A wedding can be super expensive. Budgets quickly get forgotten as you get caught up with details and the guest list keeps growing. This time last year, I was in this exact situation, planning my own wedding for September. Here are my top 5 tips for bride-to-be’s:
Do your research on venues (and vendors)
Notate things like deposits, cancelation policies, and times you actually are renting the facility for. I needed to rent a large tent and they requested setup the afternoon prior. There was an extra charge from my venue for this and luckily there weren’t any other parties already booked for that time.
Add a keiki menu
If you’re catering, inquire about having a separate keiki menu. This works even if it’s a buffet line! When you cater, you’re paying a cost per head. Most places will have an age cap, but it’s still a double win. You get some kid friendly food for the kids (that they’ll actually enjoy) and you save a little money, win, win.
DIY isn’t always cheaper
I got carried away on Pinterest, there was so many ideas to make your special day exactly the way you want it. This isn’t always the case, but be aware of how much you’re spending at the craft store to get all of your diy supplies. Everything ads up (think special shaped hole punchers, burlap, lace, pretty cardstock, etc.). I bought all the supplies to make these twine balls which were a hit and miss to make. After the fact, we found them online for cheap (ready made, less stress, less money, less time… shucks).
Shop around
This is your day and you probably have a vision of what you want. When researching the people and businesses that are going to help make it a reality, take the time to look at your options so that you get it just right. In my case, the caterer and baker was already set (they were the one). However, for things like flowers, pictures and rentals, I was open to options. There were a lot of emails and phone calls to get quotes but I ended up nabbing some awesome deals and was super happy with everything! If you’ve never personally worked with a company before, check wedding sites for reviews and look at their social media pages then browse their photos and comments.
Sell, lend or gift your décor and supplies away
This one is for after the big day. I had so much ribbon, lace, burlap, twine, and mason jars left at the end of the wedding that I didn’t use. A few friends of mine had weddings that they were just starting to plan so I asked if they wanted any of it, they were free to take. I kept a few key decoration pieces and some things that I could use for other parties but the rest were gifted. If you’d like to try getting some money for them, list them online or keep them for your next garage sale. You won’t have any problem with these getting snatched up.
Bonus: This is my advice to anyone who shops online for anything (wedding dress, decorations, rings, hotels, or anything not related to a wedding at all): before purchasing, look for promotional codes and go through a website that offers you cash back. Take a look at one of our member perk sites, Love My Credit Union and their Love to Shop program.
