WR $ vent. Long, FWP.

JCbride2015

As I gear up to start my job, we are taking financial stock of our situation and checking that we will have enough to save for the wedding.  Our lease is up around the time I start, and we must choose between paying another annual rent increase, or moving.  I also really need to get my two front teeth replaced with implants (they are literally falling out because my orthodontist fucked them up years ago-- yes, I have all the feels about this).

We both also have credit cards to pay off.  A few months ago we were really confident that we could pay off our credit cards as well as save enough for the wedding.  Now with our rent situation and the huge cost for my teeth, I'm not really sure we can do that.  So we need to cut back on the wedding or other expenses somehow.

Fi and I talked about this last night and we really have no great solutions.  We do want the wedding we have planned, and we would lose a lot of deposit money if we backed out now. 

So here are the things that would not drastically change the wedding and are within our direct control to fix.  Thoughts?  Really I'm just looking for you to tell me it will be okay and work out (I want SUPPORT and VALIDATION, you guys!  We are all brides here! ;] )  But seriously, if anybody can think of trade-offs or angles I haven't considered, I'm all ears.

-- Our living situation and rent.  This is the big one.  If we do move, we want that apartment to be the last place we rent before we buy.  Our options are:

1) Stay where we are.  Small one-bedroom.  Accept the annual rent increase of about 6%.

2) Move within our building to a smallish two-bedroom.  Pay about an extra 20% over what we currently pay.  No moving costs, no deposit, no broker fee.

3) Move outside our building to a two-bedroom, look for a better rental rate.  Pay moving costs, deposit, and probably broker fee.  I hate this idea.

4) Stay where we are for now.  Upgrade within the building around the time of the wedding for a $1000 flat fee to break the lease (less than the extra rent for those months if we did it now, but we're still eating that $1000).

-- Keep the guest list as close as possible to the catering minimum of 150, of course.  This will be harder said than done because of Fi's huge family and there may be some hurt feelings.

-- Other wedding expenses to cut: flowers, transportation, little things like bathroom baskets and guest bags.  I want fresh flowers but I'm okay with very simple arrangements.  Our hotel is 5 minutes from the venue so we may take a regular taxi, no limo.  We can skip bathroom baskets, guest bags, and favors altogether if we need to.  Am I forgetting any other details that can be saved?  My fear here is that because we have chosen a formal location, those little extras will be missed.

-- We have already decided to take a really low-key, local mini moon and then delay the big honeymoon for several months.

FUCKING TEETH, man.  I just reread that and seriously, it's the fucking teeth that are throwing a huge wrench into this.  Gahhhh.  And yes, I know this is all FWP (except maybe the teeth; my teeth falling out just sucks).  I'm going to have a great job and I'm so excited to marry Fi.  I'm stressing about paying for a party.  Just thinking about it that way does take some of the pressure off.

lurkergirl

1) If it were me, I would stay.  Especially since you know you want to buy in the (hopefully) near future.

2) Do what you can with the guest list.  My mother decided to verbally invite the WHOLE family, plus several friends, so I feel that cutting the guest list for me is not an option.  However, if people have not been verbally invited, you can swing this.  Can you do something like first cousins only?  Not sure how big his family is, but I think sticking to inviting people in circles is the best way to avoid hurt feelings.

3) I am having real flowers in my bouquets and probably corsages and bouts, but I am planning to not have fresh flowers as centerpieces.  This is saving literally thousands of dollars.  (Side note: You can order fresh flowers from Costco for much cheaper!)

4) You can skip nearly all those extras!  I was so excited to make snack bags as favors, and I will likely scale way back on those.  Also, since you say it's a formal venue, do they already have bathroom baskets?  I think this is common in some places like country clubs.

5) That SUCKS about your teeth.  Obviously that needs to be a priority, and don't beat yourself up over it being a FWP...it's a very real problem!!

I hope this helped even a little  

Inkdancer

I went very, very simple on flowers. We're having centerpieces made with a single hydrangea, and the bouquets for carrying have only 5-7 stems. I was able to decorate the whole church and get bouts and bouquets for $500. We also went simple on the food: only 2 entree choices, only a few sides. Saved a TON. Might this be an option for you?

theartistformerlyknownas

Are we talking expensive NYC florist, or would you consider DIYing the flowers? Have you looked into something like fiftyflowers to put together your own simple vases, or do you not have the room? You're only talking about 20 centerpieces, and you could add a lot of oomph with candles. I really think candles go a long way toward making a simple centerpiece look more formal. Other things we did - went cheap on favors with jelly beans in a little organza bag, bought super inexpensive (~$4) organza overlays for over the white linens that are provided. Bought a $40 cake stand rather than renting for $60. Sticking with boring chairs. We'll sell the vases, our dollar store candlesticks, overlays and cake stand when we're done.

