Wedding Ideas on a Budget for Creating a Stylish Wedding

As mentioned in the first part of this series on Ideas for Creating a Stylish Wedding even when on a budget, couples often fear that a “low-cost wedding” is a “sad-looking wedding”. Well, it is far from it! You can achieve a stylish look without borrowing money from friends, family, and your bank, so you don’t start your marriage in debt. So, let’s put wedding ideas on a budget in perspective and look at more great suggestions for staying within your wedding budget that are primarily focused around the flowers and décor portion of your wedding planning.

• While most popular bridal flowers are available year-round, some traditional ones – for example, peonies and lily-of-the-valley – can be difficult to find and expensive out of season. Choose blooms that are locally available, rather than ones that must be shipped in from afar. Just ask your florist for help choosing blooms
• Keep in mind that approximately half of your florist’s bill will be for labor: try to select bridal bouquet ideas that are hand-tied (wrapped at the base with a ribbon matching your color scheme). Elaborate, cascading bridal bouquet designs will cost significantly more because they take more time to make
• For great bridal bouquet ideas without flowers, consider carrying candles, books, bibles, a rosary (like Melania Knauss-Trump did at her wedding), a single flower trimmed with ribbon streamers, wicker baskets or a decorated fan
• Talk to your venues and see if any other brides have booked for the same day. If the two of you can coordinate flowers and split the cost, you will save a lot of money. Just make sure that your styles match
• Make floral arrangements do double duty. If ceremony flowers are an appropriate size, they can serve as centerpieces on your reception tables; otherwise you can use them to decorate guest-book, seating-card, and favor tables. Bridesmaids’ bouquets will be perfect on the cake table
• Instead of decorating tables with large arrangements, float a few flowers in a variety of shallow bowls or glass cylinders filled halfway with water
• Reuse your pew markers to decorate doorknobs or other areas of your reception site
• Bowls or containers filled with seasonal fruits or vegetables can replace expensive floral presentations at a garden-style wedding
• For a winter wedding, mix berries, pine cones, and other economical non-floral embellishments with costlier blooms to fill out bridal bouquets and table arrangements
• As an alternative to traditional flower centerpieces, group favors together on the table. Wrap them with a paper matching your color palette or some of your stationery pieces (use a rubber stamp with your monogram, for instance)
• Flowering bulbs, such as amaryllis, narcissus, and hyacinth, often cost less than regular flowers and look great rising from a layer of stones set in clear containers
• Your florist won’t have to supply (and charge for) vases for your centerpieces if you have a collection of containers, such as urns that belonged to your grandmother, jelly jars or milk jugs. Filled with flowers, such vessels make pretty displays that tell about you and your family
• Consider renting large potted plants such as tropical palms or ficus: it is definitely less expensive than buying large flower arrangements. They visually fill a lot of space, and will enhance the setting at your ceremony site or warm up your reception. If you decide to purchase these large plants, you can use them in your backyard afterwards.
• Instead of costly escort cards, print a list of guests’ names and table assignments on elegant papers and display them in embellished frames, matching your color scheme
• Votives, tapers and lanterns are inexpensive, particularly when purchased in bulk, and they have an exciting effect on party décor. Place votives alongside your centerpieces to cast a soft glow, and add tapers to give the arrangements greater height. Rows of hanging lanterns are ideal for dramatically illuminating any outdoor path or walkway
• You don’t have to use those white tablecloths that come with your reception site. Some venues offer options: explore them and, if possible, select linens in a bright hue or with plenty of texture (stitching, beading and so on) to create a personalized look
• Raid stores like IKEA, Pier One and Cost Plus for things like candle holders and charger plates. It is cheaper than renting them, and then you can sell them online after your wedding
• Colored ribbons, tied around wine and champagne glasses and cake serving set for accent, add a distinctive touch without a greatly added expense
• Have a calligrapher letter only the cover of the ceremony program; print the interior pages using favorite fonts on your own computer. Consider creating menus, seating cards, and place cards with your computer as well

As you can see there are many ways to look at things for Wedding Ideas on a Budget and still create a stylish wedding. Check back for Part III where we go over money saving tips for the catering portion of your wedding plans, or better yet subscribe to YourWeddingDollars.com so you will be notified when Part III is published.

Weddings that tell a beautiful story: Yours. This is what Sabrina Cadini, Professional Bridal Consultant^TM, and owner of La Dolce Idea in San Diego, California, is passionate about. Each wedding should reflect the couple’s personality, and Sabrina adds that magic touch to make it an event that couples and their guests will always remember. By offering truly personalized service and money-saving solutions for every budget, she fuses creativity, Italian-style (where she’s from) and professionalism into impeccably planned celebrations. Find out more about Sabrina at www.ladolceidea.us

Wedding Ideas on a Budget that Still Create a Stylish Wedding

Couples often fear that a “low-cost wedding” is a “sad-looking wedding”. Well, it is not! You can achieve a stylish look without borrowing money from friends, family, and your bank, so you don’t start your marriage in debt. So let’s put wedding ideas on a budget in perspective.

