The Month of May is the beginning of the Wedding season. Many brides that I meet feel they will not be able to afford the wedding of their dreams due to the economic crisis that the U.S. is facing today. I just wanted to share with you some money saving tips for your wedding day (which includes your reception), as well as some cost-effective solutions for brides and grooms who are planning their wedding during this troubling economy.
Many modern brides and grooms are looking for a well put together wedding event that won’t cost them a bundle. I am offering some suggestions for the budget minded couple who is seeking an elegant and fabulous wedding without hidden costs or perhaps may be on a limited budget.
Many modern brides and grooms are looking for a well put together wedding event that won’t cost them a bundle. I am offering some suggestions for the budget minded couple who is seeking an elegant and fabulous wedding without hidden costs or perhaps may be on a limited budget.
The most common question that brides and grooms have often asked me is “How can you save us money?” One answer to this question is that it is not necessary to spend most of the wedding budget on invitations, as personalized invitations can be easily made by the wedding party, but to spend a reasonable amount of your budget on photography. It is more important to have a reputable photographer to capture this once in a lifetime event and to secure those precious memories that will last forever. You can also save money by having your wedding on a Sunday (and surprisingly MANY downtown hotels offer awesome prices for Sunday weddings) or having a brunch reception instead of an afternoon or evening reception. On an episode of Get Married, Colin Cowie stated that you can save $$$ by having an afternoon reception versus an evening reception (the cost of food in the afternoon is cheaper than the cost of food for dinner). Another way to cut costs is to offer a buffet instead of a three course meal {tip: many think by just having passed hors d'oeuvres will save you money, this can actually cost you more than a three course meal}.
Another cost-effective tip is creative gift baskets for out of town guests. Small to mid-size baskets can be purchased at any local arts and crafts store or via the Internet. Many of these stores will provide weekly discount coupons online or through the local newspaper. These stores from time to time will also offer craft education, information and project ideas, classes and events for those seeking a more creative approach.
Some suggestions for these baskets would be items that are local to Chicago or the hosted city of the wedding celebration. These could be anything from a map of Chicago, bottled water (with the bride & groom's name), magnets of the City of Chicago and other City paraphernalia, and if there are sports fans in attendance, a small token of any Chicago based sports team would do. Also, any item that represents Millennium Park, and of course a bag of Garrett's Popcorn could also be a welcoming addition. I also suggest that the bride invite her wedding party for a "Making Baskets Extravaganza" one weekend close to the wedding date. This will save money, having the store make the gift baskets for you will cost you anywhere between $60-200 a piece.
Third-party vendors that I work with are offering creative ways that will adjust to any budget. For instance, a photographer I work with offers free HD upgrade, and raw footage in her packages. Even some of the vendors are experiencing difficulties during this time and I am seeing many of them, florists, videographers, hotels, etc. offering price incentives.
Find this blog interesting? Mention us in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support.
No comments:
Post a Comment