Will your insurance at the new job cover any of the teeth expense?

If you skip bouquet toss and garter those are two minor expenses that can be cut. 

Beer and wine might be cheaper than hard liquor (though it's not at my venue). 

Table linens, if they give you plain white just stick with that. 

No flower girl/ring bearer = no petals and pillow to buy, and fewer gifts. 

Defer your parent gifts by giving them an empty, inexpensive picture frame and get them a wedding photo later.

Are there less expensive hors d'oeuvres or entrees you can choose? 

Lastly, NEGOTIATE everything you can! Don't make it sound like it's because you need it, but because you're a hardballer. My venue coordinator is kind of scared of me - we got half off the ceremony fee ($500 rather than $1000), waived two of the room rental fees (think that was $750?), and waived the cake cutting fee ($500).

blabla89

I had the same thing happen with my apartment this year. I looked around for a better rate, but with the cost and hassle of moving plus paying a deposit, first and last month's rent, etc. it just wasn't worth it. I don't have any good advice here but I'm sending you ALL the wine and chocolate.

Re: wedding costs - it will be okay. It will work out. There are things you can cut back and still have a great time. Don't panic (yes, I know you just read my panic thread) - you will still have a beautiful wedding.

For our wedding, we switched from an evening ceremony with dinner to an afternoon ceremony with a shorter cocktail style reception. We're still locked into the same $ amount for catering, but having a shorter reception saves us money on the DJ, photographer, venue hours, and booze.

For the flowers, have you looked at wholesalers? I looked at doing mine myself and buying from a local wholesaler, and found that they actually have really good prices on their arrangements. Might be worth looking into.

littlemushroom

Here's what I would do...

As far as living arrangements, I like #4.  Stay where you are for now, and upgrade at some later time for the $1000.  Don't look at it as eating $1000, look at it as SAVING the amount of rent you would have paid otherwise for a bigger place now.  That is money that can go towards your teeth or the wedding.  Plus, if down the road upgrading doesn't look as financially feasible, then you can just stay put.

As far as wedding expenses, I would definitely cut the transportation.  You aren't that far from the venue, and it seems like it would be a huge expense for minimal benefit and time.  Maybe your hotel has a shuttle they would let you use from the hotel to the venue so you wouldn't have to take a taxi? The favors, guest bags, and bathroom baskets are not necessary and I really doubt that people would miss them.  If you really want favors, there are some good options that are affordable.  People loved our favors, and they were less than a dollar each.

Also, are you going to have any decorations for your ceremony (extra flowers and the like)?  Those would be an easy cut.  You spend little time in that space enjoying them (compared to the reception). 

Good luck with everything.  Everything will work out.  You have plans and ideas, and you know what you need to do.  

penguin44

I was in the same situation for the apartment. We stayed where we are. I couldn't find a better option that allowed pets in our area. In your situation, I would stay where you are and reevaluate moving to somewhere in the building later.

For the wedding expenses, have you looked into booking your photographer for less hours? You don't need pictures for the entire reception. We ended up booking an awesome photog for a short period because that's what we could afford.

Could you look at doing a more simple dessert instead of cake?

theartistformerlyknownas

Oh yeah and I would definitely stay where you are. Even with "no moving expenses" you're dealing with boxes and packing materials and tape and time and hassle and shit getting broken or lost and all the time you'll spend putting everything back away... gah! Not worth it if you want to buy anytime soon.

Cookie Pusher

Honestly, I vote to stay in your current apartment for now. The grass is always greener, but do you really want the added stress of moving and increased rent while you're already being overwhelmed with paying for your dental work, paying off debt, AND saving for the wedding? Worst case scenario, you guys move after you get some of the cash gifts from the wedding (I know, I know, gifts are not to be expected but we all know you'll get something).

