[View with PicLens]

Favors don’t have to be large or expensive. Some are elegant, some are practical and some are just plain fun. Choose a favor that reflects your wedding theme in some way. Many favor ideas can easily be interchanged with various themes just by substituting a decoration or color on the favor.

Budget For The Cost of Wedding Favors

When planning out your wedding budget, be sure to allot about 3% of your money toward favors. Make sure you know the approximate number of guests that will be attending your reception, then you will be better able to estimate the maximum amount of how much each favor can cost. The fewer guests that you have, the more expensive your favors can be, if you so choose.

When making or buying any favors, keep in mind the color scheme of your wedding and use ribbons, tulle, flowers, etc. decorations that reflect your wedding colors.

Once the favors are completed, attach personalized favor tags that have your names and wedding date printed on them. You can use paper tags or monogrammed ribbons that you either create yourself or purchase from a vendor. Some couples also add a small saying to their tags as well.

Delight Your Guests With Unique and Creative Favors

Wedding party favors are only limited by your imagination, so mix and match, and have fun creating your own unique bridal favors.

You may also enjoy:

• Best Man Wedding Speeches
• Destination Weddings
• Hot Trends in Table Favors for Weddings
• Capturing Your Wedding On Video
• How to Plan a Wedding Reception on a Budget

A wedding is a wonderful celebration that brings family and friends together. These days, however, weddings often require travel for many of the guests because people are spread out across the country. If many guests have long distances to travel to begin with, why not choose an exotic location and turn your wedding into a more memorable event for everyone?

Location, Location, Location…
Choosing the right place for your wedding should be first on your “to do” list. This day should be perfect from start to finish – that is why finding the right place should be first on your ‘to do’ list. The place where you and your fiancee will exchange vows will set the mood for your whole wedding celebration. Whether you choose to have your first kiss as a married couple on the beach, or dancing in a ballroom like Cinderella, there are many beautiful locations throughout the world to choose for a destination wedding.

One of the drawbacks of a destination wedding is the expense of flights and the added expense of accommodations that guests would need to pay for. Keep in mind that a lot of your guests may decide not to attend based on these factors. If you have problems with a guest list that is getting out of control, a destination wedding may be the answer to your problems.

Helpful Tip – send invitations early so that your guests will have enough time to make travel plans

Start planning early and book ahead. If you book six months ahead you get better rates on hotels and flights. American Airlines has a special wedding desk (1-800-545-8193) and can offer a special rate if you book for ten guests or more at the same time.

Helpful Tip – Keep in mind that there can be hidden costs such as hotel taxes and/or exchange rates if you are getting married in a foreign country.

According to one recent survey of brides, more than 20% of couples planning a wedding are choosing a destination wedding. One reason the destination wedding has become so popular is that combining your wedding and honeymoon can save money. Destination weddings may also cost less per guest than having your wedding stateside in an elegant ballroom. Finally, be sure to ask about complete wedding packages which are offered by many of the big resorts and cruise lines.

If possible, hire a wedding coordinator at your location (check references) and visit if possible beforehand. Sandals Resorts, for example, have offered a test-drive your honeymoon package from time to time that allows couples to fly in for a weekend and “try them out.” If a couple decides to book a honeymoon or wedding and honeymoon package, the cost of the weekend trip is applied to their honeymoon. Of course, specials like these are subject to change and may not always be available, but its worth looking into.

Before you go be sure to check on local marriage license laws and any paperwork you will need to bring – visa, birth certificate etc. If you are getting married outside on the beach, have a back-up plan if the weather is not cooperating. If you plan to marry in the Caribbean you may want to avoid hurricane season.

Most brides choose an informal style wedding dress for destination weddings because they are easier to pack and wear. Many designers are offering bridal gowns made from light, easy to wear fabric like chiffon and silk crepe that are perfect for an island wedding. Ask your local bridal salon for additional ideas and on how to pack your gown for travel. Many of the resorts may have ironing services or they may be able to recommend a pressing service. If traveling to Europe, ask for a local tailor shop.

