Make Your Wedding Inexpensive

You can save a lot of money by making your own homemade wedding invitations and help keep your wedding inexpensive right from the start. You must keep in mind though that making your own invitations from scratch isn’t for every bride.

If you hate doing craft projects or want a really sophisticated look to your wedding invitation this will probably not work out very well for you but for those who don’t mind putting in a little time it can really be a good thing for your wedding budget.

A great place that I discovered that makes it really quick and easy for you to do your own homemade wedding invitations is on the Southworth.com website. They have some free wedding invitation templates that you can download in minutes and it’s so easy that you don’t even have to worry about the wording of your invitations. That’s all taken care of for you in the template. You can also download some special fonts there free as well.

They also have great deals on cardstock to print them out on if you want to save even more money. If you prefer to see and feel the cardstock before you buy, most art shops have a wide range of papers that you can print your wedding invitations on.

With digital cameras and digital imaging on computers it is a lot easier these days for people to create their own images for homemade wedding invitations. If you need some great looking free images that you can manipulate for your invites a great website is at photos8.com. There you will find beautiful free photo’s of everything from gorgeous sunsets to elegant photos of various flowers that you can then manipulate any way you like for your invitations.

Another option would be to choose photographs of yourselves that you can add to your invitations and these can even include some special moments in your life that you would like to share with other people.

You can also get some good ideas by looking at the commercial wedding invitations that are available and even get samples of these to help you plan out your own wedding invitations.

After the invitations have been printed, you can add some little extras to spruce them up. A little ribbon is a nice touch. You might also try adding a little fine glitter so that when your wedding arrives your guests will still be noticing little sparkles on their skin. A nice seal on the envelope will also add a special touch.

There literally are lots of things you can do with homemade wedding invitations that you can’t do by getting them done professionally without spending a lot of extra money.

By saving the expense of going to a commercial printer or buying standard wedding invitations you can come up with something a lot more creative and the money that is saved can go into other areas of your wedding or even your honeymoon.

If you make your own unique homemade wedding invitations it is possible to make 100 invitations for under $50.00, while commercially produced ones can cost up to 5 times more than that.

Give this quick and easy homemade wedding invitation tip a try and see how easily it can help make your wedding inexpensive and if all else fails you can always go back and order your wedding invitations from a professional service.

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You are trying to make your wedding inexpensive, yet a big part of what makes a wedding reception a real celebration for many couples and their guests is the alcohol. Alcohol is a very expensive part of the wedding arrangements and it can use up a lot of your available cash and break your wedding budget very quickly if you don’t plan for it properly.

Having an open bar can be very dangerous for your wallet especially if your guests prefer spirits or other expensive beverages however; there are other options available to you and if you get it right, you can still have alcohol and keep your wedding inexpensive too.

To help accomplish this, keep in mind that you do have the ability to limit the time that the bar is open or the type of beverages that are available to your guests. The time of the day or night that you have your wedding can also have an impact on your wedding budget and also affect the type of alcohol that is preferred by your guests as well as the quantity that is drunk. Most people are less likely to drink as much if the wedding is earlier in the day.

As another option, many people are having alcohol free weddings these days and that is an alternative that you might like to consider; or you may even want to just offer the cheaper beverages such as beer and wine rather than champagne and spirits.

It might also be well worth considering just having specific amounts of alcohol on each table to maintain a level of consumption that your wallet can handle as well as the amount of alcohol your guests are actually consuming.

If there are wedding guests that you know will consume too much alcohol; and it seems like just about every family or wedding reception has at least a few, then you will definitely need to take this into consideration when planning your beverages.

Often people will have an arrangement where everybody gets one glass of champagne when they arrive at the reception area and this can be a nice touch where you can have some control over the amount of consumption. From there you can offer a choice of red and white wines on the table and possibly have beer on tap for a certain time at the reception.

As you can see there are a variety of different ways to include alcohol in your wedding celebration and help make your wedding inexpensive at the same time. Always keep in mind that you are completely free to mix and match your plans to suit your guests, your wedding budget, and the way that you would like to see your wedding run.

