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Feb 9, 2012

Eight Ways to Save Money on a Cheap Wedding

Many couples who ask for a cheap wedding are on a budget. They are not stingy, just practical. Anyway, It's not what you spend that makes your wedding special. It's the happiness you share with your guests. Stay within your budget, and save money with these useful tips for a cheap wedding.
  1. Invite to the wedding only the most important people in your life, parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters, and close friends. With a small guest list, you can hold the wedding and reception in a smaller venue. Caterers quote the cost of food on a per plate basis, as much as $25 or $50 per guest. So with a small wedding you have big savings.
  2. Choose a place for the wedding that isn't in the wedding business. Consider a neighborhood park, a museum, the church auditorium, a historic house, or a recreation center as your wedding site. Did you know that hotels and restaurants charge a thousand dollars or more just for the room? Then they insist that you use their own caterers and their liquor. Naturally, the prices are outrageous. Make sure your wedding location allows you to bring your own food and beverages, and doesn't charge extra for the privilege.
  3. Save money on the reception food. Ask your favorite local restaurant to cater the event. The charge for food could be as cheap as $10 a head. You already know their food and the menu choices. The restaurant can provide china, glasses, silverware and linens without any extra fuss. Serve the meal buffet style, so you don't need servers. Wedding guests will enjoy mixing and mingling around the buffet table, too.
  4. Save money on the wedding cake. If you order a tiered wedding cake from a bakery, the cost starts at several thousand dollars, and goes up. Instead, order simple layer cakes, and decorate them with ribbon and flowers. Think about alternatives to a big wedding cake. Would you enjoy frozen ice cream cakes for the wedding? Perhaps someone in the family will bake and decorate cupcakes. A tiered cupcake stand makes a charming display. Big box membership stores and supermarkets also have wedding cakes for sale.
  5. Save money on the beverages. Serve only beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages at your cheap wedding reception. For a champagne toast, use a modest brand of bubbly, and buy only just enough for one glass per guest.
  6. Save money on the entertainment at the reception. A live band is expensive and even a lone disc jockey will charge at least $500 for the occasion. Provide the music yourself with a mix tape of your favorites, or purchase a cd collection of popular wedding music.
  7. Save money on wedding flowers. Fresh flowers are always beautiful, but they are expensive. You could mix silk flowers with some fresh flowers, and no one would ever know the difference. You can also save money by getting flower arrangements from the local supermarket. For table centerpieces at the reception, use inexpensive live plants, which will make lovely favors for the guests to take home.
  8. Decorate simply. Strings of white lights put everyone in a festive mood. Banners, ribbons, balloons and family portraits don't cost much. Guests may enjoy seeing family pictures of the bride and groom projected on the wall, like a movie. To cover the tables, use colorful fabric yardage from the fabric shop.

Save Money With Cheap Wedding Favors

Nowadays, planning a wedding can cost a fortune. Luckily, there are some ways that can help you save a sum, one of which is to buy cheap wedding favors. However, this doesn't mean that you will end up giving unappealing giveaways to the guests. Rather with just a bit creativity and imagination, you will be able to distribute memorable wedding favors, without breaking your bank.
Regardless of what type of wedding you want to have, it is a good gesture to give wedding favors to your guests. Though it is not mandatory, but you can easily thank your family and friends by doing it. Also, since rarely does someone come in the wedding without something for the couple, a wedding favor can make a thoughtful present to show appreciation to those who took effort of providing gifts for the couple. If you have a long list of people to attend, then wedding favors can get very expensive, which is why you might likely look for cheap favor ideas that look great.
Presentation is always a plus. If you'll be able to make the cheap item look good, no will notice that it was bought in a cheap price. Just be creative with your choice. There are lots of inexpensive items you can find at dollar stores, wholesale stores, clearance sections, and stores online. Purchase in bulk so you can get a good discount from a wholesale dealer. Anything from candies, candles, to soaps and other novelty items can be ordered in a big volume. Basically, what you will need to have for these novelty items are beautiful wrappers or containers to package them. Favor bags, boxes, tins, mason jars, and little baskets come in many different styles and at different cheap prices. You can also purchase them in bulk quantity at your local craft store or online. Some couples have used these little containers for their candy, chocolates, cookies, cupcakes, almonds, mints, or even honey or jam favors. They can also be personalized with printed tags, stickers, labels, or custom ribbons.
Given that you'd like to purchase favor boxes, keep in mind that there are elaborated boxes that cost high than what you expect from a simple favor box. Little boxes shaped like a wedding cake or bridal gown are obviously nice, but what you really want are those that fit your budget.
Another way to save money with cheap wedding favors is look for inexpensive items that can double as table decors. Meaning, if you already found them, you don't have to spend another amount to decorate the reception, as favors are enough to create an appealing look on each place setting.
Shop online if you really want inexpensive favors in no time. Anytime of the day, you are free to browse the Internet and visit websites that specialize on weddings and wedding supplies. What makes shopping online economical than the traditional shopping we normally do is that online stores price their products cheaper unlike local vendors. Their reason is they don't have too many overhead expenses, like rental fees and they don't have too many staff compensate. Online wedding stores can offer almost everything that a wedding will need, from bridal gowns, tuxedos and bridal accessories, unity candles and other important wedding ceremony accessories, to reception supplies, wedding favors and a lot more.

