How to Plan an Inexpensive Wedding...
We all have dreams of planning a grand, huge, Pinterest-worthy wedding.But after the sparkles settle and you go back to reality, having a huge, wedding-induced debt is not a great start to a new marriage. The average spent on weddings in America today is between 25 and 30 thousand dollars....oy! I believe you can have an amazing wedding with a few tricks here and there, and this is my advice on how to do so!
Step 1: Size
If you have food at your wedding, the average price per plate can range anywhere from 7 to 20 dollars (based on what I saw). Basically, each person counts. Those 5 friends from college who you barely speak to anyways could be an extra $100 that you could use on your honeymoon for a fancy dinner! Don't let people bully you into getting an invitation.
Step 2: Friends Love to Help
My mother and I asked a close friend to design our wedding programs. We asked family to help with food serving instead of hiring people to do it. Seriously, people LOVE to be asked to help at weddings. Just ask them!
Step 3: Bargain Hunt
My mom is a super bargain hunting machine (a trait/curse which she passed on to me). She bought tablecloths wholesale online, I made little decorations for the tables, I got my flowers at HEB (a local grocery store), my mom made my veil, I chose a cheaper alternative for invitations, etc. All these little things add up to you saving a LOT! We thought we were going to have to spend over $100 just for rose petals for people to throw on us but a sweet man at Costco gave us an older bag for free!
Take home note: if you are patient and search for deals you can find some good stuff!
Step 4: Pick the Important Things
What is most important to you? The dress? The venue? What ever you know is the biggest deal to you is what you can allow yourself to spend more money on. However, if you do that you are going to have to make sacrifices in other areas. For me I wanted to have great pictures, but I just got a little cake for Myles and me and got pies from Costco for the guests. This in turn saved a bucket load of money!
Step 5: Ask Venues about Furnishings
When you visit venues, ask them if they have their own tables, decorations, lights, etc. Myles and I got married at a rustic, ranch-style house, so we needed very little decor as it was already very ready-to-go, if you will. Some churches we looked at would have required a lot of decorating to get the vibe I was looking for--so see if you can find a pre-made environment and it will save you work and money!
Step 6: Makeup much?
Unless there is a specific look you want or you just want to make sure your makeup is ultra super mega perfect, then I would just recommend doing it yourself. Personally, I think makeup artists charge WAY too much. If you like the way you do your makeup, just do it! Or ask a friend or family member. Boom, $100 just saved.
Step 7: Reuse
I just used some of my old, favorite jewelry for my wedding. My sisters wore their cowboy boots instead of buying new shoes. If you have the mentality that you have to buy all-new, special things for you wedding, you're wrong! Borrow or just use your favorites if they work! An old, loved necklace is more precious than a brand new one.
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