I commend your desire to not begin your wedded bliss by jumping in thousands of dollars in debt due to overindulgence at the wedding. Save the money for your honeymoon and life in general… That being said, here are some ways I trimmed down our wedding expenses: I rented my gown and bridesmaids dresses at a local formal-rental store. I couldn’t justify spending so much money on one dress for one occassion, then storing it for the next umpteen years. It cost me $150, which included alterations & cleaning. The cheapest wedding gown I saw anywhere was $600. I bought white shoes that I could wear to church or other occasions, again, why the expense for a one-time use? The men mostly paid for their own tuxes, as their gift to us. We made it clear to everyone close to us that we would rather have them contribute to their part in the wedding than buy us any gifts. We went cheap on floral, I think about $250 total, which sounds like a lot at first, but that included all bouquets, buttonaires, corsages, church decorations, and an arrangement for the altar. AND the flower lady stuck around after decorationg the pews (simple but stylish and pretty) and helped everyone with their corsages, and even tucked in a stray ribbon sticking out of my dress just before my entrance march! Go with a local florist that has a good reputation. They worked with us and knew how to trim down the expenses. My maid of honor and her mother (childhood friends) made the little seed satchels for us as their gift to us. I went to the local Christian bookstore and bought blank wedding programs and designed my own & printed them off on my own printer. That cost about $6. I’m sure there are more I’m forgetting, but if you let the word out that you just want everyone to share in your day, and you really don’t want this to be a “gift gaining event”, as some seem to be, most everyone respects that and will be more than willing to share in the ceremony rather than shower you with gifts. Don’t be afraid to delegate! Friends want to help, give them a job & don’t sweat it. Ultimately, the flowers, dresses, pomp & blahblah don’t matter. It’s you and your beloved at the altar looking into each others eyes & saying “I do” that is the important part. And that part is free.
Home » Miscellaneous » creativity on a very small budget »