A couple of cost saving tips for your wedding:
Ranking Vendors: Arrange your vendors in order of importance to you. You can’t rank everything as a ten! Try to carve out more of your budget for the vendors most important to you. Maybe you’re really passionate about having good wine at your reception but don’t care about a limo. Instead of ok wine and a limo – have great wine and a friend drive you on your big day.
Champagne Toast – Replace with a cheaper cava or sparkling wine or eliminate by encouraging guests to toast with what is already in their hand.
Bar - Replace a full bar with wine, beer and two cocktails – the bride’s choice and groom’s choice.
Flowers – Downsize the number of arrangements or order them from a store like Whole Foods and have a dependable friend be in charge of delivery. Ask for leftover petals for free for the flower girl to throw down the aisle. Order potted plants from a nursery to double as favors for guests to take home.
Ceremony Location – try your local park! Seattle Park & Recreation
Negotiate – Don’t be afraid to say to a vendor, “I love what you do, but we’ve decided we really can’t spend more than $x. Is there anything you can do? or anyway we can creatively cut cost?”
Ceremony Music – You must know someone who plays an instrument? if not, try a local high school or university – students would be glad to put their skills to use. I hired a wonderful guitarist from www.gigmasters.com.
Bride’s Shoes – Don’t buy them at the salons, they’re always overpriced there. Instead try DSW or Nordstrom’s Rack often Nina shoes are there and they come in great colors for weddings.
Something Borrowed – Borrow that veil! chances are someone you know has been recently married and would be honored to have you use their veil.
Date Flexibility- Often peak Saturdays in the spring and summer are the most expensive and booked dates, not only will your date affect the reception price, but also the prices for other vendors. For example, a photographer will be more likely to flex on price on dates which he/she knows are less popular.
Go Online – Buy and sell new and pre-owned wedding items on Craigslist or BravoBride.
[...] Caveat is this is from summer 2007 so I imagine prices have gone up a little. See my blog on cutting wedding costs here. Also, my best suggestion on figuring out your floral budget is knowing what you want to/can [...]