Tips for an Elegant Wedding on a Shoestring Budget
By: Brenda Frezell
Brides on a budget do not necessarily want to go for the “Cheap Look.” Instead of being cheap, think of yourself as conservative. Elegance can come from the simplest of things. The following are some tips to help you keep within your wedding budget.
1. Start planning WAY in advance. The more time you have to plan, the more bargains you can find.
2. Decide what you absolutely need for your wedding. I skipped (among other things) the wedding favors, a slip, and the limo. They were not missed at all.
3. Don’t impulse buy unless you will absolutely die without it. You can usually find it elsewhere for less if you keep looking.
4. If you impulse buy, keep the receipt in case you change your mind.
5. Brides ALWAYS change their minds (it’s a bride’s prerogative.)
6. Use wedding internet message boards either locally or globally to find that perfect something (example, asking where to find inexpensive candles will usually prompt about 20 brides to tell you their favorite internet sites and how they got the bargain.)
7. Borrow things from friends or family who recently had a wedding.
8. Shop after-Christmas, after-New Years or after-Easter sales. You can find great bargains on jewelry, shoes, flower girl dresses, bridesmaids dresses, flowers and decorations.
9. Don’t be afraid of Ebay. It can be your friend. I found my tiara on e-bay for $12, my veil for $40 (I could have gone for less but didn’t want to), my shoes for $19, my wedding flowers and petals, my garter, my purse, and various odds and ends that can really save up.
10. Be creative. Even if you think you don’t have a creative bone in your body, you really do or you know someone who is. People LOVE to be asked to help with your wedding!!!
11. If you haven’t heard it before, you’re going to hear it now…. stay away from everything marked “Bridal” or “Wedding.” It’s time to think outside of the box, as they say. I only had $5,500 to spend on my wedding, some of us have less than that, so when you’re looking to save money, start by looking in what the bridal industry would call all the WRONG places…
12. Instead of buying my wedding cake topper at a bridal shop, I bought it at www.GoCollect.com. It cost me $20. And now that my wedding is over, it makes a nice knicknack for my dresser in my bedroom.
13. Buy silk flowers and do your own. Flowers cost a fortune, and they last one day. This worked out great for me because I have allergies and didn’t want real anyways. I got my silk flowers at Ebay.com. And I was able to buy them in the color I wanted since they are fake! Or if you want to go simple, just do a single rose for each of your bridesmaids and just do a few for yourself. No need to get fancy here. Simple can be very elegant.
14. If you’re going to buy a wedding related book, buy this one (and no, I’m not a paid endorsement, just a satisfied bride) Bridal Bargains. This book is indispensable. Don’t even bother getting anything else. Trust me, I’ve tried the rest and this one’s the best. And they offer a money back guarantee - not many wedding related items offer that!
This article is brought to you by Brenda Frezell of http://www.shoestringbrides.com Stop by for tips on how to save big on your wedding day.