The Groom’s Attire – for the groom, a popular option is the all-ivory or all-white tuxedo. Some of today’s hottest tuxedo styles are designed in non-traditional styles and shades.

Whatever location you choose for your wedding, remember to take time to enjoy the day!

You may also enjoy:

• Best Man Wedding Speeches
• Delight Your Guests With Unique and Creative Favors
• Hot Trends in Table Favors for Weddings
• Capturing Your Wedding On Video
• How to Plan a Wedding Reception on a Budget

Unlike photographs, a video camera records sounds, action and more of the overall atmosphere of the event. Rather than focusing on just a few people like photographs, video can easily record a little bit of all of your guests.

The typical wedding video package costs anywhere between $500 and $1500, depending on the quality of the equipment, the number of hours of coverage, the number of cameras, the amount of editing, and other factors. As always, remember what’s most important to you, determine what you can afford, and go from there.

Recording Your Wedding on a Tight Budget
If you don’t have money in the budget for a professional videographer, you have other options. You could ask a close friend or family member with a video camera to record your wedding. Of course don’t expect the same quality and coverage that you would get from a professional videographer. Remember, is an awful lot to ask friend or family member to tape the bulk of the wedding day. So, the best way to ensure that your most precious moments get recorded is to make a list. Pick out only a handful of moments that you definitely want on tape, such as the bride walking down the aisle, exchanging vows and rings during the ceremony, the best man’s toast, the bride and groom’s first dance, etc. Then anything extra that gets on film is a bonus, but you have the important stuff covered.

Special Touches for the Video
A nice touch for your wedding video is to have your videographer or a friend wielding a video camera pull your guests aside throughout the night to record a personal message to the bride and groom. This is something that a friend did for us at our wedding, and it was absolutely wonderful to watch. This is a lovely way to record all of your friends and family who attended your wedding and adds a personal touch to the video.

Another nice idea for the wedding video is to record a short message from the bride and groom to each other. Arrange for the videographer to meet with the bride and groom separately right before the wedding ceremony. Each can talk to the camera as if they were talking to their soon-to-be other half. These messages truly capture all of the love and emotion of the couple on their wedding day. And they are so much fun to watch after the wedding and many years down the road!

You may also enjoy:

• Best Man Wedding Speeches
• Delight Your Guests With Unique and Creative Favors
• Destination Weddings
• Hot Trends in Table Favors for Weddings
• How to Plan a Wedding Reception on a Budget

Your reception budget should consist of approximately 30% of your wedding budget or more. Most wedding receptions are so expensive due to the fact of providing meals, decorations, hall rentals etc.

For the purposes of this guide, I will give two different examples of common receptions and an idea for cutting costs on the food and drinks as well as give you the best tips for throwing your reception on a budget.

Renting a Hall

If you prefer to rent a hall or space for your reception, you must consider many things before making this decision. You will have to think of the prices for the hall rental, the cost of using their servers (most halls include servers in price and they are not negotiable), decorations, flowers, meals, drinks etc.

When you wish to rent a hall for your reception there are some things that the hall will include in your rental that you can’t avoid paying for such as: servers, decorations, and wine. However, some halls will give you the option to pick and choose the extras that you want.

Depending on the type of hall that you choose to rent, the costs can vary greatly. For example, if you rent a large hall, you could pay more than if you rented a legion hall.

You might also want to consider that if you are starting with a small budget, that renting a hall might not be worth the effort and money, or it may leave you with less options.

There are a few tips when renting a hall that could keep a great deal of your costs down. Let’s take a look at them.

1. You should only consider renting a hall if you have invited 50 or more people to your reception.

2. When renting a hall, you have to decide if you are opting for a cash bar or an open bar. A good compromise is to purchase a few cases of beer on your own and host a cash bar for those who want mixed drinks if you are trying to keep costs down.

3. Rent a hall that you can decorate yourself

4. If you must have servers, rent a hall that includes servers in the price of the rental or go with a hall that lets you bring your own.