I think cutting back on decor for the wedding is also a smart idea. Your venue is gorgeous, so it doesn't need a lot to be done to it. If you still want to do centerpieces, you can DIY something simple and elegant for very cheap. And favors, if you still really want to have them, can be done pretty cheaply too. I'm going through wedding-DIY withdrawal, so let me know if you want some ideas or assistance.

pinkcow13

Ugh. I'm sorry . Well, first and foremost, the teeth. Like Lolo mentioned, can you insurance cover your teeth? Regardless, that obviously takes top priority.

In terms of moving I would say go with the cheapest option. I think that's the $1000 fee to upgrade? Since you guys are looking to buy something, I think you should pay as little as you can right now so that you can continue to save that money.

As for the wedding - the little things won't be missed. Skip the baskets, etc. Are you required to work with a florist by your venue? If not, then I would definitely scale back on the flowers. Honestly, while an elaborate arrangement is nice and all, it's totally not necessary. And at the end of the event, some people end up taking the arrangements home, or the florist just probably dumps them or something so that's like $300 right there for each arrangement. And I would try extremely hard to keep that list at 150. I have the same issue, as FI's family is huge too, but I want to keep ours at 125, which is the contract minimum that we agreed to. There may be some hurt feelings, but if cousin Mo only comes around once a year, tough luck that he didn't get a wedding invitation, KWIM? 

In the end, things will work out, they tend to have a way of working out. Once you start your new job, that will definitely help you guys out.

climbingsingle

I would stay in the current apartment. 

How much are the flowers going to set you back? Can you scale it way back to make them cheaper? 

I'm also not doing bathroom baskets or favors. I really don't think people will miss them, as I've never missed them at weddings. My venue is also pretty formal too. We're also not doing guest bags. I think you can cut out the limo too. 

JCbride2015

Thanks for the great ideas, everybody!

We are already locked into our venue contract so there's not much more negotiating to be done, changing from evening to afternoon, etc.   If we were really in a bind we could lose the $2000 deposit and go somewhere totally different (we won't be paying the big 50% deposit until January) but I don't think the situation is that dire.

Flowers: I think this is one of the biggest places we can cut.  I've looked into Fiftyflowers and Costco and I'm on the fence about DIYing the centerpieces.  @Inkdancer, I also love hydrangeas!  I would feel OK about DIYing the centerpieces with hydrangeas and a few peonies, but the problem comes in with transportation and storage.  We aren't allowed to deliver flowers to the venue until one hour prior because they have a previous wedding and nowhere to store them.  So I obviously can't do that myself, and I don't know who I would trust to do that without inconveniencing my immediate family right before the wedding.  We aren't having a DOC and to hire one just for this would erase the savings of DIY flowers.  So we may end up going with a florist but trying to be as economical as possible.  There is a Whole Foods that delivers to my venue, so I'm going to get a quote from them.

Extras: I'll talk to the venue about bathroom baskets-- I think they are not included.  We had wanted to do a photo booth for our favor but that can be cut if need be.  We can always just do a little candy.  Welcome bags are not necessary, but we can always do a welcome note and bottles of water for not much money.  @Lolo883, where did you buy the organza overlays?  At $4/table that might be a great way to add some extra oomph without a lot of money.  Our venue comes with white linens, which we will definitely use.

Living situation: Yes, I'm conflicted but we will probably stay where we are.  I just hate the idea of once again paying more to get the same unit, when we could pay a little more on top of that and get somewhere we would really be comfortable for the next two years.  We want to get into a two-bedroom ASAP because my sister often stays over, and I will be working from home quite a bit.  Probably staying and then re-evaluating around the time of the wedding is the best bet, though.  We can always pay the transfer fee to get into a bigger unit later.

Teeth:  Yes, this is definitely the priority.  I will have dental insurance but I'm not sure what it will cover.  My understanding is that most dental insurance doesn't cover implants at a high rate, or even at all.  Not sure why those are so different from other procedures (maybe because they are seen as cosmetic?)  But I'll have a great job with presumably great benefits, so I'm really crossing my fingers our dental will cover at least some of the implant cost.  I just don't want to count on that yet, and I feel like it would be weird to email my job before I start working to ask about the insurance coverage.

theartistformerlyknownas

I bought the overlays here (antique gold and aqua). I got the 90" square for $4.50 each because I have 10-top tables; if you have 8-tops you could go with the 72" square for under 4. 

http://weddinglinensdirect.com/orsqtaov3si.html 

Also, I have really shitty dental insurance but mine covers bridges with a $250 copay... maybe you could go that route rather than an implant in the short term, and have some more time to save up for the implants after you get your new place?? Might be something to discuss with your dentist once you have your full insurance details.

