Planning Your Wedding on a Shoestring Budget - Music At Your Ceremony

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Music for your wedding ceremony could consist of live or recorded performances.  For pre-wedding music, make a CD of songs that are meaningful to you as a couple.  You can also use this CD for the processional and recessional marches.

Do you know someone who plays the piano or guitar?  Ask them to play for you at your ceremony.  Nothing sounds as poignant as an acoustic guitar playing a beautiful ballad!  You can also call your local high school or college for musicians. 

Recruit someone you know to sing during the ceremony.  If you don’t know anyone who sings ask your friends. You might be surprised to find out who among them loves to sing and is very good at it. If not, they may know someone you can contact.

You want to be sure to have plenty of photos to remember your special day.  Unfortunately, a professional photographer can be a real budget buster!  Look for our next post on how to save with wedding photography.

Planning Your Wedding on a Shoestring Budget - Decorating The Sanctuary

We've covered the floral decorations for a church wedding, but what else do you need to decorate the sanctuary.  First you will want to find out if your church has a wedding coordinator, most churches do. Because you’re on a budget, remember that less is more.  Most wedding ceremonies are short and sweet, so why spend a majority of your money decorating a place where people are most likely only going to be for a half hour or so?

If you want pew bows, they can be made quite inexpensively, but don’t decorate each pew.  Decorate every other one for the first 10 rows or so.  Ribbon for bows can get quite expensive, so doing every other pew is the frugal thing to do.

MAKING YOUR OWN PEW BOWS

The initial time it takes to make a bow can be extremely frustrating. Give yourself plenty of time and practice when you start this craft. While it may take a few tries to finally master it, once you do, you’ll start cranking out the bows fairly quickly. Below are instructions for two different types of bows that can be layered for a more elaborate effect: 

You will need approximately 4.5 feet of 1” wired ribbon; approximately 4.5 feet of 6” tulle (more or less depending on how long you want the tails); craft wire, wire cutter, scissors.

The Tulle Base:

1.   Lay the ribbon horizontally. Find the middle of your strip of tulle and pinch together with your left hand.

2.   With your right hand, pinch the tulle on the right side about 8” away from the middle. 

3.   Bring the second pinched spot to the center, moving underneath. This should form half of a bow. Pinch together the middle with your right hand. 

4.   Repeat the same thing with the left side, only this time instead of bringing the tulle underneath to form the bow, bring it over the top. 

5.   You should now have a simple bow. Secure the middle by twisting craft wire around it. If you’d like to stop here, hot glue a silk flower in the middle to finish this simple project. However, if you want your bow more ornate, follow the next set of instructions to add a second layer.

The Second Ribbon Layer:

1.   Lay the wired ribbon vertically on a table or flat surface, moving away from you. Take the end closest to you, bring it up and then tuck it in to form a small loop. Pinch the loop in place. This will be the middle of the ribbon. 

2.   Just after where you are now pinching, twist the longer end of the ribbon 180 degrees. Keep the twist tight and “hide” it underneath the middle loop. Grab the long piece of ribbon about 6” away from the middle. Then form a loop by bringing the ribbon underneath and back to the center. Pinch together. 

3.   Twist the long piece of ribbon again just after the center pinch. Make an equal sized loop on the other side using the same technique. 

4.   Continue making equal-sized loops that rest directly underneath each other by using the same technique. Stop when you have three on each side. 

5.   Secure the middle with craft wire and leave some extra wire in order to attach it to the tulle base.

6.   Cut off any tail you might have left over from the ribbon.

7.   Spread out the loops to create the look you desire.

Attaching:
With the extra wire from the second layer, attach the ribbon bow to the middle of the tulle base. Consider adding long wire hooks or extra ribbon to the back for easy attachment to the pews. 

You may want to consider using simple floral swags at the end of each pew as well.  These can be found inexpensively and made even more inexpensively!

Many churches have single candle holders that you can use or rent for a nominal fee.  If you are a member of the church, ask!  The clergy has had exposure to many weddings.  He or she might have some terrific, low-cost ideas you may not have thought about!

If you’re planning an outdoor wedding, the scenery will be your most dramatic decoration.  Most couples opt for the traditional gazebo or arch when getting married outdoors.  Sometimes these are on sale at local garden stores or chain lumber and discount stores. You can also rent the archway from a party rental place.  Decorate it with flowers, Christmas lights, or greenery to make it beautiful.

