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| My wedding reception, 1/15/2005 |
$30,000. That's how much the Today show
told us the average wedding costs in the US. For that amount of
money, my parents sent me for my Bachelor's, my sister for her
Associates and rebuilt my first car! I understand that our wedding
day is one of the most important days in our lives, but a lot of us
don't have a lot of discretionary income. When you hold to
'traditions' such as having the bride's family pay for everything, it
gets even more hairy. Even so, you don't have to spend a lot of
money (or sanity!) if you know how to look for good deals.
The dress. Picking a wedding
dress can be overwhelming, especially for those of us who didn't have
our whole wedding planned out by the time we were ten. Some designers
cost more than others for roughly the same look. Rather than going to
the bridal shop without a plan, go to sites such as
The Knot and do a search for the specifics-neckline, frame, cost, etc.
Then you'll be shown a variety of designers that you can choose from
and find out where to go from there.
Also, make note of the fabrics. My
satin-shell, beaded dress has the same appearance as one I saw with
real pearls or crystals, but cost significantly less.
The cake. Believe it or not, you
don't have to go to a fancy bakery to get a great cake. Check at your
local bakery (or supermarket!) to see what they can offer. They might
not have vanilla layers with raspberry in the middle, but many employ
very talented decorators and offer special cakes on request. You can
also get two smaller cakes rather than one huge one, or put layers on
plastic decorated stands rather a stacked cake. I've also seen
cupcakes on tiers or a chocolate fondue fountain. Mmmm, chocolate....
:)
A few extra tips:
-Have a plan. Before you go
dress shopping for yourself or your bridesmaids, do your homework and
know what you are looking for. Even if you don't use the specifics I
mentioned above, pick out a basic style and color (for the
bridesmaids) before you go to the store. You can save a *lot* of time
this way. Also, some stores book appointments so you can have a sales
associates' full attention. If you can, do. That, or bring an
'experienced' friend.
-Pick your battles. Choose three
things that are the most important to you and concentrate your money
on those. Things like pew bows might seem small, but the costs mount
up.
-Look for bridal consignment shops
or smaller stores. Consignment shops have surprisingly good
deals. I got lucky and got my dress at a clearance price because the
shop was going out of business, but big-box stores and catalogues can
cost a lot more than your independent retailer. Also, A separate
tiara and a barrette/comb veil can be found at many stores for much
less than a one-piece.
-If you can do something yourself,
do it. Get some ribbon and make your own pew bows. Make your own
favors rather than buying pre-made ones. If you can, make your own
CDs and playlists rather than hiring a DJ. We made ours and played
them on the jukeboxes in the background.
-Connections, connections,
connections! If you know people (or know people who know people)
with the items or abilities you need, take advantage of it. For
instance, that picture was taken in a party room that a friend of my
parents' had in his garage. They also borrowed the flowered trellis
we walked under, got a discount on the flowers and booked a caterer
they knew. My stepsister, a manager at a fancy restaurant, catered
the rehearsal dinner as her gift to us. My friend, a very good baker,
made our cake. The minister was a family friend and refused payment.
You may not know that many people, but you can save a lot of
money by 'networking'.
Hopefully now you have a few ways to
make you or your daughter's wedding day beautiful and affordable at
the same time. Now, where's my invitation?
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