When The Wedding in Your Mind Meets Your Budget
With the advent of technology has come the explosion of ideas. Including great new wedding ideas! There are so many great wedding applications, websites, magazines; it is almost overwhelming. Not to mention sites like ETSY, YouTube and Pinterest to name just a few. You’ve looked through a mountain of magazines, cut out pictures of your vision, pinned on Pinterest and searched the world wide web thus having planned the perfect wedding on paper or ere…on a computer, a tablet and/or smart phone.
Suddenly reality and that wedding you have planned in your head collide! Now panic sets in. Remember this is just one day of your new life as husband and wife. Sit down with all of the information you have gathered, a glass of wine or sparkling cider, a few trusted friends and/or family members and get ready to prioritize. What is most important to you as a couple and what is “gee that would be nice but not a deal breaker”?
First what is most important to you? Is it the cake, the food, the flowers, ETC? Make a list and then think about how you can achieve the feel of what you want without breaking the bank. Did I mention that this is just the first day of your new life together?? What do you remember from other friends and family weddings you have attended? What stood out to you as super cool or not so memorable?
Are you a foodie? Then focus on the food. A really great meal sans the “rubber chicken.” A big trend now is food trucks. They are popping up all over the streets, parking lots and festivals in the United States. How awesome would it be to have a few food trucks at an outdoor fun reception? I have seen some fun trucks: one was a converted fire truck featuring hand made pizza, another was a frozen yogurt truck that offered 6 – 8 flavors of yogurt to choose from and all of the fixings. I think the possibilities are endless! If you are leaning toward a more formal affair then consider a venue that offers food stations versus one buffet line. This arrangement makes the lines shorter and the guests happier.
Are flowers your focus? Speak with your florist to find out what flowers are in season to reduce costs. Many times the florist can suggest flowers that look similar, are in season and still give you stunning arrangements and bouquets. To further reduce costs think dual purpose. Have your wedding planner or family move arrangements from the ceremony to the reception. If you are planning a sweetheart table use your bouquet as your table arrangement, either in a beautiful vase or just placed elegantly on the table in front of your place settings. Also, think repurpose: arrange ahead of time for your beautiful centerpieces to be sent to a nursing home, hospital or home with family in friends.
Photography is an important part of the memories. Photographers offer many packages so sit down and go over them carefully. Do you want the entire day professionally documented or just the ceremony and reception. Be honest with the photographer in regards to your budget and ask them to make recommendations.
The wedding cake is an important part of the day and comes with endless possibilities! Consider a combination of a smaller beautifully decorated tier cake for cutting and then an arrangement of cupcakes or sheet cakes that are cut and brought out from the kitchen. Dessert and/or candy bars are awesome as well.
Venues are a separate topic. We could write books on the variety of venues, the costs, etc. We’ll save that for another day.
The most important thing to remember on your wedding day is that everyone will have a great time celebrating with you and at the end of the day you are married! Congratulations!
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