Cheap Wedding Tips - Frugal Ideas

Finding an inexpensive wedding gown doesn't necessarily mean that you need to sacrifice one you've pictured in your mind since you were a little girl. Buy (preferably BORROW) some bridal magazines and start by cutting out photos of dresses that you like. There are so many styles and options including length, color, strap style, dress fit and more. Once you start ripping out gowns that you like, you'll be able to quickly narrow the field when you do start shopping or looking for the perfect wedding dress.

The top ways to save money on a gown are the following:

Sew One - After you've clipped out all those designer gowns from magazines, you can try to find a similar pattern and sew your own dress (or maybe you have a family friend that would be willing to do it cheap). You can find dress patterns at stores like JoAnn Fabric.

Wear a Family Heirloom - Wearing your grandmother's or mother's wedding dress can be a spectacular way to save money and be a touching tribute to them. If the dress needs some updating, just have it altered a bit to make it more contemporary.

Buy a Used Dress - E-bay and local newspaper classified ads are a great place to find wedding dresses. For my wedding, I actually had a college friend whose sister had purchased 2 wedding dresses at a bridal show. I bought the one that she decided not to wear for just $200 and had it shortened to fit me perfectly. Of course, the alterations cost nearly as much as the dress so keep this in mind when purchasing a used item. The less alterations required the better.

Mall Department Stores - I was shocked to see that JCPenney, Macy's and other department stores carry a line of wedding dresses. In addition if you are having a simple beach wedding or want a non-white wedding gown, check out the prom and formal dress section. I've seen numerous dresses in that section that would work perfectly. And don't forget to check out the clearance racks, I've seen some great dresses at Macy's for under $50. You can't beat that!

Rent A Wedding Dress - If having a designer dress is just a MUST, then consider renting the dress instead of buying it. Many local tuxedo shops have now started renting wedding dresses as well. Just check your local phone book to find a company in your area. Be sure that the wedding dress, veil, slip, and cleaning are included in the rental fees that you are quoted.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Honestly, it has been my experience that there isn't such a thing as cheap wedding invitations if you order custom invitations from a professional printer. So this is where a do-it-yourselfer can save some money and still achieve a professional elegant look. After all, you don't want your wedding guests to think they look cheap since the invitation is the first thing that they see with regard to your big day. And by making your own invitations, you can create a unique invite that reflects your personal style. I recommend looking through bridal magazines and all the websites of professional printers to get some excellent ideas.

The easiest way to make your own invitations is to buy a pre-made wedding invitation kit that includes the paper, envelopes and RSVP cards. Basically, you just follow a template and lay out the text on your computer. Then just run the paper through a laser printer and voila! you have great looking invitations at a fraction of the cost. Just be sure to use a high quality laser printer for the best results...the text from ink jet printers tends to smudge easily and run if it gets wet. Places like Kinko's and Office Max have laser printers where they can print the invitations for you if you bring in the template file.

If you are crafty and have things like scrapbook supplies, you can create some very unique invites using high-quality card stock along with the usual embellishments that you have on hand. Get inspiration from any of the professional printers. You could even create a photo invite with a picture of the bride and groom.

Finally if you are good with graphics programs such as Adobe or Photoshop, you can create true masterpieces. You can utilize your own photos, buy photos from online image banks, or create your own background graphics to tie in with the theme and color scheme of your wedding.

To save money on the RSVP postage, consider replacing the usual RSVP cards which require $.42 stamps with RSVP postcards which cost much less to mail. And be sure to choose pretty wedding-themed stamps like those available from zazzle.com. By using beautiful hand-writing when addressing the invitation envelopes along with a lovely stamp, you can make a terrific impression on your guests.

Photo Credit: Platinum Hearts Wedding Invitation Kit

Buying flowers for the ceremony and wedding reception centerpieces can literally break the bank. Of course, the easiest way to keep the costs down is to reduce the size of the bridal party (that means less bridesmaid bouquets and boutonnieres). When it comes to the flowers, pick a budget and stick to it because when you get to the florist, you'll be mighty tempted to spend more than you intended. Here are some ideas to keep the costs down:

Use Carnations - The bottom line is that carnations are one of the most inexpensive flowers available. If you feel that carnations look cheap, then consider using them as a filler or accent flower on the bouquets and arrangements (not as the sole flower). Personally I love carnations because they hold up well in heat, come in a wide range of colors, and are readily available no matter what the season. When arranged well, they can look elegant even alone. Daisies and chrysanthemums are also inexpensive flower choices.

Shop around - Check out ALL of the florists in your area including any new businesses so that you can compare their pricing. Be sure that you are comparing apples to apples. It is also important that you have a good relationship with the florist so make sure that you get along well. Ask him or her for suggestions on how to reduce the cost of the flowers explaining how tight your budget is. Even consider buying flowers online - many online florists sell wedding flowers that look great.

Use seasonal flower varieties - Flowers that are out-of-season are expensive and should be used sparingly. Also consider the seasonal temperatures. In the summer, flowers such as black-eyed susans, carnations, daisies and sunflowers are both heat-resistant and lovely.

Split reception decor costs - Often times many large reception venues host several weddings on the same day or the night/day before your event. If you can contact the other bride, you can see if they would be willing to share the reception decor costs (including flowers). This means that you will need to coordinate extensively with the other party which may lead to more headaches than it is worth.

My cousin-in-law had the best idea ever to save money on her wedding flowers. The year before she got married she got a job at a local florist. She needed a job and loved arranging flowers so it was the perfect fit. When she got married, the flower shop owner did all the flowers for the entire wedding at cost (donated all her time and the labor). She had AMAZING reception centerpieces, bridesmaid and bridal bouquets.

