Guest Post: 10 Cheap Ways to Throw a Unique Wedding

by

Cara Davis

 No one wants a cookie-cutter wedding. The day you tie the knot should be as unique as your individual personalities. There's a quote that says, "The universe is not made of atoms. It's made of tiny stories." Just as you're coming together as man-and-wife, allow your creativity to spill into the details you're sharing on your wedding day.

1. Craft a story.
Telling your story as a couple as you approach the altar is a powerful way to connect with your guests and chronicle your journey to this point. Think of every element of your wedding -- from the invites to the wedding favors -- as a chance to craft a story from beginning to happily ever after. Don't be afraid to incorporate religious or ethnic touches that are special to you.

2. Pick a theme.
A well-executed theme can add loads of personality to your wedding day without looking cheesy -- like these Lego, hockey and 50s-themed weddings. By picking a theme that's already a hobby or interest, you're likely to already own a lot of materials you can incorporate into the decor.

3. Pick a repeating element.
If a theme is a bit much for your taste, focus on one element you can repeat throughout the printed materials, decor and attire for big impact, like these feathers or parasols.

4. Go handmade.
Making decor by hand ensures that the look of your wedding is one-in-a-million. Consider paper or fabric flowers (like these cuties) or buy a custom wedding stamp to personalize all your paper goods.

5. Shop vintage.
Shopping for vintage or thrift items for your wedding and reception may save you some time and headache over everything handmade. A vintage wedding dress customized with modern accessories could be the thing that makes your wedding standout and memorable.

6. Register for gift cards.
Create a wedding registry online at CardAvenue and register for the the stores you most like to shop at nationwide, instead of just one or two generic ones that offer wedding registries.

7. Mix-and-match.
Stick closely to your theme but allow variations to create a unique look and feel. Think non-matching bridesmaids dresses and a menagerie of vintage vases of differing sizes in the same hue as centerpieces.

8. Re-imagine the guest book.
Set up an iPad to record or photograph guests as they enter, or set up something unique for your guests to sign that you'll incorporate into your home decor later (a signed vintage map from your location, smooth rocks you can use in a clear vase). In our fall wedding we scattered colored paper leaves on the welcome table and pens and used the leaves in our wedding scrapbook.

9. Festive food.
Marry at a non-traditional time or place and you can pull off a unique reception for cheap. Think coffee bar & pastries for a mid-morning wedding, or a Memorial Day wedding on the lake for a laid-back barbecue dinner.

10. Send off in style.
Forget bubbles, sparklers and bird seed (some venues won't even allow them due to the cleanup involved). Offer wrapped candy for tossing (which the kids are sure to clean up without complaining), release balloons or have your guests create a human arch or a large paper banner for you run through. For a nighttime wedding, fireworks or glow sticks create a fun and colorful goodbye. 

Weddings expert Cara Davis is the author of Cheap Ways to Tie the Knot and blogs from her home in Orlando, FL, about cheap ways to spend and save at CheapWaysTo.com.

Monthly Focus: Guest Post: 12 Things Your Wedding Can Do Without

by

Cara Davis

When planning a wedding there are almost always non-negotiables. The dress. The photographer. The location. The groom (hopefully). But there are plenty of things you can change, compromise or completely do without on your wedding day. Here are a few of them, and how each can help you put your money where the most important things to you are -- Maui anyone?

1. Save-the-Dates
Skip the printed postcards announcing your wedding date and use e-vites, Facebook, email and the old-fashioned phone to spread the word to out-of-town guests. If you're committed to hardcopies, check out TheWeddingChicks.com for free, elegant printables.

2. A professional wedding planner
If you're fairly well organized, you can get away without the services of a professional, so long as you have some reliable people to delegate to, like your mom and maids. Don't use this as an excuse to not do your homework and get referrals for the services you do spend your money on, like flowers and catering. For some digital help, check out this article from Mashable on the best wedding-planning apps.

3. Relatives twice removed
The more you can trim you guest list, the more money you'll save overall. Keep the invite list to the must-haves, then send out a wedding announcement (perhaps with your photo) to the masses when all is said and done.

4. Large bridal party
While it may look impressive in wedding photos, a large bridal party is going to cause more headache and strain on the wallet than you need. Ask your closest friends and family who are willing to help you pull off your big day, and assign other tasks to those you feel just need to be involved somehow (user, parking attendant, server, greeter, etc.)

5. Matchy-matchy dresses
Don't even pretend you're going to find a magical dress that looks good on all the girls that they'll treasure forever. Ain't gonna happen. Choose a theme or color and allow the girls to find their own dresses that fit them (and their wallet). Provide accessories as your gift instead. If you're still not convinced, take a look at these mismatched bridesmaid dresses on Pinterest and reconsider.

