We all know today is a big day for Britain. I got up at dawn to watch the wedding because I'm cool/sad that way, and since everyone has weddings on the brain, I'm excited to participate in the Breakfast at Toast wedding week blog crawl!
I decided to share some ways that I saved money on my wedding in the event that you're planning your own soiree and need some budget friendly inspiration.
Flowers
I love gorgeous bouquets as much as the next girl, but when you have 20 tables, 7 bridesmaids, 1 bride, and an alter to decorate that equates to lots of flowers and a 4-digit price. My solution was simple: hydrangeas. They're cheap (mine were $1.25 per stem wholesale) and elegant when combined with smaller flowers for color. Plus, you don't need many of them to make an impact.
The Favors
People love them some candy. The more the better. Unless you can afford some awesome favors that people will take home and use, a generous serving of candy they like will make everyone happy. I opted for a simple candy buffet with classic varieties in a rainbow of colors and my guests ate almost all 40 pounds of it by the time they left our reception. The final cost was about $1.10 per guest. (The gummy worms and Reese's Pieces went the fastest, by the way)
The Wedding Party
After being in lots of weddings, I can safely say that I speak for many when I say that a $60 dress that's cheap to alter is the holy grail. The chances of someone else choosing a dress that you'll want to wear again are slim, so I decided to pick a $54 black strapless dress from The Limited for my bridesmaids and have worn two of the dresses from their line in other weddings. They've got the decent but cheap market cornered and are doing it well.
Overall, I think the key to saving money and not showing it is picking what you really care about and making cuts elsewhere. Plus, it leaves more money for a honeymoon! Happy weekend, ladies!