Seating at an outdoor wedding usually consists of folding chairs.  These can usually be found at a benevolent association like The American Legion – excellent place to find seating especially if you’re having your reception there – churches, or community centers.  Even if you have to pay a few dollars to rent them, it will be worth it!

Decorate the ends of the chairs with greenery and flowers to match your wedding bouquets along with strategically placed ribbon.  To set off the “important guest” area (parents, grandparents, etc.) cover the backs of the chairs with simple white pillowcases. If you’re getting your chairs from a banquet hall ask if they have covers for the backs. You may be able to borrow them at no additional cost.

By the way, here's another great way to make your wedding special,  write your own wedding vows. Watch for our next article about music at your ceremony.

Planning Your Wedding on a Shoestring Budget - Decorative Flowers For The Ceremony

As far as flowers and plants as decorations are concerned, this can be a great enhancement to your ceremony.  Many churches already have floral adornments on their altars.  If you get married around the time of a church celebration, you may be able to buy a few flowers and take advantage of those that are already there.

For example, around Easter, lilies are the flower of choice in most churches.  Many people will buy Easter lilies in remembrance of their loved ones.  Offer to buy a couple of Easter lilies to add to the existing ones, and you have a beautiful decoration on the altar.

The same applies around Christmas.  Poinsettias are the flower of choice at this time of year.  Offer up a few poinsettia plants to add to those already there and you’ll have some beautiful altar decorations.

Large arrangements on an altar will only be seen from far away. Use inexpensive flowers such as carnations, or large filling flowers such as snowball mums.

If you are getting married in a church, almost all have some type of floral/tree decorations that they have all the time.  All you need to do in this situation is to add a few personal touches and you’ll have a beautiful backdrop for your ceremony. 

If you are getting married outside, take advantage of nature.  Cultivate what Mother Nature has to offer. 

Talk to your venues and see if any other brides have booked for the same day. If the two of you can coordinate flowers and split the cost, you’ll save a lot of money.  I would imagine both of you wouldn’t turn your nose up at saving a ton of money on church decorations and flowers!

Some party rental places will rent large potted plants such as tropical palms or fichus. They visually fill a lot of space, and will help frame your ceremony site or warm up your reception. Best of all, renting a potted plant is far cheaper than buying large flower arrangements. Also, you may consider purchasing these large plants and using them in your home afterwards to get more use out of them.

Don’t be afraid to call some friends who already own an artificial fichus tree to see if you can borrow them for your big day.  Most will be more than happy to offer up their trees and you can use them to decorate the reception hall.  More on that later!

Don’t try to move your ceremony flowers to the reception hall.  Many churches require you leave them anyway, but moving large arrangements can be tedious and simply not worth the time or effort.  The last thing you want is to have your reception held up waiting for flowers!

Decorating the place where you will take your vows is just as important as how you decorate your reception.  Let’s look at how to make your ceremony picture perfect!

Our next article will be about decorating the Sanctuary.

Don’t want to wait? Click here to get the entire 63 page book complete with checklists; absolutely FREE!

Planning Your Wedding on a Shoestring Budget - Making Your Own Flowers

There are plenty of wholesale stores who will sell silk flowers at a greatly discounted price.  Working with silk flowers is easy and can be done by almost anyone.  You can put together all the bouquets, boutonnières, and corsages no professional training. 

Some basic equipment you’ll need is floral wire, floral tape, wire cutters, flowers, greenery, and decorative accents like baby’s breath or smaller flowers.  These instructions are mainly for silk flowers, but can be used with real flowers as well.  Silk flowers can be manipulated much easier than real ones, so keep that in mind!

Tips for creating your own flowers are abundant.  A beautifully simple idea for a gorgeous bridal bouquet is to take several white roses, bunch them together into a bouquet, wrap the bottom with floral tape tightly, and wrap satin ribbon around the stems.  Attach long pieces of satin ribbon to flow down as you hold the bouquet and it’ll be stunning!

You can use this technique with either silk or fresh flowers, and it doesn’t have to be all roses.  For a unique look, try out different flowers in your wedding colors.  You can also buy plastic nosegay holders at many discount stores and craft stores that make preparing bouquets super easy!

