Six Tips for Saving on Wedding Expenses

Six Tips for Saving on Wedding Expenses

Weddings can be an expensive celebration, the costs running into the thousands. This may be fine for the sons and daughters of investment bankers, venture capitalists, and drug dealers, but the average parent, in these difficult times, may balk at dropping $22,000 for a party.

For couples that are paying for the wedding and reception themselves, a formal affair may simply be out of the question.

Here are few tips that may help you lower the cost of your wedding and reception, without sacrificing any of the fun.

1. Wedding Invitations

There are numerous user-friendly desktop publishing programs that will allow you to design your own wedding invitations. And you needn’t have them printed at an expensive print shop. Try your local Kinko’s or similar printing service. Save on postage by hand delivering as many as possible.

2. Flowers

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Are you or someone in your family a gardener? Make your bouquets and buttoners using flowers from the garden. Don’t know anyone with a green thumb? Visit your local flower shop and choose simple arrangements that you can convert to your needs.

3. The Wedding Dress

The traditional satin gowns covered in pearls and lace can be very costly. You can hunt for bargains on wedding dresses; many shops will sell last year’s styles for under $200.00.

But you may want to break away from the traditional dress. Shop the local stores for formal wear on sale. A few alterations and you may start a whole new tradition.

4. The Reception Hall

Many places will offer a package deal, and you may get a rubber chicken dinner that fits your budget. Or you may want to try the backyard party.

If you or a family member or friend have a nice-sized backyard, hold the reception there. Instead of a full-blown catered affair, ask guests to bring a dish. You provide the main course and the drinks and liquor, and guests bring side dishes and desserts.

You can also look at renting halls without the catering package. This greatly reduces the cost per guest, which can be a modest $75 to a less than modest $300 or more.

Having guests bring the food may sound like a potluck supper, but such wedding parties have deep roots. Dating back to early civilization, the family of the bride hosted the party and everyone in the community brought food and drink. Weddings were not just for the bride and groom; they were matches made to benefit families and the community at large.

5. The Music

The local community college is likely to have a music department, and those students are likely weekend players. The bands they play in are likely to cost far less than a professional wedding band.

Hiring a DJ is becoming increasingly popular. Explore this option as well.

6. Beef-Up the Details

If all this sounds like a cheap wedding that will have your guests snickering, fear not. Whether you have your reception in your home or in a hall, add details that will make the day special.

Use name cards for the place settings, and include the wedding date, along with your names of course, on the card. The name card becomes a keepsake.

Have the band dedicate songs to guests, such as the parents of the bride and groom, Aunt Hattie who traveled 100 miles to be there, Cousin Martha for bringing a great tasting veggie dip.

Before the wedding, research traditions found in your ethnic background. For example, it is an Italian tradition to present five sugarcoated almonds to wedding guests. The almonds represent health, wealth, long life, fertility, and happiness.

Scottish tradition includes a sword dance. Among the Chinese, a family member acts as a Master of Ceremony, and, among other things, organizes a sketch depicting the couple’s courtship.

Adding an ethnic tradition, or a version of it, will certainly make the ceremony and reception unforgettable.

Weddings and receptions need not be costly affairs to be memorable. If you concentrate, instead, on making the ceremony and the party a more personable event, your guests will likely feel more a part of the experience, rather than just witnesses to a formal ritual.