Happy Holidays from Completely Weddings

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101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding – Part 2: Invitations

101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding- Part 2: Invitations

Here are 8 ways (Saving Ways numbers 12 to 19) to save money on your invitations and announcements.  The first of our money saving ways is to cut down your guest list.  You probably heard this before and it is worth repeating.  The guest list not only dictates how many invitations and/or announcements should you buy or make, it also dictates how much food and drinks you will need, not to mention the size of your reception venue.  All these costs M-O-N-E-Y!  So, do keep this in mind.  On to our money saving ways for your wedding preparations:

INVITATIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

12.    Cut down your guest list.  The quickest and easiest way to save money on your wedding is to cut down your guest list.  Have a small wedding with only family, or only invite very close friends.  Cut the people you never talk to, or all of your coworkers from the list.  If anyone is offended explain that it was a very small and intimate affair.

13.    Skip engagement announcements and save the dates.  These extra touches are cute, but no longer completely necessary.  Take the time to make a personal phone call to the most important people in your life and let work of mouth do the rest.  Or, if you must get the word out, use an email instead.

14.    Design and print your invitations at home.  You can buy blank invitations at any craft store, Target, Wal Mart or online. Here is a site I found that gives great step by step instructions on how to make your own invitations: Do-it-Yourself-Invitations.  This next site sells cheap, but elegant DIY Invitation kits that starts at less than a dollar a piece: Formal Invitations.   If you or someone you know is handy with Adobe Photoshop or graphic design you can even create a very personal picture or logo for all of your wedding correspondence.

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Writing Thank You Notes

Writing thank you notes for all the gifts you received is your next big challenge after your wedding.  This could be daunting, especially if you had hundreds of guests to thank.  Here are some tips to help you alleviate your fears of tackling the “thank you notes” writing:

Start from the Planning Stage

Assign someone with the responsibility of listing gifts that you received during your engagement, bridal showers and wedding gifts.  The list will contain the name of the giver, a short description of what was given, the occasion (engagement, bridal shower,  wedding), the date the gift was received and a space to place a check mark once the thank you cards are mailed.  You can use a simple Excel file to create this list.  This way, you have all the names of the persons you need to send thank you notes.

Avoid Procrastination

Refer to the gift list above and write the thank you note within two weeks after you receive the gift, but the sooner, the better.  This way you do not have to write all of them at the same time.  Your notes will sound more sincere because you do not have to rush writing them.  Once the thank you note has been mailed, place a check mark next to the guest’s name and watch your list fill with check marks.

Writing Tips

• Sending thank you notes through emails is not appropriate.

• Send handwritten thank you notes.  They do not need to be written in calligraphy, but do write legibly.

• Acknowledge each gift separately. For example, if you receive an engagement gift, a bridal shower gift and a wedding gift from your friend, Mary, send her 3 thank you notes – one for each of the gifts. [Read more]

Designing Your Wedding Program

Providing the perfect notes on a perfect day.

The wedding program is a traditional element that is often used for large or elaborate ceremonies.  You can use a program for any wedding, but should note that it’s not absolutely necessary.  If you are having a small ceremony and want to cut the costs, programs are a good place to do it.  However, programs can be very useful for many weddings.  Programs can be a helpful addition if you are having a wedding with unique cultural or religious ceremonies, or if you have a large guest list where the guests may not be familiar with the wedding party. [Read more]

Wedding Invitation Designs and Wordings That Wow Your Guests

One of the most taken-for-granted details in planning a wedding is the wedding invitation. Although the average cost for US weddings in 2007 is placed at $28,732 by Wedding Industry Trends in their latest Wedding Report, only a small part of that goes to the preparation of the wedding invitation.

Your wedding invitation need not be gold-studded to be that special, and it need not cost you thousands of dollars just so you can impress your guests. Wedding invitations that complement your wedding theme plus a simple invitation wording should do the trick. Here are some ideas on how to come up with great wedding invitation designs with matching invitation wordings: [Read more]

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