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Tips to save some money

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Jillian1104
Jillian1104 Posts: 119 Member
in Social Groups
Hi ladies!

We've just started planning our wedding, and have realized that we aren't going to have nearly as big of a budget as we had hoped for the day. So, I was wondering if any of you had any tips on saving some money, yet still having a very nice wedding?

Thanks!

Replies

  • _Khaleesi_
    _Khaleesi_ Posts: 877 Member
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    Use an Ipod as your DJ! :)

    Have a brunch reception instead of a dinner one.

    Invite less people! Always saves on money!

    Have a cocktail reception instead of a sit down meal reception!

    Elope!

    Make things on your own, buy less!
  • Naomi113
    Naomi113 Posts: 270 Member
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    im having a dinner reception but going a buffet maue, we are using our wedding cakes as dessert so we get money of the buffet price.

    we are having only 70ppl and under coming

    I made all my placement cards, centre piece's, lanterns, table seating chart, invites, wishing well cards, and BROUGHT most of my stuff of EBAY .. EBAY IS ME FRIEND!!! i got my some of me jewellery from ebay, hair pins, veil ($15 free postage and came with a beautiful hand made hanky :D) cake topper, my boys pirate dress shirt, my garter set, my flower girl baskets, guest book, ring pillow, gems scatters, my butterfly tongue ring lol as having butterfly theme, ummm got the best mans gift and hubbys gift of ebay stubby coolers with best man and grooms man on them think thats about it..

    Shop around dont always get the first thing you see check your prices around, also for hair make up if you get nails facials etc there in same place say right im getting all this done here i want your best price you can give me!!

    get your dress when there is a bridal dress sale they have some bloody nice looking dresses for cheap you will be surprised.
    if stuck for money for honeymoon do what we have done made a wishing well poem to as ppl if we may have money for a honey moon as we have been together for almost 10years so we have every thing we need lol... only way we will get a honey moon lol... LOOK ON THE NET!!! the net is awesome i have found so many cheap things on here and still have glamour to me wedding!! like i said ebay is awesome!! pick you theme and colours first and your budget and then go from there do the fod,cars, venu,ceremony, clothing, hair make up all important stuff first then all the decorative stuff last .. if you have a theme type it in google and click images and items will come up see if yous can make it your selfs thats what i did and every one LOVES my things i have made they say i should go into business doing it lol
    and for gift bags or box boxes are easy to make your self, gift bags i got 100 small butterfly bags for $7 on ebay!! just big enough to fit a love heart chocolate in them and 2 silver kisses chocolates!! so another thing do chocolates for your gift!! go to a lollie out let they do BULK lollies and chocolates CHEAPER ... hope i helped.
  • fae713
    fae713 Posts: 30 Member
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    Hand make everything you can - invitations, decorations, etc.

    I want an outdoor wedding, so I'm looking at public spaces - a little off the beaten path for tourists, but still easily accessible.

    Small wedding (no more than 20) with a larger reception for several weeks/months later. We're looking at a March wedding and a May or June reception. The reception is also going to be really relaxed and pretty much a summer barbeque with everyone bringing their favorite dishes for sides and deserts and what not.

    Try on dresses at the store so you get an idea of what cut/style looks good on you and then look online for similar dresses. Just do your research about sites to make sure they are legitimate first before ordering. Same deal for shoes and jewelry and everything else. I actually decided on a bridesmaid dress since I want something pretty simple and not in white. Another option is to check out shops that sell wedding dresses that have already been worn. Sort of like a high end thrift store.

    Find out what friends or friends of friends have skills that you need - I have a friend who is a professional stylist and has already agreed to do hair and makeup for the wedding party. My mother has decorated cakes for years and will be doing ours for the reception. I have a friend who has agreed to do the actual ceremony and knows how to do a handfasting (the hardest thing to find was someone who was free on the Spring Equinox and also knew how to do that.) I have several friends who are professional or semi-professional photographers and have agreed to do the photography for the wedding. You may be surprised what resources you find once you start asking.

    If you're concerned about rings, go for something simple now and save up for something more extravagant later should you want it. I'm sticking with my claddagh ring and my fiance is not interested in a ring for multiple reasons, so we're skipping that entirely.

