Welcome
Welcome to WeddingSavingsNut.com,™ a site dedicated to providing money saving advice,
tips and ideas on how to be frugal and plan a cheaper, low-budget wedding. Saving
tips on size of wedding, timing & location, reception costs, bridal gown, wedding
pictures, flowers, music, honeymoon & more. Start saving money on your wedding costs
by reviewing the tips presented below. For hundreds more tips, advice and savings,
click on the navigation buttons on the left. Tell your friends and family about WeddingSavingsNut.com
so they can start saving too, and feel free to add a link on your web site.
Engagement Ring - There are many jewelry stores, discount jewelers, jewelry departments
of major stores, etc. where nice engagement rings can be found. And do not forget
to visit stores like Costco for some great prices. You never know where you might
find that perfect ring at a great price. If you are really adventurous, you might
even consider shopping on the Internet. At least you will get an idea as to what
is available and relative pricing. But if you do plan to buy over the Internet,
be careful you are dealing with a reputable company. And be sure you can return
the ring if necessary, and understand any return or restocking costs.
Size of Wedding - The surest way to have a nice wedding, within an affordable budget,
is to limit the size of the wedding. Not only does a smaller wedding save money,
it also allows the bride and groom to enjoy their close friends and relatives (and
themselves) throughout the wedding and reception, rather than spending the entire
event making sure they greet and thank hundreds of guests, many of whom they may
not even know very well, or at all. So consider paring down the guest list to those
individuals that the bride and groom would really enjoy seeing at the wedding and
reception.
Timing & Location - When you have your wedding, and where you have your wedding,
will affect the overall cost of the wedding and reception considerably. Periods of
high demand for weddings or other social occasions, and venues that are in high demand,
will be more costly. If you can be flexible you can reduce cost considerably. Remember,
there are many great places to hold your wedding and reception, and there are also
many times of the year (and times of the day and week) that should be able to fit
your schedule and provide a memorable occasion.
Wedding Reception Food & Beverages - If you are using a caterer, tell your caterer
about your need to keep costs as low as possible. Be sure the caterer supplies what
you need (plates, glassware, tablecloths, etc.). Be sure the caterer is not charging
you for items and services that may not be required (such as decorations, etc.).
Read your contract carefully and see if the gratuity is included.
Flowers & Decorations - Consider using silk flowers (you can even rent them) for
both the wedding and reception. They can be less expensive than many real flowers,
can be kept indefinitely, and can serve for years as home decorations. As an added
plus, you can acquire silk flowers well in advance of the ceremony, so there is one
last thing to worry about on your wedding day. Even the wedding party can carry
silk flowers, including the bride. Or perhaps the bride can have a fresh bouquet
with everyone else going silk. You can also find great wedding favor ideas on the
web that could help stretch your budget by using flowers and decorations as part
of your wedding favors.
Wedding Music - If you have a band for your reception, see if one or two of the
band members can also provide music or vocals at the wedding. Sometimes they will
agree to do this at little or no additional charge in order to get the reception
booking. Another alternative is a compilation of beautiful recorded wedding music
that can be played through the wedding venue’s sound system. With today’s CD’s and
iPods this is easily arranged and you know what you will be getting.
Wedding Pictures - Hiring a professional photographer/videographer will most always
produce better quality wedding photos/videos than an amateur. However, the cost
is considerable. Some ways to limit the cost include: Limiting the photographer’s
services to a minimal package of photos, perhaps including just the bride and groom,
wedding party and family. Limiting the photographer’s services to just the wedding.
Let friends and family take the reception pictures. Consider not doing a formal
shoot at the bride’s and/or groom’s house. Friends and family can shoot these pictures.
Don’t keep the photographer employed for the entire reception. Once there are no
more major events to shoot the photographer can leave. Hire a photographer that
gives you your negatives (or digital file) so you can make as many copies as you
want without ordering them from your photographer. If they won’t give you the negatives,
ask them how long they keep the negatives and if you can have them when they are
to be disposed. Check not only the initial charge for the photographer’s wedding
packages, but also the charge for prints, enlargements, albums, etc. See what can
be eliminated and purchased elsewhere at a lower cost.
Wedding Cake - A very nice wedding cake can be had for a reasonable cost. Make sure
the size is appropriate for the number of guests and try making the cake nice, but
not overwhelming. If you use your wedding cake as dessert to avoid having a separate
dessert table, make the tiers different flavors. Conversely, if you are having a
dessert table you do not need a large wedding cake at all. If you want a tall cake
but it would be too large for the number of guests, you can make the upper tiers
out of cake and the lower large tiers out of Styrofoam and iced to match the others.
Order two cakes for the reception. A small fancy cake can be used as the main display
cake and for the cake cutting ceremony. A larger sheet cake with only moderate decoration
can be sliced in the kitchen and served.
Wedding Invitations - Invitations do not need to be expensive. Even custom-made
invitations by an outside vendor can be found at a reasonable price. But be sure
to get samples and an assurance that your invitations will be the same quality. Consider
getting them thermographed instead of engraved to save some money. Order them over
the Internet. And make sure you order enough extra invitations to make up for mistakes
in addressing and last minute invites. But to save more, consider purchasing invitations
at a craft store and printing them yourself with available software programs. Consider
including reply postcards instead of traditional cards to save. Include reception
information on the invitation instead of separate cards and use invitations that
require only standard postage. If you really want to save, consider using an online
invitation web site. Many sites even provide some free online invitations.
Bridal Gown - Instead of buying a new design, consider purchasing a discontinued
dress or sample dress, or looking for dresses at closeout sales. They are usually
less expensive and can often be found at smaller dress shops, or perhaps even consignment
shops. Shop for your wedding dress in places other than bridal boutiques and specialty
shops, where prices may be considerably lower. Find a dress you like and you know
fits and search for it online.
Thanks for visiting WeddingSavingsNut.com,™ and we hope the thoughts and tips for
saving money on your wedding will make your special day more fun for everyone. Visit
us for great recommendations like, Sandals.com all inclusive weddings to music tips!
