Wedding Plans and Tips

1. One of the wedding ideas on a budget is key to reaching your goals:  Ask friends and family to help!  The earlier the better!!  Asking early is key to getting the help you need.  Ask for help with making decorations and with setup and take down of the actual wedding.  Ask for help with the wedding invitations.  Use your own printer and have a friend or family member help decorate the envelopes and to stuff and mail them. (use card stock, ribbon, and stick-ons that you can get in the scrap booking department) Always ask if anyone has materials to decorate with to cut down on costs.  Free labor! (Pay them back by filling their bellies with food. Let’s face it. Nothing is ever truly free.)

2.  Instead of expensive catering, have a potluck!  Of all the wedding ideas on a budget, this is my favorite!  You get a larger variety of food, and your guests get to help themselves to whatever they want instead of being restricted to a catering menu of chicken or fish. Homemade food always tastes better anyway.  You can get fancy with matching dishes and a tasteful (and tasty!) display.    Most people want to help in some way and what better idea than to spruce up their favorite recipe with your matching wedding colors or theme.

3.  Most cities have parks that can host a beautiful outdoor wedding that will fit anyone’s budget.  Check out your local parks.  They’re usually first come, first serve. You can rope off the area to keep your wedding free of crashers. You’ll only use this area for a few hours anyway. Use pomander balls to hang from tree branches, and wrap sheer fabric loosely around stationary objects to offer an ethereal feel.

4.  Use technology to your advantage!  Use an MP3 player or CD’s instead of a live band.  Mix your favorite music to play during the reception to include a favorite opening dance song for the newly weds.  Use the internet to find great deals on your dresses, decorations, favors, and almost anything else you might need. You can compare prices, and some retailers may offer you an even better discount if you buy in bulk or show that another store is offering a better deal.

5.  Flowers, flowers, flowers….
Next to growing these yourself there is almost nothing you can do to keep this cost low outside of using silk flowers  The best thing to do here is start early and catch the sales.  Know the colors that you want early and you can get up to 75% off watching the ads.

For more wedding ideas on a budget, check out prom and spirit magazines. They cater to lots of different events and offer great prices on decorations, favors, and even fabric.