101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding – Part 1: Planning

101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding – Part 1: Wedding Planning

With the cost of weddings spiraling upwards of $27,000 (depending on where you plan to have your wedding), and the unstable economy, many engaged couples are looking for ways to save money on their wedding.  Over the next few days, We, at Completely Weddings,  will share with you 101 ways to cut your wedding cost and thereby saving you money to use somewhere else such as your honeymoon or savings for your first home.  As we publish each part, we will add a link at the end of this article to enable you to have a complete list of our 101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding.

WEDDING PLANNING

1.    Set a budget.   Before you begin shopping and planning, set a goal for yourself of how much you want to spend.  You would not want to start your married life with debt, so do not over spend.  Use cash, if you can.  But, if you are going to use a credit card, get or use one that charges the lowest interest you can find.  Pay the loan as soon as possible.  To give you an idea of a wedding budget, download our “Wedding Expenses Table“. The percentage are not set in stone.  They are merely suggestions and you can change them depending on our priorities (see #2 below). Once you determined the percentages,  download our “Wedding Expense Record” to keep track of who pays for what and how much does it cost per item.  Make an effort to keep your costs in your budget, and remember that any additional money you save can go towards your honeymoon or your first home together.  Here is a “Planning Calendar Checklist” to keep your wedding planning activities in a timely manner.

2.    Determine your priorities.  Sit down with your fiancé and determine which area are most important to you.  Do you both value traditions or could you do without a lot of them? Is a DJ the most important thing to have at your reception, or is it a full meal?  Chose where you want to cut costs and what things are too important to you to skimp on.

3.    Make your own traditions and ditch the old ones.  If there are certain traditions that you don’t enjoy, such as throwing the garter and the bouquet (especially difficult if you have a very small wedding), don’t feel obligated to include them.  You can create traditions all your own.

4.    Don’t hire a wedding planner.  If you are planning a small event especially, you don’t need a wedding planner.  Invest in an accordion file and a wedding planning book from a bookstore and do it yourself.

5.    Keep your eye out for bridal shows.  Bridal shows are a great place to get freebies, gather information, and enter contests.  The least you’ll walk away with is a better idea of what you want in your wedding, so find your next local bridal show and mark your calendar!

6.    Order online.  For everything from dresses to flowers to favors, you can get some great deals when you shop online.  Do your homework before you make a purchase at any store and see if you can’t find the same thing cheaper on Amazon, EBay, or Overstock.com.

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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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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]

Eco-Friendly Wedding

How to Have A Great Green Wedding

The world has been experiencing a welcome wave of green lately.  From clothing to food to trash bags, almost anything can be purchased in an eco-friendly manner.  For the eco-minded couple, a green wedding is a great way to go.  Your wedding and reception are both large events that can have a huge impact on the earth from the fuel used in travel to the waste created on that special day.  Here are some ways to green your special day.

WEDDING INVITATION

Handmade and Plantable.  Begin your eco-friendly wedding with invitations and announcements made of biodegradable, seed-embedded paper that can be planted to grow flowers.   Seed-embedded paper is a fun, creative, and very green material that can be used [Read more]

Princess Fairy Tale Wedding

Much have been said about brides who want to have a fairy tale wedding.  Some say that since more and more women are getting married later in life, this fantasy is no longer held by these women.  Is the dream of a once in a lifetime chance to feel like a real princess disappear at a certain age? I should hope not.  A fairy tale wedding can be romantic, whimsical, and creative.   Last year, Disney tapped into this dream and came out with bridal gowns designed by Kristie Kelly using the Disney princesses as inspiration.  Having a fairy tale wedding, however,  includes more than just the dress.  The ideas below will jump start your preparation for your perfect fairy tale wedding theme.

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