WinstonsGirl

I've got nothing to add, I think PP's have said it.  But I'm feeling for you about your teeth.  I have horrible teeth, and I'm sure I'll be on implants or dentures one day and it terrifies me a little.  I know it will all work out in the end though.  Life always does

JCbride2015

lolo883 said:

I bought the overlays here (antique gold and aqua). I got the 90" square for $4.50 each because I have 10-top tables; if you have 8-tops you could go with the 72" square for under 4. 

http://weddinglinensdirect.com/orsqtaov3si.html 

Also, I have really shitty dental insurance but mine covers bridges with a $250 copay... maybe you could go that route rather than an implant in the short term, and have some more time to save up for the implants after you get your new place?? Might be something to discuss with your dentist once you have your full insurance details.

@lolo883 You are the best.  Those table overlays look like they would really work and that's a great price.  Did you receive yours yet?  How is the wrinkle situation?

A bridge would also be an option.  My sister's a hygienist and we were just talking about it this morning.  I also have an appointment today with another dentist to get a second opinion.  The issue with the bridge is that they must file down the adjacent teeth and it is only a temporary solution, so I don't want to ruin the good teeth on either side and then get implants.  But I will definitely talk to the dentist about it.

theartistformerlyknownas

They're packaged up in a pretty small bundle, so they are creased. I was planning on taking a few days to steam them a few at a time but FMIL used to own a drapery business, so she's going to take them to her former business partner and have the pros do it.

FutureMrsN3312

I'd stay put apartment wise.  Can you go month to month?  or just do a 6 month lease?

I'd cut back on the flowers and all the little extras.  Check groupon/living social.  I've seen photo booth deals on there in our area.

As far as your teeth..ugh what a nightmare.  I needed (and had done) 11k worth of work done last year.  Not ideal a year before the wedding and moving in together.  Normally I don't recommend credit cards but my dentist and endodontist (sp?) accepted credit care.  Depending on costs you can qualify for 12-18 months no interest financing.  This seriously helped us because it was easier to break it down into a monthly payment.

Good luck with everything.

Bubblegum5586

I think you should stay where you are for now. H and I did that as our lease was up 3 weeks before the wedding. I hated another year there and paying more, but then taking into account the cost to move it just seemed like it would not really save us much. Also, knowing we wanted to buy within a year or two of getting married, I figured I rather stay slightly uncomfortable to help motivate us to save more. We ended up purchasing our home 9 months after the wedding (between wedding gifts and H getting a new job it happen so much quicker then we thought!)

As far as flowers, can you cut them from your centerpieces all together and just do bouquets to save money? For centerpieces can you do some sort of candle arrangement?

ohannabelle

You can do this. 

Teeth first. I had frontal implants a few years ago and it made me so happy I 'd have worn burlap and not cared. Oral surgeons negotiate, too. Talk to him/her about it. 

Everyone else has great money ideas. 

Do not move now. Too much stress. Take that shit right off the table. 

Or, just move to Seattle. I'll drive those damned flowers for you. 

Seriously, people are often saying, how can I help, and is there anything I can do? You know your friends/family. One of them really means it, and would be happy to be inconvenienced. 

theartistformerlyknownas

PS you should totally get Peruvian lilies, because they have freckles. And they're pretty cheap, 200 stems for $180 and there are 3-5 blooms per stem. 20 vases, 10 stems per vase, 30-50 blooms each, add some dusty miller for that silvery mint color, 3 garden roses or peonies just because... done. 

Can you tell I don't want to work today?

http://www.fiftyflowers.com/product/White-Blush-Peruvian-Lilies--_81.htm

sarahufl

Smartyhadaparty.com has great, cheap table cloths/overlays/runners. I got these (http://www.smartyhadaparty.com/Silver-Taffeta-Crinkle-Table-Runner-i8367.aspx) and I thought they looked great. I paid $200 for all my flowers (3 BM bouquets, my bouquet, 2 corsages, 10 bouts and all our reception flowers). We got them from Whole Foods and arranged them ourselves. The drawback is that you have to be able to store them. As much as I love myself some peonies, maybe choose cheaper flowers? IMO, bathroom baskets, welcome bags, favors, etc are the first to go. Little "cheap" things REALLY add up. For delivery, etc- this is NY. Can't you hire some folks on Craigs List to move things around for you?

wandajune6

It is all going to work out and you will have a perfect wedding, perfect teeth, and a very happy apartment.

