Found this on The Knot - Things you dont need to have....save your money for SHOES!!

1. Guest book

my friend had a guest books. no one bothered to sign them. And she ended up tossing it in the trash because the people who did sign didnt leave anything but their signature and phone number. she had those already.

2. Unity Candle

it is not part of the traditional ceremony.

3. flower girl/ring bearer

many churches dont like for the flower girl to throw petals on the floor b/c the priest ends up cleaning it up. the kids look cute, but the best man should hold the rings so the boy doesnt drop them. save money on their attire/gifts.

4. Vintage car for the bride and groom.

we are using a 6 passenger limo, but we may downgrade to a sedan. i dont plan to take any photos in front of the car at all.

5. bubbles/seeds/rice packets

people dont need to throw anything at you as you leave the church. again, the priest cleans it up. well, someone has to clean it up even if you get married at a hall.

6. bathroom baskets

now, here is where i disagree with many people. i do not think this is a dumb trend, but the venue will most likely have amenities in the ladies room. otherwise, most women WILL have their own supplies. no one will give the bride credit for the bathroom baskets.

7. Programs

when you are introduced at your entrance to the reception, people will know who was in the bridal party. Programs will get thrown out at the end of the day.

Re: Found this on The Knot - Things you dont need to have....save your money for SHOES!!

Then someone wrote this back:

I agree with 4, 5, & 6 but disagree with the others. Here's my thoughts
1. I too thought a guest book was a waste before the wedding, so I bought a cheap one. I was wrong in thinking that they were stupid. Unfortunately not everyone who attended the ceremony was able to make it to the reception, and I didn't see all of those people. I was able to read their names in the guest book and realize that they had been there. Plus, anytime I forget who came and who didn't (important when writing thank you's) I can refer back to it. With 250 guests sometimes I forget who was there and who wasn't...the day was a blur. I DON'T regret buying a cheap one.
2. The unity candle is CHEAP. Saying that it is not part of the traditional ceremony is true, but it is a personal decision and shouldn't be cut just because someone thinks it is a waste of time. I think it is very beautiful symbol of the joining of 2 souls, into one and worth the $20 we spent to do it.
3. I had a flower girl and I don't regret it. I didn't have to buy her outfit for her (although I did). She threw fake petals, which the church allowed, and it wasn't a big deal to clean them up. We had plenty of people willing to help. We didn't have a ringbearer, but I think traditionally he is just there for show. I certainly wouldn't trust a 2 year old to carry my expensive rings, but that is not a reason for cutting them.
7. Programs are not meant to introduce the bridal party only. They are an order of the ceremony so that your guests know what is going on. Many people like to know the order and what to anticipate. That's why they give out Playbills at plays, it's nice to know what act you're in and what to anticipate. If I went to a wedding and they didn't have a program I would be annoyed that I didn't know what was going on. We made our own, and it was cheap and not a big deal. Yes they get thrown out at the end of the day, but if you use that reasoning then you shouldn't serve food or drinks, because people will get rid of that pretty quickly too...probably by the end of the day as well ;)
The thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the stuff that goes into weddings isn't really 'necessary', but many of us end up doing these things because at the end of the day it's nice to recall the moment you and your DH lit the unity candle, or how adorable the FG was when she dumped her basket of petals in one spot, or reading a few funny remarks in the guest book. I respect the fact that you have made these personal decisions for yourself, but I wanted to throw in my opinion on the areas I disagreed with. We're all different, and posts like this help us figure out what we like/dislike and get the wheels turning in our heads. Thanks!

Re: Found this on The Knot - Things you dont need to have....save your money for SHOES!!

I disagree with 1, 6, 7. I had these at my wedding and received MANY compliments on them!

6 and 7 were handmade, so that's probably why.

With regard to the guestbook, my bridal attendent knocked my water glass onto it at the beginning of the reception. So, only about 1/3 of the guests actually signed it

Re: Found this on The Knot - Things you dont need to have....save your money for SHOES!!

Thanks for these.

I think it's fine to cut back on some of these things to stay within a budget, but some of those are things you can do yourself, so you can save lots of money. Also, I think they add nice touches. I'm not going to have Flower Girl or Ring Bearer and I don't know about programs, but I'll probably design my own menus, put together a small bakset, etc. I'm also not doing a unity candle or guest book either.

Re: Found this on The Knot - Things you dont need to have....save your money for SHOES!!

I don't agree with anything except #1, sorry JMHO. The only reason I don't love the guest book thing is because most people just end up signing their names- if your going to do something other than a book like a tray or a frame matt, then it's a nice idea. To me it wouldn't be 'my' wedding without all the extra personal touches.