Although alcohol is an important part of your celebration, at the end of the day no one specific aspect of the wedding should have so much emphasis as to affect the overall enjoyment of the event.

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When trying to make your wedding inexpensive you need to constantly have a steady stream of wedding ideas coming in to stimulate your brain into thinking about how you can take that wedding idea you find and make it less expensive. This way it will be possible to use that idea when making your own wedding plans.

One good place to get wedding ideas is from the many different wedding magazines and books that are available. There are also many wedding books that you can get through the local libraries but many of these are sometimes outdated so current magazines are your best choice.

A lot of people like to style their weddings these days based on celebrity weddings that they have seen on television and that might be one area that you could take a look at to get some ideas. While I am on the subject of television it would also be wise to mention The Wedding Channel as a good source of wedding ideas as well if you are able to receive it.

Going to the local churches and reception areas around town when you know there are weddings in progress to see what other people are wearing and doing is another good way to stimulate your mind and will give you ideas for your own wedding.

Go to the wedding shops and look at the way that they display the wedding gowns to give you some idea of the combinations of materials and how they go together and how they might work with the various bouquets and other flower arrangements.

Most of the shops will have wedding albums that you can look through and if you see something that you like it is easier to copy already knowing that it will look alright, rather than trying to create your own style if you don’t have professional advice to put it all together properly.

Even look at the window displays at the various wedding shops to see how they work in all the other ancillary displays that they have set up to help promote their dresses. These can also help to add flair to your wedding and particularly at the big display at the reception.

The more you look around at different wedding ideas and see what other people are doing the more ideas you will get, which will make the whole process of figuring out how to make your own wedding inexpensive a lot easier. You are basically just taking those wedding ideas that you like, making a mental note of them or jotting them down on paper and then coming back to them later on to brainstorm on how you can make them less expensive so that they can fit into your wedding budget.

There is so much information that is freely available out there, that giving yourself enough time to look at a variety of different wedding ideas when planning for your wedding will ensure that you create a theme that you can be happy with on almost any sized wedding budget.

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I recently came upon this article written by Krista Dunk and even though it is quite lengthy for a blog post I felt it could be very useful for you so I am printing it here for you on my blog for your enjoyment. Now read it and go out and make that wedding inexpensive!

A 5000 Wedding – Is it Possible?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Krista_Dunk]Krista Dunk

Finally, time to start planning for the day every girl dreams about, the day you say “I do”. You start planning, the dress, venues, reception and invitations when you start to realize the cost that is abundantly accumulating. In the Pacific Northwest, the average cost for a wedding (including rings) is $30,000. However, not everyone is willing or able to spend that kind of money for their wedding! Here at NWweddingplace, we would recommend to anyone that they go into their marriage debt free, or with as little debt from your wedding as possible. Maybe that still means you could spend $30,000 and be just fine (or your parents could). In these modern days, the brides and grooms are often footing the bill for the glorious day. Maybe that means you could only afford $20,000… or $12,000…. or what about only $5000? We believe that it is possible to have a nice wedding with a budget of $5000. We’ve come up with the essential 12 wedding must-have categories (below), not including your rings. For each category, we offer several possible solutions for having a nice wedding for less:

#1 – Wedding Dress

Brides, you can buy a really great wedding dress for under $400. In fact, NWweddingplace.com sells destination wedding gowns in our shop online section… just a thought! Anyway, there’s always the tradition of wearing your mother’s passed down dress too. You can get it altered if necessary! Maybe a friend has one you could borrow? Or, purchase a used gown – it was only worn once before! If you’re really talented, make your own. Approx. cost – free to $400.

#2 – Tuxes

It is not uncommon to ask your groomsmen to pay for their own tux rentals – Just like bridesmaids buy their own dresses. Then, the only one you’d need to pay for is the groom’s. At some tux rental shops, you can receive the groom’s tux rental for free when the groomsmen rent there also. Approx. cost: $100.