5. Choose a hall that will cater to whatever your needs or budget is.

6. When it comes to the food, you should go with a hall that will allow you to bring your own food if you would prefer to not pay extra for catering.

7. Serving vegetable and fruit trays, as well as finger foods like finger sandwiches will be of great value in accommodating vegetarians

8. Opting for a casual reception will allow you to serve your food buffet style which will be predominantly cheaper.

9. Opting to tell people to forego giving you a wedding gift and serve a completely cash bar is a great way to accommodate guests and recover some of the money for the hall.

10. Opt for non-weekend dates because these are not peak hours for the hall and the prices may be cheaper

11. You should choose to host your event during the winter for the best rates

12. Negotiate a special discount by paying cash instead of credit card. Most reception halls will do this

13. Choose to go with a non-dinner reception offering instead snack foods and munchables

Hosting a wedding reception at a hall does not have to cost through the nose if you know how to get around the basics which I have just mentioned.

Most people would like to host their reception at a reception hall because they feel that it is more elegant than hosting it outdoors, however, this is not always the case. Sometimes, hosting your event outdoors is more fun and it is also much cheaper.

You may also enjoy:

• 20 Creative Wedding Centerpiece Ideas
• How to Save Money on Wedding Rings
• How to Cut Back the Costs of Your Wedding
• Five Areas Where Expenses Should NOT be Cut.
• Wedding Flowers – 3 Ways to Cut the Cost

1. Artificial Flowers. Before you start cringing at the idea of fake flowers, go to a store and check out the artificial flowers that are available. The quality has greatly improved in recent years. Using artificial flowers will significantly reduce the cost.

2. Floating Candles. These look elegant when lit up, providing a romantic atmosphere. Floating candles come in many different shapes and you should be able to find something that matches the theme of your wedding.

3. Small Fruit or Ice Sculptures. Check with local culinary schools. There may be a budding young chef who would be happy to create beautiful sculptures for a modest price.

4. Small Cakes. Instead of having one large wedding cake, buy several small ones in different flavors. You can even encourage guests to travel to other tables to sample the flavors. By doing this, you’ll save on both centerpiece and wedding cake costs.

5. Children’s crafts. If your family has a lot of children, and children will be welcome at your wedding, have them do some craft to use as your centerpiece. They will be delighted to help out.

6. Mailbox with Paper and Pens. Ask your guests to write a short piece of advice for the newly married couple. They can put their letters in the mailbox.

7. Games. If your family is not the type to dance wildly into the night, a few travel- sized games may be enough to keep people entertained.

8. Photos of the Couple. Have a lot of photos from your many adventures? Now’s the time to show them off. Put pictures of the two of you together on each of the tables.

9. Many Candles. Using candles of varying heights can create a dramatic effect. Scented candles may be overbearing and interfere with the taste of the meal, so be sure to use unscented ones.

10. Fruit. A bowl of fresh fruit can be inexpensive and give a ‘homey’ feel to your tables. Plus, guests can eat them later!

11. Lucky Bamboo Plants. These work best with an Asian themed wedding, but they can look elegant in other settings as well.

12. Baskets. Fill your baskets with whatever you like. Artificial flowers, ornaments or candy, all make great choices.

13. Glass Beads. A bowl filled with colorful glass beads is simple but stylish. These can be purchased in many craft stores and you can choose colors that match the theme of your wedding.

14. Cupcakes. These are another wedding cake alternative. There are many cupcake trees available that can spruce up your table.

15. Something Related to Your Hobbies. If the two of you are avid bookworms, use a stack of your favorite books as a centerpiece. Wine lovers? How about a bottle of wine with a custom label? Choose something that matches your personality.

16. Photos of Other Weddings. If you have a lot of older married couples that will be attending your wedding, why not celebrate their love and commitment as well by showing pictures of their weddings?

