I have noticed that a lot of brides these days are taking the hard road to planning and designing their wedding so that they can save a few dollars. With the economy the way it is right now, it is understandable that a bride would want to have a beautiful wedding without breaking the bank. One of the ideas that a bride has to save money is to "Do It Themselves". The bride puts her self in charge of all of the planning, decorating and set up of their own wedding. This is a hard job. Here are a few reasons why it is so hard to design and set up your own wedding.
1. You have to find a floral wholesaler who is willing to sell you flowers at a good price.
2. You have to be able to find a place that you can assemble all of these flower arrangements.
3. You need to clean and process the flowers the right way or they won't last very long. This will take approximately 2-4 hours depending on how many flowers you order.
4. You need all of the proper floral materials to help you create these designs correctly. This can be even more expensive than hiring a professional.
5. It will take approximately 8-10 hours to assemble all of your arrangements. It takes at least 1 hour just to put a bridal bouquet together.
6. You have to assemble the flowers the day prior so that you can have enough time to get ready for your own wedding the next day. This means that you will have to find a sufficient cooler to store all of your flowers so that they do not wilt over night.
7. You then have to find sufficient transportation to get the flowers to their destination.
8. You need to arrive to the ceremony site first to put all flowers in place and be able to deliver the bouquets and boutonnieres to your wedding party.
9. Then you have to be sure that you get the centerpieces to the reception site and place all of the pieces onto the tables and then get back to the ceremony site so that you can walk down the aisle with composure and grace.
Wow, I am tired just thinking about all that needs to be done, and this is just the flowers.
Now, most brides are smart and ask friends and family to help out by doing all of the items above. This is a good strategy as well, but you need to consider the possibilities that your friends or family might want to be able to enjoy the day as well.
Most brides ask their mothers to help out. I see a lot of this, where the mothers are in the kitchen and in the background working really hard to help their daughter with all of the wedding details. Then they look at the pictures after the wedding with a little sadness. They don't remember the wedding at all. They were too busy helping out with food, decor, etc... They felt more like the help instead of the Mother of the Bride. They didn't get to relax and really be there with their daughter. They didn't get to witness her happiness and memorable day with her.
This is why vendors are out there. We are a third party who doesn't have any connection to you, like family or friends. We are there to help your day go smoothly and be able to do all of the hard work for you so all you have to do is relax and enjoy everyone around you and your wedding day.
These days, the average wedding in Las Vegas, Nevada is about $35,000.00. WOW! that is really expensive. So, here are a few ways that you can save money and time.
1. Don't invite so many people to your wedding. Only invite close family and friends. You don' t have to invite everyone from your workplace, your fiance's work place and your parents workplace. You don't have to invite the mailman, or Uncle Joe's best friend. These people really could care less if they come.
I have heard many conversations at my work place or social functions where a couple was invited to their boss's daughters wedding or someone that they work with, etc.... There complaint is that they don't know this person, but they feel that they are obligated to attend because if they don't, they will lose respect of that person. They also don't like the fact that they have to purchase a gift for someone they really don't know.
2. You don't have to have a 10 course meal. Every bride that has come to me says that they don't think they are going to have enough food at their wedding.
When I was a coordinator, I was always there at the end of the event making sure the bride and their party didn't leave anything behind. I made sure everything was being cleaned up by the proper people. I would notice that there was a lot of food left over. This food goes to waste.
If you want to enjoy your night, serve light appetizers, then a nice buffet dinner that consists of two entrees and some sides. You can even do a sit down dinner. This way no food is wasted. You don't need a dessert buffet, candy station and a wedding cake. Just do one or the other.
3. Party Favors can get really cheap and guests always seem to throw them away. The best thing to do is do a mini survey. Ask your friends and family members what they would actually take home with them. Would they want an edible item or something that they could stick on their shelf when they get home. The best favor out there right now is the candy station. I love this idea. Your guests can fill up a bag with your name and date on it and take it home with them. The candy might not last long, but the memory of them being able to choose what they want will. This is also an inexpensive way to give your guests a thank you.
4. When you choose a venue, make sure they don't have any hidden fees. This seems to be the one problem that many brides face when their date is coming near. They arrive at their venue for the final planning stages and notice that a lot of hidden fees have been added to their contract. This can cost upward of thousands of dollars extra that you weren't planning. Make sure you read that contract carefully before you sign it. I will have another article on this matter alone.
5. When you are choosing your design elements, make sure that you meet with many vendors. At least three. Give them a budget. A designer is going to give you the platinum look, because their passion is design. They are going to tell you what they think will look great at your wedding. They don't think of price when they are designing. Give them your budget up front. This way they know what their limits are. You can always get what you want when your budget is out in the open. The vendors can work with your budget, but they can't work with someone that doesn't communicate what the can and cannot have money wise.
When you are planning your wedding it is smart to make appointments with all of the vendors that you need. All vendors that I work with always spend at least 1 hour with their brides on their first consultation. This is your opportunity to grill them. Find out everything that you need to know. Make sure that your budget stays on track with them.
The best investment in your wedding is a wedding coordinator. A coordinator will help you make the right decisions, keep you on your budget and make sure that your event goes well. Also, you and your family will be able to remember your special day and not be exhausted trying to work the wedding and be the host. At the TOP of this blog page, I have some wonderful vendor links. These people will help you create the perfect wedding. I trust them, you should to.
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