Calling all Budget Brides!

HammysGirl

Please share your tips, tricks and ways to save $$ while planning your wedding! You don't necessarily have to mention the amount of your budget if you don't want to, but tell us what you did/are doing to stay under/at budget.

This information will be used for the "Budget Brides" section of our KCKnotties website.

Feel free to include any kind of resources or sites you may have used.

TIA! :-)

Mrs. Guthrie

My FI and I decided what was most important to us and what we didn't really care about.  We saved on invitations because most people only look at them once or twice and then throw them away after the wedding.  We got ours at Office Max with coupons and printed them ourselves.  They only came with one notecard which we used as the response card so I printed our reception information on cardstock which is what I also used to print my programs on.  We also saved on flowers because I caught a Hobby Lobby 1/2 price sale and one of my bridesmaids put all the flowers, coursages and boutneers together.  I got lots of complements on both the invitations and the flowers.

HammysGirl

Wow - great tips! I wouldn't have considered that! :-) I've added this to the "Budget Bride" section of the website, too!

QueenofQuirky

Having wedding in February to save costs

Ordered invites on etsy

Serving fun food to go with a movie theatre theme that doesn't cost a lot (You don't have to serve chicken and prime rib at your wedding.)

Using a caterer who doesn't usually do weddings so avoiding a wedding upcharge typically seen in the wedding industry.

Found dress off the rack on sale (Maggie Sottero)

Guys are wearing their own suits with matching red ties.

Not using a limo service, but borrowing a friend's 10-passenger van for fun transportation. Future father-in-law will be driving the wedding party.

Keeping it fun and festive but not spending more than $9,000 for 250 people!

Alley2b

• Search for the best deal on EVERYTHING. No matter what it is, you can save thousands by just shopping around and looking for sales. 
• Design and create your own invitations. Not crafty? I'm sure you know a friend who is!
• Hold your ceremony and reception at the same venue. 
• Don't hand out favors, or if you do, keep them cheap! I'm handing out DIY pillow boxes filled with blue rock candy which cost $30, or $0.20 per guest! 
• Not having a sit down dinner can cut the cost of your wedding in half. 
• Purchase silk flowers instead of real. It cut my flower cost in half from the original guestimate. 
• Bargain with rental companies, tell them what you are willing to pay before you ask for a quote. 

All these helped me with my wedding! Hope it helps you with yours!