17. Seasonal Items. In spring and summer, you may be able to collect wildflowers. In autumn colorful leaves are plentiful. And in winter, you can dress the table with evergreen.

18. Polaroid Cameras and Scrap-Booking Supplies. If your guests are crafty, let them create a special message for you by taking their pictures and creating a scrapbook page.

19. Fortune Cookies. A bowl of fortune cookies is fun for everyone. You can even have fortunes custom made for you wedding.

20. Fishbowls with Fish. You can go a step further and put the kissing gourami in the fishbowls. These are fish whose lips are extra puckered for kissing. Just make sure the fish all have a home when the wedding is over.

Your wedding centerpieces should reflect who you are as a couple. It doesn’t have to be an expensive floral arrangement! These ideas should help you get started in finding the right centerpiece for your wedding. It’s your special day, so enjoy it!

You may also enjoy:

• How to Plan a Wedding Reception on a Budget
• How to Save Money on Wedding Rings
• How to Cut Back the Costs of Your Wedding
• Five Areas Where Expenses Should NOT be Cut.
• Wedding Flowers – 3 Ways to Cut the Cost

Many people get so caught up by planning the wedding festivities that they almost forget about the wedding rings!
When they finally do start to look at wedding ring prices, they’re shocked at how much they can cost.
These 10 tips will help you to save money on your wedding rings.

1. Don’t Buy Platinum. These days platinum is the most popular metal for wedding bands. But it’s expensive and you don’t need it. Most people won’t be able to tell the difference, and if they can, they probably don’t care.
Opt for a less expensive metal such as gold, white gold (hot trend in Europe), silver, or even titanium.

2. Diamonds Aren’t a Necessity. The diamond industry has done a good job of making you think that you need to have diamonds in your engagement or wedding rings. Other stones can look just as lovely without costing as much.

3. Check Auction Sites. You may be able to get a good deal on rings through an auction site. Not all things on auction sites are second-hand. These days, many stores realize the wide audience they can reach by using auction sites and they use them to auction off brand new products.

4. Get a Set. You may get a discount if you get your rings as part of a set or trio (two wedding rings and an engagement band). Check around for the best deal.

5. Use a Family Heirloom. If you’re lucky enough to have had jewelry handed down to you, there’s no reason you can’t use that. Using a family heirloom can be special and give the ring even more meaning.

6. Use a New Jewelry Designer. Somet imes your local college or art school can have a budding young jewelry designer who’s willing to sell his pieces at a deep discount in order to expand his portfolio.

7. Check for Local Sales. Many jewelry shops have big sales during Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Visit the stores during these times and you could get a great discount.

8. Choose a Thin Band. Wedding bands are often priced according to their weight. A thicker band will weigh more and thus be more expensive.

9. Check Online Sites. Make sure that you check online and see where you can find the best deal.

10. Upgrade Later. So you can’t afford your dream wedding bands now. No big deal. Get what you can afford now and plan to upgrade them for your 10th anniversary, once you are more settled and have more money.

The important thing to note is that buying your wedding rings requires just as much planning and effort as planning every other part of your wedding. If you wait until the last minute, you’ll find yourself paying a lot more than you would have liked.

You may also enjoy:

• How to Plan a Wedding Reception on a Budget
• 20 Creative Wedding Centerpiece Ideas
• How to Cut Back the Costs of Your Wedding
• Five Areas Where Expenses Should NOT be Cut.
• Wedding Flowers – 3 Ways to Cut the Cost

1. Wedding Date. The date you choose for your wedding has a big impact on how much it will cost. Spring and summer months are more popular and come with higher price tags. Many venues even have a minimum charge for weddings during these months. By planning your wedding during the off-season, you can receive the same quality of services at greatly reduced rates.

2. Time of Day. Day time weddings can be significantly less expensive than evening or night time weddings. People are more likely to drink more in the evening. Additionally, a dinner meal is more expensive than a lunch meal.

3. Catering. The foods that you choose to serve your guests will probably be your biggest expense. If a twelve course sit-down meal is going to break the bank, try something like a buffet or a dessert-only reception.

