How to Set Sail with your Dreams without Sinking the Boat

Making your dream wedding come to life on a budget may seem like a difficult task, especially when you know what you want. However, we have a few tricks up our sleeves to help you get there without breaking your bank account.

Set a dollar amount. First and foremost, set a budget number and stick to it. This is the most important rule of budgeting. You need to keep that figure in the back of your mind when considering all the details of your big day. The point of a budget is to prevent you from overspending, so you need to establish this dollar amount as a hard stop. 

Set individual budgets. After you set the overall budget amount, breakdown budgets for each individual area of the wedding. Set a dollar amount for your dress, the groom’s attire, flowers, favors, catering, décor, etc.

Number of guests. When you’re thinking about who you would like to invite to your big day, remember that you’re paying for their accommodations as well. If you really can’t compromise on cutting anyone from your guest list, then retract a plus one from the invite. This will help save cost on food and drink more than you may think.

Weekday venue rental. Fridays and Saturdays are expensive to reserve an event space. Weekdays however, can be much cheaper. Make sure to check venues for discounted rates for a non-Saturday wedding.

It’s never easy to set limits, but if you sit down with your partner and draw up guidelines about what you both really want and what you can do without, then setting the budget will be much easier. It all comes down to what is most important to the two of you and the rest will follow! 

Wedding Tips + Tricks | Wedding Planning 102

Last week we talked about the basics for creating your special day. Today, we want to be a little more specific as we continue to list the steps for a well-rounded guide.

Register. You’ve completed your guest list and you know who will and will not be attending (for the most part). Choose to register at an affordable store for all guests and take the time to really think about what you want in your apartment or house as newlyweds. As soon as you decide, get this step taken care of so it’s one less thing for you to worry about.

Bridal party attire and other details. What do you want your bridal party to be wearing? Is there anything special you want to do with them aside from the bachelor/bachelorette parties? Gifts you want to give them? Go through all the little details you want to include for your ladies and gentlemen that will be a big part of your day.

Venue décor. You have your venue picked out and now you need to cover décor. Keep in mind your price range and brainstorm ideas about how you want the atmosphere to look and feel. Your floral choices are going to play into this process as well, so it’s a good thing you’ve chosen your florist and have nailed down flower details at this point (if you follow the steps as listed in Tuesday’s blog).

Photographer. If you like someone else’s wedding photos, you’re sure to like your own that much more if you book the same photographer. Go through your options nearby and narrow down to your top three. Meet with each photographer (if necessary) until you find the right fit for you and yours.

Photo by Clane Gessel

Rehearsal dinner. Now you can focus on the rehearsal dinner. Decide on where you would like to hold your rehearsal dinner and get it booked as soon as you can. Make sure you know specifically how many people will be attending to book enough space.

Transportation to the venue. After choosing your venue, think about how your guests will be getting to your wedding and where they will park if they’re driving. This is important because it’s really hard to have a successful event without any guests to enjoy it. Consider shuttles if parking at the venue isn’t an option. Also, take into consideration the amount of time it will take for guests to take a shuttle or park.

Photo by Tasha Owen

Favors! Last but not least on our overview; pick out your favors! This is the easiest yet usually the most tedious task depending on if you choose a DIY favor. Give yourself plenty of time to get these together.

Photo by Crozier Photogrpahy

As this list serves as a general overview, we haven’t included every little tiny detail of planning a wedding as a whole. This is what WE here for anyway; to alleviate stress by not troubling you with all the minute details that cause panic! If you want to plan your own wedding from start to finish, keep checking our blog weekly for helpful tips and tricks. 

Wedding Tips + Tricks | Wedding Planning 101

Today we want to talk about creating a basic overview that you can use as a guideline as you walk through the motions of getting your big day in order. it can be overwhelming to get engaged and move into the planning phase when you don’t know where to begin. We walked through what to begin with directly after your engagement and now we will take a step further to look at the process as a whole. Let’s get some major tasks pinned down!

Guest list. The guest list is probably one of the most important facets to planning a successful event. You need to know how many people will be attending, including how many kids. This will help decide how kid friendly you will need to design your reception and what your menu will look like. It will also aide in beverage decisions (i.e. open bar vs. cash bar).

Bridal party. Make a complete list with your other half of those you want in your bridal party. Make sure to follow through with this step all the way and include who will be walking down the aisle with who. During this step, also think about who else will be walking down the aisle. Do you want the officiant to already be in the ceremony area? Or would you prefer him/her to walk down the aisle to begin with? Who will be escorting your grandmother or grandfather? Lastly, agree on a flower girl and ring bearer.

Venue shopping. After you’ve gone through the beginning motions of finding your season and setting a date, begin to brainstorm where and what kind of venue you’re looking for. When you have an idea of the style you like, begin to search around the area you’re aiming to wed. Budgeting is important during this step, so be aware of your spending limit.

Find that dress. Next up; the dress. You’ve got the styles you like and don’t like and you know what will flatter your figure best. Choose one dress shop you’re curious about and make an appointment. Take it one appointment at a time. If you don’t find anything you like at the first shop, pick out another and make an appointment a few weeks later. You want time for your brain to decipher why you didn’t like any of the dresses at the first shop and help you gain some perspective of what you’re specifically looking for.

Catering/dessert. Now that you know what your guest list looks like and how many people you’re expecting, you can begin to narrow down catering options. Getting recommendations from someone you trust is important. Pick two different caterers and set up a tasting. If you like neither, pick two other catering companies you want to try and make a tasting appointment for a couple weeks later. Like finding a dress, it will give you some time to marinate on what you’re looking for. Use the same technique for choosing your dessert.

Florist. Go through magazines and photos of flower scenes that best match your taste and color choices. Then, pick out a florist that has great reviews near the venue you chose. You want them to be nearby so the flowers don’t have to be in transit for an extended period of time.

We hope this guide gives you some relief as you begin planning your special day. This is only the beginning and next Tuesday we’ll expand this overview to highlight what’s to come next. Stay tuned everyone!