Cheap Tricks

WildRumpus

I know there are a lot of budget brides around here. What was your best "cheap trick"  for your wedding?


Mine: Check out bridesmaids dresses. There a lot of gorgeous styles that come in white and ivory and will save you a ton.

RachNRich

Getting married in Vegas

Love is Bald

i thought we were talkin about hookers for a second!

tlv204

This isn't a trick, but the thing that probably saved us the most money was that we were really picky about the reception venue. I mean I wasn't going to give in on everything I wanted for cheap food, but we searched and searched and found exactly what I wanted visually for $32 pp including food, open bar, and cake. I'm so glad we didn't settle earlier while getting frustrated, or we could have paid twice as much for a place we didnt' love.

WildRumpus

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_cheap-tricks?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:2220e2b4-265a-4655-a67c-76e49147e556Post:8e5519a4-a02b-4ffd-a3c6-4c79e44356ba">Re: Cheap Tricks</a>:
[QUOTE]i thought we were talkin about hookers for a second!
Posted by Love is Bald[/QUOTE]


Ha

crfische

I want you to want me.

smokeybailey

The cheapest trick I know is Fish.

WildRumpus

Fische, I need YOU to need ME

RachNRich

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_cheap-tricks?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:2220e2b4-265a-4655-a67c-76e49147e556Post:a1f92b0c-5eda-4c88-9a67-79f1057c73ed">Re: Cheap Tricks</a>:
[QUOTE]The cheapest trick I know is Fish.
Posted by smokeybailey[/QUOTE]
Winner!

crfische

Dude. I can't help it that you had a coupon.

katiewhompus

I went with the flowers and cake from a grocery store  $70 for two bouquets and $70 for a 2 tiered cared.
I also got a discontinued dress which was 50% off.

baystateapple

Discounted dress from DB, and switching our wedding date and time from Saturday afternoon to Friday evening.  Just that switch alone cut our reception hall bill in half.

smokeybailey

Maybe you shouldn't advertise in the Penny Saver.

CMJ&MDL2010

Most of my tricks have been time-savers rather than money savers.  Like finding a retail bridesmaid dress at J.Crew online.  I just picked the colour and fabric, BMs simply ordered their choice in style and had them delivered at home.  No stress, no extensive shopping or measuring with BMs.  

Contribution to charity rather than party favours for gifts. Easier to control the costs by giving an exact number, and no time needed to prepare the favours.

Not having a wedding cake.  Why bother?  Our venue package includes dessert with the sit-down dinner as well as a late night dessert buffet.  Wedding cakes are basically just a really expensive decoration.  In my humble opinion ... :-)

Zero transportation costs and hassle by having the ceremony and reception and wedding suite for the night at the same hotel (and makeup and hair done down the street).

Bought mirror glass paint to use on vintage glass for centrepieces (to give a faux mercury glass look in keeping with an art deco feel to the venue).  Not spending on flowers for centrepieces. Haven't tried it yet, so we'll see how it goes ... but that's my plan anyways ... ;-)

Our RSVP cards were postcards printed on one side with the reply information, and other side with our address.  No need for envelopes.  We splurged on letterpress printing for the invitation by a small independent stationery company, but saved money by not including a second envelope, or tissue or velum paper inside.  The whole second envelope / extra paper thing seemed kind of pointless to me.

Hmmm ... what else?   Oh, a string duet (violin and cello) rather than trio or quartet, for the ceremony and cocktail hour music ... saves money as some places charge by musician ... 

All of the costs saved won't really translate into a cheaper wedding. They'll just pay for the open bar - LOL!!!

andyandhillary

I would say my invitations.  I looked around and found something I really liked and then made it myself.  They also aren't as detailed/complicated as a lot of people do these days so that was part of the cost cutting too.

I also really used the help from my local board and went with vendors who they praised but were also fitting into my budget. 

janedoe1113a

Definitely my invitations.  They were a labor of love, but I spent less than $1 on each one.

lauralaur

I thought I was saving money on my invites by doing them myself but when i added it all up at the end I'm not sure that I saved much.

