If you've got 30 grand to spend on your wedding then you go girl! I look forward to seeing your breath taking pictures! But if you're like me and you puke in your mouth a little bit at the thought of spending over 10 grand then lets share some saving strategies.
The first thing I did was pick a city owned and inexpensive venue that happened to have nice chairs. Rentals jack up the price of your wedding and I wanted no part. I couldn't believe it when I saw that chair covers are more to rent than chairs them selves, crazy! That's about 300 bucks saved not worrying about the chair situation.
The venue will host our ceremony and our reception. This was no accident. I purposely choose a place that could do double duty so I wouldn't have to pay two fees. It also cuts down on travel time ;) In the picture above you can see the ceremony space on the left as well as the chairs.
Next, cutting paper goods. I did a post card save the date and postage cost more than the actual postcards. Also, I'm skipping menus, escort cards, and programs. If people really need a time line of the night I'll make one up on a chalk board to be displayed at the entrance. We're also not doing invitation suites. I'd like to do one sheet invites and in a somewhat normal size in order to not pay extra for postage. This still needs to be researched.
The more risky saving money strategy has to be the "friendor". Having your friends help out with whatever skills they bring to the table is a great idea if you ask me. It personalizes your wedding and saves you money but there is that little voice in the back of my head that prays everything will go smoothly because you can't easily fire a friend. We're having a friend DJ and another marry us, two pretty big parts of the day are in their hands. I also won't be having a DOC but rather trusting my mom and some friends to set up. What could go wrong?
For the food we did the best we could. We chose a package that included linens, china, glassware, and service people and we didn't go for any extras. We're doing buffet to cut cost and providing our own alcohol as well. Then we are cutting the champagne toast, and those cake cutting sets. We can toast with what we're drinking and use a knife to cut the cake. Party pooper? Maybe, but I'll be spending that money on things I actually care about, like Mai Tais on the beach in Belize.
Lets not forget the biggest money saver...DIY! Woo Hoo! I love me some DIY crafts and things, but that's for another post.
Are you cutting any of the traditional wedding hoopla to save money? Did I cut anything that I shouldn't have?
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