Don’t worry if you can see the tape or wire.  You can always disguise it with ribbon or filler.

For your bridesmaids, you can have them carry the traditional nosegay.  Assemble it in the same way outlined above for the bridal bouquet.  A very elegant look is to have each attendant carry a single flower or a few flowers put together with greenery and ribbon that they carry cradled in their arms.  These are super easy to put together.  Just take a few flowers, greenery, and accents, gather the stems together, wrap with floral tape and add ribbon.

For the boutonnières, simple is best, especially since they will be worn by the men in your wedding party.  Most guys don’t want garish flowers adorning their bodies – it’s just a guy thing! 

To put together a boutonniere, take a single flower; add a few green leaves, and maybe a sprig of baby’s breath.  Wrap the stem in floral tape tightly and voila!  Your boutonnière!  You can, if you wish, add a little bit of ribbon, but don’t go too overboard – remember the “guy thing”!

More on making your own flowers in our next article.

Don’t want to wait? Click here and get the entire 63 page book complete with checklists absolutely free.

Planning Your Wedding On A Shoestring Budget - The Flowers

Cheap doesn't mean that your wedding flowers can't be beautiful. All flowers are lovely no matter what they cost.

The first decision to make is whether or not you want silk or real flowers. Silk flowers are much easier; however, real flowers can be a beautiful addition to your wedding. Keep in mind that real flowers need to be nurtured even up to the moment you say “I Do”. If you have someone who can monitor the freshness of your real flowers, by all means, have them! If you want to save yourself and your loved ones a little stress, choose silk!

If you do decide on fresh flowers, there are a few options to consider:
1. Create your own arrangements. This can be fun and a great opportunity for you and your family or bridesmaids to work on a project together.

2. You should also consider ordering fresh flowers from an online wholesaler. You can get some of the best prices around. However, as we mentioned, unlike at a florist, you will be responsible for all of the prep work of cleaning and trimming them, and keeping them alive until the wedding.

3. Consider a professional florist. This will be your most expensive option but don’t be afraid to “shop around”. Call at least 3 florists and discuss your needs. You may be surprised at the difference in prices. Plus, if your florist knows there is competition for your dollar you may be able to negotiate a better price.

Remember that flowers are simply garnishes. There’s no need to go overboard. The real stars of the show are the bride and groom and the wedding party. The flowers simply add to the overall package.

One last thing; consider calling a local community college for your flowers. Many local colleges offer courses in flower arranging. For a small fee, they may be quite accommodating in allowing their students to “practice” for your wedding at a huge discounted price – often for the cost of the flowers alone. Just be prepared for what you get. It might be beautiful, it might be mediocre. As stated before, don’t place too much emphasis on the flowers – they are simply garnishes.

Of course, making your own silk flowers is probably the most frugal choice. But where do you start? We will discuss that in our next post on this topic!

No matter what you decide, start saving now.

A Choclolate Lover's Party

Your very own chocolate festival can be fun for the whole neighborhood.

Start with the Menu

Don't force a sit down, four course meal. Do it just like you would on a regular barbecue Sunday. Serve grilled chicken, pork chops, pasta, mashed potatoes, anything you are familiar with! Now, the simple chicken pieces and pork chops can be made magical by adding chocolate inspired sauces like mole, a Mexican, chili-chocolate essential. Round it up with chocolate deserts such as chocolate cakes, pastries and don't forget to serve a pile of different kinds of chocolates. Make sure to have tons of them because you will be using them on games and other activities, anyway! You don't need to buy those expensive gourmet chocolates, just grab the regular ones, your favorite brands - unless the gourmet chocolates are really what you're going for.

If you want to serve fondue, then prepare fondue matches like marshmallows, pretzels and fruits. Research on wines that would go well with chocolates and keep the idea for the party! And last of all, max out on a variety of drinks that could help clean your guests' palates.

Stage the Grandeur

Take out your best linens. If you have chocolate designed-linens, that would be great! You can line two or three tables with them. One table will be for eating and the other for chocolate and wine tasting. It can also be a place where you can display desserts that fellow chocolate lovers may want to indulge in anytime they want to while in the party.