6. Professional hair & makeup
For some, this is a non-negotiable, and if it is, don't feel guilty spending money on it. But, if you have a friend who's great at hair and/or makeup, enlist their services and splurge by buying new makeup and hair products that you'll have for the honeymoon and months to come (and don't forget to tip the person who ends up doing the job).

7. Tuxes
Weddings aren't the formal affairs they used to be. If you're wanting a more laid-back and personality-infused wedding, allow your guys to relax and wear suits (ties, bow-ties, suspenders or not...) They'll love you for it.

8. Formal wedding registry
Brides and grooms are getting married later in their 20s, and the need for a formal or traditional wedding registry is waning. Take advantage of new services like CardAvenue, an online wedding registry that allows you to register for gift cards from national retailers -- from restaurants to home stores.

9. Dinner
No one's coming to the wedding for the Cornish game hen, folks. Let's skip the formal dinner and do something fun and themed instead - perhaps a self-serve brunch for an 11 a.m. wedding, or a dessert buffet for a 2 p.m. one. You'll save a bundle and it'll be more fun for you and your guests.

10. Alcohol
If drinking at your wedding isn't that important to you, skip it. You'll be amazed at how much this will ease your wedding budget. If you do feel strongly about it, choose one drink you'll be serving, or purchase your liquor at a big-box warehouse store.

11. A "wedding" cake
When ordering the cake for your wedding, don't mention that it's for a wedding. It will automatically double the price. Order a birthday cake, in whatever style you want (three-tiered, etc.). The difference is that bakers make wedding cakes with four layers and cake and three layers of filling. Birthday cakes have two layers of cake and one layer of filling. We seriously doubt your guests will notice.

12. Party favors
Unless you can pull this off for cheap and in a non-tacky way, I wouldn't sweat the wedding favors. Instead, sprinkle your tables with Hershey's Kisses, or provide little treat bags to fill at a candy station on the way out. A votive candle with your wedding date on it is not going to last long in anyone's house, except for your mother-in-law's. And even that's questionable. 

Weddings expert Cara Davis is the author of Cheap Ways to Tie the Knot and blogs from her home in Orlando, FL, about cheap ways to spend and save at CheapWaysTo.com.

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Guest Post: 8 Tips to Create Custom Wedding Invites on the Cheap

by

Cara Davis

Looking for a custom invitation without spending upwards of $700? The average cost of wedding invitations and reply cards is $659, according to 2010 data from The Bridal Association of America.

Here are some ways to trim costs for your 2012 wedding. When using these tips, expect to pay around $200 for 100-150 invitations.

1. Establish the Look
Use Pinterest to browse for invitations from which to draw your inspiration. Start a board and "pin" examples. Once you find a direction you'd like to go in, you're ready to start on your very own. There are several options for today's budget bride including free online templates, designing it from scratch or ordering at a discount.

2. Use a Template
There are several online printers that are affordable. Some offer wedding invitation templates, and if you're feeling like you don't want to try designing an invitation yourself and don't have access to a designer, this is the way to go. One of the best sites with customizable templates I've seen lately is WeddingChicks.com. They offer entire invitation suites for free (invitation, rsvp card, table numbers, escort card, etc.), and you can edit it all online, instead of relying on software. Oh - and the designs are modern and gorgeous.

3. Design it Yourself
Use a stock photography sites like iStock or Shutterstock where can search for stock illustrations and graphics. Search for illustrations or vectors similar to the look you're going for by using keywords like "swirl," "scroll," "vintage," "invitation," etc.

Using your inspiration invitation, find a font(s) that closely matches your look by searching websites like DaFont.com andUrbanFonts.com.

4. Save on Printing
If you create you own design, look for a printer who specializes in invitation printing so you're sure to get the type of paper you need. Online vendors like PSPrint.com and VistaPrint.com provide online quotes for easy cost comparison. Before using any site to order invitations, find online coupons from CouponSherpa.com for money-saving discounts you can use toward your purchase. Some of these sites regularly run specials like 25% off on invitations. Plus, when using a new site, always sign up for newsletters or free loyalty accounts.

5. Think Small
If you'd like a separate RSVP card, consider making it the size of a business card and include a URL where guests can register. When the RSVP was a web address, there is no need to make the RSVP card postcard size to return, so you'll saved money on printing costs and return postage (and extra envelopes!). ProjectWedding.com offers free wedding websites where you can track RSVPs, but there are other sites that offer this service as well.

6. Picture Perfect
Bride Erin added a really cool touch to her invitations to ensure that it wasn't quickly tossed. On the back on the wedding invitation she included a photo of her and Eric from their professional engagement portrait session. It printed beautifully and now her friends and family have a photo they can keep of the couple. The cost to print on the backside was nominal and she saved a lot of money by not developing pictures separately.

