mskittynj started a thread about outrageous wedding bills.... and you know we all have them.
Originally, I wanted our wedding to cost under 10k then reality set in...
Maybe together we can bring some order to our budgets! What are you doing to cut costs?
I'll go first: 1- We are having a small rehearsal dinner with under 20 people (just OOT'ers and the bridal party). It will be in our apartment, and we're cooking! (We're used to preparing feasts, so it's not stressful)
2- We're having a sat afternoon wedding, which saved about $60/pp!!!!
3- my shoes and hairclip are from ebay, and purse from target. My dress came at a big discount from RK's no frills.
4- we're making our favors.
5- I'm doing the calligraphy for the placecards
Now your turn!!!!
AllJoy
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
1. Small Bridal party.
2. RD will probably be at home.
3. 1 photographer
4. Only 1 limo for bride to church. The guys will go in a regular car.
bettybcafe
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
Oh this is from..
1. small bridal party (2 BM 1 MOH) 2. Not to many guest 3. Brought ALOT of items from ebay 4. doing my own hair and make up 5. No HM 6. Brought my dress for $99 7. Doing my own favors 8. Doing my own invitations
I know there are more, just cant think of any.
portjeffbride
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
Posted by AllJoy
1. Small Bridal party.
2. RD will probably be at home.
3. 1 photographer
4. Only 1 limo for bride to church. The guys will go in a regular car.
oh, I forgot that!
Yeah, only one limo (actually a 1950's car ), and a small bridal party for me too!
our saving grace is our small wedding party, and only about 65 guests... otherwise we'd be in REAL TROUBLE!!!
Nicoley4257
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
Oh I like this thread....wish I saw one like this before!
Ok well mine are:
1. Made my Jr. Bridesmaid (shes 8) a flower ball instead of paying $70 for my florist to do it....it cost me like $20 to do!
2. I originally wanted lottery tickets as favors but with 32 days left to go, the money isn't there to do it. So my aunt is doing personalized candy bar wrappers to put over Hershey candy bars (I figured you can't go wrong with candy!) That all cost about $50
3. I am doing candle like centerpieces, hard to explain I will try and get picks when I go for my last meeting with the florist
4. Hair comb from ebay...$15 bucks!
5. Doing my own placecards, menus, rehearsal dinner invites, and church programs
6. Also I am borrowing all jewelry from my best friend/MOH who got married a few months ago. That saved me a lot!
bettybcafe
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
Posted by Nicoley4257
Oh I like this thread....wish I saw one like this before!
Ok well mine are:
1. Made my Jr. Bridesmaid (shes 8) a flower ball instead of paying $70 for my florist to do it....it cost me like $20 to do!
2. I originally wanted lottery tickets as favors but with 32 days left to go, the money isn't there to do it. So my aunt is doing personalized candy bar wrappers to put over Hershey candy bars (I figured you can't go wrong with candy!) That all cost about $50
3. I am doing candle like centerpieces, hard to explain I will try and get picks when I go for my last meeting with the florist
4. Hair comb from ebay...$15 bucks!
5. Doing my own placecards, menus, rehearsal dinner invites, and church programs
Of course! I forgot that one. #5..I will be doing all of my placecards..menus..and wedding programs on my own too
woobie113007
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
Okay here we go
-Centerpieces......DIY project -Invites......Doing on my own -Favors....making the labels on my own -Limo.....just 1 big limo for all of us -Placecard....another thing im doing on my owm -Unity Candle....(say it with me....) Doing it on my own........... -HM.....Im a travel agent so it will be heavily discounted -The slip thing for under the dress....probably borrowing a friends -Veil......probably borrowing my friends -Card Box.....Did it on my own
Um, thats all I can think of for now
vintagegirl
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
Ok our wedding is costing approx $16k
1. no limos 2. no church 3. flowers done with a wholesaler 4. makeup done for bridal party at Elizabeth Arden for free 5. Bridesmaid dresses @ J Crew.com and ebay 6. Wedding dress off the rack sale at Bridal Reflections 7. STD magnets done myself and printed with a wholesaler 8. Photographers.. talented artists who are freelancers, I found them on craigslist 9. Veil bought on Ebay 10. wedding website by a friend 11. Invitations.. in the process of making them with my graphic designer friend 12. Officant - called around and found a reasonably priced one. 13. Not going crazy with LOL a chocloate fountain at the event 14. Reception hall includes flowers, cake and top shelf liquor. 15. Hair - Most likely a salon will do this for a fraction of the cost of a regular bridal hairdresser.. 16. HOneymoon most likely to cost us $4k together.. I am doingthe research for it.. I think thats it for now.. most of the stuff I am doing ..