Honestly, I thought our honeymoon was a pretty good deal for leaving the country. $1,500 for flight and hotel to Costa Rica for a week isn't bad.

missy68

Ditto Rachel on getting married in a hotel venue in Las Vegas.

Since it was my second marriage, I went the route of a cocktail type dress, and probably spent (ok my mom) the same as or less than a budget wedding dress. And it's something I can wear again.  Probably will wear, to my dad's retirement, with the bolero jacket.

Cake and punch reception in my parents' suite, but they hosted dinner for all the guests in the nice restaurant downstairs (I think 16 people).

MyNameIsNot

I did several DIY projects.

And of course, we charged admission.  

btrflykate1230

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_cheap-tricks?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:2220e2b4-265a-4655-a67c-76e49147e556Post:7b010b32-5866-4a11-84fe-e1acb33b0bdd">Re: Cheap Tricks</a>:
[QUOTE]I did several DIY projects. And of course, we charged admission.  
Posted by MyNameIsNot[/QUOTE]

<div>Oh, and two drink tickets per person, right? I mean, you don't want people to get too trashed at your wedding!</div>

squirrly

My invites were much cheaper as I did them myself than had I paid somebody else to do them. 

I saved 35% on our venue/catering by looking around and looking around & finally finding a good deal.  And, they gave us an AWESOME price on the bar. . . it's consumption, but no drink is over $4.  For super premium alcohol.  And beer is half of that.

I saved 75% on hotel rooms for our guests by switching dates.

50% on the shuttle bus/coach by shopping around.

Wine for the welcome dinner is from Trader Joe's for about $3/bottle.

$35 for my veil instead of $350.  (Online vs the bridal shop).

$50 each for hair styling for the bridal party and no travel charges, because my stylist is AWESOME. 

And I got a bunch of good deals on little stuff.  Flip flops, OOT bag stuff, etc.  In the end, we're not spending less, we're just able to have the wedding we really wanted on a reasonable budget.

MyNameIsNot

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_cheap-tricks?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:2220e2b4-265a-4655-a67c-76e49147e556Post:b1bcde60-7b50-403e-891a-053d9aa89305">Re: Cheap Tricks</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Cheap Tricks : Oh, and two drink tickets per person, right? I mean, you don't want people to get too trashed at your wedding!
Posted by btrflykate1230[/QUOTE]

<div>F that!  Drinks were $5 each.  I don't care if they get trashed, but they aren't doing it on my dime!</div><div>
</div><div>If they're coming to my wedding expecting a drink, they're there for all the wrong reasons.  </div>

btrflykate1230

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_cheap-tricks?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:2220e2b4-265a-4655-a67c-76e49147e556Post:6d7ab40f-269d-4db1-bf34-d8fcb0258dc9">Re: Cheap Tricks</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Cheap Tricks : F that!  Drinks were $5 each.  I don't care if they get trashed, but they aren't doing it on my dime! If they're coming to my wedding expecting a drink, they're there for all the wrong reasons.  
Posted by MyNameIsNot[/QUOTE]

<div>Haha! Oh, I checked out your married bio-- You have the same anniversary as a good friend of mine! Cool! :)</div>

ohwhynot

Vintage dress - $100 + cost of steaming, whatever that might be.  Oh and a $27 ebay crinoline (tea length crinolines are kind of hard to come by).  No wedding cake - layered sheet cakes + a small cake for the cutting ceremony (I don't think that's even necessary, but my caterer will provide one, so we're having it).  Costco invitations - the simplest ones they offer. 

Community hall venue, but in the end that's turning out to be logistically complicated and not saving all THAT much because we have to bring in everything from tablecloths to silverware to renting a stage for the band.  Craigslist is my new best friend - I haven't brought anything new, except linentablecoth linens, which I hope to re-sell on craigslist after the fact.   All table decor, silverware, etc., are craigslist or ebay buys.