7. Off the Shelf
Printing custom invites still out of your budget range? Craft stores offer kits you can use on your home printer. Nashville bride Amanda says, "We're making our own invitations from those prepackaged kits you can buy at any office supply store. We're doing all the invitations for $80, and they're actually quite pretty."

8. Handmade Touch
A big trend for weddings and paper goods these days is using a personalized, custom rubber stamp. Etsy.com artisans offer both custom and pre-designed choices, while sites like PictureMyStamp.com allow you to upload your own art. Antiquaria Design Studiooffers some absolutely stunning customizable stamps for weddings. The bonus? Use your stamp to customize paper goods for the wedding -- like the wedding program, water bottle wraps, paper bags and more. 

Weddings expert Cara Davis is the author of Cheap Ways to Tie the Knot and blogs from her home in Orlando, FL, about cheap ways to spend and save at CheapWaysTo.com.

Guest Post: 7 Ways to Recession Proof Your Wedding

by

Cara Davis

As businesses brace for the possibility of a double dip recession, brides and grooms should plan for the unexpected when planning their wedding day: job loss, vendors going out of business, rising prices and traveling limitations.

While weddings still take place even in a down economy, brides and grooms are scaling back and trimming the excess from their celebrations. The numbers show the dramatic shift:

The average cost of a wedding dropped $10,000 in a year after the recession began. Last year the cost began to recover, rising from $19,581 (2009) to $23,867, according to The Wedding Report. But the latest figures show weddings are taking a hit again, with the average cost of a wedding for the first half of 2011 sinking to $21,277.

Scarcity of jobs, a sour housing market and high fuel costs are making wedding planning a challenge - for couples and vendors alike. Florists, caterers and bakers are feeling the pinch of rising prices and are passing those costs onto their clients.

But there are ways to recession-proof your wedding and make your day of celebration a little easier on the wallet for everyone involved. Here are several ways.

1. Go off-peak. Choose an off-season month (January, February or November) to get married, and an off-peak day and time. Saturday afternoon and evenings are the most desired spots, so go for Saturday morning, or Friday or Sunday night to save money on venues and services.

2. Limit the guest list. Most caterers charge per-person, so the difference between 100 guests and 150 is significant. The reception is usually half of your budget - and with food prices rising, feeding your guests tastefully will be hard. Simplify the reception by serving high tea, dessert buffet, brunch or finger-foods instead of compromising on options for a multi-course meal.

3. Buy discounted gift cards from GiftCardGranny.com. Use them to purchase decorations, supplies and materials from stores like Hobby Lobby, or your wedding attire from Macy's or J.Crew, which is among a growing number of retailers with affordable wedding boutiques. Combine the cards with coupons or promo codes and increase your savings.

4. Shop around and negotiate prices and packages with vendors. Don't ever settle for more than you think you should be paying. Vendors will be happy for your business. Get everything in writing and have one to two backup vendors you can call should something go south with your first choice.

5. Get your hands dirty. The key to any successful budget wedding is doing it all yourself. But it requires delegating to friends and family, who are often honored and happy to play a part in your big day. Get your friends and family in the act of addressing envelopes, folding programs, creating favors and making a headpiece or a veil. Some might be willing to cover some costs involved as a wedding gift to you. The greatest benefit of going DIY is saving money, which will allow you to in turn spend on what you can't do - or don't want to leave to chance, like photography.

6. Get thrifty. Twenty-two year olds Jonathan and Rebecca Mooradian of Tennessee scoured Goodwill, thrift stores and yard sales for practically everything they needed for their wedding this year. After paying about 50 cents to a $1 for each item (including a 25-cent wedding gown), they sold their wares in their own garage sale after the wedding, according to The Tennessean's Ms. Cheap. Keep an eye on your local Craigslist and Freecycle for potential finds, and don't forget to ask friends if you can borrow crystal or glass vases, dishes, glasses, serving trays and utensils.

7. Consider insurance. Wedding insurance can protect you in the event a vendor goes bankrupt or out of business. If you're spending more than $5,000 on your wedding, it might be worth the extra cost. Talk to your insurance agent for advice, or check out online offerings like WedSafe.com.

When couples or their parents are faced with the choice of paying for a 150-person reception or putting money toward a down payment on a house, the more practical option may win the day. Do what's best for your situation and remember a lot of people are going through what you are. Friends and family will understand if you don't throw a soiree of Kardashian proportions.


Weddings expert Cara Davis is the author of Cheap Ways to Tie the Knot and blogs from her home in Orlando, FL, about cheap ways to spend and save at CheapWaysTo.com.