Cheap Vegas Wedding For Valentine's Day - 3 Tips For Saving Money

When planning a Las Vegas wedding for Valentine's Day, it's important to get everything right so you can have exactly the kind of wedding you want to have. But, that being said, it's also critical to think about saving money so you can do it on the cheap without being cheesy. Valentine's Day is a special day on the calendar and a very popular time for weddings anywhere, including Las Vegas Nevada.
Valentine's Day in Las Vegas is unlike any other holiday. As Vegas.com reports, "A huge number of people flock to Vegas every Valentine's Day to get married, so booking a chapel might be a challenge." It's no surprise since February 14th inspires so much romance in the hearts of many young couples eager to make their vows to one another.
Unlike other holidays like New Years Eve when the parties are raging non-stop in Vegas, Saint Valentine's Day in mid-February is more inclined towards couples flocking to Vegas to get married, honeymoon, or just enjoy a relaxing couples spa vacation weekend.
This article will offer some insider tips on how to have a great wedding in Las Vegas on this early-year romance-filled without breaking the bank!
Tip #1 -- Find an Inexpensive Location
When tallying up your costs for a wedding, the first item that will surely eat up a lot of your budget is the location. Now I do realize that a lot of this depends on how many people you'll invite (if any at all) and a host of other considerations. But if you can find a location with a special Valentine's Day discount offer, you're going to be much more successful keeping your costs down. Feb 14 locations, again, can be tough to find because of the competition for this heart-filled weekend.
Tip #2 -- Plan Your Travel In Advance
Chances are good that you don't live in Las Vegas, NV. And if you're inviting guests, they probably don't either. Valentines Day is not exactly the most popular travel weekend, but it is a holiday when couples get together to celebrate their romance and singles look for party destinations to meet other singles. Check out travel rates before you plan your Vegas wedding and you're bound to save some serious cash.
Tip #3 -- Throw in a Vegas Valentine's Honeymoon
One of the great things about getting married in Las Vegas is the spectacular and seemingly endless options for an instant honeymoon. I want to strongly suggest that you do a 2-for-1 kind of arrangement so as soon as you and your spouse have tied the knot you can get right to the partying, celebrating, and relaxing. Valentine's Day weekend is a good time to do this since you'll already be on holiday and the hearts and romance will be in the air. The good news is that many restaurants in Las Vegas will typically offer 2-for-1 "Romantic Dinner Specials" for couples to celebrate this specific romantic holiday. Think candle-lit dinners with champagne and delicious chocolate desserts. Cupid would be proud.
When you're preparing for a cheap Vegas Valentine's Day wedding you need to be very mindful of what makes Las Vegas different on February 14 from all other days of the year. Be aware of the calendar of events occurring in and around The Vegas Strip area. Since this holiday occurs fairly early in the year you can look for events that might help you save money. Many hotels, restaurants, and casinos will be looking to offer you their exclusive deals.
*Mandalay Bay Hotel, for example, typically runs a V-Day discounted suite special for couples to enjoy.
*The Wynn recently offered some impressive Feb 14 holiday weekend specials including a special "Spa Day for Him and Her."
*Caesar's Palace is well known for offering special deals to romance-goers exclusive to the Val Day weekend.
*The Monte Carlo also typically offers dinner-and-romance coupons for couples who love to gamble.
The most important thing to remember when planning your Valentine's Day Wedding in famous Las Vegas, Nevada is to make it really count for you and your spouse. If you are the bride, be sure to take your time preparing for your special day. Your groom and all of your guests will appreciate all of your efforts.

