Wedding Money Savers (for Sicy)

[pat]

Originally posted by Sicycat
I think my head is going to explode

OH boy...did we all forget to tell you that no matter what, no matter how well intentioned, you may feel overwhelmed (it's no wonder folks elope!). Lots of advice will come your way, just take the best of it, and then do what you want <G>. And don't take it personally when someone, on one side of the family or the other, throws a fit...someone(s) always does something that ramps up the stress.

Somehow, weddings still occur, are still wonderful, and the day always goes by too fast.

Just do what is best for you and he, you're about to become a partnership, and in my (and my husband's opinion) it is the foremost relationship next to one's relationship with God (if you believe). It surpasses in importance the relationship with even your parents, and is to be safeguarded and tended as the precious thing it is.

Oh HECK I SOUND OLD! I swear I'm not (whimpering off into silence on this topic, I promise).

 

[valanhb]

Sicy, the one thing to keep in mind, and this doesn't cost any money, is that no matter what goes perfect and what goes wrong....at the end of the day as long as you are married to the man you love the rest is pretty trivial.

It is easy to get stressed and overloaded. Someone gave another very good piece of advice - when someone offers to help, let them! I planned everything of my wedding myself, and at times it was overwhelming.

 

[ttmom]

Do as much as you can yourself and have friends and family pitch in as much as possible.
Buy in bulk.
Use disposable cameras to get good candid shots.
Make your cake yourself or have a family member do it for you. I got lucky and the hotel threw it in for free.
Don't get a guest book, go to a scapbook store and buy pretty paper and print out a signature page on it and use it instead (then it can go into your album!).
If you know someone who does scrapbooking then don't buy the album from the photographer, have them do it instead (it will be more personal and more fun).
Try to go with someplace for the reception than can do the decor, the cooking, the music. We had the hotel cook the meal and they did the cakes for free. They provided the decorations and my family decorated. And hubby and I bought CD collections of romantic songs and they were able to play that and pipe it into the room.
Make your own decorations--we did the pew bows and the table centerpieces.
Check 99cent stores, dollar stores, the discount sections of places like Walmart on an almost daily basis. You'll never know what you'll find--I found little ivy circlets for candles for my reception at Walmart in the discount section and bought 10 for $5.
Make your own veil.
Buy a second hand gown (do NOT get a seamstress if you can avoid it).

Those are just a few of the things I did or learned I should have done.

Oh, also, it works even better to make sure that the people you are paying (like maybe the florist) is a friend of the family.

 

[ttmom]

Also, we did not provide alcohol. We figured if the people wanted to get drunk they could pay for it themselves. We didn't want to be responsible.

And don't worry about any of it! My dress and the groom's tux was messed up, the photographer was a jerk, etc., and only I was aware of it. Everyone else had not a clue except for those helping. When you look at my wedding pictures you cannot tell my dress didn't fit and wasn't the right design.