#3 – Venue

This is where it can become potentially expensive. For a spring or summer wedding, consider having your special day at a park, landscaped backyard, beach, or on city grounds. If you belong to a church, usually they will allow members to use facilities very inexpensively or even free. City parks and community centers normally offer low pricing! Approx. cost – Free to $450.

#4 – Decorations

For ceremony decor, it totally depends on what your venue looks like and how much decoration it needs (or doesn’t need). We have many low-cost aisle runner ideas. Tulle fabric is inexpensive, and can be creatively used to decorate ceremonies with.

To decorate your reception, try using high-impact, big bang for your buck items like balloons. Balloons are a beautiful and inexpensive way to add elegance to the room. Floral centerpieces can get pricy, unless you DIY them yourselves. As an alternative example, try using crystal hurricanes with floating candles, and tulle as a table runner. Using petals and tea lights is simple and inexpensive too. Use the bride’s bouquet and bridesmaids’ bouquets strategically at the bridal party’s table to add some floral beauty. Simple guest books and toasting sets can be purchased very inexpensively at party or craft stores. Approx. cost – $150-$350

#5 – Guest Favors & Gifts

It can be expensive to get all your guests little thank-you gifts. Although, Jordan almonds are very affordable! It is traditional to give your guests little sash bags full of Jordan almonds, whose bittersweet taste is said to signify life, and the sugar coating is added to ensure a sweeter marriage. Giving 5 almonds represents health, wealth, longevity, fertility, and happiness! Normally, edible guest favors are great, since they are less likely to be wasted.

For your bridesmaid gifts, put your centerpieces to good use! Or, buy your attendants a wedding jewelry set. Ladies love jewelry, it’s great for future use, they need some for your wedding, and it would all be matching – perfect! Approx. cost – $175

#6 – Photography

This is an important aspect. In 30 years, you may not remember every detail about your wedding day and that’s when you look at your wedding pictures. Photographers are very expensive, and you have them for a limited time period. If you’d be willing to hire someone for one hour, have them come right at ceremony time. Ceremonies usually lasts for 20 min, and then they can take posed shots of the couple and families for approx. 30 min afterward.

Ask your friends to bring their digital cameras. With technology today, it’s easy to edit, crop and touch them up yourself. If you have a friend that does photography work, ask them to take your pictures as their gift to you. Have disposable cameras on your reception tables for guests to capture candid shots. It can be fun to see all the pictures that your friends and family took! Afterward, you’ll probably want to print some out and this will require ink and photo paper. Approx. cost – $75-$700

#7 – Veil & Accessories

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Why not wear jewelry passed down in the family or borrowed from a friend? If you’re set on new items, accessory stores offer a big selection at great prices (especially during sales).

You should be able to get all your bridal accessories for $150 or under if you shop smart. Veils are fairly easy to make yourself if you have any sewing skills at all. If not, maybe you have a handy friend? A simple veil would only cost about $15 to make yourself!!

#8 – Cake

This is where your bargain shopper instincts really kick in. Wedding cakes come in all shapes, sizes and prices. Generally, they are fairly expensive. If you know someone who makes cakes, find out if they are willing to make yours as their gift. Another money saving idea is to order from a store or bakery in plain pieces. In other words, order 2 or 3 sections separately, plain, in white or ivory. Decorate them yourself with flowers, ribbons or with other items from craft stores. Approx. cost – Free (if a gift) to $250.

#9 – Music

Try downloading music and making CD’s to play for your ceremony and at the reception. Ask your maid of honor or best man to be in charge of making announcements (i.e., time to cut the cake, first dance, etc.), and keeping track of switching the music when necessary. Approx. cost – $25.

#10 – Flowers

The scale of wedding floral varies a lot, from very simple to very extravagant and lush. If you are wanting extravagant and lush, prepare to pay for it unless you’re willing and able to do a lot of it yourself.