Cheap Wedding Invitations - Saving Money Without Sacrificing Style!

Cheap wedding invitations do not have to look cheap!
Wedding invitations can be one of the most expensive pieces of your wedding budget, but also one of the most important. The wedding invitation is the first clue that your friends and family receive about the style and tone of your wedding.
A great invitation is the first step to setting the stage for a beautiful day that everyone will remember. Unfortunately, too many brides try to skimp on their wedding invitations and make mistakes that leave them with invitations that they would rather forget!
You can save big money and still end up with invitations that you can be proud of by following these few simple strategies:
Stay flexible - Too many brides get tunnel vision when they shop for \invitations. They find "the one" design and nothing else will do. This type of pickiness is a good thing when choosing a mate, but not such a good thing when trying to get the best deal on invitations!
By staying flexible, you can save hundreds of dollars. The key is to find a general category of invitation style that you prefer and then shop for the best deal within that style. Be willing to accept slight differences in style and you will be rewarded with big savings!
Know your options - Now, more than ever, you have an amazing variety of ordering choices available to you. The old days of having to visit your local printer and spending hours looking through their catalogs are long gone. You now have the option of ordering online, shopping at major retail stores, utilizing national copy chains and, of course, still visiting your local printer.
Leveraging all these resources is the best strategy for saving money on your wedding invitations. You'd be surprised at how different the pricing can be on the very same invitation, at different companies. Only by spending the time to shop all the different invitation outlets, will you be sure you are getting the absolute best deal!
Be prepared - Once you've done your research, the next step is to organize the final details of your invitations. Make sure you calculate exactly how many invites you'll need, what the wording should say, etc. By being prepared, you'll avoid the "budget creep" that causes so many brides to go over budget!

How to Save Money on Your Wedding

Cheap wedding decorations and accessories can be just as nice as more expensive ones. A perfect wedding doesn't have to be extravagant. You can keep it simple, yet memorable. Don't worry if you don't have very much money. Just read these tips to learn how to plan an affordable wedding.
How can you have the wedding of your dreams and still save money at the same time? Even if you don't have much to spend, you can still throw a wonderful celebration. There are some cheap wedding solutions for couples on a budget - especially if you plan on getting married during an "off" month. January through March is a very affordable time to get married, since many vendors have their winter seasonal sales. You can also find musicians and DJs that charge less during these months.
Don't automatically assume that supplying your own tables, chairs, china, tents etc. will be cheap. Sometimes venues offer everything you need at an affordable price. Just check with different sites around your community to find out how much it would cost to rent everything. While you're at it, you can scale back on the flowers and decorations. Sometimes simple is better, anyway.
Speaking of decorations, they don't have to be expensive. You can buy them wholesale or make your own. There are plenty of DIY guides for cheap wedding crafts online. You can: make gel candles, decorate flower pots, centerpieces, place card holders, and so forth. You can also make the favors yourself if you want to give your guests something that's truly from the heart.
Carefully consider the menu. Will it be cheaper to offer a buffet or hire a caterer? Could you cook some of the food yourself? A dinner menu, appetizer, salad, and cake should be plenty enough. You can also keep cocktails and appetizers simple. All you really need is enough food and drinks for everybody to have one serving.
Look online for cheap wedding discounts on dresses, tuxes, favors, and decorations. You can save money if you order items wholesale on the internet. Sometimes stores will sell overstocked items through their websites at inexpensive prices just to get rid of them. You don't have to compromise on quality if you order wholesale or overstocked items - you can still have a cheap wedding with nice accessories and decorations.