Unconventional ways to save money on your wedding

Here are some creative ways to cut wedding costs without skimping on the fabulous:

1. Consider using paper flowers for your bouquet and boutonnieres! They'll last forever and look just as amazing. Paper-Source has some neato kits, and the tissue paper flower kits from Martha Stewart are to die for! You can also easily make your own with tissue paper and a little bit of wire - search online for "tissue paper flowers" instructions.

2. Favors are a budget killer, for sure! Send everyone home with baked goods such as mini cupcakes or cookies. Make them ahead of time and freeze them up to a week before the wedding. Bridesmaids will come in handy when it's time for frosting, decorating and packaging! Penny candy tables are a great solution as well. You can find bags of inexpensive candies just about anywhere these days. Fill decorative glass jars or dishes with candies, provide scoops and little paper bags for a fun, unique, and budget-friendly favor.

3. Serve a creative salad salad and selection of appetizers. Forget the expensive, formal meal by planning your wedding after dinner. Have a late ceremony, a cash bar, appetizers and cake. Yum.

Presentation is KEY with everything mentioned above. Have the salad served from martini glasses or something unique to make it seem extra special. Hand stamp the penny candy bags with a special message or image that is used throughout your wedding. Tuck little notes that coordinate with your wedding stationery under everyone's plate. And tah-dah! Fabulous!

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Posted by the Paper-Peeps at Anna Bella Custom Stationery

Comments

[amber]

love the blog, love the ideas in this post, just one gripe: cash bars are the ultimate in rude and tacky. serve what you can afford says etiquette. This could be beer and wine with one special cocktail, or no alcohol at all.

guests don't have wallets.

[Rhian]

your blog is so useful and really insightful. thank you for so many great ideas. I am planning my wedding and have been going crazy over it but i have seen a lot of really cool things here in your blog that are inspiring to me.

Would you consider writing a blog on engagement parties? Please let me know if you do!!

thanks again, i love the content =)

[Kelly MAhoney]

Great tips, sounds like a better approach.

[Boudoir Betty]

While I think most of the ideas in this post are creative and fabulous I can never support the idea of having a cash bar at a wedding, as suggested in tip 3. I think making your guests pay for their own alcohol is the height of tacky. If you want to save money on alcohol serve beer and wine only or perhaps a signature cocktail. Alternately you could skip the alcohol and have a coffee bar or juice bar, options which are fun and interesting and much less expensive. Almost all wedding planners, wedding magazines and etiquette books will tell you that a cash bar is an absolute no-no.