Save Money On Your Wedding Decor: Wedding Decorating On A Budget

Welcome to another article on how to save money on planning your wedding! In previous articles we have looked at how to cut the cost of engagement and wedding rings, wedding venues, the wedding cake and photography to name a few! Today we are going to look at how to slice the cost (should have really used that one in the cake article!) of decorating your wedding venue. On average couples can expect to spend hundreds on the cost of making their venue for their special day look like a dream. However, it needn't cost the Earth to have tasteful or even extravagant looking decor! Let me tell you a few tricks to have a beautiful venue and table decor on a shoestring budget ;)

Chair sashes

Chair sashes are a decor staple of even the most minimalist of weddings. Most people will buy their sashes as individual sashes. However, it is faaar cheaper to buy a roll of organza or voile and cut your own to size. 100 chair sashes will typically cost around $45 (ebay) however, if I buy a role and cut my own to size then I can make 100 sashes for $20. It will only take a few minuted to save this money. Unroll a standard sash measurement ont the floor or a table in front of you, but don't cut yet. Role the exact same length from the role in the opposite direction so it sits on the first layer you have measured to size. Keep zig-zagging the layers on top until you run out of fabric on the roll. Now you can cut at the folds so you should have a pile of sashes at just the right length and you have not had to keep measuring them out each time.

EXTRA TIP: Treat the ends of your newly cut sashes with hairspray so they do not frey!

General decoration- poles, columns etc

Another amazing thing about rolls of organza or voile fabric is that you can use these to decorate the venue and you use the same color for your chair sashes or you can choose contrasting colors. For columns and poles simply weave the fabric around them and crisscross, make bows- whatever takes your fancy! I decorated a hall for my graduation party with these voile rolls and used them for everything- the columns, the chairs- even as table runners! I used two rolls and decorated the whole place in what looked like the most decadent decor for pennies!

Get creative with your voile or organza fabric and see what you can do!

Fairy Lights

Fairy lights are the perfect way to add some dazzle to your wedding decor and it definitely won't break the bank! Buy in bulk (and source some extra bulbs too because some will definitely need replacing!). Lights can be strung anywhere including around windows, columns, doorways and even suspended from the sealing from one point to another in a stringed fashion.

Tissue (pom-pom) balls

It is super cheap to make these beautiful pom-pom tissue balls- it is also very cheap to buy them in bulk from ebay. Check out the cost of making Vs the cost of buying before you make your decision. These can be made in a variety of sizes and colors to create a luxurious contrast of shades and sizes. This is key- blending textures, colours and sizes creates a rich environment with lots of sensory data for your eyes to take in. In other words it will look very sophisticated if you go for variety in one way or another. Check out the video below for how to make tussue pom-pom balls. This would also be a lovely thing to do with your bridesmaids!

Make a display of your love <3 <3< <3

Throughout your relationship with your intended spouse you will have gathered a variety of photos together. Why not display these at your wedding. You could even write little stories to go with them! You can create displays out of your photos and even put them in little frames on the tables. If you have engagement photos this would be a brilliant time to make use of them (also see how to get a free engagement photo shoot in my part 1 article on money saving wedding tips). You could also create a timeline of your relationship with the photos and dot them around the room so that your guests remain entertained and get guests mingling with one another.

So that is us at the end of the third installment on Money Saving Wedding Planning Tips. I hope you have got some helpful ideas for how you can make your special day as beautiful as you have always hoped it would be! If you have any ideas of your own please add them, as you can help your fellow brides-to-be who are looking for advice, and your idea could be just what they've been looking for!

I will be publishing another article later this week on how to make your own easy yet stunning and sophisticated floral arrangements and bouquets.

Please let me know in the comments if there is a area of your wedding planning you would like me to write a money saving article on. Money saving is my passion- and your wedding planning is yours, so let's work together!

Until next time!

Love Thrifty-Fi xoxo