ALT-5 Best Ways to get Married on a Budget
The very best way to get married on a budget is to think SMALL and be CREATIVE! My husband and I enjoyed every moment of our wedding and have never looked back at the event with any suggestions for changes. It was absolutely perfect and we stayed on budget (we paid for it ourselves after all.)
How did we do it? Primarily by keeping the guest list very small and thinking just a bit our of the box. We had a grand total of 13 people at our wedding! And while not everyone can manage such a small number, everyone can keep the guest list under 35 people if they focus on inviting only the most important people in their lives to share in this very personal event. Simply by reducing the number of guests, you will automatically save a bundle since so many wedding expenses are calculated per person (invites, programs, meals, favors, thank yous, etc.)
The second way we kept on budget was to think outside the proverbial box. I (the bride) purchased my gown from the formal section of Neiman Marcus rather than the wedding boutique. The bride's wedding gown is typically a monumental expense in relation to the overall wedding expenses, so saving here is big! My gown was a beautiful, strapless, sleek white satin gown intended to be a formal or bridesmaid gown. It was every bit a wedding gown as the next one and cost under $200 including alterations to the length. Additionally, my husband wore a stunning suit (that he already owned) with a new shirt and tie purchase specifically for our wedding (thus avoiding tuxedo rentals and such.)
Another outside the box idea is to book your ceremony or reception in a location with as much natural beauty and existing flora and fauna. I did this and saved a bundle by only having to buy a few flowers to make corsages, boutonnieres and my bouquet (all easy to do with a little patience and confidence). I also avoided any rental fees by holding my reception in a private room of the Four Season's restaurant in Boston (no additional charge) and holding my ceremony at the Old Town Hall in Boston (also the location of other public venues and thus no extra charge.)
A third outside the box idea is to provide quality over quantity when it comes to food, drink and favors. This may seem at odds with the idea of saving money, but it is exactly the opposite. Choose a time of day that falls in between meals for your reception. Serve your guests (remember there are less than 35 of them!) some exquisite hors d'oeuvres and quality (but totally affordable) wine and beer (skip the hard stuff). You will be able to select that gorgeous cake you wanted that was way too much money because you will only be needing a "baby" version of it now that your guest list is short. It is important to remember that beautifully presented food encourages guest to savor each bite. Endless studies in consumer behavior (my husband is doing his PhD in this field) point to a strong link between food presentation and quantity of food eaten and level of enjoyment. Guests will actually eat far less of the really good stuff than if they were presented with a large plate and a stocked buffet line.
If you heed these few suggestions, you will no doubt be able to stick to the amount of funds you have allocated for this momentous event in your life...and yet still have that wedding of your dreams (albeit perhaps sensibly altered from your childhood fantasy of white stallions and diamond-soled shoes!)