While I recommend having at least a few of the wedding day photographs taken by a professional, you can save tons of money by having some of the ceremony and reception photos taken by others. Here are just a few ways to save money on the photography:

Family Member - Ask a family member who is interested in photography to take photos throughout the event including during the wedding ceremony and the reception. Give them a specific list of shots that are MUST have's and they can figure out the rest. It is a fun way for them to participate in your big day. For our wedding, we had a family member who was into videography so he videotaped our entire wedding and made tapes for all of the family members and members of the bridal party.

Disposable Cameras - Enlist the help of your guests by placing disposable wedding cameras either in a basket at the entrance to the reception or on each table along with a little sign that asks them to take candid shots throughout the evening. Some of our best wedding pictures and moments were actually captured by our guests.

Photography Students - Check with the local community college or high school to see if any of the students are looking for wedding work to fill up their portfolio. You'll be surprised by all the responses you will receive especially from those students who are about to graduate. Nothing speaks louder than a great wedding photo album when they are out looking for a job.

Digital Photo Share - Ask your guests to e-mail you any photos that they took on your wedding date. When you gather up photos from everyone, you'll be shocked by all the great shots and the shear number of photos that you receive.

Photo Credit: Nathan Walker Photography

One of the biggest wedding expenses is the food and drink that you serve to guests so choosing wisely in this arena can save you thousands of dollars. If you are willing to move away from the traditional cocktail hour and three course dinner, you can use any of the following ideas to trim the food and drink cost.

Small Local Caterer - Opt for a smaller catering company by finding a venue that will enable you to have outside caterers. Many of the large hotel chains and venues provide internal catering services which can be prohibitively expensive. By selecting a local and small caterer, you will likely be able to save tons of money on the per plate guest charge. At our wedding, we were able to bring in an outside caterer and ended up spending only $7.50 per guest for a full buffet style dinner.

Buffet Dinner - Have a buffet dinner instead of a sit-down dinner at the wedding reception. Guests often enjoy the ability to choose their own sides and main course and much less food gets wasted if you serve buffet-style. And of course, the cost is reduced because servers are not required.

Keep the 'reception' simple - Consider serving just cake and flutes of champagne after the ceremony. For garden weddings, how about serving trays of hors d'oeuvres along with champagne and wedding cake. At relaxed outdoor wedding ceremonies, you could opt for a traditional pig roast or BBQ reception party. The options are endless if you are willing to forego the traditional.

Cater the wedding yourself - I only recommend this option if you are a good cook, have lots of friends and family who are willing to help, and you are highly organized and not easily stressed. Planning a wedding can be stressful in and of itself so adding catering to the list can be overwhelming for some brides. However if you are up for the challenge, it is an excellent way to save money!

Photo Credit: Wedding Food Plate

These days just about anything goes when it comes to wedding cakes .... you don't have to have a 4 tier cake to create a dessert that guests will love. To cut costs, consider some of the following options.

Cupcake Towers - This do-it-yourself project can save you TONS of money. Have friends and family help you to bake your favorite flavor of cupcakes and frost them. You can find silver, gold and other wedding themed baking cups either online at places like Wilton or at a local shop such as Michaels. Buy some of those cool wire cupcake display towers or 3 tier glass platters to create a unique look on your cake table. For ideas on how to decorate the cupcakes for various themes, visit Wilton Wedding Cupcakes. You can place flowers and ribbons around the cupcakes for a stunning display. The great thing about cupcakes is that you can have all kinds of flavors so your guest can choose their favorite. Check out this Wedding Cupcake Lens for some great ideas.

Buy Birthday Cakes - It seems that when the word wedding is added to the word cake, it all adds up to big bucks. If you go to a local grocer or store like Sam's Club and order birthday sheet cakes through their bakery department, you can get them very inexpensively. I think an entire sheet cake (enough for 80 people) at Sam's Club is something like $50. That is pretty cheap considering that many wedding cake slices are $3 - $20 EACH. Be sure to sample the cakes before ordering them for your wedding. I've tasted some pretty horrible grocer cakes and on the other hand, I've tasted some pretty good birthday cakes so you just never know until you put it to a taste test.

Get A Family or Friend To Make The Cake - At my wedding, my mother-in-law suggested that we use a friend of hers to make our 3 tier wedding cake. She not only made the 3 tier cake but also several side sheet cakes to feed all of our wedding guests. To this day, our family still talks about how our cake was one of the best they've ever had (and it has been 17 years since we got married). I think we paid something like $250.

Photo Credit: Flickr Alana Hodgson

Traditionally, favors are given to wedding guests to say thank you for sharing in your celebration. Again, the easiest way to save money on wedding favors is to do them yourself. You can find many DIY favor ideas on my Seasonal Wedding Favor lens. Many online companies including Wedding Favors Unlimited sell DIY supplies such as favor boxes, tulle circles, favor embellishments, personalized ribbon, stickers/labels, and personalized favor hang tags. By using your imagination and creativity you can make favors that tie in perfectly with your wedding theme, style and personality.

Alternatively, these days you can find many pre-made favors that cost less than $1 per guest which is fairly reasonable in my opinion. Check out these cheap wedding favors for a look at gifts such as candles, place card holders, and personalized notebooks that are budget friendly.

Of course, the final alternative is to forego the tradition of giving guest favors all together. If you are on a super-tight budget, this may be the best option for you.

Photo Credit: Love Candle Favors from $.97 at Wedding Favors Unlimited

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