Friday, July 20, 2012

Wedding Things: Save or Splurge?

Hello Girls!

If you're planning a wedding, you might wonder which aspects you should try to save on, and which you should spend a little more money on. It can be overwhelming! Here is a little guide to help you out! This is just my opinion, but I hope this is of some help. :)

The Dress: Splurge with caution. You don't want any regrets later on (i.e "I wish I would have gotten the OTHER dress"),but at the same time you don't want to blow half of your wedding budget on a dress you will wear one time. My advice is to do your homework! Shop around, and try on lots of different styles. Look online, look everywhere! If you can find a deal, then that's a huge plus! If not, this is YOUR day, and you deserve the perfect dress. Just spend within your limits.

The Veil: Splurge with  caution. Veils can get pretty pricey, so again, do your homework! If the veil isn't super important to  you, save!

The Shoes: Save. Unless you have a GIANT wedding budget, it's hard to justify spending alot on your shoes. The exception? If you TRULY know you will wear them again with lots of different outfits. But be honest with yourself!

The Invitations: Save. While the invitation is a crucial aspect, there are so many inexpensive options, and DIY options. You can hand-make some really elegant invitations.

The Venue: Splurge with caution. Before you start looking, get a clear picture in your head about what you want in a venue. Some fairy-tale venues are expensive, and if it's perfect, and you don't mind splurging, splurge. For more budget-friendly brides, look around. Look at places that are not typically used as wedding spots. Look at publically owned places.  You CAN get a nice venue without going broke!

The Photographer: Splurge. There are some solid reasons as to why you should splurge on  photography. For one, you want someone who will capture your vision. You want quality photos that you will still be happy with in the years to come. Another reason to splurge? This photographer will be hanging out with you all day. From getting ready, the ceremony, reception, the whole day. You want to choose someone you get along with well!

Favors: Save. Favors don't have to be extravegant. There are alot of inexpensive favor holders, and favors themselves. Favors can get expensive! Especially when you are having a large wedding. If you have 300 guests, $2.00 per favor is going to sound like alot! Defintely shop around, and again, there are tons of DIY options.

Wedding Party Attire: Save where possible. You want to be concious of the budget of your wedding attendants. Realistically, they will probably only wear the dress once, so keep that in mind. You can even have them pick their own dresses, just make sure everyone sticks with the same color and length.

Bouquet: Save where possible. Are you going to be giving it away in the bouquet toss? Preserving it? Keep these things in mind when flower shopping. Some flowers are more expensive than others, so if you want to save, maybe pick a few cheaper blooms in your color pallette. For the bridal party bouquets: SAVE! there are so many beautiful, inexpensive options. Shop around!

Decor: Save. With decor, you can get really creative without spending a fortune. Alot of venues have decor of their own that they will use, but if not, don't get too crazy. Again, TONS of DIY options! Decor things post coming soon!

Food: Splurge with caution. You don't HAVE to drop big bucks to get great food, and you have to be concious of how many people will be attending. My advice would be to research a little, and come up with a food budget. Alot of places will be willing to work something around your budget.

The Cake: Splurge, but shop. Have a few cake tastings, and have a vision. Meet with several differnet bakers, and describe the style and flavor you want. Some cakes are expensive, but if it is delicious and beautiful, it's worth it. However, there are bakeries that offer beautiful cakes that aren't too much. Anohter factor that will affect your cake price is guest count!

Jewelry: Save. Simply put, you don't need real diamonds for every piece of jewelry you wear. And with everything else you have to pay for, there's absolutely no need to splurge alot on jewelry! Go to Claires, or another inexpenisve store.

Hair: Your discretion. If you are comfortable doing your own hair, I reccommend it! I think it is a special touch. If you are really trying to save, you could also ask a hair savvy friend to do your hair. You could also check out beauty schools. No matter who you decide to do you r hair, TEST run at least once before the wedding. Make sure your stylist can re-create your vision.

Makeup: Depends on your skill level. If you are totally unskilled, and find a pricey place that does a good job, I say splurge. However, if you are comfortable doing it yourself, it is recommended! You may want to invest in a few higher quality products to use, but you can re-use the products over and over, so it is worth the price!

Attendant Gifts: Be generous. You don't have to go all out, but like the favors, you want to show them a special appreciation for taking part on your special day!

Entertainment: Splurge with caution. Entertainment is vital, but some bands/ DJs are just overpriced. Generally speaking, a DJ will be considerably cheaper than a band. Have an idea of the type of music you want played at your wedding, and meet with several people.

So this covers some of the basics, let me know if there are other aspects you want me to cover! I hope this was helpful! What is your favorite Wedding aspect? :)

X's and O's,
Amanda

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