Decorate your party area by incorporating chocolate brown colors in your design. Set the sound system and make sure you have great happy music to match the ambiance. And finally, make sure that your program is ready along with the materials that you would need in games or activities.

Make the Chocolate Party Fun

Here's a list of things that you can do at your chocolate party aside from chocolate and wine tasting. You may choose one or few of them, at least whatever is possible and could easily be done without having to spend much money.

1.Game - Who Can Eat The Most Chocolates?
2.Chocolate Painting – where you use chocolates and your hands to draw pictures
3.Stage an exhibit on the history of chocolates, print pictures and put them on display so everyone could have a look and learn while having fun
4.Chocolate Poker – Use chocolate pieces as chips. Your guests take home whatever chocolates they can win.
5.Bake-off Challenge – Who Can Make The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie?
6.Special cooking demonstration – learn a new chocolate recipe and share it with friends

It's so simple, right? You don't have to wait for a special occasion to throw a chocolate party! Being a chocolate lover is reason enough. But if you want to make your birthday, Thanksgiving, reunion or any get together fancier let the chocolate lover in you come out and let your loved ones experience a feast that makes life sweet!


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Planning a Wedding on a Shoestring Budget - What to Wear For the Groomsmen and Bridesmaids

The general rule of thumb for guys is that they will mimic what the groom wears. If the groom wears a tuxedo, they will wear similar tuxedos as well. If the groom wears a suit, they will wear similar suits. Remember our previous tip about renting tuxedos. Usually a rental shop will give the groom his tux rental for free if the groomsmen rent their tuxedos at the same shop. This can result in huge savings for everyone concerned!

As far as the bridesmaids are concerned, there are several more options to consider. First and foremost, the style of dress you want them to wear. Traditionally, bridesmaids are expected to pay for their own wedding attire. Because of this, you, as the bride, should use good manners when deciding on what your attendants will wear. Remember that not all bodies are built alike and not all dress styles look good on all types of people.

Shop around are the key words here! See what you can find with the parameters you have in mind! If at all possible, pick a style that will enable the bridesmaid to wear the dress at other places and other times. This will make them less reluctant to plunk down big bucks for a dress they’ll wear once and have it hang in their closet until their next rummage sale!

If you know someone who sews, pick out a pattern and fabric at your local discount store and stitch up a masterpiece.

Just as our tips for finding a wedding gown, check out the bridal shops and see what you can find off their racks. Don’t be afraid to ask for a discounted price. Many times, they will grant your request just to clear their inventory!

In our next post we will start planning the flowers.

Cooking Is An Art

There’s more to cooking than putting food in a pot and then eating it. Cooking can be an art. Cast iron cookware is very popular among cooking "artists" and Old Mountain cast iron cookware is one of the most popular brands. For those who really love to cook it becomes a real pastime. They are able to come up with new variations of old recipes and put their own special touches on them.

Preparing for a gathering can be something of a joy for them and having the right cookbooks and recipes makes it all the more fun. While some find cooking a time to be stressed out, others engulf themselves with the task of creating something truly special for their guests. When preparing a meal for their loved ones it becomes an extra special motivation to ensure their family gets the best of what you have.
It may not be a daily occurrence when you prepare a special gourmet dinner for your friends and family,
but, you do go to the extra effort of making sure your family eats better than microwave quick fix dinners. If you love to cook you will be making efforts often to make, create, and improve the tastes that feed your
loved ones. Your gift of love is shown in the food you prepare and that in itself is an art.

What To Wear For The Groom

The traditional choice for the groom is a tuxedo. You can buy a tuxedo but that is virtually unheard of. Most people will seldom, if ever, use a tux again. If you were to buy a tuxedo, the average cost would be somewhere between $300 and $500. This is not exactly the way to go when trying to save money on a wedding!

If you do want to buy your tux, check in thrift stores, consignment shops, and online to find discounted tuxes. Buying off the rack will run you a lot more money.

Renting a tux will run anywhere from $50 to $100 typically. That rental will include everything your groom will need to look his best. This means cuff links, shoes, vest, and tie. Many places offer the grooms tux rental free when the wedding party rents from the same store. Be sure to ask about a perk like this.

If your groom wants to own his own tuxedo, we suggest a local thrift store or consignment shop. You may also want to consider a discount wedding store or even online at e-bay again.

