ALT-4 Best Ways to get Married on a Budget
Look at the big categories: where will you get married? what will you wear? who will you invite? what will people eat and drink? how will you decorate?
Where: Depending on the time of year you're getting married, you can almost always find a free outside venue: a park, a beach, a friend's landscaped backyard. I was married in the Zilker Park Rose Garden in Austin, TX; it was free, and it was beautiful. Find out if reservations are required. Reservations are good, since you won't show up on your big day and have to fend off 20 other couples wanting to use the same venue. On the other hand, you'll probably need to reserve early; you'll have a lot of competition for a beautiful, free spot.
What to Wear: Consider a theme for your wedding. Are you close to the ocean? Hold the ceremony on the beach. Invite guests to wear tropical clothing: Hawaiian shirts, sarongs, etc. Select the bride's & groom's clothing to match. Imagine a stunning ceremony on the beach at sunset, the bride adorned in a white, fringed sarong, her hair decorated with fresh hibiscus blossoms. If you aren't excited about the idea of a theme and have always dreamed of a white wedding gown, and you don't have a friend who sews well, shop around. I bought my dress from a Quinceanera shop; it was white, it was lacy, it was ruffled, and it looked lovely in the rose garden. Look at bridesmaid's dresses; many of them can be ordered in white or ivory. And, consider a secondhand dress; you'll wear the dress for a few hours, at most, and despite all your dreams of saving your dress for your own daughter to someday marry in, chances are good she'll refuse to wear it anyway.
Who to invite and what to feed them: keep in mind that the more expensive food and drink is for your reception, the fewer people you'll want to invite if you're on a budget. Big is not always better; small, intimate weddings with a few family and close friends can be a more joyful experience than a large wedding, because you won't have to rush around, feeling obligated to spend a few minutes with each guest. If you have your heart set on having every last family member down to 3rd cousin Fred, along with every person you both went to high school with at your wedding, consider whether you really need to feed your guests at all. Guests don't necessarily expect to be fed at a wedding, but if you can swing it they might be delighted with a few hors d'oeuvre to go with the champagne-the cheap kind, of course. Enlist friends and family to provide that super-special finger food they're always bragging about, or that fabulous punch they served at Aunt Martha's retirement party. As for the cake, consider a wonderful option that many people are choosing these days: decorated cupcakes (they don't have to be professionally-decorated-really!) stacked on tiered serving platters.
How to invite: Purchase a blank invitation set from a craft store. Michael's typically provides a 40% or 50%-off coupon in Sunday's paper, and this brings the cost of a blank set down to about $15. Instructions are included for printing the invitations on your home computer. My set included a lovely background, vellum overlays for the printing, and a ribbon to tie the two together; envelopes, and response cards. Also, remember when buying invitations to buy enough for the number of FAMILIES you're inviting, not the number of guests. Often several people will be included on one invitation.
Decorations: It's really not necessary to decorate every available inch of your ceremony space with ribbons or flowers. In fact, if you have your ceremony in a naturally beautiful place (a Rose Garden, for example), you'll spend nothing on decorations. As for flowers, stay away from the florists. After I was quoted $500 for 2 bouquets, 2 corsages, and 3 boutonnieres, I turned green and headed for the local grocery store, which has a floral shop in it. I met with the floral manager, and she was thrilled to be able to design and put together wedding bouquets. She even threw in several bags of rose petals for free (these usually sell for about $2 a bag), which I sprinkled on my tables at the reception. I paid a fraction of the cost I was quoted from the florist, and my flowers were beautiful.
Finally, I'll leave you with two thoughts. People love weddings, and most people love to be involved in weddings. They'll print your invitations, bake your cupcakes, hem your dress, and vacuum up afterward. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Think of it as giving your loved ones an opportunity to do a good deed.
Secondly, what you'll take away from your wedding will have nothing to do with how large or expensive your cake was, how long the train on your dress dragged behind you, or how many guests gushed over filet mignon. If you're really in love and this is the marriage for you, you'll be focused on much more important things, like each other.
