Wedding Budget Tips

Many brides face the predicament of going to try on gowns and finding that "the one" is over their budget. So here are some money saving tips that you can use to ensure the wedding is what you dreamed of and the gown is "the one"

Typically when brides come into our boutique they have a budget from $1500 to $3000 for a gown. Sometimes they might find something that is a few hundred more than what they wanted to spend and need ideas of how they can save that money later in the planning process.

5 Cost Saving Ideas

1. Hire a wedding planner! This may seem like an added expense but, many planners can save you money with vendors that they know and get discounts from. Plus they review contracts and make sure that you are not being taken advantage of. They are also know about how much items really cost.
2. Another way to save is by cutting the guest list, does your second cousins neighbor really need to be invited to the wedding? Many people think they have a huge guest count but, if you really examine who truly will be invited and be able to come might be a number less than what you were expecting.
3. Have your wedding on a weekday! This seems crazy to some people but, many vendors and facilities offer huge discounts to weekday weddings. Some of my favorite weddings that I have planned have been on weekdays. They were also some of the biggest fun dance party raging weddings that I have done as well. If you send out save the date cards there is no reason why your guests would not be able to take a day off work. Many guests love that they have to take time off. If people are traveling the day of the wedding does not make a difference because they are taking time off anyway.
4. Fore go the favors! Many times brides spend way to much time and money on favors that people don't end up taking with them at the end of the night. Or it is something that goes in a drawer and eventually gets tossed. Unless it is something they can truly use or eat I would pass. A fantastic idea is to donate money or time to a charity you are interested in and then have not cards at each place setting that says in lieu of a favor you have donated to the charity.
5. Have just a beer and wine bar. Or if you really want to have cocktails, have those for just a set amount of time during the cocktail hour. Many couples are shocked when they get their bar bill for a full hosted bar. I have done events where for just 100 people the bar bill came to over $16,000! This couple was expecting this but, could you imagine if you had no idea the cocktails would cost that much. Or you can set a budget for the bar and ask to be notified when that number is reached. Many people will say that they don't have many drinkers (everyone says this) however, when the bar is free many people who typically don't drink much will enjoy the 25 year scotch that they have always wanted to try.