After being married only shy of a few months, I still have a hard time understanding the concept that Ethan's money is OUR money, but once I realized that OUR money is ultimately the Lord's money, it puts things in a better perspective. Since, our money belongs to the Lord, we must spend it wisely, right!? YES, we should! Don't feel guilty for spending money on a wedding (It's a time to celebrate one of the biggest transitions and commitments of your life), but feel guilty when the money is not used wisely or is being used frivolously. With that being said, here is the second part of some money saving tips!
Don’t use china for the dinner (if you are having a sit down)
Use plastic, but sturdy materials for the food. No one will notice if you don’t use china. For my wedding, the elimination of china saved us around $700!!
Buy a small cake to cut and use CUPCAKES for the guest
You will save on the cake-cutting fee that most bakers/caterers charge. My caterer was very reasonably priced but charged $2.50 per SLICE to give guest. CUPCAKES IT IS!
Flowers used for the rehearsal dinner can be saved and used as some decor for the reception.
The money has already been spent on those flowers- might as well get the full use out of them!! So grateful for my mother-in-law and sister-in-law for doing this for me!
I bought my veil on Etsy.com and saved over $100
However, be cautious on buying on Etsy. Make sure the vendor is reputable by having good reviews and allow plenty of time for the vendor to make the product and have it mailed and delivered! I bought a personalized hanger and it took 6 weeks to get it.
Need a FREE guestbook?
If you buy your dress from David’s Bridal, they give you a promo code to get a Shutterfly book for free, which I used as the guestbook at the reception- and I enjoyed making it!!
Thinking about using a Unity Candle or Unity Sand?
Try assembling your own. For the Unity Candle, go for a more modern look and make a Floating Unity Candle- buy a large vase, two candle sticks, two candle holders for the candle sticks on each side of the vase, and a floating candle that will sit on the large vase once it is filled with water, and a small votive candle that can be pre-lit when the mothers light the outer candles. It was a great and very expensive way to keep this old tradition in our ceremony! I went to a wedding in June and instead of the candle, she and her hubby used Unity Sand but it was in MASON JARS! Adorable and very inexpensive!! I know that those shadow boxes at Michael’s are really appealing but I believe creating your own twist on these items will be appreciated by all your guests!
Choose your vendor WISELY
It's so easy to fall into the "all inclusive" scam that a lot of wedding venues advertise. Yes, they may pick up all the trash and left-overs once the party is over, but is it really worth the over-priced food and facility prices? No, it is not. These places that are specifically made as a wedding reception hall charge as high as they can because they believe their services are a convenience for you. When you are visiting a venue, ask questions like-
Can I use an outside caterer? (by using an outside caterer, you can find someone who can cater more within your price range)
If the indoor seating is not enough, will you provide a tent with outdoor seating? (this may be a hidden fee).
What are the expected tipping and gratuity rates or are they included in the overall price? (again, another hidden fee)
Will you be able to provide the table linens and centerpieces of my choice? (table linens can be VERY pricey!! don't forget about these if they are needed)
Also, remember that these venues don't account for the other things that are needed for your celebration such as a DJ, Florist, Wedding Dress, Photographer, the Ceremony (if it is at a different location) and so forth.
Example
You may have a budget of $15,000 for your entire wedding and have a guest list of 200 people. You love this venue that is reasonably priced at renting the entire facility for $1,000 for your dream date (remember, different seasons and days of the week account for different pricing), but they do not allow an outside caterer and their caterer charges $40 per person (yes, this price per person is realistic). So $40 x 200= $8,000 + $1,000 = $9,000, then comes taxes and staffing charges (for all the staff to clean up the mess essentially), which can easily add on another 3 to 4 thousand dollars. So, you get the picture- more than 80% of your funds are spent on food and the use of the building. Try finding a venue that does not necessarily only accommodate weddings because when you put the word "Wedding" on anything, the price automatically increases!
By being wise with our venue and caterer, we saved more than $20,000!!!! That's incredible.
I hope these tips help you while planning your wedding!! Remember, everything we have is ultimately His
Don’t use china for the dinner (if you are having a sit down)
Use plastic, but sturdy materials for the food. No one will notice if you don’t use china. For my wedding, the elimination of china saved us around $700!!
Buy a small cake to cut and use CUPCAKES for the guest
You will save on the cake-cutting fee that most bakers/caterers charge. My caterer was very reasonably priced but charged $2.50 per SLICE to give guest. CUPCAKES IT IS!
Flowers used for the rehearsal dinner can be saved and used as some decor for the reception.
The money has already been spent on those flowers- might as well get the full use out of them!! So grateful for my mother-in-law and sister-in-law for doing this for me!
I bought my veil on Etsy.com and saved over $100
However, be cautious on buying on Etsy. Make sure the vendor is reputable by having good reviews and allow plenty of time for the vendor to make the product and have it mailed and delivered! I bought a personalized hanger and it took 6 weeks to get it.
Need a FREE guestbook?
If you buy your dress from David’s Bridal, they give you a promo code to get a Shutterfly book for free, which I used as the guestbook at the reception- and I enjoyed making it!!
Thinking about using a Unity Candle or Unity Sand?
Try assembling your own. For the Unity Candle, go for a more modern look and make a Floating Unity Candle- buy a large vase, two candle sticks, two candle holders for the candle sticks on each side of the vase, and a floating candle that will sit on the large vase once it is filled with water, and a small votive candle that can be pre-lit when the mothers light the outer candles. It was a great and very expensive way to keep this old tradition in our ceremony! I went to a wedding in June and instead of the candle, she and her hubby used Unity Sand but it was in MASON JARS! Adorable and very inexpensive!! I know that those shadow boxes at Michael’s are really appealing but I believe creating your own twist on these items will be appreciated by all your guests!
Choose your vendor WISELY
It's so easy to fall into the "all inclusive" scam that a lot of wedding venues advertise. Yes, they may pick up all the trash and left-overs once the party is over, but is it really worth the over-priced food and facility prices? No, it is not. These places that are specifically made as a wedding reception hall charge as high as they can because they believe their services are a convenience for you. When you are visiting a venue, ask questions like-
Can I use an outside caterer? (by using an outside caterer, you can find someone who can cater more within your price range)
If the indoor seating is not enough, will you provide a tent with outdoor seating? (this may be a hidden fee).
What are the expected tipping and gratuity rates or are they included in the overall price? (again, another hidden fee)
Will you be able to provide the table linens and centerpieces of my choice? (table linens can be VERY pricey!! don't forget about these if they are needed)
Also, remember that these venues don't account for the other things that are needed for your celebration such as a DJ, Florist, Wedding Dress, Photographer, the Ceremony (if it is at a different location) and so forth.
Example
You may have a budget of $15,000 for your entire wedding and have a guest list of 200 people. You love this venue that is reasonably priced at renting the entire facility for $1,000 for your dream date (remember, different seasons and days of the week account for different pricing), but they do not allow an outside caterer and their caterer charges $40 per person (yes, this price per person is realistic). So $40 x 200= $8,000 + $1,000 = $9,000, then comes taxes and staffing charges (for all the staff to clean up the mess essentially), which can easily add on another 3 to 4 thousand dollars. So, you get the picture- more than 80% of your funds are spent on food and the use of the building. Try finding a venue that does not necessarily only accommodate weddings because when you put the word "Wedding" on anything, the price automatically increases!
By being wise with our venue and caterer, we saved more than $20,000!!!! That's incredible.
I hope these tips help you while planning your wedding!! Remember, everything we have is ultimately His