that costs a lot of money for hiring a crew.
Alternatives to the Wedding Cake
Ahh, the cupcake tower. This is a HUGE misconception in the wedding world. Cupcakes need a lot of individual TLC. They are frosted individually and decorated individually, then stacked on an intricate tower often times with a fake display cake on the top. Intricacies= Money. Don't be deceived into thinking that cupcakes are a cheap alternative.
When it works: family and friends make a variety of pies the day before the wedding; having a small display cake and a large sheet cake behind the scenes to feed everyone; having a candy station using a variety of chocolates/candy bought in bulk and displayed in fun jars/ vases
There are definitely a lot of great and creative ways to save money, just make sure you think of all the caveats and work involved before you take that plunge!
Monday, May 3, 2010
All Those Extras
Isn't it the best feeling in the world when you're tallying up the last of those wedding costs and you think "We did it! We figured out how to squeeze everything into our tiny budget!"... And then the week of the wedding rolls around and you realize how many little extra costs there are and what they add up to. Don't let yourself get caught in that web of stress- plan ahead and take note of these extra costs that you might not have thought about...
- Stamps ($0.41 per invitation-- no wait! You should provide that RSVP envelope stamp for your guests... that's almost an extra dollar per invite!)
- Tips (limo driver, officiant, makeup, hair and nails, catering crew, bartenders)
- Additional Decor (centerpieces for the buffet tables and bar, cake table, etc)
- Vendor Meals (don't forget to feed the photographer, DJ, officiant, etc)
- Bridesmaid Luncheon (it's generally in good taste to throw a little get-together to show your appreciation to your bridesmaids)
- Guest Bags (if you have out of town guests, you could provide little snack/goodie bags, but you should at least provide itineraries for the weekend)
- Alterations (try to work that into the price of the actual dress-- it's generally a good idea to take a package with unlimited alterations, rather than paying for the alterations separately. You never know how many times they'll need to take it in or let it out!
- Little accessories (ring bearer pillow, flower girl basket & petals, flowers for bride's hair or cake table if using
- Disposable cameras for the guest tables
- Additional prints/ photo albums
- Thank You Notes
- Honeymoon (Obviously you already thought of this one!)
Monday, April 26, 2010
What's Your Priority?
This may seem obvious, but it's really important to prioritize when you're planning a wedding on a budget. Since it can be difficult to know where to start, I thought I'd get the juices flowing and lay out a few decisions to think about. Once you figure out the 2 or 3 most important things to you, the rest of the pieces will kind of fall into place. Start here...
Which is more important to you--
a) the location of the ceremony
b) the location of the reception
If the reception is more important to you, try to have your ceremony right there, if the location allows that. This will cut back on the cost of transportation (limo, shuttles, etc). Vice versa, if you've always dreamed of saying your vows in your family church, try to pick a nearby affordable reception spot.
Point being... be reasonable- you can't have your ceremony in the church you grew up in and then take a limo an hour away to your favorite reception spot on the water.
Which is more important to you--
a) decorations
b) entertainment
If you blow a huge portion of your budget on extravagant flowers, you might consider using an iPod for your wedding entertainment. If you really want your guests to unwind and have a good time, you might make your own bouquets and centerpieces in order to have a really good DJ.
Which is more important to you--
a) food
b) bar
If you want a really nice seafood and steak meal for your guests, you might limit the bar to beer and wine (and limit the variety). If you have a bunch of partiers on your hands, you might focus more on the bar, skip the passed hors d' oeuvres and have a more unconventional meal like Italian style (pastas & salad) or pulled pork (pig roast).
Which is more important to you--
a) the location of the ceremony
b) the location of the reception
If the reception is more important to you, try to have your ceremony right there, if the location allows that. This will cut back on the cost of transportation (limo, shuttles, etc). Vice versa, if you've always dreamed of saying your vows in your family church, try to pick a nearby affordable reception spot.
Point being... be reasonable- you can't have your ceremony in the church you grew up in and then take a limo an hour away to your favorite reception spot on the water.
Which is more important to you--
a) decorations
b) entertainment
If you blow a huge portion of your budget on extravagant flowers, you might consider using an iPod for your wedding entertainment. If you really want your guests to unwind and have a good time, you might make your own bouquets and centerpieces in order to have a really good DJ.
Which is more important to you--
a) food
b) bar
If you want a really nice seafood and steak meal for your guests, you might limit the bar to beer and wine (and limit the variety). If you have a bunch of partiers on your hands, you might focus more on the bar, skip the passed hors d' oeuvres and have a more unconventional meal like Italian style (pastas & salad) or pulled pork (pig roast).
Monday, April 19, 2010
Budget Wedding Flower Fix- April
This month, I've incorporated bright gerbera daisies and fruit to create a great spring centerpiece for around $20.
