When searching for a deal, you should be somewhat skeptical when you find one. There is a good chance that if it sounds too good be true, it probably is. But that shouldn’t discourage you completely. I found an amazing venue for a great price and it seems legitimate. But I did ask all the following questions to verify that I wasn’t missing anything.
Venue Restrictions: You should guarantee that you/your vendors have a full understanding of your venue’s restrictions. Ask questions about the venue’s restrictions regarding decorations, noise, smoking and drinking. Venues can have rules about what decorations are permitted. This particularly important when wind is involved and you plan on having items like rose petals, sparklers, confetti, etc. Most venues will have some form of noise restrictions and these are important to know when dealing with DJs and bands. Live music is sometimes not permitted. Given the changing rules about smoking, it is worth asking about the venue’s rules about this. Some may have designated areas for smoking that you and your guests should be aware of. Drinking regulations are usually fairly standard, but you should check about insurance in the case of accidents and property damage.
Time Slots: If your venue has a time slot that you can rent it for, be sure to have a full understanding of what that means. For instance, does the time slot include set up and take down? If not, how much time do you/your vendors have for this before and after? Are there fees for running over on your allotted time? What are the fees? Is there a wedding before/after yours? If so, what are those time slots and what safeguards are put in place to ensure that there is no overlap? In the event of an overlap, how are you accommodated?
Facility Details: Get information about what is available at the facility and what isn’t. Are there areas that are off-limits to your guests? Are there areas that will be accessible to people that aren’t involved in your wedding? Are restrooms available on site? If you are having your ceremony and reception in the same place, ask for details about the procedure. If you’re venue is providing items like linens, table settings and chairs, you’ll want to review all their options. Verify whether you can have your rehearsal at the location prior to the event. If you can, ask what steps you have to take to set it up. The more you can rent from your venue, the more convenient your set up will be, so ask about what they can provide and how much it would cost. Ask if they have photos of previous events to help get a feel for what your event will be like. Do they have a place for vendors to eat?
Insurance: You should ask your venue about their requirements in this area. Some venues may require that you get insurance while others may carry their own. Get a clear understanding of what they are providing and what they are requiring you to get, if anything. If you feel you need additional coverage, you can look into wedding insurance on your own. If the venue is requiring that you get it, get a price estimate for this so you know what the final venue cost will actually be.
Consultants/Coordinators/Planners: If your venue includes a consultant, coordinator or planner make sure you find out exactly what their role in your event will be. Some consultants will be full-service and available to you before, during and after the event while other will have minor coordination responsibilities during the event. Knowing this will help you decide if you need to hire your own planner or not.
All these details will help you assess the real costs and savings of a particular venue and whether it will work for your needs. Remember that you are the client and they should want to satisfy you (Within reason, Bridezillas!). Feel free to negotiate with them on pricing and details of their contract. Even if you don’t end up changing it, you’ll know you didn’t miss out on an opportunity to do so.
Public Parks/Beaches/Gardens: Great outdoor reception venues can be found in public locations. The main issue to consider here is that you will likely have to bring in everything from a DJ to the silverware. This can add up and if you aren’t careful, end up costing more than you expect. Another benefit to these locations is that they are inherently beautiful and therefore require less decorations than some other locations.
Restaurants: There is no doubt that restaurants can be expensive reception venues, but not all of them. One major benefit of having your reception at a restaurant is that the food and alcohol is all taken care of in one place. Restaurants that are advertising on wedding sites are likely to be expensive. Your best bet is a venue that will rent space for receptions without it being a major focus of their restaurant. Try going to a local place you love and asking them if they host private parties. If you can get away with not saying its a wedding, you may be able to save even more. Unfair as it is, places tend to charge more for weddings than parties.
Destination Weddings: This type of wedding usually has significantly less guests and therefore less costs. Resorts often have all-inclusive packages which allow you to avoid the wedding planner expense. Sandals Resorts has “weddingmoons” that include everything you will need for the wedding, including a consultant that can assist with any legal requirements. If you don’t go for an all-inclusive option, you should consider a wedding planner that is local to the area. Wedding planners are sometimes willing to work within your budget by offering services for only the day of the even for a much lower fee.
Rent a House: Depending on where you are planning to have your wedding and the number of guests, it may be worth looking into a house rental as an option for reception venues. You will have to bring in most things, like food, a DJ, tables, chairs, etc. But there are some built-in benefits, like refrigerators, bathrooms, bedrooms and so on. Save money by getting alcohol at places like Beverages & More which has promotions like the penny sale. Be sure to read the contract carefully and consider wedding insurance.
