Planning Your Own Wedding: Opulence on a Dime

Yes, now may be the time for many of us to cut a few corners by purchasing affordable wedding favors, food, and decorations, but this doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice beauty and elegance when planning your own wedding. In order to save a few bucks and even reduce overall spending, many brides-to-be are postponing their long-awaited wedding days for more prosperous times. wedding dj richmond va of waiting, however, you could simply scale back your wedding. Fortunately, there are many ways to make your wedding just as special if you hunt around for deals on tasteful yet affordable wedding favors, refreshments, and flowers – in fact, taking advantage of bargains and discounts while planning your own wedding day and doing many things yourself could be the very highlight of your special day.

Simple, Affordable Wedding Favors are Key: For the bride planning her own wedding with little time as it is, envisioning and making 150 affordable wedding favors sounds a little ridiculous (read time consuming), and while many sites recommend you make these yourself, the cost of construction and materials would probably be higher than just biting the bullet and buying pre-made (though affordable) wedding favors. A lot of times you can find favors for well under $1.00 each. A recent check on quality, affordable wedding favors showed charming silver mint tins for $0.52, bride and groom swizzle sticks for $0.75, and place card holders for $0.94.

In addition to purchasing affordable wedding favors, remember always to buy enough the first time around. If in doubt, buy slightly over your estimated head count. And try to order with plenty of time to spare to avoid exorbitant shipping costs, meaning you should start planning your own wedding far in advance to ensure this as shipping on a rush order alone can add well over $50.00 extra. Above all, take full advantage of volume pricing on your order of affordable wedding favors, which helps you avoid paying the lowest (and most expensive) tier price.

The Lovely but Reduced-Priced Dress Route: Finding the perfect wedding dress is considered an epic quest by many brides who are planning their own wedding, but still want to look their loveliest on that special day. Whether the bride chooses hundreds of flounces and tulle or a simple A-line design, the whole ensemble – dress, veil, undergarments, and shoes – can add up rather quickly. To save money while planning your own wedding, you have a few options, most of which present themselves online. Search for dresses on auction sites, such as eBay, or classified ad sites, such as Craigslist, to find previously worn wedding gowns at cheap, bargain basement prices. You can often find name brand or even designer dresses in great condition, along with all the accessories. If you want to take your search offline, contact thrift stores and consignment shops in your town to see what their inventories are like before hitting the pavement.

If you’d rather have something more personalized, you can have your dress made, although this will be a little more expensive. Occasionally, art and design students offer their services for a cheaper dressmaking fee than established places and can create a dress for you at well below market value. You can also have a trusted friend who has time and sewing prowess make your dream dress from scratch.