When I get married, I definitely want to cut the cost as much as possible. Today, weddings cost thousands of dollars and I do not want to have to drain my savings account and have nothing left. There are always emergencies that come up. I would rather put more money into a house which I will live in for years, as opposed to a wedding which lasts a few hours.
I am planning to cut in every area possible. I still want a reception hall and the only way to cut there is to invite less people. I have decided to make this an all family event. This way, none of my friends can say, “Why wasn’t I invited?” No one can say that or feel hurt if you just invite family. As much as I would love to have my friends at my wedding, I still would rather put that extra money into a house. Just last night, I went through my list and cut out all friends. I basically cut the list in half. Between my fiancé and me, we would still have over 100 people. So, the reception is costly enough. I hear of many famous people having private weddings with less than 50 relatives or guests. So it can be done this way.
Many brides cannot afford or just do not want to spend a lot on their gowns. There really is no need to do that just for a few hours. Many women go to David’s Bridal as opposed to a private bridal shop where they have brand names. If you don’t care about brand names, you can spend so much less at David’s Bridal. No one will know the difference unless you tell them. The last bride that I saw had a beautiful gown from David’s Bridal and she did not spend an outrageous amount on it. Yet, it looked like she did.
Anyone can spend anywhere from $4000 and up for a photographer. I do not want to spend that kind of money. I will ask a family member who has taken photography classes to take my pictures. Just recently, she did an excellent job at her uncle’s wedding. I do not want just candid shots but yet I am not willing to pay a fortune either. Someone who does photography as a hobby would be a good person. I will pay her anywhere from $1000 – $1500. That is still a huge savings compared to $5000.
The same thing goes with the videographer. I have heard many couples say, “How often do you really watch that?” I agree with that statement. Once you have shown it to family members and friends, most likely they are not going to see it again. On the other hand, it is nice to show your children some day. So, having it on video is a nice idea but it does not have to be extravagant. Get someone who knows how to do it well including editing and putting on music. I would also pay this person about $1000 – $1500. Videos can cost about $3000.
Most weddings that I have been to usually do not have dancing and I would like to do the same. This way I am saving on the band or DJ. I like it when there is soft music playing in the background. This way everyone can hear their conversations at the tables. I will have someone play CD’s of some nice instrumental music.
Flowers are very costly but you do not need to spend a fortune on centerpieces. Huge, tall centerpieces usually block you from seeing others across the table anyway. Besides, they are more expensive. The last wedding that I was out had small dainty flowers in a wide vase. I was admiring them. It was nothing extravagant, but yet still elegant. I have seen flowers being transferred from the church to the reception hall. I have seen the bridesmaids put their bouquets right on the table in front of them at the reception. This saves a lot of money too.
As much as live music during the ceremony is beautiful, I have also seen songs played on CD’s particularly during Communion time. It can be done during any part of the ceremony. To make it a little more interesting, a video on a screen with the song playing is nice. Here is an example of a song that can be used during Communion. I may do something like this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXp6xcY5IqU. This saves you time looking and paying for a singer and a pianist or organist.
Lastly, the announcer at the reception does not have to be an employee at the restaurant. This can be costly. Recently, a family member was getting married and the announcer was supposed to get $5 for every person that was present. So, if you have 200 people, you would have to pay the announcer $1000. Get a family member or friend to do this.
These are just a few ways that you can save thousands of dollars. If you really think of every aspect of the wedding, you could probably save even more on other things.