Learn more about reception venues.
Large Blooms: Consider flowers like hydrangeas, dahlias, mums, lillies, gerber daisies, ranunculus and peonies. These types of flowers take up more space so they require less stems to fill an arrangement. For example, a hydrangea bloom can be between 4″ and 8″! This means you can get a gorgeous centerpiece for a lot less money than with other flowers. Warning for DIYers: Avoid hydrangea if your wedding is going to be in a hot season or you don’t have a way to keep them cool as they are sensitive to temperature.
Vases In Bulk: If you are okay with clear glass, you can save a lot of money on your vases. Ebay is a great place to look if you know how to search. Search for the keyword “vase” and “lot” to get you started. The issue with online bulk sales are the shipping costs. Finding a wholesaler that allows for pick-up at their local warehouse can results in significant savings. For example, Wholesale Glass Vases International has a a warehouse in Rosemead which is great if you live in Los Angeles County.
Wholesale Flowers: Local flower marts and online wholesalers can cost a lot less than a local florist. For example, I found a website for a local hydrangea farm where each stem costs about $4. I called a local florist and they were asking for $10-$15! But with the local florist, you are paying for convenience. You don’t have to worry about care instructions, flowers wilting during transport, delivery failure and so on.
Dollar Stores: Many items are around a dollar, hence the name. You can find great votives and other decorative items for as little as a dollar a piece! You can go to the local store or check out the online version of Dollar Tree.
Smokey eyes are a great way to add drama to your look, but keep cheeks and lips subdued to avoid it being overkill.
Luscious lips are fabulous if you have enough surface area to pull it off. Similar with smokey eyes, a strong focus on the lips should be countered with a less is more approach on the cheeks and eyes.
Not a makeup person? Fresh and natural is gorgeous and simple. If you don’t wear a lot of makeup, this is a look you’re likely to feel comfortable in.
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Or break from tradition and try a font that is a bit different, like Harrington, Lucida Blackletter or Curlz MT. Lucida Blackletter and Curlz MT are shown below.
Professional hair and makeup costs 100s, so skip the professionals and do your own wedding day makeup and hair. There is one caveat, you will have to purchase makeup and hair products to make your look last. If you don’t use these products in your everyday life, you may be better off paying a professional not only for their expertise but the use of their products.
Think Long-Lasting: Waterproof, sweat proof, crease-free are all keywords you will want to be looking for when purchasing your wedding day makeup. Websites like sephora.com and amazon.com have reviews of their products that will help you determine if their claims about “all day wear” are accurate. I would recommend testing out your products before the wedding to ensure that they won’t fail you. You will want to see first-hand how your makeup reacts to sweat (wear it to the gym), tears (rent The Notebook) and a long day (get glammed up on Saturday morning and see how you look at 10 PM).
Think Flawless Skin: Your mineral foundation may be just what you need on a normal day at the office, but it probably won’t cut it for your wedding. Instead of using your usual foundation, you will probably want to consider getting a heavier one. Again, this would probably warrant a test-run in advance. No one wants an unexpected breakout on their wedding day! One benefit of a professional is airbrushing, but Dior has created a spray foundation that is supposed to mimic the look of airbrushing. It is $60, but if you are someone that may use it after the wedding it could be a worthwhile investment.
Think Primer: You may not use a primer on a daily basis, but they can come in handy for a bride. A primer in painting preps the surface to take the paint properly. Primers in the makeup world serve the same purpose. Lip primer, eyelid primer and face primer all work to prepare your skin for makeup application. Primers make the surface smoother and create a protective base that will allow your wedding day makeup to last longer and stay in place.
Think Photography: You should consider the fact that you will be getting your picture taken when choosing what makeup you wear. Avoid nude or brown hues in your lipstick, which will wash out in photos. If you wear neutral tones on your lips, go for a color that has a little pink or red in it. If you wear dark lipstick, add a sheer color on top to brighten your look. Avoid eye shadows and lip colors that have shine to them. Shimmery eyes and lips will reflect light from the flash..and not in a good way. Blend light, medium and deep eye shadow colors to make your eyes stand out. If you are using lip liner, make sure it matches your LIPS. This will keep your lips from looking outlined if your lip color does start to fade. Use warm tones in your makeup color selections because these work best with flash photography. Make sure your foundation matches the skin color on your NECK. This will prevent a discoloration between your face and neck in photos. Be aware that bright colored lipsticks with appear darker in black & white photos. And finally, apply your makeup in natural light to ensure that what you see is what everyone else will see on your big day.
