Mind your Wedding Budget - Plan a Stylish Soiree without Cutting
Corners!
Just because your wedding budget doesn't exactly match that of
Donald Trumps (ok, it's far from it) does not mean you must
settle for a bland cookie-cutter wedding. Set on serving filet
mignon and champagne? Envisioning an extravagant 7 tiered
wedding confection adorned with crystals and a classy aperitif
station? You can still have it! There are some easy, steadfast
ways to create the wedding of your dreams without breaking your
wedding budget. You can still wow your guests! Here's how...
Cut the list, cut the list, cut the list! The easiest and most
efficient way to slice your costs in half is to shrink your
guest list. Food and beverage costs are charged per person, and
whether you choose to serve filet and caviar or vegetable pasta
and chicken wings, the cost is going to multiply by the number
you are feeding. Also consider things such as table linens and
centerpieces, chair set up fees, cake cutting fees etc. The cost
of these services is based on the number of guests at your
wedding. Fewer guests mean less spent on these wedding standards
and more money available for those luxurious extras your guests
will remember, the decadent chocolate fountain, the Rolls Royce
getaway car, the sassy martini station.
Not ALL your best friends... In going with the "less is more"
theme, reducing the number of attendants in your wedding party
will also save money. With fewer bouquets, boutonnières, gifts,
and people at your rehearsal dinner, you will save all kinds of
money. Take your savings and splurge on hair and makeup for you
and your maids.
Lose the formality... Stuffy weddings are over anyway. A truly
awe-inspiring wedding does not have to be black tie. A simple
yet elegant beach wedding can be equally chic, and it lends
itself to steel drums instead of a 10 piece orchestra, a casual
buffet or barbeque instead of a 5 course meal, and simpler
wedding attire - all of which can save some serious cash in your
wedding budget.
Do it yourself... If you have the time and the skill, why not
take advantage? Lose the wedding coordinator, calligrapher, hair
and makeup artists, made-to-order favors and welcome baskets,
and create your own! (What better way to put your personal stamp
on the big day than to leave guests with a memento you made
yourself?). You can save a lot of money on these services and
use it towards something else. A Vera Wang designer gown??
Avoid Saturday nights in June... It's cliché anyway. Why not do
something different? A wedding does not necessarily have to take
place on a Saturday night in the spring or summer, and if you're
willing to be flexible with your date and time, you can
drastically cut your wedding budget. Weddings in January can be
equally romantic and beautiful, and afternoons, Friday or Sunday
weddings just as fun. More than likely, you and many of your
guests will have to take some time off of work to attend your
wedding anyway; with the money that you will save by having it
at on a Friday or Sunday, you can throw an exquisite
extravaganza that will make it worth their while.
For a complete guide to creating an elegant and memorable
wedding celebration, visit www.elegala.com, your ultimate
wedding planning resource.
|
