How To to Cut Wedding Costs And Have A Wonderful Wedding
After publishing our series of Cheap Wedding Ideas, a number of readers submitted some of their own ideas to keep the wedding costs under control! Here are some of their ideas:
Kathy C. Writes: I work in a hotel and do beautiful morning weddings. The ceremony is first, usually around 9am followed with a breakfast buffet with juice, coffee and mimosas. Guests seem to really enjoy themselves and they can then get together with old friends and family to spend more of the day. The wedding couple has the day to relax or leave earlier for their honeymoon. The prices are considerably less because very little is booked on weekend mornings.
Susan Writes: Here’s my tip for a cheap but tasteful for wedding dress: I rented mine from a local prom dress shop along with the veil and it worked great! Also, you might check thrift stores, where inexpensive wedding dresses can be bought for $50 or less and then dry cleaned for the big day.
Sib Writes: Tawra and Jill,
Great wedding tips!! I’d like to share a couple of cheap wedding ideas we learned from my daughter’s wedding. For the food table ( we had finger foods also) place the less expensive food first (like pasta salad, chicken salad sandwiches) and the more expensive further down the table (like the rolled ham). People tend to load up their plate at the beginning of the food table and as they go along the table there is less room on the plate and they grab less by the time they get to the end of the food table.
The second is to place books under the tablecloth at different heights to raise the food trays to different levels instead of being all the same level on the table. It is a little bit more appealing to the eye. (We do this for parties also.)
Sib
Kristina Writes: I wanted to add a tip to your Molded Party Mints recipe. If you don’t have molds for your mints, you can roll into balls and use an initial imprint stamp with the first initial of the bride and groom’s last name. Just push the stamp down in the center of the mint and use even pressure. They look like designer mints. If you powder the mints with more sugar, do so before you stamp the mint. Thanks for letting me put in my two cents!
Debra H. from Athens, Georgia Writes: Love your newsletter!! I have a few more cheap wedding ideas to share with your readers, which actually work for weddings or other formal parties like showers – wedding or baby.
One fantastic (and relatively inexpensive) thing I serve often for formal parties is gingersnaps and flavored cream cheese.
Place a small bowl or compote in the center of a glass tray & fill with a flavored cream cheese – they make strawberry, blueberry, pineapple, tons of flavors. Then just place store brand gingersnaps on the tray around the bowl. You can let people dip the cookies or you can provide a spreader – either way works. It’s not expensive at all, looks pretty, and tastes very good…and it’s quick!
A cheap punch that’s easy to make and doesn’t stain is an equal mix of apple juice and ginger ale. It’s not as exotic as the ones with ice cream or lots of fruits, but it’s good and costs less. Make ice cubes or an ice ring out of the apple juice so the punch doesn’t dilute as the ice melts.
Hope these ideas help! Have a great day,
Debra H., Athens, GA
Cheap Wedding Ideas – How To Have A Great Wedding For Less
More Cheap Wedding Ideas – Decorations, Boquets and More
Save Money On Your Wedding Menu And Food
Photo By: Lee Haywood
Just found out on line that Target is offering a few wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses on-line only. there were only 2 short and 2 long styles but they were simple enough that anyone with a little sewing ability could add beads, crystals etc. the most expensive was $99. if you like a very simple dress and are willing to add to it, it may be for you.
if it doesn’t fit they will let you return it.
My own wedding dress was from a charity shop, the material was beautiful and the style sort of medieval. It’s hard to believe it only cost £1 (1977) After my mother washed and pressed it. nobody would have guessed where I got it from.
We have 10 children. My second oldest was to be married. My husband worked in a restaurant for 20 years. We invited 200 people, and rented a large church hall. The hall had a very nice kitchen that went with it. We hired a guy who does cooking on the side. He had a very large grill and grilled Teriaki Chicken which we purchased at a local meat wholesaler and marinated overnight. We served baked potatoes, salad rice pilaf and nice buns. My children were the kitchen helpers and the waiters. My husband made it all happen.
The table was beautiful and set with real dinnerware-provided by the church hall.
Before people went into the main hall they gathered in the foyer-really a very large sitting/social area designed for the local college students. There we served homemade sangria made with homemade wine, tortilla chips (purchased from the Mexican restaurant were some of my kids worked) salsa (made by my to be daughter-in-law from Mexico) and cheese platters. My sister made a centerpiece of a giant block of cheese to resemble a wedding cake decorated with strawberries. The room was decorated in Mexican decor and we played Mexican music.
When the meal was ready people went into the hall to their seats where they were served a lovely sit down meal. Inside the hall was an Irish theme and we hired a local Irish band for entertainment. We had a Mexican flag and an Irish flag hung in front of the head table. My husband’s family is from Ireland. A friend of the family was bartender-we brought in our own liquor and beer.
Wedding cake, cookies and brownies were for desert.
Everyone had a great time. It was like a whole bunch of little reunions all over the hall.
The whole event cost about $4,000.00, including the bar, sangria, cost of hall, church decorations flowers and many incidentals.
A friend of the family brought cameras for each table. Another friend video taped the ceremony and reception. I took many pics.
Everyone was very impressed with what a family can do when they work together.
I had 2 bridal showers (one at my church and another at my fiancé’s parents’ church). They sent the decorations home with me so we could use them again at the rehearsal dinner or maybe even wedding & reception.
Since we married shortly after Christmas, the sanctuary was already beautifully decorated, saving us from spending a lot on flowers. We just added a simple arch with greenery and some flowers.