Considering getting married or remarried and you’re footing the bill all by yourself? Or, maybe your daughter just got engaged and you, by tradition, have to pick up most of the tab for the nuptials. Instead of spending the equivalent of three months' mortgage or maxing out your credit card to pay for wedding expenses, here are eight low-cost ways to put on a great wedding at minimal cost.
Low-Cost Wedding Dress
Why pay big bucks for a dress you’ll likely (hopefully) wear only once? Instead, consider borrowing your wedding dress for just the price of dry cleaning when you return it to its original wearer. Or, shop for your gown at a consignment store that deals in used bridal dresses for a fraction of their original cost.
Another good resource is craigslist. A quick perusal of craigslist in my area revealed 140 wedding dresses for sale. A local equivalent of craigslist in the area where I live is a radio station which offers free ads for just about everything, including wedding dresses, on their website. Today’s total wedding-dress ads on KSL? More than 800.
Low-Cost Wedding Photography
Does someone you know have an at-home photography business? If so, ask if they will cut a deal for you. We asked such a friend to give us 30 minutes of his time and an unedited CD of the resulting wedding pictures for $175. He was well compensated for his time and we got great wedding professional photos.
Low-Cost Wedding Flowers
You don’t need a fancy flower arrangement for every table or pew. Instead, consider buying only a bridal bouquet and a boutonniere for the groom. If a family member has flower-arranging talent, ask them to do your flowers as a wedding gift.
Low-Cost Wedding Reception
Ask others to help. Many people are flattered to be asked to serve cake or chop vegetables, thrilled to be part of the celebration. Others consider such service a good substitute for buying you a wedding gift. We asked one friend to be in charge of our first open house, ordering food and troubleshooting table decorations. Another friend ran our second open house in another state.
Don’t pay for a reception site. Our church doesn’t charge anything for using the building for wedding receptions. Just remember to schedule the facility early.
Low-Cost Food
Forgo a sit-down dinner for all your guests in favor of a few vegetable and fruit trays from a food warehouse. Schools and universities with a hospitality program often sell such ready-to-eat food at good prices if you pick it up.
Low-Cost Wedding Cake
Nix the expensive three-tier wedding cake for a low-cost sheet cake. We ordered a nicely decorated sheet cake that fed 100 for $50.
Low-Cost Table Decorations
Do your own. The bud vases on our tables came from the dollar store and we filled them with an inexpensive spring mix of flowers. The tablecloths? Borrowed from church. Flower petals are $1 a bag at the dollar store.
Low-Cost Wedding Favors
Sure, little monogrammed chocolates look cute on the tables, but they are expensive and unnecessary. Who really remembers what favors they took home from a wedding anyway? Save your cash to spend on the honeymoon.
Forget all those so-called "hot toy" lists. Real moms experts put gifts and gear to the test, including many handcrafted by real moms, with our official Type-A Mom Gift Guide. Find:
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Two Type-A Moms are hitting Walt Disney World for the holidays. We will
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