Wedding Budget Planning

Buying Flowers for a Wedding on a Budget

August 24, 2009

The topic of our previous post was the buying of flowers for a wedding on a budget. It is important to keep in mind that different flowers are in season at different times and thus their prices fluctuate throughout the year. Florists have been around the block and seen many people coming in looking for flowers for their wedding, so there is no doubt they can be a great help.

Also, don’t underestimate a florist’s ability to create marvelous arrangements of flowers out of flowers that are inexpensive. Chrysanthemums and carnations are inexpensive flowers which can be arranged in abundance to create rich, striking bouquets. It’s important to remember that it is the simplest arrangements of flowers that can often make the most impact. Start with a limited colour palette of one to three colours. This will allow your florist to order the flowers in bulk, saving you money.

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Wedding Flowers on a Budget

August 22, 2009

One of the most enjoyable parts of planning a wedding for the bride is the flowers. Flowers bring colour, fragrance and style to your wedding. Of course, like all things you will need for your wedding, they are not free. Budgeting for flowers can be trickier than you think, and things can easily get out of hand financially if you are not careful. The cost of flowers for your wedding can range broadly in price, from several hundred dollars to a couple thousand. This depends, of course, on the amount, style of arrangement and the location of your event.

Here are a few quick tips to get you thinking. We’ll be talking about them in more detail soon:

• Select flowers that are in season.
• Don’t overlook inexpensive blooms.
• Use your creativity.
• Less is more.
• Consider your location.
• Transfer ceremony flowers to the reception.
• Inquire about similar blooms.
• Host a Floral Design Party.

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Reception Decorations

August 20, 2009

Decorations are a serious consideration for any wedding reception, but they don’t have to be a serious blow to your budget. You’ll find if you visit a local art store that you will be able to find many different sorts of decorations for affordable prices. Tulle is essential and can be used to decorate just about anything. Candles, mirrors and other decorative items can also be used to great effect.

Appetizer-only receptions are becoming more and more common these days and are usually held between the hours of 4-7pm. Tea receptions, serving only finger sandwiches, cake and coffee are popular too between the hours of 2-5pm. Even a brunch reception is possible if you plan on having your wedding in the morning hours.

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More Wedding Tips on a Budget

August 19, 2009

Here are a couple more easy ways you can cut down on your wedding reception:

• If you aren’t attached to the traditional banquet hall and instead find a church or recreation hall, or a local community center, you will be paying prices that are considerably lower than more traditional locations.

• If you find it is too expensive to have cameras at every table, an inexpensive alternative that has worked wonderfully for many wedding is to instead use note cards at each table complete with coloured pens for friends and family to decorate. This will ensure you have some great souvenirs every bit as memorable as photographs.

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More Wedding Reception Ideas on a Budget

August 15, 2009

Here are a few more ways you can keep the budget of your wedding reception from going through the roof:

• By choosing an off time of year, whether during the winter or after a major holiday, you can find the best prices on everything from caterers, locations, and even honeymoon costs. By the same token, you’d be amazed how much cheaper it is to get married on a weekday rather than the usual Saturday on Sunday.
• Alcohol is probably going to be one of the most expensive parts of your wedding reception. You can always eliminate it all together, have a “beer and wine only” reception, or if you are having the reception in a hotel or banquet hall, consider having a cash bar instead of an open bar.

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Wedding Reception Ideas on a Budget

August 11, 2009

Remember, just because we are here helping you lower the cost of your wedding doesn’t mean you’re not going to have the wedding you always dreamed of. Today’s post will give you some ideas about ways you can cut down on one of the most infamously expensive parts of any wedding, the reception.

Today’s tip is: Always book your location as far as possible in advance. This will give you the best possible rates as well as giving you lots of time to compare prices. It is hard to get the most competitive price when you are booking at the last minute. Always ask about down payment and refund policies also to ensure are aware of all extra or additional costs well ahead of time.

Keep an eye on the blog for more reception ideas on a budget in the near future.

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Centrepieces

August 7, 2009

Planning an inexpensive wedding reception actually isn’t that hard if you’re willing to plan ahead. The first step is, like always, doing a bit of research. Now in my previous post I mentioned that you should always be wary of the information you find in books and on the internet. That still stands, but research is always a good idea because it will at least give you an idea as to how much you are going to be spending for each aspect of your reception.

So after you have some ball park numbers, you can then start to pick areas where you think you’ll be able to save some money by being creative. Any friends or family you have that can offer your services should be used. One of them might be interested in doing your centre pieces for instance. It does make for a fun arts and crafts activity with small children. Alternatively, you can always use candles as centrepieces. If you don’t like the idea of just candles, try filling a glass bowl with water and flowers. Add a big candle in the middle of the bowl and you have a unique and inexpensive centrepiece for your tables.

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Planning Your Bridal Shower (pt. 2)

August 3, 2009

Following up on yesterdays post, here are some tips to help you organize a fantastic bridal shower for your wedding:

• Ask your bridesmaid to be responsible for organizing your bridal shower. She will probably be delighted to and immediately start thinking up a variety of great ideas. This leaves to focus on the planning of the actual wedding
• This one’s important: Allow room in your original budgeting for the costs of a bridal shower. This may sound obvious but many people forget and have problems when wedding time approaches.
• That being said, don’t be afraid to ask for help from your family or friends. They will no doubt be more than willing to give you a hand.
• The location of the bridal shower is important. A friend’s house is a popular (and inexpensive) choice, while a nice restaurant can also serve as an ideal location.
• Make sure you have some easy finger food and beverages for your guests. Factor this into your budget and you are set!

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Planning your Bridal Shower

August 3, 2009

An important aspect of any wedding is the bridal shower. The bridal shower allows bonding to occur between the bride and female friends and family members. It allows the bride to relax for a little while in the midst of a lot of detailed planning and stress. Over the next few posts, we’re going to have some helpful hints to help you make sure your bridal shower is planned properly so that your wedding is a success.

The timing of your bridal shower is very important. A bridal shower needs to be planned, just like a wedding. We recommend having your bridal shower at least a couple of weeks before the actual wedding. Some brides even opt to let several months pass between the shower and the wedding.

Next, make a guest list of who you would like to be at the bridal shower. Invite all your close female friends and female family members. It is important you get to spend time celebrating this very special moment in your life.

More Bridal Shower tips coming soon…

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Planning your Wedding

July 31, 2009

Here are some of the things you absolutely need to consider when planning your wedding:

• The Date of the Wedding
• Venue
• Time
• Size of the Wedding
• Entertainment
• Cake
• Wedding Gown (and Tuxedo)

Planning a wedding (as you can see) involves a lot of factors. All of these topics will be explored in more detail here in the up-and-coming weeks. For now, a quick word about each of them. The date of the wedding is usually the first thing to be decided upon. Different times of year have different prices.

Depending on the venue you choose, it is often possible to get a discount for dates after big holidays, since these are not the majority of people’s first choice for a large event. The time of the wedding is also important, as your budget will be affected by whether you choose to have an earlier reception or one in the evening.

One fun idea: When choosing a cake, invite some family and close friends to try a variety of different cakes. This gets the whole family involved and can be especially fun for small children.

Be sure that you brides start looking well in advance for a gown. This ensures that if you have problems early on with fitting or pricing, you can always adjust your plans. The same goes for men and tuxedos. In fact, try to plan everything well in advance so you can enjoy your wedding without the stress that all too often goes along with it. After it, it’s about you!

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