Use fresh flowers from a local store. Before you go, make a list of everything you need flowers for so you don’t forget anything. Find flowers suitable for your bouquets and wrap the stems with securing wires and ribbon. Some bouquets are literally just long-stemmed flowers held loosely together with ribbon. If you’re not against silk flowers, there are many artificial flowers available at craft stores that can add an elegant, garden feel to your ceremony and reception. Get store bought flowers for your cake, reception tables and boutonnieres as well. Approx. cost – $100-$250.

#11 – Invitations

Try DIY invitations. There are many beautiful invitations that you can purchase and print out on your own computer. Or, having them professionally printed costs less if you already have your own paper. Are you skilled at paper crafting? Stamping? Calligraphy writing? Any of these skills could help you make your own invitations. Any way you choose, you’ll need to purchase paper, envelopes, stamps, and possibly printer ink. Approx. cost – $75-$100.

#12 – Food

Now it’s time to feed your hungry guests! All guests expect to see some sort of food at a reception, even if it’s just hors d’oeuvres. If you’re having a late evening wedding, consider having a dessert bar. Afternoon weddings could have sandwiches or barbequed foods. The easiest way to have food at your reception is to order platters from your local supermarket, or buy snacks in bulk at a warehouse store. Borrow bowls and serving dishes whenever possible to save costs. Some of your close family friends might love to bring food if you asked. What about this idea – use fresh fruit as your reception table decor! It’s snacks and decor all in one! Sparkling cider is less expensive than champagne or wine for toasting with, and obviously more kid-friendly for guests with kids. Stock up during the holidays, or when they otherwise go on sale. Ask your venue if they have plates, cups and utensils to borrow. If not, purchase coordinating napkins, toasting cups and paper plates at a party store or online. Approx. cost – $200-$375.

If you stay within these budget recommendations, you’ll still have money to spare for incidental things like beauty costs, items for flower girls, alterations, shoes, cake topper figurine, etc. As you can tell, being on a $5000 budget requires creativity, planning skills and a bit of spare time. Hopefully with these ideas, you are able to save money and still have the beautiful wedding you dreamed of. And remember, your wedding is only the first day of your married life together. Plan for your wedding and for your successful marriage. Enjoy your wonderful day and happy planning!

Krista Dunk, Founder & CEO http://www.NWweddingplace.com

“Helping Pacific Northwest Couples Plan Their Dream Weddings & Successful Marriages™”

Olympia, WA

Read our Blog at: http://www.NWweddingplace.blogspot.com

Copyright 2008

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It is important to decide on your wedding colors in the beginning of the wedding planning process. This is going to affect all aspects of the wedding from your dress and flowers right down to the minor details such as the colors of your invitation cards and so on.

If you start with a base color that you like and work with colors that are complimentary to the other aspects of the wedding then you should be relatively safe in creating a harmonious and visually appealing wedding ceremony.

With theme weddings a lot of the colors will be determined by the theme you choose and to some people this can actually make it a lot easier with color choices.

It is often a good idea to have a little discussion with your photographer before finalizing your colors as they can sometimes have a dramatic effect on the outcome of your wedding photos.

A good photographer will be able to look at the venue, your own skin colors and that of your partner, plus your choices of clothing and flowers and any other factors that you have listed on your wedding checklist and give you a good idea of whether there will be anything that will have a detrimental effect on the photographs.

I realize that we are trying to cut costs but it is times like these that the advice of professionals is most welcome and can have a huge impact on so many other factors. If you have it, it’s well worth investing the extra money to get professional advice in these matters before you start spending the money on buying dresses flowers and so on.

If you were to hire a wedding planner they would coordinate all these various different aspects of the wedding and ensure that they would all tie in with one another for a harmonious event.

Don’t get bummed out if you can’t afford this type of advice though as you do have another option. You can always copy other wedding arrangements where you find someone who has similar colors and preferences as your own and work from there. By adding your own flavor to someone else’s ideas you can still have a great wedding color scheme and make your wedding inexpensive at the same time.

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