4. Alcohol. While most people do serve alcohol at their weddings, the choice to do so is up to you. You do not need to offer a full open bar. You are free to limit the amount of alcohol that your guests are served or only serve less expensive types. Additionally, you can offer a cash bar, where guests pay for their own drinks.

5. Wedding Venue. The actual venue of your wedding can vary greatly in cost as well. Holding your ceremony in a local park is going to cost you less than holding it in a luxury hotel. Keep in mind, though, when choosing an inexpensive location, you may need to pay additional costs to decorate it the way you would like.

6. Flowers. Flowers are also a large expense for a lot of weddings. Save money by using flowers that are in-season and limiting the amount of flowers that you use. There’s no reason to blanket the location with flowers.

7. Photographer. Choosing a well-known wedding photographer could cost you your first-born. To save money, hire a photographer who’s just starting out.

8. Cake. Wedding cakes can also be a ridiculously huge expense. Save money by ordering a large sheet cake that gets cut up in the kitchen before serving. That way you only have to spend money on a small display cake.
Alternatively, cupcakes or several small cakes make good options.

9. The “W” Word. Simply say the word ‘wedding’ to a vendor and prices suddenly double! Vendors know that brides are desperate buyers who are willing to spend anything to get the ‘right’ thing for their wedding. When shopping around, try to avoid using the word ‘wedding’ when asking for price quotes.

By knowing ahead of time where your money is likely to be spent, you can plan more easily. You don’t need the most expensive of everything. A few small sacrifices can help significantly reduce the cost of your wedding.

You may also enjoy:

• Wedding Flowers – 3 Ways to Cut the Cost
• How to Plan a Wedding Reception on a Budget
• 20 Creative Wedding Centerpiece Ideas
• How to Save Money on Wedding Rings
• Five Areas Where Expenses Should NOT be Cut.

1. Your One Must – Have Item. This item varies by couple, but there’s undoubtedly one thing that you really want and if you don’t have that one thing you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life. For some people, this means being able to invite all 200 of their closest friends. For others, it may be a particular wedding dress. Go ahead and spend the money. You can find ways to save from other places.

2. Food and Drink. There are many ways that you can save money on catering costs for your wedding guests. But the one thing that remains constant is that if you’re going to have a wedding reception, you must at least serve something. Your guests have taken the time to come and they’ve very likely brought you a present. Feeding them is really the least that you can do.

3. Gifts for Your Wedding Party. The people in your wedding party have worked very hard to make sure that your wedding goes smoothly and is as perfect as you hoped it could be. They deserve to be recognized for this. You
don’t have to buy expensive gifts for them, but you do have to get them something.

4. Information for Out of Town Guests. Your out of town guests are spending a lot of money to be with you on your special day. They may have to buy air tickets, hotel rooms, and rental cars; all on top of your wedding gift . You don’t have to be responsible for paying these costs, but make sure that you make things as easy for them as possible. Take the time to put together a local information package. Let them know the best hotels, how to get around town, and where all the good restaurants are. Your guests will really be flattered that you took the time to do this.

5. Thank You Notes. Thank you notes simply need to be written. You cannot just say thank you at the reception. You cannot send an email. You cannot call them on the phone. It’s tacky. Thank you notes need to be hand written and sent in a timely manner. You don’t need to use expensive stationery, but you still need to send them.
Your guests were kind enough to give you a present. You should be kind enough to give a proper thank you.

These are all small but important details that you cannot dismiss. You may be able to save money on some of them, but you cannot forgo them completely. They will make your guests happy.