Yet another great consideration when outfitting the guys in your wedding party is to have them wear nice suits or even casual slacks and a nice shirt. Not every wedding party has to be ultra formal; it’s all up to you!

Our next segment will talk about those loved ones who will be standing up with you. What they wear can be just as important as what you wear!

Make your own wedding vows.

Free EBooks for Children

EBooks are very popular all over the Internet. They are used to promote products, in marketing, and often are distributed for free by the author. Many aspiring novelists who have been rejected time and time again turn to the world of eBooks to distribute their material. It's not rejected due to low quality but sometimes publishers just avoid a certain genre if it isn't popular.

Many up and coming children's book writers have discovered that by distributing a free eBook or two, their name recognition may improve and sometimes publishers will just contact them first.

There are all kinds of places to get free eBooks for children. Just using any of your favorite search engines should get you a lot of results. Some sites that have these free eBooks are religious in nature, educational, or privately developed. Sometimes if you join a kids club online, you will receive free children's eBooks in your e-mail on a weekly or monthly basis.

Many sites will have you register with them before you can download any free children's eBooks. This is usually pretty safe but before you do, make sure to read the fine print. You don't want to have your inbox filled with garbage forever. There is rarely a subscription fee for these free eBook sites because the authors usually give everything away.

Before you sit your child down at the computer or with their personal eBook reader, make sure you flip through most of the pages. Odds are everything is how it should be, but as in any industry there are always one or two bad apples out there. Also read an abstract of the story so you will know if any important characters are going to die as that can be hard on children.

What to Wear for the Bride - Planning a Wedding On a Shoestring Bugdet

WHAT TO WEAR, WHAT TO WEAR?

Cinderella’s princess gown was tailored by mice. In fairytales, that’s an easy solution! In real life, it’s much more daunting! Finding the perfect gown is very important to every bride to be. Most girls want to feel like a princess as they walk down the aisle to their Prince Charming! You can look like a princess without spending a whole month’s rent on your dress!

Do you really need a hand-made wedding dress with beads and diamantes? This is where the big cost is and there are several options in cutting the cost.

First and foremost, consider wearing your mother or grandmother’s wedding gown – assuming they still have them. Can you imagine the pride on their faces as they watch you stroll down the aisle toward your future husband wearing the very gown they wore doing the same thing?

Think that gown is a bit out of date? If you don’t like the style, consider hiring a seamstress to update the cut a bit. You can often find a seamstress or tailor for around $100 – well less than the cost of a new, off the rack wedding gown!

Why not opt for a second-hand wedding dress? It’s probably only been worn once anyway and you can get a once expensive dress for half the price. Check out consignment shops or thrift stores to see what they have to offer. Better yet, check out ebay.com. Again, if you can get a great deal on a gown and only need some alterations, a seamstress will be only a fraction of the cost to buy the gown outright.

Consider buying an evening gown/cocktail dress from a department store. Look around prom season. These days, many prom dresses can look like wedding gowns. A lot of specialty shops will run specials prior to prom hoping to cull their inventory. You can come across a great deal on a beautiful dress and look like a prom queen in the process!

You may want to look around for close out sales or liquidation sales at bridal shops in your area. One word of caution: don’t drive the equivalent of halfway across the country just to find a gown. Another option is to rent your wedding gown.

Consider shopping online at a discount wedding store or even e-bay. You won’t get the pampering you do at a bridal shop, but you can save up to 40% by going this route! You can have the dress altered locally if it doesn’t fit just right.

Finally, you can realize incredible savings on your dream gown by picking one out and asking a local seamstress to copy the design. This probably won’t be the most cost-cutting measure, but you can have a designer gown for about half the cost you would pay directly from the designer. If you find a good seamstress, they should be able to copy the design for a significant savings.

What would be even better than that? If you or someone you know sews! Pick out a pattern at the local discount store, buy the fabric and notions, and make the dress your own, for a fraction of the cost!

What about the veil? Many brides these days eschew the traditional veil over the face in favor of a more contemporary design. That’s fine and even beautiful. It’s all a matter of preference! But don’t fall for the inflated prices of a handmade veil at the local bridal shop.

Want to know how to make your own wedding veil? It’s much easier than you think! Follow the directions below and you can have a headpiece that’s amazing!

