Your budget, Stick to it. Stick to your budget, it is possible. The most important decision you make is to set a budget and then stick to it. some brides choose to go into debt for their wedding, but we recommend that you make the most of what you can afford. You can have a beautiful wedding on a budget. If parents are giving the couple money for the wedding, they should do without strings attached. Let the bride and groom decide what is the most important to them about the event and then spend accordingly. If the money is to be given well in advance of the wedding, consider putting it in a short term CD to earn some interest. Be open to spending the money on items that are very important to you and saving money to fund that wish, elsewhere in the planning. If you have fallen in love with THE gown and it is outside your budgeted amount, get the dress that matters to you and save money on the flowers for your reception. Or instead of hiring a limo for the entire evening, accept the neighbor's offer of his classic car for the trip to the church. compare prices on flowers, invitations,programs and favors. Shop for the best price on those items. Rent greenery rather than pay for costly floral arrangements. Choose clear and useful programs for your ceremony rather than elaborate and expensive ones. Know that you can control the costs for food and beverages (the biggest expense categories of the wedding) by the number of guests or what you choose to serve at the wedding. You can keep costs down with hors d' oeuvres rather than a sit down dinner and champagne rather than mixed drinks. Calculate the per guest cost and use that to determine whether you want more guests or more food. If you are having a sit down dinner with cost of $50 per person, inviting 30 more people add $1500 to your cost. Consider keeping costs for attendants reasonable - especially if they are incurring travel costs to be in your wedding. More and more couples are choosing to pay for an attendant's dress or groomsman's tux if the friend is having to pay for a plane ticket to be at the wedding. Connie Hills, Wedding Wishes Invitations
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Be on time for all events If you have decided that you want something special to carry you to the ceremony and reception, we can help. The most obvious chose is a limousine. Nearly every town has such a service and many book up early in busy months. But if you can, choose a black limo over a white one. Photographers tell us that photos of the bride stepping from the classic look of a black limo are far better than those taken of a bride in a white or ivory grown stepping from a white background. Besides, black seems more elegant and classic. If you want something more luxurious and different, check your area for classic car rentals. Metropolitan area dealers may have Bentley's or Rolls royces for rent. Ask the Limo dealers if they have or know of any unusual cars for hire. Some members of classic car clubs have been known to rent out their showpiece for weddings. If you are determined to have the car decorated, consider signs made of the new static cling material. You can have the message you want without the scratches and mars that you don't. But if your wedding demands something more than just a car - no matter how elegant, consider these less standard ways to arrive. If your wedding is beachside, consider arriving by boat. If yours is an outdoor wedding, consider arriving by horseback. If your wedding is country or old themed, consider a horse drawn carriage. If you are adventurous - what about leaving the church in a hot air balloon? We see more couples renting a "party bus" so that the entire wedding party can move from church to reception as a group. The bus can be just that - a tour bus, or RV equipment dealers will frequently make one of their monster RVs available for parties. Stock the bus with beverages and snacks of your choice. Drop me a line if you have any fun ideas. Connie Hills, Wedding Wishes Invitations,
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