Your wedding dress:
Start shopping right away. You won’t feel rushed or pressured into buying something and you’ll be able to shop smart.
Simple plain dresses are usually less expensive than the ones with lace, pearls/beads etc..
You could buy a plain dress and add lace, beads etc.. yourself. Or get someone to do it for you.
Rent or borrow a dress. If you like your mother`s, sister`s or friends dress ask them if you could borrow it. But don`t be offended if they refuse as a wedding dress is very sacred to most women.
Look around second hand shops/charity shops. You`ll be surprised at the amount they get given, and they are usually inexpensive.
The venue:
Book the ceremony/reception well in advance you may be able to negotiate a better price then you would if you left it to the last minute.
Have your wedding on off-peak months. November to April rates will probably be reduced. Christmas weddings are more expensive though so if you are planning a Christmas wedding you will have to cut your finances.
Instead of a grand ballroom or banquet hall, think less-expensive venues, like publicly owned buildings and parks, registry office, the church or temple hall, the backyard, the beach, a restaurant’s private room. You may have to get a permit to marry in a public place, but it will be less than a private banquet room.
Catering:
Look around for caterers. Get different quotes before you decide on one.
Choose cheaper entrees, like prawns instead of lobster, vegetables like broccoli instead of asparagus will cut the cost, too.
Cut down on courses. If you’re having a cocktail hour, do you really need an appetizer course? Do you need soup and salad?
Instead of waiter service, have a buffet bar.
Think ethnic! Mexican, Indian, Italian, or Chinese food is fun and much cheaper per person than the traditional wedding menu. See if your favorite restaurant caters.
If you are having a themed wedding create your menu around the theme.
Have the wedding cake only as dessert and eliminate any other sweets (eclairs, pastries, etc.).
Consider a wedding breakfast or brunch (omelettes, muffins, pancakes, French toast), or a tea (a variety of tea flavors, finger sandwiches, scones and jams, etc.) to save money.
The more tiers and decorations your cake has the more expensive it will be.
Buy your own drink it will work out a lot cheaper than paying the caterers or venues prices.
Photos:
Compare hourly fees and package deals to see which is more cost-effective for you.
Give disposable cameras as wedding favours. Then you can get copies of the day’s events from family and friends.
Have a professional photographer take the formal pictures and shoot the ceremony; have guests take all reception photos.
Visit your local college`s photography department and check out some of the students’ portfolios. They will do your photography a lot cheaper and just as good as a professional
Ask friends and family to video the big day for you.
Flowers:
Use flowers that are in season and/or locally grown they’re less expensive than out-of-season flowers that must be shipped to your area.
Have bouquet with just a few large flowers, like orchids, tulips, lilies, or sunflowers, tied with a ribbon.
If you are marrying at Christmas or Easter, your church may already be decked out beautifully.
Arrange to share the cost of ceremony decorations with the couple marrying directly before or after you that day.
Use silk or dried flowers instead of fresh ones in table centerpieces.
Music:
DJs are less expensive than live bands.
Ask a family member or friend’s child to sing at the reception.
Hire music for the evening reception only. People are usually too busy chatting to notice anyway.
Ask at the local college/university for young musicians.
Invitations:
Send invitations that are light enough when completely assembled to require only a single stamp for mailing.
Make your own invitation cards. They are cheaper and more personal.
If you are having a themed wedding make cards to do with the theme.
Transportation:
Limousines are cheap enough to hire for an hour. Find out in advance how long the ceremony will take.
Only hire a limo for the bride and groom; have attendants driven in relatives’ cars, or have them drive themselves in groups.
You might be able to hire a horse and carriage for just as less. Check the Yellow pages for any in your area.
We hope these are of some use to you. Good luck.
Daljit kaur
http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/budgeting-tips-for-a-christmas-wedding-389029.html
May 31st, 2009 at 4:14 pm
HELP needed christmas wedding on budget?
hi im getting on december 19th next year & need some tips & advice on doing it with £1000 limit i from stoke area of staffordshire & am finding every thing so expencive photograty are worst any advice would be great very stress bride to be x
May 31st, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Have you not got a friend who is into photography and could take your pics for you? A wedding needn’t cost the earth, all you really need is a nice outfit, flowers, a taxi and a cake… oh, and some guests. Celebrate afterwards at a local restaurant/pub
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May 31st, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Every body has a friend who can really take great photos and videos, they also know someone who can make lovely cakes and do flower arrangements. Also someone you know could make dresses, or look into charity shops they have loads of dresses only worn once dry cleaned be as good as new. Look around for a venue like a pub with a large skittle alley, it will be cold. Surely your family and friends can put together a buffet. There all done.
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May 31st, 2009 at 9:20 pm
If you plan to get married in a church you should be able to save a bundle on decorations. Most churches are nicely decorated through the holiday season. Try using the same florist as the church and see if you can work out a deal with them.
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May 31st, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Poinsettias as centerpieces. They are pretty cheap and you can find them everywhere.
