6. Flowers and Decorations
Those who choose to wed in a location that is already decorated will see big savings. To set a stylish mood without much work, plan the wedding to take place in a garden, art museum or a beautifully furnished home. Or consider doing the flowers and decorations yourself. One bride I interviewed for Priceless Weddings planted 200 bulbs months before her wedding, and then married right in the middle of the fully blooming cheerful yellow tulips. Another bought 13 dozen roses at a great price from a warehouse store.
7. Invitations
This is definitely an area where doing it yourself can show off your skills and allow you to pocket the difference. My husband and I "printed" our invitations right on the computer and no one would ever have guessed! We also printed a newsletter that we sent out a few months before the wedding. This helped to alert out-of-towners to make reservations in advance and plan a mini-vacation if they wanted to.
8. Music
For some couples, a band is an absolute must. But a DJ is usually much less expensive, plus you get an MC to move the reception along. For the die-hard live band or music folks, look for bands that have day jobs and "jam" for fun, or check into high-school-aged bands. Or have a child violinist perform for the ceremony. Trust me, there won't be a dry eye in the place. A rock-bottom budget option is to make your own tapes of your musical favorites.
9. Photography and Videography
Weddings tend to go by so quickly, and each moment is so precious, that having a photographer chronicle the event with a still and/or video camera is the only way to really capture the moment for posterity. But can photography be affordable. Kennedy assures that it can, "When we were married, we knew that photography and videography were important to us, but we also knew that we did not want to spend top dollar for the services. We hired a friend of a friend who was an art school graduate. She gave us a package deal of a full day of shooting, a wedding book, the 3"x5" proofs and the negatives for a very fair price. Another friend videotaped the wedding in lieu of a present."
10. Bar service
Eliminating or limiting a traditional full bar to one or two hours will really cut costs. Alternatives include serving beer and wine only, not serving alcohol at all or only pouring a champagne toast. Depending on the local laws and the rules at your reception hall, if you are able to buy the liquor yourself and then hire someone to pour it the savings potential is enormous.
A wedding should not be about how much was spent or saved. It should reflect the individual personalities and priorities of the couple getting married. Cutting costs won't limit your day if you stay faithful to your personal style just like the couples I interviewed for Priceless Weddings, all of whose weddings cost under $5000! In fact, my wedding was only $3500; it was very low stress and intimate, yet elegant. We celebrated our commitment, our vows and our friendships and absolutely rejoiced in the days' events.
Those who choose to wed in a location that is already decorated will see big savings. To set a stylish mood without much work, plan the wedding to take place in a garden, art museum or a beautifully furnished home. Or consider doing the flowers and decorations yourself. One bride I interviewed for Priceless Weddings planted 200 bulbs months before her wedding, and then married right in the middle of the fully blooming cheerful yellow tulips. Another bought 13 dozen roses at a great price from a warehouse store.
7. Invitations
This is definitely an area where doing it yourself can show off your skills and allow you to pocket the difference. My husband and I "printed" our invitations right on the computer and no one would ever have guessed! We also printed a newsletter that we sent out a few months before the wedding. This helped to alert out-of-towners to make reservations in advance and plan a mini-vacation if they wanted to.
8. Music
For some couples, a band is an absolute must. But a DJ is usually much less expensive, plus you get an MC to move the reception along. For the die-hard live band or music folks, look for bands that have day jobs and "jam" for fun, or check into high-school-aged bands. Or have a child violinist perform for the ceremony. Trust me, there won't be a dry eye in the place. A rock-bottom budget option is to make your own tapes of your musical favorites.
9. Photography and Videography
Weddings tend to go by so quickly, and each moment is so precious, that having a photographer chronicle the event with a still and/or video camera is the only way to really capture the moment for posterity. But can photography be affordable. Kennedy assures that it can, "When we were married, we knew that photography and videography were important to us, but we also knew that we did not want to spend top dollar for the services. We hired a friend of a friend who was an art school graduate. She gave us a package deal of a full day of shooting, a wedding book, the 3"x5" proofs and the negatives for a very fair price. Another friend videotaped the wedding in lieu of a present."
10. Bar service
Eliminating or limiting a traditional full bar to one or two hours will really cut costs. Alternatives include serving beer and wine only, not serving alcohol at all or only pouring a champagne toast. Depending on the local laws and the rules at your reception hall, if you are able to buy the liquor yourself and then hire someone to pour it the savings potential is enormous.
A wedding should not be about how much was spent or saved. It should reflect the individual personalities and priorities of the couple getting married. Cutting costs won't limit your day if you stay faithful to your personal style just like the couples I interviewed for Priceless Weddings, all of whose weddings cost under $5000! In fact, my wedding was only $3500; it was very low stress and intimate, yet elegant. We celebrated our commitment, our vows and our friendships and absolutely rejoiced in the days' events.
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