• Start with a base. Many stores such as Claire’s have cheap tiaras that can serve as your base. If you’re not quite into a tiara, just have on hand some craft wire and some plastic combs to hold the veil in place.

• Have a glue gun on hand. Get some tulle and attach it to whatever base you have. If it’s a tiara, just glue directly to the headpiece. If it’s combs, you’ll need to create a “halo” to attach the tulle to. Add the combs so you can put it in your hair. Most tiaras come with built in combs.

• Simply glue the tulle to your base and add any embellishments you want – flowers, baby’s breath, etc. Add accents like ribbons and bows for a special look.
Also consider having simple flowers or baby’s breath in your wedding coiffure. It’s a beautifully simple touch to a beautiful day that will make you look like a goddess in the process!

One note here about hair and makeup. You could splurge and have a beauty shop do you and your bridal party’s hair, but that’s an extra expense that is really un-needed. Once again, call on family or friends to help.

Do you know someone whose hair is always stunning? See if she’ll help you out. Maybe you have a distant cousin who is a hairdresser. See if she’ll donate her services as a wedding gift.

When it comes to make-up, the best look is your natural look. Most people want to see the bride dressed up in her finery but looking like the same gal they know. No need to cake on foundation if you normally don’t wear it. Go for some light eye shadow, mascara, a little blush and a pale lip color. You know how to do your own makeup – do it on your wedding day too.

Now that you’re outfitted, what will your groom wear?

You Are Cordially Invited - Planning a Wedding on a Shoestring Budget

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED...

Ideally, invitations should be mailed out 6-8 weeks before the big day to give guests time to make arrangements to attend and RSVP back to you.

The first step is to get organized. Remember when we suggested a folder earlier? This is where it comes in especially handy! Begin by making a list of the people you just you just have to have there. This will probably be mostly relatives and close friends. Ask your parents and the groom’s parents to provide you with a list of who they would like to invite. Make sure you have accurate addresses for your guests.

One caution here: don’t think you HAVE to invite everyone you know. If you haven’t talked to your high school “best friend” since graduation, he or she probably doesn’t need to be invited. And don’t get all caught up in possibly offending someone by not inviting them to your wedding.

Often, people get sick of attending weddings for people they barely know. Unless you talk to them every day, chances are pretty good that they won’t give it a second thought when your invitation doesn’t arrive. Remember, you’re trying to save some money on your big day. Extra people means extra expense – cut corners here.

Once you have your guest list, you’ll have an idea of how many invitations you’ll need. Next, you’ll need to pick a design.

Wedding invitations shouldn’t be a big expense for you. Yes, when it’s delivered all pretty in its customized envelope and small tissue square inside, it can make an impression – for about a minute! Most people read it once, note the date, take out the RSVP card and throw the invite away. So why spend a lot on them? Remember, we’re trying to save money here!

The obvious thing to do with your invites is to create them yourself on your personal computer. You can use Microsoft Word or Publisher to create beautiful invitations that are ALL you!

There also are inexpensive programs out there specifically made for creating invitations and greeting cards. The best part about buying programs like this is being able to use it again after the wedding is over! I’ve had this program save me many times to print out a special occasion card (Birthday, Anniversary) at the last minute if I’ve forgotten!

You can buy heavy card stock at any office supply or discount store. Consider some pre-printed stationery which is also available at most office supply stores.

Not really hyped up on using up all of your printer’s ink on your wedding invitations? Take them to a specialized copy shop or office supply store. They can usually copy onto whatever paper you want (heavy card stock, pre-printed, etc.) and in color if you choose.

You could also print out simple text of your invitation then use rubber stamps or embossing powder to decorate them. Keep in mind, though, the number of invitations you’ll need to embellish. If you’re looking at a few hundred, you could be up nights just decorating them!

The traditional practice for wedding invitations is to put the invitation inside an envelope and then place that envelope inside another envelope. Why bother? One envelope is plenty and you’ll only need one stamp to mail if you use one.

If you’re doing your own invitations, check with some small local print shops for leftover envelopes they might have. You can buy these a hugely discounted price. Don’t get freaked out if you have several different sizes or styles. How many people are going to ask each other at your wedding what size envelope their invitation came in?

