Here is a sample of money saving tips that FrugalBride.com would like to share with you. Use a couple of tips to save a few bucks or use more and save $1000+.
The Most Important Money Saving Tips
· You will save yourself an enormous amount of money if you get married during the off-season months of January, February, March and November.
· Get married on any other day of the week other than Saturday.
· There is no official name for this disease but many brides get it.
1st Symptom - around 3 months before your wedding, you'll begin to second-guess your decisions.
2nd Symptom - You'll get scared and think about what you can do to make your wedding better or more unique.
3rd Symptom - Then you'll ask friends, family, co-workers and anyone that will listen to you, about what they think of your new ideas.
4th Symptom - and most dangerous…you make a few phone calls and start up-grading a few of your packages.
The Cure - stick to your original budget. As the wedding draws near, your emotions take over…ignore them.
· Vendors are well aware of the disease. That's why every contract allows for you to upgrade a package at any time but there are rarely loopholes for downgrading.
Wedding Gown
· Never mind buying an expensive silk gown. Stick to polyester blends. They're cheaper, don't wrinkle as much and are easier to clean.
· Most of the big bridal shops have huge sales once a year, usually held at hotels or other big venues.
Flowers
· Instead of tossing your whole bouquet, just pick one flower to throw. We all know what condition the bride's bouquet is in after 30 women (or more) start clawing at it.
· If you're using flowers in your centrepieces, decorations or large altar arrangements, go with silk. Would be nice if your guests could actually use the centrepieces that they just won again. You could re-use the decorations and larger arrangements at home as party accents or resell them on the Babbling Brides Board to another FB.
Decorations
· To decorate the head table and save money buy vases, line them up and place the bouquets in them on the table and place votives in between.
· Kill 2 birds with one stone and use your guest favours/bomboniere as your centrepieces. Buy a raised cake plate and display the favours on each table. Your MC can make an announcement explaining.
Invitations
· Order your invitations over the Internet instead of a printing shop (it's a little cheaper). Mail order is another possibility.
· Order a plain invitation from a company and decorate it yourself. All you need is a hole-puncher and some ribbon and/or parchment paper.
Favours
· Instead of buying a trinket that will be tossed into a drawer, make a donation to a charity. This is a new trend that many brides are choosing. Pick a cause that means something to you.
· Your MC can say something like: "Instead of favours, the couple has decided to make a donation in their name to the Lung Cancer Society. The bride's grandfather passed 3 years ago from this disease." Donations always get a round of applause…ever see anyone clap for a candy dish?
Wedding Cakes
· Buying a cake made with different flavoured tiers will save you money as you wouldn't necessarily require a dessert table.
· Buy a plain wedding cake and decorate it yourself with silk or fresh flowers.
Hair & Makeup
· Try to hire one person or company that does both hair and makeup.
· Try to find a makeup and hair vendor that will do a trial a few months before the wedding. It gives you time to work out any areas you are not happy with and makes the wedding day process much quicker.
Caterer & Reception Venue
· Hire a caterer that supplies everything you need, plates, glassware, table cloths, etc.
· Pick fruits and vegetables that are in season.
· Buffets generally cost a good deal less and give your guests the opportunity to get up and mingle with the other guests, and they can pick exactly what they would like to eat.
Photographers
· If a package includes a couple's album and 2 parent albums, ask how much that same package would cost without any albums. Sometimes it's worth the savings to buy your own albums elsewhere and sometimes it's better to take the albums offered by your photographer.
· Unless you're doing a formal shoot at the bride or groom's house, you don't need a photographer there. Your wedding party and family will have their cameras out anyway.
· You don't need your photographer to stay until 1 am. Once the bouquet and garter tosses have taken place, there are no more major events to shoot. Your 1st & last dances look the same on film.
Video
· Go for packages with one camera coverage.
· Pick a package with limited editing or none at all.
Transportation
· Shop around, there are so many limousine companies out there. Prices do vary.
· You can also save money by renting your vehicles from Budget, Hertz, etc. They all have new model luxury cars, sports cars and SUVs.
· You really don't need the limousine to take you home after the reception. Late-night pick-ups cost $100.00+
Choosing Your Music Service
· Common sense says the fewer people providing a service, the cheaper.
Ceremony - An organist is cheaper than a string duo, which is cheaper than a trio
Reception - A DJ is cheaper than a band
· The fewer extras, the cheaper. Lighting, smoke & bubble machines, other props, costumes, give-aways, fireworks... the list is endless, all cost money. It's up to you.
Wedding Coordinator or Planner
· Most wedding coordinators save you money because they…
know about all the tips mentioned above, plus more
know what to say to and ask your vendors
have connections in the industry.
Contributor
Darsi Pizzolato is one half of the dynamic duo behind The Frugal Bride website. There's more (much more!) about weddings on their site.
