Learn How To Have a Simple Wedding While Saving Money

If you are planning on getting married soon, you’re probably looking for ways to save money and do things yourself while still making it an amazing event. Wedding planning should not be stressful but an enjoyable part of the getting married process. Make it fun and memorable. Here are some wedding ideas to make the day truly your own without making you and everyone around you crazy.

Take Control Of Those Speeches

For those who are going to give speeches at your wedding, such as the Best Man, Maid of Honor and others, have them give you a preview of their speech ahead of time. You will probably have a wide age range of guests and what seems hilarious to your younger guests may truly be offensive to your older guests. It is important that the speeches be appropriate for all of your guests.

Your Special Theme

You and your fiancee are unique. Your relationship is one of a kind. Your wedding should include some of those special features too. Think of your theme as a reflection of the two of you. Your guests should be able to “see” the two of you in your wedding. Don’t select the latest wedding trends just because they are popular. If they please you – go for it.  If they are just what’s trending  – find something more appropriate for your special day. Today’s wedding ideas are sometimes out of style tomorrow. So, be tru to yourselves.

Saving Money On A Venue

If a family member or good friend has a property that could be used for a wedding, perhaps they will let you use it free of cost. That could add up to a huge cost saving, freeing up funds for use somewhere else. That may also make it possible for you to have your wedding on the exact date you would really like, not just the date the venue has available. A simple wedding at a friend or family member’s can still be elegant.

To sweeten the deal if you are borrowing a venue you can offer to pay to have someone clean and set up before the wedding and clean again and tear down after the wedding. That way, you are not imposing so much on your friend or family. The cost to you of cleaning will be substantially les than renting a venue.

If you or your family or friends are considering doing the food and drink yourselves, remember that many venues will not allow any outside food or catering. You must use their catering to use their venue. This is another reason to consider an alternative to the more traditional venues.

Want To Wear Amazing Jewelry?

If you would like to wear diamonds or other beautiful gemstones but you don’t own any and buying them is not in your budget, you can rent them. You will look truly stunning and the cost will be small.

Transportation For Your Guests

If you have out of town guests who will not have cars, providing some sort of transportation for them will be a courtesy. You could have taxis, limos, including a small bus, Uber or whatever seems to work for you, available at the end of the evening. Another good reason to do this is for safety if there will be much drinking during the reception.

Alternative To Wedding Cake

Another cost-saving wedding idea involves your wedding cake. Wedding cakes can be incredibly expensive and often, after serving dinner your guests are not in the mood for a frosting covered square of cake. So, the uneaten cake remains sitting on the table. One great alternative is pretty cupcakes. You can offer more choices; they can be arranged very attractively; and you can even provide to-go boxes so that your guests can choose a couple to take home at the end of the evening instead of  leaving them.

Another option is a selection of cheesecakes. They too come in many flavors and can be decorated very beautifully. If they are cut in very thin slices, your guests can enjoy a dessert bar of sampling many different kinds without over eating. And you will keep your costs significantly under control.

Flowers

One of the larger expenses of your wedding day can be the flowers. If you use some silk flowers you can rent them from a florist, saving significantly on the cost of all fresh flowers. It is also possible to bring some of the flowers from the church to the reception to augment those decorations. And consider if you have friends who have lovely flower gardens that will be in bloom at the time of your wedding. If they are willing to let you cut some of their flowers you can then have a florist arrange the garden blooms. Think how much more meaningful those flowers will be than some that just came from a flower shop.

Out Of Town Guests and Destination Weddings

Providing a basket in the hotel room of guests who will be traveling to your wedding is a thoughtful way to make their stay more pleasant and to thank them for coming. Useful items to include could include a local map; suggestions of sites to see and good places to eat; and toiletry items that sometimes get forgotten.

For a Destination Wedding you might also want to include sunglasses, sunscreen, or even a hat. Providing suggestions on how to get around at your destination could also be helpful

Lighting

While hiring a company to do special lighting for your reception can make the venue look amazing, it can also really inflate your cost. A far simpler and yet very effective way to control the atmosphere is simply by dimming the lights. When selecting a venue check to see if they have dimmers on their lights. That way you can dim all the lights for the couples’ first dance; turn all the lights up brightly to get everyone on the dance floor. You can brightly light the cake area for the cutting; have the tables well lit during dinner and so on. You will have the changes in mood by adjusting the venue’s lighting without adding unnecessary cost to your budget.

Your Wedding Dress

The wedding dress can be one of the largest expenses of your wedding. You want to look terrific. You want to be reasonably comfortable but you will only wear the dress for part of one day. It is possible to be an incredibly lovely bride and still not spend $1000s of dollars on your dress. Many dresses are available online. Often you can look at Bridal Shops and then find the same dresses online at a significantly reduced price. It is then possible to have the dress altered and pressed locally at a very reasonable price. Good advice is to leave the dress, safely, with the seamstress until just before the wedding, to avoid wrinkles, stains or  any unfortunate accidents.

Vendors

Bridal Shows are, of course, a great way to find many musicians, DJs, caterers, photographers and all the other vendors you may need for your wedding. But, unfortunately, they are often more expensive too. Check Craigslist and other such online communities for alternatives. You may need to meet them in public places such as coffee shops and you will want to get and check references but there is potential for significant cost savings.

Something Borrowed

Don’t be afraid to ask friends and family to borrow things for your wedding. People love to help. If you know that someone in your life has something you need for your wedding, there is no harm in asking if they are willing to lend it.

As long as you take care of whatever you borrow and return it promptly and in good condition, chances are your family and friends will be happy to have been a part of your special day.

Planning your wedding does not have to be an exhausting and terrible experience. In fact it Should Not Be! Wedding ideas abound online and in magazines for saving money and still getting the wedding you want. Put some of these simple wedding ideas into practice and you can save money and still have the perfect day.