More often, couples forget their wedding is, in reality, a celebration of their union. Today, most of the weddings we witness are full event productions, with extravagant décor, special effects, and impressive entertainment. But what about celebrating your love with just a few classic and stylish touches? We at La Dolce Idea always try to enhance each celebration with the couple’s personality: their heritage (Asian favors, for instance), their personal taste (a delicious papaya and mango cake), their favorite destinations (a European theme with signature monuments as centerpieces), and other elements about them. I assure you your guests will remember your wedding more than an aerial performance by acrobats dressed in royal blue, your “wedding color”.

For Wedding Ideas on a Budget, here are some general tips for saving money and having a wonderful celebration. More articles will follow, focusing on flowers and décor, and on the catering aspect of your special day.

• Always set a budget. You may have flowers as a priority, but you should first determine how much you can spend on the entire occasion, including engagement ring, wedding accessories, cake, honeymoon, etc. Avoid the little details that will be easily forgotten (those tossing petals might be cute but not necessary). Pay wedding costs with a credit card to earn frequent-flyer miles toward your honeymoon, but make sure you pay the balance in full each month in order to avoid incurring interest charges
• Negotiate - It never hurts to ask. People in the wedding industry are usually quite familiar with budgets and are willing to work with you. Explain your situation and maybe your florist will throw in a flower girl basket and lend you some accessories, but always be very respectful for the quality of products your vendors are providing
• Besides trying to keep your guest list to a reasonable number, try to keep the number of attendants as small as possible: the larger the bridal party, the more you will spend for gifts and flowers
• Instead of spending a lot of money on the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, be creative: an intimate BBQ at a relative’s house could be the perfect solution. Having a good time with some good company is the main goal, and your wedding party will definitely not remember the food they ate or the restaurant they went to for the rehearsal dinner
• Great wedding ideas on a budget would include not just look at wedding “venues” when you look for your wedding or reception location, but also contact local parks that have beautiful gardens or gazebos, historical sites, or museums. Sometimes places like that allow weddings for donations instead of expensive fees, and their natural landscape won’t need elaborate decorations or additional floral arrangements. Just make sure you always ask about the total capacity, restrictions about alcoholic beverages, whether rentals are included, and if they have a preferred vendor list. Also, choose a site that offers everything. You may think a raw space (such as your own backyard) will save you money, but the cost of all the rentals (tables, chairs, linens, china, a tent depending on weather conditions, etc) will set you behind… and you will be more stressed!
• When selecting your wedding invitation, choose one that will only require one stamp (no square invites, for instance), and purchase a package. A coordinated set of stationery has an elegant appearance, especially if the designs on each item are similar, not identical. If you can, try to have your reception information added on the ceremony invitation to eliminate the expense of the reception card. Instead of expensive letterpress printing method, opt for thermography or offset printing in one color (two shades of ink might match your wedding scheme but add printing costs). You can even print your own invitations: many stationery stores today provide beautiful sets of wedding invitations, including the invite, envelopes, RSVP cards and RSVP envelopes. Hiring a friend with a knack for graphic design to help can also save you money. Just remember to follow proper wedding invitation etiquette before printing your invitations
• Look for a dress at sample sales, trunk shows, and outlets; you can sign up for some designers’ sample-sale listings online and at all of your local bridal shops and salons. This will get you a discount on the dress, and you may even score some freebies like a veil or alterations, which can add up to hundreds of dollars in the long run. As an alternative, follow the Brides Against Breast Cancer Tour: you can find gorgeous wedding gowns at discounted price and benefit the Making Memories Foundation, dedicated to cancer patients. For your bridesmaids, you can try regular women’s clothing stores, including department stores. For a spring or summer wedding, use sundresses in your scheme colors and your bridesmaids’ sizes: they will thank you because they will have a dress they can actually wear again. You can also give bridesmaids a color and have them choose the dress in similar shades. You can follow the same advice for flower-girls: frilly spring and Easter dresses often work very well for them. Shoes can be found just about anywhere, not just at bridal stores.
• Be creative to come up with wedding ideas on a budget. For example, talk with your other engaged friends to see if there are any small wedding items that you can all choose together, buy together, and use at your own weddings, such as ring pillows and aisle runners. Some brides even share veils, and pair them with different headpieces, tiaras, or fresh blooms that match their bridal bouquet design.
• To make your ceremony extra-personal, ask a close friend or family member to officiate
• Choose inexpensive entrée items such as chicken and pasta for your reception meal, and then ask your chef or caterer to create gourmet sauces to make those meals extra-special (think about a pasta dish with a fabulous lobster-garnished sauce)
• Ask talented friends or relatives to help with your wedding. Your skilled friends could make cookie favors, make your bridesmaids’ wedding-day necklaces or bake a dessert for the rehearsal dinner as their wedding gift to you. It’s a win-win!
• Instead of hiring two bands and paying two separate fees, ask if a few pieces of the band that will be playing at the reception can entertain your guests during the ceremony and cocktail hour
• Hire a videographer to work just from the ceremony through the first dance rather than for the entire wedding
• Limo rental is another expense you can cut unless you get a really good deal. Borrow or rent a car, or check and see if someone has a classic car that you could borrow or that they would drive you around in
• Find well-priced favors on the Internet. There are tons of sites that offer anything you desire, from beach, to Asian, black-and-white, and vintage. Another great idea is to make a charitable donation in honor of your guests: they will definitely appreciate it
• After the event, donate your flowers to a hospital or nursing home; it’s a thoughtful thing to do and also a tax deduction
• Take a mini-honeymoon instead of the two-week Caribbean getaway. If your romantic plans far exceed your travel budget, consider setting up a honeymoon registry. These services eliminate the financial burden by allowing wedding guests contribute to your honeymoon budget online.  If you decide to pay for your own, choose a destination close to home for your first vacation as husband and wife, and you can plan the more exotic vacation later on. Many four- and five-star resorts throughout the country offer lavish honeymoon suites and packages that can easily compete with those in the Caribbean and other popular honeymoon destinations. Besides, you’ll save on airfare, especially if you book in advance. Cities like Chicago, Austin, Miami, and New Orleans are loaded with personality, charm, and endless possibilities for honeymooners who want to save money and stay close to home