heatherandrichie
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
Photog: $3400 Flowers: $599 HM: $3000 make up: $150 Officiant: $400 Limo: $720 (including grat & tax)-1 for all of us Total: $7550 dad paying $5k for RH (includes ceremony & reception for 150) $43 pp. grand total = $12,550 My dress, veil & comb $500 (mom bought), girls dresses $110 (girls bought), my shoes $40 (shoebuy.com), RD (FIL's) @ their home BBQ, wedding bands $400!
LyseeH
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
Destination wedding, still expensive but if we had it in OH, it would be 250+ probably, we both have big families
PaddysGirl15
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
1- DW and althogh its $$ not nearly as expensive as NY
2- No favors
3- DIY STD's & Programs
4- really shopped around for invites, got a great deal (stephita.com)
5-10% discount for winter wedding (and they are thorwing in lots of extras)
6-only one limo for us (1950's austin princess)
7-changed the menu after we realized we had 170+ coming.
mskittynj
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
1. Looks like I'm not getting my monogram isle runner....
2. Instead of getting 3 letters on the cake I'm only getting 1
3. No slipper baskets
4.Only a mint basket in the bathrooms
5. Not getting table number votives as I originally wanted
6. Bought petal cones for .19 cents (and they're cute)
7.Got all my BM's jewelry on Ebay (they were about 23.00 each)
8. Got my veil and tiara on Ebay (both 20 bucks)
9.Got a good deal on the honeymoon (under 4 K)
I don't think I saved much so far though..... XOXOXO Kitty
MrsMagoo
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
1. DW Wedding here - less than half the cost of our wedding here!! (And that includes paying for our families to come!!)
2. Priced out so many limo companies for airport service...Finally found a GREAT one!!
3. Aisle Runner - Buying inexpensive one to personalize...FH says it will be too hard to travel with...
4. Flowers - No alter pieces (takes away from the scenery anyway)
5. DIY STDs (Yes both of them!!)
6. Invitations - working on the best prices now...
7. DIY - Place Cards, Programs, OOT Boxes, RD Invites...
Going blank now.
acsm
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
DIY placecards, programs, favors and hopefully invitations Limos - got basic lincoln stretch nothing fancy Dress - bought one for less and having mom add more crystals and design to it.. Veil, hairpins & shoes- will buy plain design on my own(with mom's help!).. photography - just digital files on cd, no albums(will DIY)
even though i'll be doing all this it still adds up in the end!
leshellem
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
1. STD's free - fh a graphic designer did them at work 2. Asked for 15% off my dress and got it. 3. Asked for $2 off my favors got $1.75 4. Got toasting flutes on sale 5. Making our photo albulm ourselves (did i mention fh is a graphic artist) 6. program. place cards, invites, menues - diy 7. Centerpieces - bough cute glass swans that can only hold a few flowers and mirror plate - total $50 for centerpieces 8. Having our wedding on a Tuesday night.
hunnybunnyxoxo
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
here is how i am cutting costs:
1. flowers- i scaled back on bo-k size for bms and myself, also doing smaller low cps on each table
2. favors- making donation to a cancer organization and prob. going to make candy tins for each place setting
3. invites- i am prob. going to buy target invites and dress them up myself by gluing a ribbon or crystal and attaching a vellum overlay
4. still debating on this one but, i may downgrade my meal package at Jericho Terrace. I will save $10 a head if i just go down a level- and there really isnt that big of a difference.-
collywoll19
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Re: spinoff to high wedding cost - cost cutting ideas
These ideas are making feel like I didn't do so great in the saving department (better not share this thread with FH! LOL). But, here were my cost cutting tips:
1) Getting married in March (save on price per head) 2) DIY centerpieces which include favor 3) No bathroom baskets/slipper baskets 4) Using placecards given by reception hall 5) David's Bridal - dress, shoes, bag 6) Ribbon and such from ebay 7) DIY programs 8) $1 store (for misc. items)