Don't move. Expenses aside, don't move. It's additional stress, a ton of money (even if in the same building), and not worth the effort. If you decide that it's important to get more space, wait until after the wedding. You don't need more on your shoulders now.

We're doing a very budget wedding. Get your flowers from Costco or Sam's. Serve sheet cakes with a smaller cutting cake, cut the fancy handouts, no favors, etc. You've been on here a while - you know what you're doing.

Take a deep breath and relax. It's all going to work out beautifully!

Also, to make you feel better (hopefully) - FI unexpectedly needed enough dental work this year to account for about 10% of our wedding budget. It sucks because I can't do a lot of what I wanted to but he'll have a gorgeous smile at the wedding!

JCbride2015

sarahufl said:

Smartyhadaparty.com has great, cheap table cloths/overlays/runners. I got these (http://www.smartyhadaparty.com/Silver-Taffeta-Crinkle-Table-Runner-i8367.aspx) and I thought they looked great. I paid $200 for all my flowers (3 BM bouquets, my bouquet, 2 corsages, 10 bouts and all our reception flowers). We got them from Whole Foods and arranged them ourselves. The drawback is that you have to be able to store them. As much as I love myself some peonies, maybe choose cheaper flowers? IMO, bathroom baskets, welcome bags, favors, etc are the first to go. Little "cheap" things REALLY add up. For delivery, etc- this is NY. Can't you hire some folks on Craigs List to move things around for you?

I was thinking about that.  TaskRabbit may be a good option to find somebody who has been "vetted" a little bit to transport the flowers.

Funny thing is, I thought peonies would be really expensive but because they will be in season, they actually aren't much on the bulk websites.  

Getting them from Whole Foods or Costco and arranging them ourselves is looking like a good option if I can sort out the storage and transport stuff.

I really just need to get some floral quotes and compare.  I think I'm just putting it off because I'm dreading getting those really high numbers and the subsequent freakout.

Cookie Pusher

One of the first things we cut out of our budget were flowers. The wedding was in a garden, so really, we didn't need to pay for more flowers. I made everything out of dyed coffee filters. They ended up looking like really big peonies or giant garden roses. They weighed almost nothing so storage was not an issue. And because they weren't live, they sat in a giant plastic bin until the caterer set them up. Best part? 3 bouquets, 4 corsages, 9 bouts, 10 centerpieces (3 bouquets each) and plenty of extras ran me $25.

jenna8984

That really stinks. I like PP suggestions so far, I'm definitely on board with cutting limos, favors, downgrading flowers, possibly photo booth. Is there anything you could work out with other vendors such as an hour or 2 less with the photographer? Do you have any friends that do services you need? I am absolutely not advocating asking them for free service, but I asked my hairdresser, makeup friend, and baker friend to do those items (that I intended to pay them for) and they all offered them as gifts. I'm super grateful- maybe you have someone like that? Even if you still pay their top rate, it's nice to give business to a friend and give them future referrals.

I think staying in your apartment is the best best. 6% is really not that much. If your rent is say $2500, it's an extra $150 a month, which beats all the other options in my opinion. Do you have other everyday living expenses that can be cut? Like going out to eat? Getting hair and nails done regularly? Downgrading the cable package?

JCbride2015

jenna8984 said:

That really stinks. I like PP suggestions so far, I'm definitely on board with cutting limos, favors, downgrading flowers, possibly photo booth. Is there anything you could work out with other vendors such as an hour or 2 less with the photographer? Do you have any friends that do services you need? I am absolutely not advocating asking them for free service, but I asked my hairdresser, makeup friend, and baker friend to do those items (that I intended to pay them for) and they all offered them as gifts. I'm super grateful- maybe you have someone like that? Even if you still pay their top rate, it's nice to give business to a friend and give them future referrals.

I think staying in your apartment is the best best. 6% is really not that much. If your rent is say $2500, it's an extra $150 a month, which beats all the other options in my opinion. Do you have other everyday living expenses that can be cut? Like going out to eat? Getting hair and nails done regularly? Downgrading the cable package?

@Jenna8984 Yep, you're right on the money literally.  $150 seems like a lot to keep the status quo, but it's not quite enough to force us to move out.