As you can see there are many ways to look at things for Wedding Ideas on a Budget and still create a stylish wedding.  Check back for Part II, or better yet subscribe to YourWeddingDollars.com so you will be notified when Part II is published.

Weddings that tell a beautiful story: Yours. This is what Sabrina Cadini, Professional Bridal Consultant^TM, and owner of La Dolce Idea in San Diego, California, is passionate about. Each wedding should reflect the couple’s personality, and Sabrina adds that magic touch to make it an event that couples and their guests will always remember. By offering truly personalized service and money-saving solutions for every budget, she fuses creativity, Italian-style (where she’s from) and professionalism into impeccably planned celebrations. Find out more about Sabrina at www.ladolceidea.us

Wedding Budgets Keep You in the Black (and White)!

Wedding costs vary regionally from around $25,000 in the Midwest to $50,000 and more in the Northeast. The average wedding in the United States costs approximately $28,000, not including rings or the traditional expenses of the bridegroom’s family.

Because they are expensive, because you want a beautiful wedding and because you don’t want to go into serious debt, the first step in planning any wedding is a practical one – establishing a budget. Bridal budget woes will put a damper on one’s outlook and a strain on relationships. A good budget is the foundation of a joyful wedding day.

Asking For Help

Depending on the ages and circumstances of the couple, family members may be interested in contributing to the wedding budget. There is no law that says parents must pay for any or all of the wedding, but it is a good idea to ask if key family members want to participate financially.

” . . . impress your parents and prospective in-laws (to say nothing of your fiancé) with your practical and effective approach to planning a lovely wedding.”

If they are interested, have ideas about the wedding and rough costs before meeting with them. Read magazines, attend a bridal show, visit bridal retailers, call vendors for budget ideas. Many parents make a flat contribution or specifically cover costs of photography or the wedding dress, for example.

Some budget items will be “hard costs,” not reflective of how many people will attend. Example, your $2,000 wedding dress will cost that much no matter how many people attend. The cost of a photography package or video won’t change with the number of people being photographed and entertainment costs are the same no matter how many people dance. To estimate these in advance, call at least three vendors for prices.

Again, don’t delay the budgeting portion of your wedding planning-start there. Failing to do so works against you by reducing options and, possibly, the wedding fund. Once you have a complete budget picture, prioritize items requiring the longest lead time, such as finding the site. As you proceed, you will make decisions about “soft costs”- those items which fluctuate, often with the number of people to attend, including the catering, beverages, cake, flowers, etc.

The Art of Compromise

Most brides thoroughly hone their prioritization and compromise skills during the wedding planning process. To accommodate a few more guests, she may switch from exotic to local flowers to avoid changing the exquisite wedding cake. This is also an important day for the groom. Is a compromise needed to let him know he is important, too?

Early Brides Catch the Bargains — and Bogus Bargains

Be cautious about bargain-rate vendors. Once a contract is signed, hidden costs can threaten your budget. Catch the add-ons by asking several prospective vendors what’s included in the price so you can compare values.