If you need to have RSVP’s, consider putting it on a small postal size card. That way you eliminate an envelope and it adds to the convenience for your guests. All they have to do is fill it out and drop it in the mailbox. Of course, you’ll have to provide the stamp for this card.

Consider also printing reception information directly on the invitation itself. For an RSVP, provide a phone number and/or e-mail address for guests to respond to. Not only will this save you on postage, you’ll have all the information right there for your guests to refer to before the big day instead of them having to save a separate reception card.

You can use labels to print out addresses on your computer. We would suggest getting the clear labels as it just looks better. The most prominent label maker is Avery. Their website offers free templates to print out your labels, so you may want to check that out before struggling with a software program.

If you don’t like the impersonal nature of address labels, address the envelopes by hand. You can get information about calligraphy online or just use your best handwriting!

Some brides don’t want the hassle of do-it-yourself invitations. We happened to have a friend who sold wedding invitations as a side business at an incredible cheap rate and she offered up a discounted rate as a wedding gift. We ended up with 300 invitations for just $60. Not everyone can be that lucky, however. Check out places online for the most savings.

Finally, when it comes to wedding invitations, one of your largest expenses is going to be the postage. You really have no control over that unless you’re the Postmaster General and even then, I doubt it! You may want to hand deliver some invitations to save on postage. I know I would prefer to have the bride or groom personally hand me their invitation. It tells me I’m special to them and I know it’s saving them the cost of a stamp!

So what’s next? The bride, of course! Finding the perfect gown can be a long and tedious procedure. Read on for tips to save money while finding the most beautiful dress for you to say “I Do” in!

Look for our next article on “What To Wear”

Where To Start .... Planning Your Wedding on a Shoestring Budget

This is the first in a series of articles on Planning Your Wedding on a Shoestring Budget... 

WHERE TO START?

There’s so much to do, it can be mind-numbing.
Planning is essential, so keep a checklist, it could be your best friend! You may want to invest in an inexpensive folder to keep all of your notes in order, quotes and receipts.
You need to decide who will pay for the wedding. The typical wedding planner dictates that the bride’s parents pay for the wedding. In reality, these days that isn’t always the norm.

We’re assuming you want a traditional ceremony as opposed to a “theme” wedding. That information alone could compose a whole other book. Assuming you want a traditional wedding, the first decisions to be made include: the date, your attendants, and where the reception will be held. Of course, the date might be your most important decision.

Traditionally, couples tie the knot on a Saturday. If you really want to save some cash, consider having your ceremony on a Thursday or Friday. How about having a Sunday service on a holiday weekend? You’ll find that there are many more open dates on these days and you’ll ultimately realize more savings by booking on these less traditional time frames. Many reception locations will offer a discount for an off day. If they don t offer it, ask for it.

Also, you may want to consider an early marriage and an early reception. An 11:00 marriage with a reception immediately following can realize great savings as most guests will have already had lunch before your ceremony and the reception will most likely be over by dinner, so all you’ll have to provide is some light finger foods to tide over those rumbling tummies!

Additional savings may be realized by having your wedding in the months of November through April. These months are less busy for most wedding related services and locations. Again, ask for a discount for being off-season.

You need to decide how many attendants you will have so you can bestow the honor on them early enough! They can save the date and help you plan! Traditionally, the bridesmaids are responsible for their own wedding attire, but the bride usually has the final say on what they wear. Be mindful of your attendants’ financial situation and don’t choose that $500 satin chiffon number. Remember, you’re trying to throw a wedding on a budget. Let them save some cash as well! We’ll have some suggestions in another article for attendant attire, so keep that in the back of your mind!

Where your reception will be held is another big decision that has to be made early on in the wedding planning stage. If you want to opt for a traditional reception hall, you’ll have to book early to be sure you can get the venue of your choice. It's not unusual to have to book popular venues one to two years in advance.

If you or someone in your family is the member of a benevolent association (The Elks, The Moose, The American Legion), consider these as viable options. They often give discounts to members and you will probably have access to a lare area for your wedding reception as opposed to a family member's backyard! Just remember to book early! Having that out of the way will free up more of your time to concentrate on the little details that can mean so much!

You can also look to find a free place to hold your reception such as a friend’s home, a church’s reception hall, or even the local fire department’s reception hall! You could look into a local park, art gallery, and even your own home.

In our next article we talk about planning the guest list.

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