Weddings are one of the most expensive events of your life. It is not unusual for a wedding to cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. One reason why this is so is that everyone on the vendor list is a specialist of one thing. You need one vendor for baking and another for catering the reception dinner. You pay for a hair beautician, a makeup artist, and a manicurist. Every item you add to your wedding adds another vendor with deposits and down payments.
With a little creativity, an open mind, and a sense of humor you can bring your dream wedding home for much less than you think. We will give you a few tips.
Prioritize
Make a list of the “must haves” and a list of the “like to have”. Set a dollar amount you are willing to spend and set out to make your “must have” list come about.
Wedding Gown
Of course, your wedding gown is the first item on the list. While you can go out and spend thousands of dollars on the dress of your dreams, you do not have to. Go online to view a lace wedding dress from Azazie. Azazie is a leader in the industry. They have beautiful gowns with all the services you need to have your dress made to fit you. They have good prices and a program where your bridesmaids can order a gown for a small deposit that will be shipped to them to try on. This is the easiest and least expensive way to have the wedding party of your dreams.
Nails and makeup
I would easily cost a couple of hundred dollars to have the bride and the bridal party’s nails professionally done. With the advancement in gel nails, this is an expense you can reduce. Gel nails are easily done at home and they come in beautiful colors that will last up to 2 weeks. The weekend before the wedding gather for a hen party and for less than the price of one professional manicure, you can do everyone’s nails beautifully.
The reception
The reception is by far the most expensive expense of the day. If you add an open bar, you are soon dipping into the honeymoon fund to keep everyone happy. Instead of traditional prime rib, or other expensive menu choices, settle for chicken and pasta. You feed more people for less money and the food is delicious.
Cut Costs But Never Style
Wedding cakes are lovely, but they are very costly. The latest trend is to set up a beautiful candy buffet with candies wrapped in your wedding colors. Create a backdrop of matching cloth and string twinkle lights. Your guest will love the sweets, nothing will go to waste, and they are beautiful. Buy a small two tier cake for cutting and sharing with the groom. That will give you the photo op you need.
Let Your Guest Gift You With Photos
Pay for the very basic minimum wedding photo package, then list the additional photos on your Honeyfund. This allows your guests to contribute toward the photos instead of spending their money on a wedding gift. As an extra perk for the photographer, allow others to buy copies of photos they like directly from him Guests simply gift the couple the funds they intended for the traditional gift, and together they build the funds to have these wonderful memories forever.