Top 10 Tips for the Savvy Bride

It’s expensive to get married.

Period.

But there are ways to save the dollar bills. You first have to think about priorities. What do you really want versus…does it matter? Will people even notice?

For my wedding, I knew what I wanted and I had to compromise with my soon to be hubby on how to attain them. Flowers aren’t cheap. Neither is photography or filmography. You have to cut corners for your budget to fit. I can’t stress enough how much a budget is imperative in this situation! I hate to say that this is a 24 hour event that will HOPEFULLY happen once in your life. Think wisely on your decisions.

Where can you cut costs and still have a beautiful wedding?

The Teacups & Hiccups Tips for the Savvy Bride

1. DIY : This is where the bulk of my stress came from, but don’t regret it! I’m the crafty type. I love searching on Pinterest and Etsy just searching ways on how I can do things differently and save $100+. You don’t need a wedding planner, first of all. You, yourself, know exactly what you’d like. So skip the $3000+ and do it yourself. It’s not hard. (And yes, the average price to pay for wedding planner in the US is around $3000.) It’s stressful but I knew I could do a better job. And so can you! I designed my own welcome table with pictures from our engagement session and bought a sign I found at Hobby Lobby that was 50% off. I got a gift card to Shutterfly from buying my veil from David’s Bridal, so I used that to make a guest book. I found crafty ideas from Pinterest and made it my own, such as the Dance Floor Rules & Hashtag sign. Do those flower pens look familiar from one of my very first blog posts? I also bought an escort card pdf on Etsy and printed them out myself! Cheaper than having professional stationery! The thing about DIY crafts is that it makes your wedding personal: It puts “you” in everything.
2. Do WITHOUT favors: This was something I knew I was NOT going to have. First, because at previous weddings I will either forget it or if it doesn’t fit in my clutch it is NOT coming with me. (Please don’t tell me I’m not the only girl that does that!) Some brides go NUTS on favors. In reality, some people WILL forget about them and if they’re traveling…they will mostly throw it out if it’s not safe/small enough to travel with. You are already paying for their dinner in return of them traveling to your wedding. I have never received a wedding favor where I thought “hmmm I will keep this forever and remember Ken & Barbie forever.” No.
3. Off season wedding but not in December: This can actually get tricky. Off season weddings are Fall, Winter, and maybe Spring. Be careful it is not around a holiday, because prices will increase. Plus it is a pet peeve of mine, especially Christmas. It is a holiday meant for your family. Some people travel to be with their family during this Christmas/New Years time and more people will decline RSVPs because of that. December is the most expensive time of the year. So think hard about getting married in December for you Christmas/New Years brides. Maybe you’re having small weddings and this is not an issue, but for some brides with BIG families it may be something you need to reconsider. Make a pros and cons list.
4. Use technology: This is new to me, but some brides only accept RSVP via online! It blew my mind when I received an invitation to her wedding! You save money and paper! Plus it’s on the computer so it’s already organized. (But I loved getting mail filled with RSVPs!) Some brides used their own playlists at the reception and took out the option of a DJ.
5. Skip the passed Hors D’oeuvres: I thought it would be classy to have people pass hor d’oeuvres at my wedding but we actually cut it out to save money. Thinking back, I’m glad we did. We had a HUGE platter of fruit, crackers, cheese spread, etc. And instead of running after the waiter/waitresses, you knew where that bad boy was. And they kept refilling it for us!
6. Opt for fake flowers: They’re cheap. They’ll last through the rain and last forever! I took a small bouquet from Michael’s and made it into a throw bouquet. Tied a noted from myself so the lucky single gal to keep! That tulle wrapped around the stem is extra tulle from my dress!
7. Trade in the photo booth for a backdrop: Make a backdrop for your guests to take pictures at instead of a big photo booth! Whether its a colored background or white backdrop, provide some props and have them take pictures with their phones. Or invest in the fujifilm instax mini cameras! Our floral/event designer suggested to add these couches to our dance floor. For the older generations to watch the dance offs, of course! (Yes, this fit into our budget.) This was a nice enough backdrop, actually, it was a perfect backdrop!
8. Fake cake/dessert bar: Skip the cake and opt for a fake one! You can easily DIY a fake cake. Go to Michaels and buy cardboard circular boxes. Put fancy scrapbook paper and some glitter! Even a dessert bar with select cookies, donuts, brownies, etc. Plus, the cake cutting portion is old and dated. I opted for good old fashioned cupcakes! Simple, plus they were Gigi’s! Instead of using their cupcake tier, we saved that money and used tiers from the dollar section from Target! AND… nobody likes to see the groom shove cake in the bride’s face. Skip it. No one will notice.
9. Shop the SALE/CLEARANCE sections: This is my key tip! Because I love sales. Who doesn’t love a deal? You will never know what you will find, it may just be that one thing you were looking for. Even for bridesmaid dresses or groomsmen apparel. Ask them to find their own dress (in the same color, or whatever you prefer) and something simple for the groomsmen. Dress pants and white button down. This may not work for the OCD bride, but it will for the savvy bride! My husband was recently in a wedding and the groom had asked the men to buy a certain suit at Macy’s. That was a GREAT idea, because not only does he look good in that suit…he now has a suit to wear to every important event!
10. Ask for help! Wedding planning is hard and you shouldn’t be doing it alone. Ask your fiance, your parents, and MOH/bridesmaids! That’s what they are there for. I can’t tell you how many times I relied on my MOHs for help. You can’t do it alone. You will become crazy and turn into a bridezilla. Spread the love.

I love DIY crafts and projects, because not only does it add some “you” into it, it adds something more that money can’t buy.

In closing…here are some thoughts I want to leave you planning brides with…

• Is it worth it?
• Will people notice it?
• Can you live without it?
• Can you spend this money else where?
• Does it fit in your budget?

What tips helped you save money for your own wedding? Did you do any DIY crafts for your wedding? Even better…was your entire wedding DIY? I’d love to hear how brides made their wedding their own while saving money!

Forever Grateful for my Vendors:

Photography: Emily Laraine Photography

Floral/Event Design: MichaelAngelos Events

Cupcakes: Gigi’s Cupcakes