    For the honeymoon, again, you may want to look at doing it a few months later. I think our tentative plans are to just take a few days off around the wedding and relax in each others company and then go for a out-of-state honeymoon later in the year.

    I'm sure there are a few other cost savings things you can look at, but those are the ones that come to the top of my head.
  • bhalter
    bhalter Posts: 582 Member
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    We have a lot of friends helping, and will my DIY-ing a lot. A friend is designing our STD's, invites, etc. Another friend is doing our photography and cut me a 50% discount. We're getting married on the beach with a super-cheap package. We nixed stuff like decorational flowers, ring bearer/flower girl. We're making the reception centerpieces.
  • babyworms
    babyworms Posts: 1,304 Member
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    Use an Ipod as your DJ! :)

    Have a brunch reception instead of a dinner one.

    Invite less people! Always saves on money!

    Have a cocktail reception instead of a sit down meal reception!

    Elope!

    Make things on your own, buy less!


    We are literally doing all of the above except eloping! We're on a tiny budget, and we're going to have the most lovely wedding!

    Also:

    - Artificial flowers... Shop around to find the best value (you get to keep them forever too!) I also only got mine done professionally, got all the bridesmaids and flowergirl flowers off eBay
    - Dress off eBay (My mate did this and was SO happy with it!) ... ACTUALLY... ALL dresses off ebay. All my BMs and FGs dresses are from eBay
    - Call in EVERY favour you can! (our minister, cars and the band are all favours called in!)
    - Book the same venue for the ceremony and reception (one hire fee instead of two! Ours is in a winery garden!)
    - Shop around for your cake! Our first quote was $750, and we were able to get the same thing (even better!) for $250
    - Get the groomsmen to provide their own suit... we're just asking that all the groomsmen wear a black suit and white shirt. No specifics.
    - Design your own invitations that can be printed on 6x4 photo paper... We got ours for 15c each plus postage!!

    I can't think of anything else that we've done for saving money (the list is pretty good!)

    It really comes down to shopping around using ebay!

    Good luck!
  • tabatha_burris
    tabatha_burris Posts: 167
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    Buy your dress online! I went to the bridal stores tried on the dresses found one I like only to find out its 1100.00 My budget for the wedding is 2000 went home looked it up found the same dress online for 169.00!!! As a good invitation place is 123prints.com I found my invitations on there and The price is 150 of them for like $69 and if you order a sample for 99 cents you will also get a 15% off with it and its the best way to make sure you love the invitaton! :) Im also not doing place cards or sitting arrangements. people can sit where they want not something I wanna worry about. Just a few ideas hope this helps!!! Thanks for asking this I got alot of help from it
  • Shawnalee0703
    Shawnalee0703 Posts: 1,093
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    Ordering flowers wholesale online can help too. Find a family member or friend with flower experience to help with bouquets and orangements.

    We are making our own centerpieces.
    I have a friend who has a 7pm wedding and is telling everyone to get dinner in seattle first and then there will be a dessert bar at their reception. That saved money!

    State parks and such tend to have less expensive spaces.... or church if you are a member....

    lot of DIY stuff....
    Also as for invites, on Etsy you can buy a design and it can be customized and you just print them yourself.... that saves! And some of them are ADORABLE!!!
    Lots of options... just weigh out your options first. :-D
  • emma_groom
    emma_groom Posts: 22
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    We've only just started planning ours and were having the whole thing in a hotel, there's only going to be 14 people including the 2 of us at the ceremony and dinner but we're having an afternoon wedding so the reception is later which we're inviting about 30/40 then but that's dessert only reception so no food provided only our wedding cakes and probably some cupcakes and things.
    We're also going to ask the hotel if we can take our own drink for the dinner obviously they'll be a formate fee but saves paying £16 a head for 1 glass of wine with the meal!

    Our budget is literally going to be about £3500, as I already make cards I'm doing all handmade invitations and favours and all our own decorations and flowers.
  • shannon1120
    shannon1120 Posts: 28 Member
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    One of the biggest things you can do to save money is to plan your wedding on a weekday instead of the weekend!

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