10 Ways to Cut Wedding Costs and Save Money
August 11, 2010
Save money on wedding costs
Weddings are a costly business, but with some careful planning and organisation, there are ways of cutting your costs and sticking to a budget. Here are 10 ways that you could cut your wedding costs and save money.
1. Print your own wedding stationery
Wedding invitations, orders of service, menus, place names and thank you cards can all be made yourself and printed out at home. It’s cheaper to buy the card and ink yourself and do the work than paying a hefty price to get someone else to do it.
2. Hire a wedding suit or dress
Cut the huge expense of buying a wedding dress by hiring one instead. This goes for the groom, ushers and bridesmaids too, who can also hire suits or dresses.
3. Scour wedding forums for wedding sales
Lots of people who’ve recently got married sell their unwanted items through wedding forums. You could find table decorations, veils, shoes, candles, favour bags or tiaras at reduced prices.
4. Get married on a weekday or a Sunday
Saturday’s are the most popular day of the week to get married, but by bucking the trend, you can save money. The cost of receptions, such as hiring a venue, is considerably cheap on a weekday or Sunday.
5. Buy reduced priced items in sales
Keep an eye out for sales and buy items you need for your wedding at reduced price, even if you have to buy them in advance.
6. Look for a wedding dress in sample sales
Sample sales can be a good way of saving money on the cost of a wedding dress, especially if you’re a small size.
Hire a wedding suit
7. Buy a wedding cake from a supermarket
Most of the major supermarkets sell plain iced fruit cakes or sponge cakes in different sizes. Buy three different size cakes, stack them up and you can create a cheap and easy wedding cake. Decorate with ribbon and fresh flowers.
8. Keep the flowers simple and buy your own
Keep your wedding floral decorations simple and elegant and, where possible, buy your own flowers and do your own decorations.
9. Get friends to do the photography
Find friends that are good with photography and get them to do your wedding photos. Digital cameras produce great results these days.
10. Save postage on wedding invitations
Hand deliver as many wedding invitations as possible, or email them instead.
Wedding Flowers All Year Round
March 26, 2010
Beautiful floral wedding bouquet
Wedding flowers are an important part of any wedding. They’re usually carried in bouquets, help bring together the colour schemes and set the stage for the ceremony and reception. But there’s nothing worse than having your heart set on having certain types of flowers in your bouquet or floral displays, only to discover that they’re not in season and not available when you need them. So here’s a useful guide to some of the popular wedding flowers that are usually available all year round, and the colours you can get them in.
Carnations
Carnations are a great choice for wedding bouquets and floral displays for the wedding ceremony and reception, as they’re available all year round and come in such a variety of colours. Whether you’re after pale or deep pinks, vibrant reds, creamy whites or blues, carnations are a great choice for your wedding.
Delphinium
Delphinium flowers are available in colours such as blue, purple and white, making them perfect for including in wedding bouquets with a blue or purple colour scheme. The white flowers are also suitable for a wide range of wedding flower needs.
Lily of the Valley
Traditionally associated with white, lily of the valley flowers also sometimes come in a delicate shade of pink too. They smell lovely, so are ideal for any wedding bouquets or floral arrangements where you’d like the scent to be appreciated, as well as the look.
Roses
Although roses are typically associated with the summer months and are at their prime in June, you can purchase many roses all year round. Roses are often associated with love and romance, making them a popular choice for wedding flowers. They come in a variety of colours too, so fit in with many different wedding colour themes. If you want roses in winter, do bear in mind that you may end up paying more for them than in the summer months.
Orchids
Many brides choose to have a bouquet made up of extra special flowers and exotic orchids fit the bill wonderfully. Orchids come in lots of different colours, including white, pink, lilac and purple.