10 Ways to Have a Frugal but Fabulous Wedding
Holy matrimony! You just got engaged, and then boom -- the economy takes a nose dive. Fear not. You can trim your nuptial budget without sacrificing bliss.
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1. Ask What Matters It's better to do one thing really well with your money and make a splash than spread it around and do everything minimally, advises Linda Matzkin, owner of Hopple Popple Inc. event planners in Newton. She suggests putting in order what matters most to you, such as food, music, flowers, keepsake album, and so on. Then you'll know which vendors to splurge on and where to economize.
2. Say No to Third Cousins "Why scale back on your design, dress, and dream?" asks Samantha Goldberg, a television personality and celebrity event designer in New Jersey. "Shave your guest list instead." Inviting every distant relative and co-worker is really what makes budgets balloon, Goldberg told local brides-to-be on a recent visit to Bloomingdale's at The Mall at Chestnut Hill. "Just include your nearest and dearest."
3. Forgo a Saturday in June Avoiding Saturdays or considering off-season months can save bundles. A Friday night during peak periods or a weekend in January, February, or March can sometimes save almost 25 percent, says Daniel Briones, president of the National Association of Catering Executives. "And winter weddings," he adds, "can be quite beautiful."
4. Get Thee to a Wedding Planner Sounds counterintuitive to economize by hiring someone to do things you could do yourself, but wedding planners save you more than just time. "You've never done this before. How do you know you're getting the best value without an expert?" asks Briones, who's also director of catering at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia. Matzkin, who has 30 years' experience in event planning, notes that planners know vendors in every price range and can also spare you from making costly mistakes in contract negotiations. And couples on a small budget shouldn't be intimidated about calling for an appointment, she adds. "Many companies like ours work on labor and consultation fees, not a percentage of the overall cost. We have no vested interest in how much someone spends," she says. At the very least, Briones suggests buying Mindy Weiss's The Wedding Book: The Big Book for Your Big Day, published last spring, for tips on planning and economizing: "It's the best I've read."
5. Dine early, Dine for less Menu choices can save you money, says Briones, as well as the timing of your meal (such as a late Saturday afternoon lunch or a Sunday brunch). "A meal during the day is less expensive than a dinner, and people consume less alcohol," he explains. There's also a mistaken belief that a buffet costs less than a served meal because it requires less staffing. Not only do buffets require more food to be displayed, Briones says, but "people tend to serve themselves more than they're possibly going to eat."
6. Request a Floral Surprise Rather than picking the flowers, pick a talented florist, advises Goldberg. She says special orders are what drive up the prices of centerpieces and bouquets, while "stock" flowers -- in-store your wedding week -- tend to be quite reasonable. If you hire an artistic florist, trust him or her to design something spectacular with what's readily available. Or, Goldberg suggests, buy wide-diameter bark or pillar candles and sprinkle rose petals around them on the table. You get romantic lighting and a bargain centerpiece all in one.
7. Get the Light Idea And speaking of mood lighting, Goldberg maintains it can totally transform any space inexpensively. "It re-creates everything and really impacts your photos." Dimmed chandeliers, flickering candles, and amber-tinted bulbs can be directed on the table linens and guests' faces to make the room positively glow, she says. "The venue can have the ugliest carpeting, and with the right lighting, no one will ever notice."
9. Go the Distance Exchanging vows on an exotic island can actually lower your wedding budget. "First, the couple is already in their honeymoon destination," says Susan Biemans, co-owner of the Bucuti Beach Resort in Aruba, named last year as one of the top 10 romantic resorts in the world by TripAdvisors. Other reasons, according to Biemans: Resorts see weddings as a draw to fill hotel rooms, so they reduce catering and service fees; fewer guests are willing to travel, which cuts down your list; and when the backdrop is a sunset over the ocean, even a simple, inexpensive arch with flowing linens and a few flowers looks amazing.
10. AVOID UNBridled Registry Sure you can register for a pricey china pattern you otherwise couldn't afford, but in this economy, how many will you actually receive? Take advantage of today's mix-and-match trend, says Sheri Singer, registry manager at Bloomingdale's in The Mall at Chestnut Hill. A basic white china pattern can be transformed when combined with an exquisite charger and salad plate, she says. Or mix dramatic champagne flutes with less expensive glasses, made even more glamorous if all are tinted different colors. n
