Wedding Savings – Final Tips

There are so many ways to save money and still have a beautiful wedding day. Sadly, there isn’t enough time to discuss all of the possibilities. Instead, I’m going to leave you with these ideas. Just remember that it’s your wedding day. If you want fresh flowers and a five tier wedding cake then do it. If you could care less, then feel free to try something new. Very few people will notice these small details. You get to have the final decision.

Consider some of these possibilities:

Purchase fake flowers instead of real ones

• If you wait for the sales, it’s cheaper to buy fake flowers
• They look gorgeous and don’t need to be watered
• It’s easier to keep your bouquet preserved in its original beautiful state
  • If you use a variety of flowers, understand that creating your bouquets has its own challenges.
  • Consider paying a craft store to put it together for you.

Use the bouquets as a component of your centerpieces

• Saves money, looks beautiful and uses one thing for two purposes.

Have your bridal party walk in with something other than bouquets

• They could carry candles, lanterns, bubbles, etc. Work with the theme of your wedding. If you are going for a courtly love, formal romantic wedding than having the groomsmen hand each bridesmaid a single red rose can speak volumes.

Make your own wedding favors

• Costs less and has more meaning
• You can make candles, soap, potpourri, candy, CDs, or give your centerpieces away as wedding favors.

Do your own makeup on the wedding day

• Saves money if you’re confident with doing your own makeup

Have a Do Your Own Manicure Pedicure Party

• It’s an excuse for everyone to get together, giggle, relax and walk around trying not to smear their painted nails.

Don’t send Save the Date cards in the mail. Create them electronically.

• Save money on paper, postage and time.
• With the internet advancing as quickly as it is, you can create beautiful Save the Date reminders that even Miss Manners would approve of.
• If you create a wedding website, that can also serve as a Save the Date reminder.
  • If you choose this option, make sure to send out your formal invitations a little early.

Provide your own music during the reception instead of hiring a DJ

• Listen to the music you like that you have on CDs or your iPOD.
• Did I mention that it’s cheaper?

Don’t purchase a garter belt or ring bearer pillow

• Unless you like the tradition, you can avoid spending $50 for two items that will never be used again. When the wedding day arrives, you will find a million things you could use that money on.

Don’t have a wedding cake.

• Buy pies, cheesecake, muffins or have an ice cream bar at a percentage of the cost of a wedding cake. Everyone still gets to enjoy dessert which is what matters the most.
  • Consider hiring your local grocery store’s bakery department. They hire trained professionals that can decorate and bake to perfection. Because it’s a grocery store, they don’t charge as much and are used to handling large, bulk orders.

Don’t hire a limousine or horse drawn carriage.

• Sorry to break it to you, but driving off together into the sunset in your old Chevy is just as romantic as a limousine. You two are starting an adventure together. That’s what matters the most.

Do not buy the official fancy wedding day lingerie.

• I love lingerie as much as the next woman, but as soon as you search for wedding lingerie the prices doubles if not triples. Why? Because it’s white. Save your money and go for color.
  • Consider making that your Something Blue
• Most wedding dresses have built in cups and corset so you don’t need those special undergarments anyways. Save your money for your honeymoon lingerie!

Just buy white shoes.

• Most wedding shops will recommend purchasing special dyeable shoes. This way you can dye your shoes to match the exact shade of white of your dress. Trust me, no one else will know if your shoes are white or diamond white.
• Wear your favorite comfy shoes for the reception. I wore my black work shoes and no one knew they weren’t special shoes. I didn’t have any blisters and saved money.

Shop online for hair/veil accessories.

• You can find cheap homemade beautiful accessories on ebay and etsy.com that are brand new at a quarter of the price of a bridal boutique.
• If you’re exceptionally crafty, you could make your own hair/veil accessories which will add a nice, special touch to your big day.

I love wedding magazines, but most of them will list things that they consider to be necessities. Sadly, the reality is that if you purchase everything they recommend you need to add several thousands to your wedding budget. You can have a perfect wedding day without all of the extra fluff. Your wedding is about two people who love each other making a vow before their friends and family. It’s not about whether you used real rose petals of fake ones. Some of these may seem like silly suggestions, but if you’re getting married on a tight budget then something has to give. You can still have the most memorable day and use a few creative touches to make it even more special.