You may also enjoy:

• How to Plan a Wedding Reception on a Budget
• 20 Creative Wedding Centerpiece Ideas
• How to Save Money on Wedding Rings
• How to Cut Back the Costs of Your Wedding
• Wedding Flowers – 3 Ways to Cut the Cost

Plan your bouquet size

Many brides end up spending more than they wanted to on a bouquet because they didn’t count the amount of flowers that would be in the arrangement, or select flowers that will look good with not-so-expensive accents. Make sure you know just how big you want your bouquet to be, as well as what type of flowers you want to include. And, carrying a single flower down the aisle is wonderful look for a bride as well. You can use a lily, daisy, or even a rose with lace or pearl accents as your bouquet, and add a unique touch to the ceremony. Small bunches of flowers can also be beautiful, proving that, as with most other things, less can definitely be more. If you want to get fresh flowers for your bouquet, selecting flowers that are in season will also help you to save money, since a florist may have to specially order out-of-season flowers, which can increase the bouquet price significantly.

Plan ahead

Even though flowers for the wedding may seem like a small thing, don’t wait until the last minute to make sure that you have the flowers you want for your wedding. You may have to spend more money to find flowers you want the closer you get to the ceremony, so make sure that you have decided whether or not you’ll purchase flowers from a local florist or order synthetic flowers.

Order Wholesale From The Internet

To find more ideas for how to save on wedding flowers, as well as wedding floral shops that may have what you’re looking for, visit sites like freshroses.com and fiftyflowers.com

Buy synthetic flowers

Synthetic flowers may cost a little more when you buy them in bulk because of the material, but they could save you money because they last as long as you need them to. Many people have fresh flower bouquets for the bride, bridesmaids, and flower girls, and these tend to whither rather quickly, especially if the ceremony is indoors. So, you may end up buying more flowers than you actually need in order to keep the flowers looking good for pictures after the ceremony. You can also find colors or types of flowers that may not be in bloom at the time you are having the wedding if you buy synthetic flowers. This way, you’ll have more freedom to create the look you want for your ceremony. If you want to decorate the reception with flowers as well, synthetic flowers may be a good idea, so that you can maintain the look of the room for as long as you need to. And, since most brides want to keep their bouquets, buying synthetic flowers is definitely a good idea.

You may also enjoy:

• How to Cut Back the Costs of Your Wedding
• How to Plan a Wedding Reception on a Budget
• 20 Creative Wedding Centerpiece Ideas
• How to Save Money on Wedding Rings
• Five Areas Where Expenses Should NOT be Cut.

Saving money on your food and drink can be very easy, but it really depends on how large your reception party will be and what you are planning to serve. I will explain how you can save some money on the catering for your wedding party.

1. You can serve basic entrees where the meals are all inclusive and forego the extras like salads, soups and breads and bring these items yourself.

2. You can choose to go with appetizers instead of full entrees. Many catering companies will offer a variety of appetizers at a special cost.

3. Skip out on the extra services that many catering companies offer such as place settings or servers.

4. Avoid going to a professional caterer and opt to use a small restaurants catering services instead.

5. Picking up the food for your reception instead of letting the catering company deliver it can save you a great deal of money.

6. You can always make the food yourself and experiment with many different tastes or prepare all of your best dishes.

7. Tips are generally included in catering packages so you do not have to provide extra tips during the reception unless someone goes out of their way and/or far over the duties

8. Plan your wedding yourself instead of using a wedding planner

9. Limit your transportation costs by booking the services on off seasons or shopping around for the cheapest costs

10. The very last thing that you can do is elope!

These tips can save you a lot of money on catering because when you skip the extras and forego the delivery charges and set up etc. catering companies will give you good prices.

Of course, you can also opt out of full entrees and serve something altogether different. It can be very easy to get good prices on catering services. Perhaps the best way to do this is to simply limit the guests at your reception that you have to serve.

By turning your wedding reception into a private and intimate celebration, you can limit the amount of guests without offending anyone. Unless you can afford to invite all of your co-workers that you get along with, don’t invite any. It is just good etiquette.

You may also enjoy:

• How to Cut Back the Costs of Your Wedding
• How to Plan a Wedding Reception on a Budget
• 20 Creative Wedding Centerpiece Ideas
• How to Save Money on Wedding Rings
• Five Areas Where Expenses Should NOT be Cut.