Think Tutorials: There are many ways that you can learn techniques that will help you apply your wedding day makeup. Youtube.com has a large amount of videos that show you how to apply makeup or create certain hairstyles. You can also go to a department store or a beauty supply store and get lessons about makeup application. Take pictures of hairstyles you like to your local salon and have them create those hairstyles for you. This will give you insight about the steps you should take and the products you should use.
Think Simple: Unless you have a knack for complicated hairstyles, you should keep your ‘do simple. Low buns or chignons, half up ‘dos and beachy waves are fairly easy to do yourself. Any hairstyle that is loose and messy by design is more likely to look good as the night goes on. Hairspray and finishing creams/serums are good for keeping your tresses in line, but make sure not to overdo it since high doses can make your hair look stiff or greasy. If you are wearing a flower in your hair, make sure to attach it AFTER you’ve applied product. Hair spray and other products can cause flowers to wilt and brown.
Check out some ideas for wedding day makeup.
Pretty invitations can be very expensive after custom artwork, calligraphers, multiple inserts and so on. You can save a lot of money by doing your invitations yourself. Based on your skill level and time available, there are several options for DIY invitations.
Buy a Kit: Craft stores, like Michaels, and online retailers such as weddingpaperdivas.com and paperdirect.com, sell pretty invitations in kits. Kits from Michael’s tend to cost less money, but require more prep work including printing the text and putting the invitations together. Kits from Paper Direct cost a similar amount as Michaels, but each item (invitation, RSVP, thank you cards, etc.) is sold individually allowing for greater customization. Kits from Wedding Paper Divas are more expensive, but come pre-printed and ready to assemble. Also, you can purchase extra items that aren’t always available in the craft store kits, like matching save the dates, enclosure and thank you cards.
Print Your Envelopes: Instead of paying for expensive calligraphy, print your envelopes at home. There are plenty of fonts available in Word that will create invitations and envelope templates make it easy to do yourself. Go to Tools in your Word program and you’ll see an “Envelopes…” option. You can adjust the font and position and use Page Setup to set the proper dimensions of your envelope. For some examples of fonts that are available in Word, check out these pretty invitations.
Personalize Your Postage: This won’t save you money, but it will add to the overall look of your invitation without costing you a lot. Assuming you want a 42 cent stamp, the cost will be about 80 or 90 cents per stamp. The cost per sheet decreases as your order increases. You can upload your own images or graphics or choose from a selection of pre-designed stamps. The USPS website has a section dedicated to stamp personalization and has 4 companies to choose from. Another option that won’t cost you any additional money is to purchase a stamp with a wedding theme from post office’s regular selection.
Make Your Own: If you are savvy with Photoshop, you can make your invitations from scratch. This allows you to create the exact invitation you want and it can save you money when compared to going to a professional. If you are purchasing fabric for your wedding reception tables, you can incorporate this into your invitation by taking a photo of it or finding one online. But after time spent and cost of paper, ink (or paying a printer) and envelopes, it is not always worth it when you can purchase a kit for so little money. If you are interested in letterpress, which is gorgeous but expensive…there are ways to do this yourself. Style Me Pretty provides some useful tips.
Produce: Using produce instead of, or in combination with, flowers is a great way to save money on your centerpieces. If you haven’t chosen your wedding colors yet, consider picking colors that allow you to use produce. Assuming they are in season, pumpkins, apples, limes, lemons can all be used in make beautiful centerpieces with little or no flowers.
Natural Elements: Adding more greenery to your centerpieces will bring the cost down without causing the centerpiece to look sparse. Reeds, large leaves, bamboo and grasses are some examples of what can be used to fill out a centerpiece with minimal flowers. Reeds can even be used instead of vases. Pine cones, rocks and sand can also be used in or around vases to add to the overall look of your wedding reception tables.
Candles: Beyond adding ambiance, candles can really fill out a table. They can be used alone, or in combination with flowers, to create a minimalist look. You can use votives, tea lights, pillar candles or even floating candles. Filling vases with sand, pebbles or water can help add to the style of the centerpiece. Using a variety of candle sizes will add dimension to your table. There are many wholesale candle retailers online like 100candles.com and candles4less.com, but be careful of shipping costs.
