How did you save money on your wedding?

How did you save money on your wedding?

I'll go first! Joe and I handcrafted our favors and packaged them in hand-wrapped cloth that matched our wedding colors. The favors were then quickly finished with a vintage button. Very easy and we did it in one night! Using inexpensive cloth is such a great way to make your favors look like they cost $5 when they really only cost 50 cents!

No caterer- family chefs DIY'ing food.
Researched and found a free photographer and free venue

Those are my major ones. Other than that DIY'ing all the little stuff and shopping around.

Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate.

Oh, also...heavy appetizers only (all night long instead of formal meal).  Prob $25 per person instead of $85!

Favors, ordered glass photo coasters that were $1 for two and came with a note in the photo area that said "thanks for making our day picture perfect"...but we turned it into a DIY and put a different photo in each one (Robin don't tell anyone our secret!). $0.80 each!

DIY Manzanita.

Cupcakes instead of cake. We were quoted $4.50/slice for the cake and then our venue charges a $1.50 cake cutting fee. So we went the cupcake route which is only $1.50/cupcake and no cake cutting fee.

No limo - instead renting a "fancy" car for two days.

Using my Mom's veil as my something old. Cutting it to finger tip or cathedral length and adding beading to the edging.

Decided yesterday to order dyeable shoes in ivory then after the wedding dye them black so I can wear them over and over.

Got rental items (tables, chairs, linens) from a vendor closer geographically to our venue. $40 vs. $150 delivery fee.

Friend (who is a pastor) as officiant.

Friend is DJ.

Friend and cousin doing makeup and hair.

No fancy bridal book made by the photographer....DIY after the wedding with the proofs from the photographer (this was part of the negotiation - he simply makes me a disk of pics instead of spending HOURS/DAYS making the album).

Took up the $19.99 Target BM's dresses.

Postcards instead of cards (less postage and no envelopes).

Dress altered by an independent professional instead of boutique. Also, ordering shoes from boutique b/c they will give me 20% off.

I guess this summary makes me feel like I have worked a lot of deals so far - THANKS!  I will have to check in again in a couple months to see if I am still workin it :)  P.S. the wedding industry is the place to be...these vendors make SOOO much $, it's unreal!

We saved the most with flowers because we didn't have centerpieces. We also made our cocktail table centerpieces. We also DIY all of our day-of stationery.

I decided to DIY the centerpieces.  I followed a link from a PW post and purchased flowers for $0.49 that I had just purchased the day before $5.00 each.  I obviously returned the first flowers since I needed 200 of them and rather than spending $1,000 I spent $100!!!! Hoorah for me. That's my HUGE savings at the moment.

-We DIYd all of our paper products; invitations, STDs, programs, placecards, table names, flower cones, etc.

-I found my gown at a sample sale and saved 45%.  Then took my dress to a private seamstress that also did the BM dresses instead of at the salon.

-Borrowed or was given all of my jewelry and my mom made my garter.

-My mom made our table runners, bags for the BMs gifts (PIB), had the hankerchiefs (from lartisana.com) embroidered at a local shop in UT that was less than anything I could find.

-Had our friend officiate (he went through the Universal Life Church).

-My brother & uncle played acoustic guitars for the ceremony.  And used a karaoke machine for our mic & speakers for the ceremony.  At least that is what i believe it was, my family and friends brought equipment & set it up.

-Didn't hire a DOC, the venue offered someone for the rehearsal, ceremony, and most of set up.  My mom's friend helped with everything else.

-Found a venue that provided (and included in the price) all linens (in various colors so that we could choose-mix & match) & chivari chairs.  Didn't charge a cake cutting fee, open bar was unbelievably inexpensive (they have since wised up & upped the prices), allowed us to bring in any of our own vendors. 

-Our friend works at Disneyland, so we were able to get a discount on our favors (mickey head antenna balls).

-Searched for a great photog at a reasonable price.  And I was so happy with our choice!

I know there is more, but that is all I can think of right now.

Great topic!

I did a lot of DIY's for the Save the Dates, decorative details and Programs

Took a chance with Julius Bridal and I'm glad I did!

Linens were provided in my quote

DIY'd our flowers which was huge!

Took a chance on a photographer that was just starting out and on craigslist at the time I signed the paperwork. Throughout the year before our wedding they had done some twenty odd weddings so they were seasoned by the time of our day. I just knew that while at the time the portfolio wasn't huge, they had great taste and style. And since they are within the first few years of establishing their business (and because they're good people!) customer service was wonderful!

Did not hire day-of coordinator. You don't need it!

Hired a friend of a friend (who is now just a friend!) to do the make-up. She had attended beauty school after college for fun, didn't practice but knew exactly what to do and let me name my price which was great!

Zazzle postcards for the announcements, would probably use them for save the dates too...

DIY candy favors in cello bags would be a reasonable but colorful favor, or cookies like Kohler's. We decided we didn't want to deal with food so we gave books but I bought them from Dover Thrift Editions for less than $3 ea.

No photographer, no videographer, The only real flowers are the corsages, bouts for parents and grandparents, my friend is making the bouquets ,  cd favors doubling as placecards , open beer, wine, soda only and cash bar for liquor , my aunt is making the cake,  and on top of it , I picked my venue solely on it being the cheapest I could find ,  the menu is a set buffet , I don't get choices other than choosing 3 meats from what they offer ,  it's not my ideal menu , but it's good enough I think for a meal served at 1:30 pm and did I mention CHEAP. 

Also , we both agreed we are not giving eachother gifts , at least not right now.

DIY'd all paper products: invites, STDs, Programs, place cards etc.

Photog is a friend who is starting up her business and she's doing it for FREE

No videographer

DIY Photobooth

DIY Centerpieces (no flowers)

Friend who is just starting a business will be our DOC

Shopped around for DJ, the price went from $1200 to $845

DIY favors

Cake will be made by a girl who is just starting her own buisness

Shopped around for EVERYTHING

DIY DIY DIY!!!!!!!

Cousin singing at the ceremony

Dress alterations by independant seamstress, who is also making the bridesmaid dresses for under $100