Fortunately (or unfortunately?) because I've been a student for three years, we are already not doing a lot of the going out and spending money stuff.  We don't normally go out for dinner or order food.  We have mini dates where we'll share an appetizer and get a drink, and only go out for "real" dinners out on occasions.  We only have internet and basic cable channels.

I can lose the Birchbox membership ($10/mo) and cut out any clothes shopping.  Fortunately if I'm working late my office will cover dinner, so we may actually be able to cut down on some of our grocery bills if I'm in the office a lot.

FutureMrsN3312

JCbride2015 said:

sarahufl said:

Smartyhadaparty.com has great, cheap table cloths/overlays/runners. I got these (http://www.smartyhadaparty.com/Silver-Taffeta-Crinkle-Table-Runner-i8367.aspx) and I thought they looked great. I paid $200 for all my flowers (3 BM bouquets, my bouquet, 2 corsages, 10 bouts and all our reception flowers). We got them from Whole Foods and arranged them ourselves. The drawback is that you have to be able to store them. As much as I love myself some peonies, maybe choose cheaper flowers? IMO, bathroom baskets, welcome bags, favors, etc are the first to go. Little "cheap" things REALLY add up. For delivery, etc- this is NY. Can't you hire some folks on Craigs List to move things around for you?

I was thinking about that.  TaskRabbit may be a good option to find somebody who has been "vetted" a little bit to transport the flowers.

Funny thing is, I thought peonies would be really expensive but because they will be in season, they actually aren't much on the bulk websites.  

Getting them from Whole Foods or Costco and arranging them ourselves is looking like a good option if I can sort out the storage and transport stuff.

I really just need to get some floral quotes and compare.  I think I'm just putting it off because I'm dreading getting those really high numbers and the subsequent freakout.

I can PM you the info for the florist I used?  They were significantly cheaper then every other florist I met with.  I paid 2,200 for everything.  The other NNJ florists I met with wanted 4-7k for the same thing. I was freaking out because I didn't want to spend that much.  The florist also gave us 20% off our invitations because we used them for both.

JCbride2015

@FutureMrsN3312 Yes, please PM me that info!  $2200 is still kind of a lot but it's super reasonable around here.

Oh and invitations!  And all those little paper things that add up-- menus, escort cards, etc.  This will be tricky to keep the cost down because I'm a nerd and I love paper.  I'm going to have to keep an eye on coupon deals online.

FutureMrsN3312

JCbride2015 said:

@FutureMrsN3312 Yes, please PM me that info!  $2200 is still kind of a lot but it's super reasonable around here.

Oh and invitations!  And all those little paper things that add up-- menus, escort cards, etc.  This will be tricky to keep the cost down because I'm a nerd and I love paper.  I'm going to have to keep an eye on coupon deals online.

Oh yea $2200 was super reasonable.  I had 20 tables, bows at the church, and 7 bridesmaids, and 2 flower girls.  

I'll send you a PM!

theartistformerlyknownas

JCbride2015 said:

@FutureMrsN3312 Yes, please PM me that info!  $2200 is still kind of a lot but it's super reasonable around here.

Oh and invitations!  And all those little paper things that add up-- menus, escort cards, etc.  This will be tricky to keep the cost down because I'm a nerd and I love paper.  I'm going to have to keep an eye on coupon deals online.

Menus are definitely another thing you can skip. For the other things, I bought paper I liked at the craft store for half off and will print at Kinkos. Truthfully, you could probably print on the sly one late night at your office and save even more. I would totally do that but my office printer prints crooked.

FutureMrsN3312

lolo883 said:

JCbride2015 said:

@FutureMrsN3312 Yes, please PM me that info!  $2200 is still kind of a lot but it's super reasonable around here.

Oh and invitations!  And all those little paper things that add up-- menus, escort cards, etc.  This will be tricky to keep the cost down because I'm a nerd and I love paper.  I'm going to have to keep an eye on coupon deals online.

Menus are definitely another thing you can skip. For the other things, I bought paper I liked at the craft store for half off and will print at Kinkos. Truthfully, you could probably print on the sly one late night at your office and save even more. I would totally do that but my office printer prints crooked.

SIB:

I used the escort cards the venue gave us and printed the names on clear labels with a fancy font.  I thought they would be tacky but I didn't have the time, patience, or money to waste on them.  Thankfully my venue included the menus.  I did do programs though.  Nothing crazy.  We had a full Catholic Mass with a lot of non practicing/non Catholics. So I figured it would help them follow along.  I also found a great coupon code from magnet street.