WHEN TO GET MARRIED
Plan your wedding for January, February, March, or April to save money >
That's when the least amount of weddings occur. Between May and October, 70% of weddings are happening. Which means the prices for venues and vendors are skyrocketing. If you choose a day during the off season you can save up to 50% on the reception venue alone.
REGISTRY
Register for big-ticket items
Consider websites like thebigday.com or felicite.com where guests can treat you on your honeymoon or a nice dinner
A lot of times, you come into a wedding/marriage with a lot of good stuff already. Maybe you have good flatware and your spouse-to-be has good dishware. Well, it makes no sense to register for the same things.
These days, many couples are thinking outside the box and registering for what they really want (and need)! Register for big-ticket items like a couch, a nice table, or that espresso machine you've been eying.
Many popular retailers like Crate and Barrel offer you a discount on anything on your registry that has not been purchased, so the sky's the limit!
Websites like thebigday.com or felicite.com allow your guests to treat you on your honeymoon to a nice dinner, massages, or day trips.
INVITATIONS
Choose a rectangular invitation over a square one which cuts postage costs
Consider a wedding website
Choose a rectangular invitation rather than a square one which costs 17 cents more per invitation to mail
If you have a wedding of 300 people, you'll be spending $50 more on postage alone!
A wedding website is preferable to mailing…you can e-mail directions or a list of area activities and restaurants, etc., to save money AND trees!
MUSIC:
Rent nice speakers to attach to your iPod and make your own DJ station
Have a "wedding playlist" that includes your favorite tunes and your guests'
Have guests fill in their RSVP cards with music requests which you can download to an iPod
This is a great way to save money on the big day as well - have a designated "wedding playlist" on your iPod that includes all of your favorite tunes as well as your guests'
Rent some nice speakers to attach to your iPod and make your very own DJ station
Guests will love hearing their beloved songs, and you can even make an iMix that they can download later as a memory of the evening's dances.
FLOWERS
Avoid planning your wedding around floral-heavy holidays like Valentines Day or Mother's Day
Look for flowers that are available year-round for less than $2 a stem like Freesia and Snapdragon
Avoid planning your wedding near the floral-heavy holidays of Mothers Day and Valentines Day because it's a matter of supply and demand - when there's a heavy need for flowers, the prices will be shoot up
You want to have gorgeous flowers, who doesn't? But a single orchid stem can cost $26! Look for flowers that are available year-round (for less than $2 a stem) such as Freesia, Snapdragon, and Incalilies.
Get creative: Many couples that we interviewed actually went to the farmer's market the day of the wedding and chose sunflowers for the centerpieces or in the aisles. They put them in a galvanized buckets or antique milk jugs.
PHOTOS & VIDEO
Have a friend shoot the event then send footage to a company that will create a custom wedding film
Talk to your venue and photographer about using your wedding photos for promotinal purposes- you'll get free publicity and a discount!
Have a friend shoot the event then send the Amateur footage to a company that will create a custom wedding film from it
Talk to the venue of your wedding and your Photographer about using your wedding photos for promotional purposes - you'll get some free publicity AND a discount!
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