What do you think about this?

Re: What do you think about this?

• sgylling

  

  August 2009 edited December 2011

  I think all those are great ideas! The only thing I probably would think about was having a family member take pictures. Even if you have to look to local art schools for student photogs or whatever, I think it is best to hire a professional as these are the only things you will have from your wedding day. Plus the family member wouldn't be able to enjoy themselves:) But I think the other ideas are definitely do-able!Also, I searched all over for photographers and there are less expensive ones that are just as good!

  Steph & Brandon 4.17.10
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• cruella013

  

  August 2009 edited December 2011

  I agree with pp - for us photography was a priority, mainly because it is the only thing (besides your marriage) that lives on past the day.  All those other ideas would be a great way to cut your budget.  We also did an IPOD wedding and hired someone to bring the sound system and man the laptop and playlist we created.  It took a lot of time to do correctly (the playlist) but people danced all night.  This saved us about $800-$1000.  There is a budget board now - they may have some other good ideas for cutting costs.

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• JamilaBailey

  

  August 2009 edited December 2011

  I agree!  I think all those ideas are great.  I would just go to a makeup counter the day of (early in the morning of course) and see if someone there can do your makeup, if you had your heart set on having it done professionally.  But the only thing I would spend some extra money on would be the photographer if possible.  Because that way all your guests will have fun and you'll always have wonderful pics from your special day.  Good luck!

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• sandra78 member

  

  August 2009 edited December 2011

  If you have a friend or family member who is a styist or even someone good at hair and makeup that is a great idea. I think also going to the makeup counter works too. It just depends on what matters to you. Some knotties value splurging on makeup and cutting costs on centerpieces, and some (like myself and the above posters) won't cut corners on photos. Decide what matters the most to you, and work around that and your wedding will still be great.

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• sarajoy12345

  

  August 2009 edited December 2011

  I agree with pp's. The only one on your list that made me think twice is the photographer.  My father and one of my BM's are both professional photographers, but I didn't even consider asking them to take shots because I wanted them to enjoy their roles that day.  Post an ad on craig's list - I bet you could find an affordable and good photography student or something like that without having to rely on a family member.

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• AlannaF member

  

  August 2009 edited December 2011

  I think you have some great ideas.  A lot of my FIL's are helping out in several areas, and I appreciate them very much.But...  Ok, I'm going to sound like a bridezilla, but I've gotta point this out.  If you happen to be a person who is very specific in the way you want things done, it is very hard to do that when you have friends/relatives helping.  You've heard the saying, "You can't fire a volunteer"? I, and my future cousin, learned this the hard way.  She asked for pink flowers, and her friend/florist got purple.  She asked a friend to do her photography, and though the friend had a great camera, the angles of the photos were not flattering and a lot of great moments at the wedding were missed. I'm having a friend do my cake, and I recently went to a shower where they had made the cake, and let's just say no one ate the cake.I'm still having as much help as I can get from my friends and FIL's, and I encourage you to go for your ideas. But I had to learn to be ok with the fact that things may not turn out exactly as I envision.

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• ennaerb80

  

  August 2009 edited December 2011

  The wedding industry is pretty resilient during down economies, so the economy is not really an issue in negotiating. I definitely wouldn't skimp on the photography, but everyone is different.  My reasons are the same as some pp's.  Non-professionals usually don't know how to play with lighting and knowing the right angles that are flattering.  You're going to miss so much of the day, you'll want great photos to look back on.Your other ideas are good, the only thing I would caution about with the farmer's market flowers is not knowing what flowers/colors will be available a few days before the wedding, unless that's not a big deal for you.  If you just want some fresh, pretty flowers, I'm sure it can work.

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• rhodesign

  

  August 2009 edited December 2011

  I think those are all good things to do to save money. Again, I'd be wary about cutting pro photos, but I'm also kinda lax with mine since my friend (who is a pro, just not a wedding photog) is doing mine. I've heard of plenty of people using farmer's market or even grocery store flowers to make bouquets. Or cut them altogether. I'm only having a bridal bouquet and flower corsages for the moms and grandmoms. That's it. No floral centerpieces or bouts. Saves money that way too!

  

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• holt.janelle

  

  August 2009 edited December 2011

  It's your wedding day and it should be perfect. I don't think you're being cheap, but you can't risk anything going wrong. You can't re-do the day.  2 of my friends got married this summer: 1 had a friend do her hair and it was HORRIBLE. She started crying after it was done but it was too late to wash and re-do it. I am definitely hiring a professional. Makeup--make sure your friend knows what they're doing. You want to look pretty in your pics, and a professional knows what shows up best and what will make you look good. Flowers--it might create unnecessary stress and work on your family members during a period of time they should be relaxing and enjoying the company of their guests 1-2 days before the wedding. Also, your florist is who will set up the flowers and the church and reception, make sure you have someone who wouldn't mind missing out on an element of the day to go set up. My other friend that got married this summer used a budget photographer. She has bad pictures as her only tangible memories of the biggest day of her life. Photography is something where I am sticking to the 13% of your budget rule. However, I'm definitely a fan of the gown idea. If you want to cut costs, invite less guests or change your meal into a light hd evening reception since that's a big portion of your budget that can be majorly cut down to afford other things (like professional vendors).

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