Creative Wedding Ideas To Save You Money

I have two daughters with very steady boyfriends - actually they might be The Ones! Yikes! So I thought maybe I would just do a little research into what weddings were costing these days. You never know when one of them is going to surprise us with an engagement. And, God forbid it would happen at the same time.

The figures I was seeing didn't seem right. The first article I read claimed the average cost was around $29,000. Then I read another one that listed costs between $14,500 and $24,000 with an average around $19500 - okay that was a little better. But wait, then I read that for New York some weddings can be $50,000. Did I mention that one daughter lives in New York City and would like to be married there?

After I picked myself up off the floor, I read a little further into the articles. I started with the one listing the average cost aroung $19,500. Some of the things included in that cost I thought were actually a little ridiculous.

There was a lot of pampering included in the cost. I'm all for making the day special, but let's not lose focus. Getting hair done is probably something I would pay for but that's about it. The other things listed were:

• diet, weight loss and gym - I wouldn't join a gym just for the wedding.  Exercising at home is a good option and doesn't cost a dime.  If the bride wants to join a gym, that is a great lifestyle and should be a budget item that continues for her way after the wedding.
• facial - I would make sure I was following a good basic skin care regime so that I didn't have any issues on the wedding day and save money on the expensive facial.
• make-up service - my girls were always doing each others make-up at sleep overs, it's an innate skill for most so somebody you know should be able to help out with make-up if the girls can't do it themselves rather than hiring it out for a hefty fee.
• manicure and pedicure - same idea as make-up
• massage- save it for the honeymoon
• teeth whitening - a trick my daughter learned when modeling is to brush your teeth with backing soda and a drop of lemon juice to whiten your teeth (this isn't good to do over and over but for a special occasion works great)

The other area, besides wedding attire, where a lot of money was spent was on flowers and decorations. I have a few creative ideas that would be fun to do, look great and save you a lot of money.

Rustic weddings are becoming very popular and these centerpieces are just the ticket. They are both easy to put together and inexpensive. All you need is to find a woods where birch grows, harvest your own or purchase birch from a place like The Birch Bark Store online.

You can prune birch tree branches anytime other than late Spring or Summer without damaging the tree. You can also can some great wood from the suckers that grow from the base of the tree.

All I did for this arrangement was drill small holes about an inch and a half deep into the tall, narrow birch logs and inserted several small birch branches.

For the candle holder, a larger hole was drilled to fit a glass candle holder for the tapers. I added a couple of strings of pearl beads twisted on a fine gauge silver wire to complete the look and add a little glitz.

The pair of candles cost $1.97 and the beading was just pennies. The candle holders were each $1.00. So, the total cost of one arrangement is roughly $4.15

I included a picture of a table setting that is a similar idea. You can basically arrange your birch and candles in any fashion but they take on a more elegant look when combined with formal dinnerware.

If you make your own wedding favors, you can save a lot of money. It doesn't take too much crafting ability to put together a nice little party favor. I did something similar to this rosebud favor for my own wedding and enjoyed the project.

I put together the pictured party favor real quick to show an example of something you could do real inexpensively. All you need are Hershey Kisses, lace, twigs, and some silk leaves. Here are the easy steps:

1. Take two Hershey Kisses that are wrapped in red foil and tape the bottoms together with double stick tape.
2. Cut a small square of lace fabric and wrap around the candy and a small twig.
3. Secure with these together with florist wire.
4. Wrap florist tape around access lace at base of "rose bud" and then trim any remaining lace.
5. Hot glue some silk leaves to twig.

1. Think about scheduling your wedding at noon instead of the evening. Reception halls are usually easier to get and may be discounted for an earlier time of day. I loved having a nice elegant wedding at high noon with the chimes sounding just before going down the aisle...I also liked taking off for our honeymoon the same day and being relaxed when we reached our destination.
2. Instead of hiring a wedding planner, use the Internet to help you find good deals. Assign a couple to be your master and mistress of ceremony to keep the wedding running smoothly. Assign another person to be your personal attendant.
3. A great idea for the cake is to maybe have a smaller one than needed on display to keep costs down and then have a sheet cake that is cut for guests to eat.
4. Print your own programs, roll them up like a scroll and tie them with a ribbon. Not only will you save money but it adds a formal touch. Way back when I was planning my own wedding, I did this. I wrote out one program in calligraphy and made copies.
5. There is a huge range in prices for wedding dresses.  If you stick to non-designer labels, you can save a lot of money and still have a beautiful dress.  Another great and sentimental option is if you can wear your mother's dress.  If it needs to be altered, the price for altering is most likely going to be far less expensive than a brand new dress.