Title: Cutting the wedding cost – as well as the cake
Author: Mary Hubbard
Article:
Saving Money on Your Wedding
It’s true that we’re in the midst of a global financial mess
right now, but you can still have the wedding you’ve always
wanted. One bridal magazine has stated that the average cost of
an Australian wedding is $39,114. That means that a lot of
couples start off their lives together with a lot of debt to
handle. And because financial worries can be a major stress on
relationships, it stands to reason that that’s something you
don’t want to do. Therefore, one of the leading Sunshine Coast
wedding venues offers tips that can help avoid just that
situation if you’re about to walk down the aisle.
To get started:
Decide who’s going to pay for what, and set a budget so that you
don’t overspend. Make a list of everything you’re going to need
and set a spending limit for each item, too, based upon your
overall budget. Decide on how many groomsmen and bridesmaids you
need. And don’t ask someone to be a bridesmaid just because you
were one at her wedding. In fact, you may want to dispense with
bridesmaids and groomsmen altogether. Perhaps just have a best
man and maid of honour instead; sleek, sophisticated, and
streamlined.
Deciding on your dress:
Here’s a hot tip: If you don’t have someone in your family or
among your friends who sews, take your measurements and send
them to someone who does just that on eBay. Wedding forums will
tell you what you need to know about the best eBay sellers who
sell their services making wedding gowns. You can hire a good
and inexpensive person to make your wedding gown for a lot less
money than it would take to buy one. And take some time to check
out styles you like well before the wedding so that you have
time to choose.
Other options for getting your dress inexpensively:
Shop at the end of a particular season and buy a dress on
clearance. Or, check out online sites and auctions or outlet
stores for bargains. One caveat with the online auctions or
sites is that you’re not going to quite know what you’re
getting, so be careful when you’re shopping this way. But you
can use the wedding forums to check out ebay sellers as chances
are somebody else will have had some dealings with them. “Rent”
your dress instead of buying it. It’s cheaper, and it saves you
the trouble of having to sell your dress later or keeping it
(unless you are going to wear it again). Borrow your dress. If
you and someone you know are the same sizes, why not? Again,
much cheaper than buying your dress.
Getting your jewellery:
Borrow it; as the old phrase says, you should have, “Something
old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” on
your wedding day, so these are great items to borrow. And, it
makes your day more special as well. Use just one piece of
jewellery, like a necklace. This is especially important if your
dress is very ornate because the simplicity of the jewellery
will let it stand out.
Hair and makeup:
Have your hair and makeup done by students at a local beauty
school. Make arrangements early and give them a trial run before
the big day to make sure you’ll be happy with the results. Do
your own facial at home. Treat yourself to a “free makeover” on
the morning of your wedding by visiting the cosmetic counter at
a department store. Ask a friend or friends to do your hair and
makeup on the morning of the big day.
Choosing the flowers:
Choose flowers that are in season, because they will be much
cheaper than those out of season or those that are particularly
exotic. In addition, a simple bouquet will look lovely and do
the job just as well as an elaborate one, and it will be much
less expensive, too. Pick a bouquet from your own garden, or
your friends’ or families’ gardens. Use the bouquets from the
ceremony as centrepieces at the reception. Or, to save even more
money, have the ceremony and reception at the same place so that
no special arrangements need to be made. If you get married
during major church holiday, such as Easter or Christmas, the
church may already have flowers in place that can simply serve
in your ceremony, too. Make your own table decorations from
“non-flower” items like confetti, balloons, pretty dishes of
chocolates — the list is endless. Be creative!
Your wedding cake:
Instead of giving you a wedding present, ask a friend or
relative to make your cake for you. Have wedding cake as your
dessert at the reception dinner instead of providing a separate
dessert AND the wedding cake.
Invitations, table cards and seating charts:
You can make your own table cards, invitations, and seating
charts. Better yet, take a special photo of you and your
intended, and use that to make personalized invitations. E-mail
your invitations to guests instead of sending them by post.
Favours:
Skip favours altogether. Most guests don’t expect them anyway.
Make them yourself. Homemade cookies are one idea that will be
welcomed by your guests.
Photography:
It’s a pretty safe bet that everybody’s going to be taking
videos and photos at the wedding, so you can set up a website
and then give your guests a username and password; invite them
to upload their own photos to it. Enlist the services of a
friend to take the videos and have the professional photographer
just take wedding party pictures before or after the service.
This will save you considerable expense.
The venue:
Invite a small number of guests so that your food and alcohol
bills will be small, too. Invite close family and friends to the
reception dinner, and then invite everyone else to come to a
larger party after the dinner. Make your wedding date either in
the middle of the winter or in the middle of the week. Both of
these times are less expensive than others. Instead of hiring a
band or DJ, make your own CDs or use your iPod to provide music
for the reception and dancing.
Transportation:
Borrow a friend’s or family member’s fancy car, or ask them to
chauffeur you (t could also be their wedding present for you.)
Use just one or two cars for the wedding party so that fuel
costs for everyone are much less expensive.
Wedding presents:
If you already live together you don’t need to set up a
household, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask people for money
instead of gifts.
The honeymoon:
Ask yourselves, “Do we really need this?” It may be that your
perfect wedding day together to mark your marriage is enough. If
you do feel the need to mark the occasion with a honeymoon,
perhaps a simple getaway together is enough. Travel agencies and
other organizations often have last-minute deals that are much
less expensive than having to book your honeymoon on a specific
date. Keep an eye out for last-minute deals or be flexible and
book your honeymoon at some point after the wedding, instead of
immediately after.
About the author:
Mary Hubbard represents the events centre @ maroochy, one of the
leading Sunshine Coast wedding venues, specialising in
conferences and corporate events. Find out more about hosting
your next conference on the beautiful Sunshine Coast here =>
http://www.eventscentremaroochy.com.au
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