Simplistic Budgeting

For many, the bride's vision for her big day is BIG. For most, they've had this day perfected down to the last jot and tittle before they even found that lucky man.
Tis' true.
Now the diamond's on the finger and the race has begun!  Trying to outwit the next bride for that perfect venue! The overflowing candelabras, glittering with orchids! That $10,000 gown from Vera Wang! But hold on second, aren't we forgetting a little something? Oh yes, that's when the dreaded "B" word checks in...

The BUDGET. Just the word itself calls for a drink - margarita night, anyone?

More and more brides, especially in today's economy, are dropping their dreams for the Cinderella royal-treatment Wedding. For the hard-working American, the days of bigger wedding budgets are slimming down quite a bit; because they simply cannot afford it.

However, my belief is that you still can have that beautiful wedding - even if your budget is $5,000. It requires flexibility on your part, but offers simplistic beauty. Here are a few of my tips:

1. Have a Destination Wedding - Find a venue that really fits your future spouse and yourself. If you have a destination wedding, you can still send everyone expecting an invitation; but only close family and friends will really attempt to be their for your wedding. It's not as much stress as you may think, most venues have wedding planners on hand and can plan from afar. Also, this wedding creates more excitement, because most of your guests turn it into a vacation for themselves! Think outside of the box - like Ireland or Jamaica! If you invite 300 - 50 might show. Most venues charge per person for the whole deal.

2. Have a Morning Wedding and Skip the Liquor - No one expects liquor for a morning affair and a brunch menu helps with the budget; but still can be done-up very elegantly! Get creative - if you're those two who met at Starbucks, setup a bistro with cupcakes, donuts, and yummy lattes! Hire a French Chef to make Crepes to prepare for your guests! Possibilities are endless.

Photo from Shannon Leahy Wedding & Event Blog

3. Do It Yourself, But Get a Wedding Consultant for the Day Of - Wedding Consultants are extremely helpful, but maybe you can't squeeze one into the budget. That's ok! If anything, you'll need one for the Big Day and most can negotiate a price that's right to help you run everything in order. Get organized - present the phone numbers, names, and certain specifications you might have (a few songs for the "don't play" list, wedding-crasher-relatives/friends to avoid, decorations implemented the way you'd like, etc). Time is money; so if you waste your wedding-day worrying and things don't go right, it's worth the $500 for a Wedding Consultant. Another point, is the minute you loose your cool and start bossing people, you automatically become a.... dare I say... "BRIDEZILLA." So a Wedding Consultant takes care of that whole problem, she gets to give the orders, and you get to relax like a Princess. It's a win-win situation.

4. Get Crafty! - Not talented with some scissors and glue? Everyone knows at least one person in their lives who excels at this talent - and they're the ones practically BEGGING to help you for your Big Day. Martha Stewart Magazines are filled with creative ideas that are usually cost-efficient and if you can't find anything there, plop onto a couch and search for ideas at Barnes & Nobles with a Frappaccino. Yummy! Once you have your leads, spend a day with your artistic-self or friend and brainstorm. This makes your wedding uniquely you.

5. Off-Season - Off season weddings  (dates after the first week of November) will help you save on a venue, DJ, cake, and sometimes even a photographer! Be sure to ask your vendors if they offer this discount and not to sound desperate when asking for a specific date. The down-side of this deal, is that off-season flowers (peonies, orchids, lilies, etc.) are even pricier then usual. Instead, you can work with Autumn elements, like branches, thistles, and leaves. Another plus? Pictures in the fall are breathtaking!


6. Be Simple - Don't over-do - it's so easy to fall into this trap! When you have the sequinned-to-death wedding gown, the 5-layer-frosted cake, the over-flowing amount of orchids, and the bridesmaids dressed for their prom! 


... breathe... 


Tone it down a bit and focus on two things to splurge on. Ask yourself, "What's important to me?"


"My gown?"
"My decorations and flowers?"
"My photographer?" 


And create simple decorations to make the evening flow. Most of your guests will be overwhelmed if you do too much and may not even get to enjoy everything you worked so diligently to prepare. I recommend reading "Simple Stunning Weddings" by Karen Bussen. It's a great book to teach you how to style dramatically in a simple way. 

So, these are just some ideas that I thought to share. I hope someday to really be useful to the budgeting bride to make her dreams come true. Thank you for reading!

Do you have budgeting tips? Please share them with the rest of us! We'd love to hear your comments!