Monday, April 12, 2010
The Intimate Wedding Party
One of the factors that can push that wedding budget over the top is something that most people don't even take into consideration. You've cut out the videographer, made your own favors, set the event earlier in the day, etc... but did you ever think about making your wedding party smaller so you could splurge somewhere else?
I can't tell you how many times I hear brides talk about feeling "obligated" to have certain people as their bridesmaids. Before you know it, they have 8 or more girls marching down the aisle with them. I know because I was one of them! You're not obligated to do anything on your day- only what you want to do. If you cut your wedding party to 2 or 3 bridesmaids (including the maid of honor), people will understand that you are only including your absolute closest friends/family and they won't be offended.
Photo Credit: http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID10494/images/David_s_Bridal.jpg
Here's how you'll save:
All costs aside, making your wedding party more intimate means more quality time with the people who are most important to you and less running around trying to get everyone doing what they need to be doing. It's really less of a headache and more of a good time if you don't have to worry about dealing with a huge wedding party.
I can't tell you how many times I hear brides talk about feeling "obligated" to have certain people as their bridesmaids. Before you know it, they have 8 or more girls marching down the aisle with them. I know because I was one of them! You're not obligated to do anything on your day- only what you want to do. If you cut your wedding party to 2 or 3 bridesmaids (including the maid of honor), people will understand that you are only including your absolute closest friends/family and they won't be offended.
Here's how you'll save:
- wedding party gifts (typically, people spend $30-100 on each bridesmaid)
- limo (instead of getting a stretch limo for 20 people, now you can get a smaller one for 8)
- flowers (a bridesmaid bouquet typically costs between $75-150)
- photographer (the more people in the wedding party, the more variety of shots and angles the photographer has to take. I'm not talking about money on this one, but more the amount of time you have to spend away from your event to get all those shots)
- rehearsal dinner (less heads to pay for)
All costs aside, making your wedding party more intimate means more quality time with the people who are most important to you and less running around trying to get everyone doing what they need to be doing. It's really less of a headache and more of a good time if you don't have to worry about dealing with a huge wedding party.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Inexpensive Honeymoon Getaways
Depending on the type of setting you and your husband enjoy, you could create a great honeymoon getaway that you may have thought you couldn't afford. If you're thinking about skipping the honeymoon altogether because of money, you should definitely reconsider. Just get creative and think about what your area has to offer. I'll be focusing on the Maryland area, because that's where I'm from...
Camping in the woods- Ok, I know this sounds rugged and probably the farthest thing from romantic, but think about what it has to offer. Laying under the stars each night, the beauty of nature, long walks together, possibly some nice streams to relax by, beautiful mountains all around. There are so many nice places to go around here and it's usually only around $20 per night to camp.
Camping on a beach- Asateague Island is such a beautiful and romantic place to visit. Why not stay overnight? This island is close to Ocean City and has beautiful wild horses that will usually walk right up to you. Between the horses and the waves crashing on the beach, what more could you ask?!
Photo Credit: http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/086_family-vacations-assateague-island.jpg
Go off the beaten path- Everyone wants to be near water on their honeymoon, but instead of going to the usual tourist traps, try an area like Southern Maryland that has all the same beauty but virtually no tourists and much cheaper rates. There are so many gorgeous spots on the bay down there, vineyards, tons of history, etc.
Ocean City- I know it may not seem this way when you're thinking about your honeymoon, but isn't a beach a beach? You don't have to fly thousands of miles away just to experience different sand than what you're used to. You could stay on the bay side for cheaper rates- then all you have to do is cross the street to get to the ocean!
Camping in the woods- Ok, I know this sounds rugged and probably the farthest thing from romantic, but think about what it has to offer. Laying under the stars each night, the beauty of nature, long walks together, possibly some nice streams to relax by, beautiful mountains all around. There are so many nice places to go around here and it's usually only around $20 per night to camp.
Camping on a beach- Asateague Island is such a beautiful and romantic place to visit. Why not stay overnight? This island is close to Ocean City and has beautiful wild horses that will usually walk right up to you. Between the horses and the waves crashing on the beach, what more could you ask?!
Go off the beaten path- Everyone wants to be near water on their honeymoon, but instead of going to the usual tourist traps, try an area like Southern Maryland that has all the same beauty but virtually no tourists and much cheaper rates. There are so many gorgeous spots on the bay down there, vineyards, tons of history, etc.
Ocean City- I know it may not seem this way when you're thinking about your honeymoon, but isn't a beach a beach? You don't have to fly thousands of miles away just to experience different sand than what you're used to. You could stay on the bay side for cheaper rates- then all you have to do is cross the street to get to the ocean!
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