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May 31st, 2009 at 9:24 pm
christmas weddings! i love them! the church or the hall or wherever you are getting married is generally already decorated for christmas so you save money there.
invitations: you can buy kits and do them yourselves!
you can get friends to do your photos! today’s cameras are so user-friendly that even i can turn out a decent photo! lol
find yourself a pretty gown in a vintage shop or consignment shop – and don’t just look at ‘wedding gowns’ look at cocktail dresses, evening gowns, prom dresses, you’d be amazed at the style and flair vintage gowns have! bouquets are so easy to make yourself that you can save a packet of money if you do your own! silks are the easiest to work with but you can do fresh flowers as well. sometimes the most simple thing is the most beautiful! if you want fresh flowers then choose one or two roses and greenery, wrap the stems in ribbon and you have a pretty bouquet for your attendants, do yours the same only with a few more roses or whatever your fave flower is!
your man and his attendants needn’t be in tuxes, if they have decent business suits then there is nothing wrong with wearing those, if not you can hire suits – pin boutonnieres on their lapels and they’re ready to go!
just bear in mind something my mum always said: all you really need is the bride, the groom, the preacher and a couple of rings – everything else is just pretty little extras!
good luck and happy christmas wedding!
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May 31st, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Well you need to figure out centerpieces and go to after Christmas sales this year to get what you need. On that budget, there’s probably no way you can hire a photographer. You might try calling the local college and asking for photography students – one of them may shoot it for a cheaper price – but you best bet would be to ask a friend or relative that’s pretty good at taking them to do it. Otherwise, just do everthing yourself as much as possible. That’s the only way you can pull it off! I got married on Dec 16th… If you want to see pictures of the decor, email me! =)
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May 31st, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Easy ways to slash costs:
1. No alcohol
2. Daytime
3. Cake and punch instead of a meal.
4. Don’t bother with favors (no one will miss them)
You can skip a lot of decorations if you pick a chapel/church that is already decked out for the holidays.
Good luck!
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May 31st, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Use poinsettias for centerpieces but red roses in your bouquet. Have a friend do photos for you (I am an amateur photographer and with a little effort and thought, a friend could turn out lovely photos for you). Have the wedding at someone’s house, and prepare the food yourself (or have a group of friends do the cooking), serving it buffet style. It doesn’t have to be elaborate to be meaningful.
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May 31st, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Morning hun. 2 words for you…. January Sales…… Jan 2009 when the sales starts get all you xmas centre pieces (for next year) you will save a fortune ! you will have noticed a candle or christmas flower will be say £15 in Nov and Dec but come Jan & Feb you’ll get them for a fiver if not less. I have been doing loads of shopping on ebay for my wedding stuff and luckily i have loved every thing. Ikea will have some wicked things in the sales, like mirrors for your centre pieces (if your having them) i am doing my own and have saved a fortune, for all 7 centre pieces i have paid £45:00 they are all from various sales. The balloon shop was going to charge me £45 per table…..
Marks & spencer do beautiful wedding cakes and very reasonable too, you will easily get one under £50.
Dress – go high street again maybe in the sales? but i know Debenhams have a brilliant variety quite cheap and look stunning.
Photography – do you have a local uni or collage near you? if so why not go and ask if any of the photography students fancy doing your pics? they will be grateful for the experience and you won’t have a complete novice doing your special pics. They may charge a small fee (if any) for printing etc but i can’t see it being that much.
As for your food i know some venue’s won’t let you do your own now, mine won’t and it’s cost me a fortune in a buffet (checky way to get more money out of you eh) so when looking at venue’s ask them their food polocy… if friends or family are unwilling to help ask a local cafe, you will be suprised at how cheap some of them are.
Hope i was some help. Congrats hun x
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May 31st, 2009 at 9:34 pm
I agree with the Ebay line … my dress is being made to measure in china to a designer style and its costing me £90 and that’s quite an expensive one!!
Ive got my shoes from ebay too….band new and a fraction of the cost in the shops .
Why not visit the local £1 shop and buy a load of disposable cameras..get family and friends to take pics all day, even with the developing costs it wont be much ,Im having a photographer but will be doing this for the reception and night do.
Hiring a local church hall rallying good friends and family round to each make something for a buffet for you possibly as part of their gift would be a good way to keep costs down for food and with the change in licencing laws most pubs can now supply a mobile bar service which they don’t always charge for as they know they will make good money on the sales.
and why not have an early hen do and have a channel hop to collect cheap wine for the toast etc?
And hit those sales!!
Hope my ramblings helped!!!!
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My first wedding was on a VERY tight budget!!
May 31st, 2009 at 9:36 pm
hi, we are using a graduate to do our photographs. go to your local university. alot of graduates will do it for free if they have rights of the pics cos they get stuff for their portfolio and experience and you get a disc full of pics. have a look at their porfolios and choose the one you like best. doing this has saved me a ton.
also make the use of family and friends skills. ie me and my mum made the invites and order of services. my gran made my flower girl masket and ring cushion. my aunt is making the wedding cake and my cousin is playing the ceremony music on his violin. dont be afraid to ask. people love to help and if its a big job like making the cake suggest they do it as a wedding gift.
oh and for a dress theres a great woman on ebay who owns a shop called lyndyloo bridal uk who made my dress and it saved me 550 quid off buying the deisner version and was just under 300 rather then 850.
shoes…cos your dress is so long get some pretty satin pumps, i got mine from brantanno for ten quid. noone but me will see them.
hair…i am just going to the hairdresser and getting them to curl my hair for 20 quid…i dont want a fancy do.
you will prob have to get married at a registry for your budget but you can find a community center hall so you can do your own decorations and food from iceland..wish i could do my own buffet rather then pay the venue we are getting married in but its non negotiable.
i got my foam rose bouquet and rose button holes etc from ebay…they look like the real thing and i got 10 button holes and 2 corsages for 20 quid. my bouquet was 35 and the bridesmaids 10 and they will last forever.
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