Table Numbers: Get creative with your table numbers. Take pictures of you and your fiance holding each table number. If you are serving wine with dinner, label the bottles with the table numbers. Or don’t use numbers at all. You can use locations that you have traveled to together, local restaurants and hang-outs that you frequent, hobbies that you enjoy, or anything else that will give your guests a taste of who are as a couple.
Coasters: Instead of using coasters from the venue, have them made custom. This is actually cheaper than it sounds. You can get glass ones as a possible wedding favor at theweddingprinter.com, which has personalized glass coasters for $1.75 each. Or you can get paper coasters made at a place like beau-coup.com with your monogram and colors for a little over a dollar. Regardless of the style you choose, they are a great way to make your wedding reception tables unique.
Napkin Holders: If you are using china and linens provided by the venue, you can use napkin holders as a way to add your personal touch to the place setting. Napkin holders range in prices and depending on the size of your wedding, this can get expensive. Paper napkin rings can be found online at restaurant supply stores and cost virtually nothing. You can buy these and attach an element in the center that ties into your wedding, such as a dried or paper flower in your wedding colors, the guest’s name (as an alternative to a place card), an origami animal, a message to the guest or your monogram.
Runners/Tablecloths: If you own a sewing machine, you can make runners or tablecloths for your wedding reception tables. There are multiple fabric stores online that have a wide variety of choices. You can also use this fabric to create pretty invitations that tie into your theme. My wedding colors are black and white and I am using my venue’s linens. They only offer solid colors, so I purchased a black and white fabric that I liked online (many retailers will give you discount on the price per yard if you buy in bulk). If you are nervous about ordering fabric online, a lot of online retailers offer the option of ordering swatches for only a few dollars. Watch out for shipping costs, though!
More on wedding reception tables.
Once you do, you will be able to tell which retailers are within it and which are not. Starting early is the best way to save money. You will have time to wait for sales, compare prices, make appointments at multiple boutiques and so on. This could give you the opportunity to make an out-of-reach designer more accessible.
Buy Your Dress Online: This is one of the best ways to save money on an elegant wedding dress, but of course there is a catch. You can’t try the dress on. This can be a scary concept, especially because many return policies for these merchants are less than ideal. If you do go this route, make sure you read the return policy very carefully. For instance, one website I looked at requires a 50% restocking fee! Online only retailers like House of Brides, Bridal Online Store and Best Bridal Prices have designer dresses at discount prices. David’s Bridal has a line of dresses that are very inexpensive and available for online purchase only. Target, J. Crew and Nordstrom also sell wedding dresses online for affordable prices. Both David’s Bridal and Target provide reviews from purchasers to help in your decision-making process.
Find Your Dress In a Bridal Shop: Despite the fact that most boutiques have high priced gowns, there are some that specialize in lower priced options. A lot of retailers, like David’s Bridal, Alfred Angelo and Kleinfeld, have price code legends online. For instance, Kleinfeld starts at $1,500 whereas David’s Bridal has dresses as low as $299. This can help you determine early on which Bridal Shops are worth going to in person. Websites like brides.com, theknot.com and weddingchannel.com allow you to search by price range. Using these sites will give you an idea of what designers are within your price range. Despite what you may think, many high-end designers are creating lines that are more affordable.
Rent Your Dress: The benefit here is obvious. You can wear a wedding dress you couldn’t afford to buy. You can save hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. The downside? Read their terms carefully. You are usually responsible for damage and you have to return it by a particular time or incur penalties. Also, you may find your dream dress but the size isn’t right. These places will often alter it to fit you, but you can get stuck if the alterations do not turn out the way you like.
When deciding which option is best for you, you should consider how much time you have before you need your dress (shipping times for online purchases), if you know a tailor you can trust for alterations (buying online instead of in-store) and if your dress is likely to be damaged due to your venue locale, travel time, etc. (renting your dress).
Here are some additional tips to save you even more money on an elegant wedding dress:
Wait For A Sale: Instead of purchasing the dress the day you find it, record your size and style number. If the bridal shop has a website, they may have the option for you to get email notifications when they have promotions. You can save $100 or more when you wait for sales and many retailers have seasonally scheduled sales.
Shop In-Store and Buy Online: Instead of purchasing the dress the day you find it, record your size and style number. If you already know what dress you want and the size that fits you, it will be much less risky to purchase your gown online. Online retailers have large selections of dresses, particularly if the dress isn’t part of the newest line from the designer. Ebay is also a great resource when you already know the exact dress and size you want.
Still not convinced that you can find a dress you love online? Check out these examples of an elegant wedding dress.