Sorry guys,this one is more words than pictures. I guess you could say it is an article. Its packed with useful advice for brides on a budget.
A few friends have queried me about this so here is my advice!
The three most integral elements of your wedding will be
1-your venue
2-your food (and drinks)
3-your photographer
To save on your venue the most obvious way is to think about who you know that might have a location you can use, from a lovely sprawling garden to a beautiful old barn. Think outside of the box when you consider this. Old theaters, schools, parks, rural rivers and forests all make glorious locations for weddings.
You need not pay thousands for traditional venues. Remember that specialized wedding venues will charge 'through the roof' prices because... well, they can. They know brides will pay almost anything to get what they want! Also note that marquee weddings are NOT an inexpensive option. You have hidden costs like hiring all your tables, tableware, chairs, even flooring etc, which all adds up.
Your food is a very important aspect of your wedding. People will talk about it for weeks, wether good or bad.
An idea to keep your catering costs down is to have a tea party or champagne and canape style reception. Think about having your ceremony just after lunch and hosting the reception in the afternoon. That way you can avoid serving a full meal. The general rule is serve nine or more different types of canapes for every four hours of party.
For cakes, the easiest way to save is to have a relative who is a great baker do it for you. No doubt they would love to be involved. But, if you don't know anyone with the skills required, go for someone who decorates from home. They are far cheaper that commercial cake specialists.
Some pictures of chic, budget friendly ideas...Your food is a very important aspect of your wedding. People will talk about it for weeks, wether good or bad.
An idea to keep your catering costs down is to have a tea party or champagne and canape style reception. Think about having your ceremony just after lunch and hosting the reception in the afternoon. That way you can avoid serving a full meal. The general rule is serve nine or more different types of canapes for every four hours of party.
For cakes, the easiest way to save is to have a relative who is a great baker do it for you. No doubt they would love to be involved. But, if you don't know anyone with the skills required, go for someone who decorates from home. They are far cheaper that commercial cake specialists.
Here are some small local(NZ) cake decorators. creative cakes, Ali's celebration cakes, funky cookies and cakes
The photographer. OK so this one is a little more difficult. Your photographs are so important as they are your permanent visual link to your day. It will go by so fast that you wont remember a lot of it until you have seen your pictures. TRUST ME you do not want to skimp in this area. If you have a friend who can fill this position thats great! Be sure to meet with as many photographers as possible until you find a balance between the style you want and what you can afford.
Other ways to save.
DIY is obviously a good way to keep some money in your pocket, just be aware of how much you are taking on.
Some ideas are:
-Use garden flowers loosely bunched in vintage teapots or glass vases. Alternatives to flowers include succulents, feathers, potted plants. Blooms can be a huge expense and florists charge the earth.
- The Warehouse sells fantastic "wedding candles". They are lightly scented and come in boxes of 12. They are cost effective and look lovely on the tables.
- Its obvious, but keeping your guest list to a minimum keeps costs low. Do you need that big wedding you wanted when you were eight? This can help in areas such as catering, favors, alcohol, tables, chairs and table wares, flowers... actually, in most areas.
- Borrow, borrow, borrow, ask, ask, ask. I found that after I had spent a lot of money on vintage silverware, some people I knew offered to lend me theirs for the day. Before spending, ask around. People are honored to help out in any way when it comes to weddings!
- Certain liquor outlets in NZ have a service where you can hire a trailer full of alcohol. You only pay for what is used, so leftovers aren't an expensive waste. This is a fantastic initiative.
The photographer. OK so this one is a little more difficult. Your photographs are so important as they are your permanent visual link to your day. It will go by so fast that you wont remember a lot of it until you have seen your pictures. TRUST ME you do not want to skimp in this area. If you have a friend who can fill this position thats great! Be sure to meet with as many photographers as possible until you find a balance between the style you want and what you can afford.
Other ways to save.
DIY is obviously a good way to keep some money in your pocket, just be aware of how much you are taking on.
Some ideas are:
-Use garden flowers loosely bunched in vintage teapots or glass vases. Alternatives to flowers include succulents, feathers, potted plants. Blooms can be a huge expense and florists charge the earth.
- The Warehouse sells fantastic "wedding candles". They are lightly scented and come in boxes of 12. They are cost effective and look lovely on the tables.
- Its obvious, but keeping your guest list to a minimum keeps costs low. Do you need that big wedding you wanted when you were eight? This can help in areas such as catering, favors, alcohol, tables, chairs and table wares, flowers... actually, in most areas.
- Borrow, borrow, borrow, ask, ask, ask. I found that after I had spent a lot of money on vintage silverware, some people I knew offered to lend me theirs for the day. Before spending, ask around. People are honored to help out in any way when it comes to weddings!
- Certain liquor outlets in NZ have a service where you can hire a trailer full of alcohol. You only pay for what is used, so leftovers aren't an expensive waste. This is a fantastic initiative.
Mismatched bridesmaids. Its likely you can find some real bargains in vintage stores.
Canapes make a good low cost alternative to a full meal.
Just make it clear on the invitations so guests can eat before hand.
These cute potted herbs would double as table decorations and favors.
What could be more cost effective than Twigs in vases! Get vases here.
Groupings of candles can be a very inexpensive way of making a statement. Even better when the sun sets!
Hope this has been inspirational!
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ReplyDeleteLaura