Booking and executing contracts twelve to eighteen months in advance guarantees your rates. Some vendors offer prepay discounts. Except for customary deposits, only prepay if you know the reputation and stability of a vendor. You can ask about making a reasonable deposit and regular monthly payments.

For most couples budgets are a big part of their life together, so the wedding budget can be a great learning experience. With or without their help, following a budget will impress your parents and prospective in-laws (to say nothing of your fiancé) with your practical and effective approach to planning a lovely wedding.

“Stress Free, Leave the Details to Me,” is the tried & true philosophy of Robbin Montero, California Wine Country wedding planning expert and owner of A Dream Wedding. Robbin is the premier wedding planner in the Northern California Wine Country, transforming any vision into a perfectly designed wedding creation. Robbin and her weddings have been featured in The Knot, Brides, Elite Magazine, Your Wedding Day, Vine Napa/Sonoma magazines and ImportantOccasions.com. Travel & Leisure magazine calls Robbin, “The expert wedding planner in the California Wine Country.” www.a-dreamwedding.com

This article cannot be reprinted without Robbin Montero’s expressed written permission.

Weddings – Who Pays for What?

Dowries no longer exist in our culture. Also long gone by the wayside is the old notion that the bride’s family is financially responsible for the entire cost of the wedding and reception. Having your parents bear the entire expense of a wedding and reception is not a birthright. Their contribution is a gift and, with the skyrocketing cost of weddings, is has become commonplace for both sets of parents and the bridal couple to share in this major expense.

“Having your parents bear the entire expense of a wedding and reception is not a birthright.”

When setting your wedding budget, start by asking what amount, if any, your parents are willing to contribute. They may wish to cover some, if not all, of the services and items on your list. When it comes to weddings, who pays for what still shows modern tradition observing the following financial allocations:

Traditional expenses of groom and/or groom’s parents

The groom’s parents (and/or groom) are responsible for the cost of the bride’s and bridesmaids’ bouquets, all corsages for the ladies and boutonnieres for the gentlemen. The groom bears the expense of the marriage license and officiant’s fee, but not the church or ceremony location charges. The groom or his parents pay for expenses associated with transportation of the bride and groom to the ceremony and reception, and transportation to the wedding night room.

The entire cost of the honeymoon and the bride’s ring is the responsibility of the groom and/or groom’s parents, as well as any gifts given to the bride. Accommodations for the groomsmen, whether arriving from out-of-town, or if a destination wedding is planned, are also the responsibility of the groom. The groom pays the cost of rental or purchase of his tuxedo.

Always an optional expense for the groom’s family, it is commonly expected that the groom’s parents are financially responsible for the rehearsal dinner. Depending on circumstances, the groom and groom’s parents can also offer assistance for a next-day brunch, or they can choose to pay for particular wedding items, such as the photography, champagne or cake.

Traditional expenses of the bride’s family

The bride’s family is responsible for all other expenses, which include the engagement party and the rehearsal dinner (if the groom’s parents do not pay). They will cover the entire cost of the reception, including the site rental, catering fees, beverages, wedding cake, all other flowers and decorations for the site. The bride’s dress, invitations, music for the ceremony and reception, cost of the church or ceremony site, photography and/or videography, wedding coordinator, party favors, guest transportation (if needed), and a trousseau for the bride also come under the responsibility of the bride’s family. They are also responsible for the cost of rooms for the bridesmaids at destination weddings, or for the rooms of women in the bridal party who are arriving from out-of-town.

Of course, times have changed and many brides are professional women who, along with their groom, contribute considerably to the expenses of the wedding. Some are capable of and desire to pay for their own weddings, splitting costs with their future spouse.

Other expenses

Bridesmaids are responsible for the cost of their dresses, any alterations and accessories.  They also pay for shower and wedding gifts, as well as the expense of hosting or co-hosting the bridal shower(s) and bachelorette party.

Groomsmen are responsible for renting their tuxedos, any alterations and accessories.  They also pay for wedding gifts, and hosting or co-hosting a bachelor (or coed bachelor/ bachelorette) party.

When it comes to your wedding who pays for what can be determined by discussing your wedding up front with everyone who might participate in covering the expenses. Doing so will help you make the most of a realistic budget so you can have the touches you feel are important to your celebration of marriage.

“Stress Free, Leave the Details to Me,” is the tried & true philosophy of Robbin Montero, California Wine Country wedding planning expert and owner of A Dream Wedding. Robbin is the premier wedding planner in the Northern California Wine Country, transforming any vision into a perfectly designed wedding creation. Robbin and her weddings have been featured in The Knot, Brides, Elite Magazine, Your Wedding Day, Vine Napa/Sonoma magazines and ImportantOccasions.com. Travel & Leisure magazine calls Robbin, “The expert wedding planner in the California Wine Country.” www.a-dreamwedding.com

This article cannot be reprinted without Robbin Montero’s expressed written permission.