Money Saving Tips

Rebecca's Money Saving Tips

Tales of Our Wedding

Our wedding was a casual affair focusing on sharing time with those close to us. We didn't want to spend a great deal or to begin our marriage in debt. So, we hosted ours at our local Veteran's Memorial Center beginning in the afternoon.

Saving money on the venue is imperative, as it can be quite costly. With this choice we saved thousands. Of course, hosting our reception in the afternoon also lowers the total cost by allowing us to serve a lunch instead of dinner.

We held our ceremony in their lovely, tree lined courtyard with the reception following in one of their large rooms. The room was lit with natural light from large windows on both side of the room. The major plus was the kitchen access.

For the meal, we chose one of our favorite Italian restaurants as the caterer. It is amazing how inexpensive it was and everyone raved about the food.

I took cake decorating classes so I could make our cake. It was beautiful. I even made all of the bouquets and boutonnières from red roses, which were in season. It wasn't difficult and extremely inexpensive because I purchased the loose flowers from a wholesaler.

There is much more I could share, but this gives you an idea. Believe me, I didn't miss a thing, but saved thousands.

Hey, I even created our wedding video!

Wedding and Reception

Consider this:

A cake and beverage reception is perfect for an event early in the day.

Limit alcohol to beer and wine. Purchase your alcohol in bulk from a discount store. Of course, the shorter your event is, the less you will need.

Buffets served as food stations are usually less expensive than a sit down meal and can be very special.

Choose a wedding date in a less popular month or on a Sunday.

Officiate

My daughter asked me to be her offciate for which I was very honored. So I quickly became ordained and performed the ceremony. Not only was this a memorable event for all of us, it saved her money.

Becoming ordained is a simple matter these days, but is only one option. A friend or family member can also become an officiant for a day in many places, just check in with your county officials. It is usually as easy as signing a piece of paper and handing over a few dollars.

Cake

Yes, I also make her cake. Darn those cake decorating classes. Just kidding :) I was so happy to be able to do this for them. It also saved them hundreds.

But today there are so many options besides making your own cake. Believe it or not, cupcakes are very popular and inexpensive. Why stick to the idea of a huge tiered cake when there are so many other options that are less wasteful? In fact, some are opting for a faux cake that looks exactly like a beautiful tiered wedding cake just for appearance sake and serving a delicious sheet cake that guests don't see. I always say as long as it is chocolate, I'm happy.

Dresses

Consider a used wedding gown. Please avoid cringing. The dress is only worn once and then placed in a box, which will probably never be opened again. So, picture yourself in an expensive designer gown you didn't think you could ever afford. And, the best part is that it is a fraction of the price of one that is new. Plus, you would be "doing the right thing" by being less wasteful. That is a great way to begin this next stage of your life.

Here are some places to start:

www.preownedweddingdresses.com

www.rsvpbridal.com

Favors

Try a thrift or a hobby shop. There are bargains for those who are a bit crafty.

Decorations and Flowers

Again the thrift or hobby shop is a good start. A friend just purchased strings of silk red roses from a local hobby shop for a few dollars a bag. We will wind these around the posts of a gazebo she will marry in. The roses appear real and the entire gazebo will cost less than $10 to decorate.

We also found red rose petals to decorate the tables with. The venue already has one candle per table. With the pedals, the look is amazing. We needed two bags at $1 each.

Consider this:

Grocery stores can create special center pieces for a fraction of the price of a florist.

Farmer's markets and local farms may have flowers in bulk at very reasonable prices.