These Share and Blossom seed packets are wonderful, eco-friendly favors, found at Nature’s Gifts. The little paper pot comes in many colors and this favor is only $0.99 each! I also love the idea of having small potted plants or flowers on the reception tables to add to the centerpieces, then sending them home as favors. However, this is much more economical. Plus, I’m fascinated by the fact that you just plant the paper pot and the flowers grow through the paper! Amazing!
Featured Wedding Favors June 1, 2009
Featured Item May 8, 2009
Believe it or not, these sets of silverware and serving utensils are actually plastic and disposable. And inexpensive! The set of forks, spoons and knives come in a pack of 32 for $8 at Plum Party. The serving utensils are $4 for a pack of 3. You can get this realistic-looking plastic-ware several places and there are different designs to choose from. I have seen these at a wedding and truly thought they were real until I picked them up. You can also get fake china that looks real, in different designs. This is a great way to save a little money without making your wedding look like a cheap wedding.
Get Organized! March 23, 2009
After getting engaged, where do you start when it comes to planning the biggest party you’ll ever throw? I suggest you lay it all out and get organized. It will make everything easier down the road. First, let’s talk finances.
Depending on your personality, grab a pen and paper or a computer with Excel and create a spreadsheet that lays out your budget. Decide how much you want to spend on each category and give yourself a little 10% contingency cushion. Choose what’s most important to you and list all your categories from top to bottom in priority. Work from the top and as you get to the bottom, gradually running out of time and energy, you will be left with the things that aren’t as crucial. As you purchase or sign contracts for each of the categories, record the actual amount spent. If you went over your budget for that category, adjust some of the bottom ones and if you have some left over, put that into the bottom ones or into the contingency. Note: if you don’t use your contingency, you can use that on your honeymoon or new housewares for your home together. Here, the contingency was an added 10%. This could be a gift that you received early on, or just some extra that you’ve saved up. If you don’t have any extra, you can put the contingency in there as part of the 100% and adjust the other categories.
There you go! Now your finances shouldn’t seem as daunting. You know how much you have to work with and you know where to start.
Quick Tip March 18, 2009
When creating your budget, leave room for a 10% contingency. In other words, set your budget to be lower than you initially had planned or be prepared to spend more than you planned. Brides almost always spend more than they intended. You can still do your best to stay in budget, but with a contingency, you have a little cushion in case that venue is just a little pricier than you thought.
Budget Honeymoon February 26, 2009
Designer Events specializes on budget weddings. I am here to help you find a good budget and stick to it. This includes your honeymoon. So, how does one (or two) take a vacation with little means to get there?
Borrowing a few ideas from weddingchannel.com:
Plan for it: Start saving money for it when you get engaged and put all your extra cash, even if it’s 20 bucks at a time, into that pot. You can also use the cash and checks many people will give you instead of a gift.
Drive: Yes, gas has been outrageously priced for a while now, but it’s still cheaper than flying.
There’s no place like home: Don’t go too far. Exotic locations and foreign countries will suck your wallet dry…unless you live near the border and can drive.
Ask: One of you is bound to have a friend with a time-share, summer home or extra cabin. Ask if you can borrow or rent it for a week. Of course, you should always give them a very nice thank-you gift.
And a few ideas of my own:
Don’t pay full price for your hotel room: Use priceline.com or a similar service to get nice rooms for the cheapest available prices.
Walk: Find a location that has entertainment and restaurants close-by and plan to walk a lot (bring comfy shoes!). You can save a bundle by avoiding cabs, buses and trains.
Set your honeymoon budget. Then reserve a few hundred dollars for emergencies and souvenirs. If you still don’t spend it all, you can use the extra cash for your budding marriage when you get home. And if you do, it’s still wise to have a little cushion.
Get a reservation: If you set reservations for theaters, museums and events before you leave home, you may be able to save more money than if you get tickets when you get there.
Um…Budget? October 15, 2008
After a bride has told everyone she’s engaged and beings planning her wedding, often one of the first things she does is realize she has no idea how to budget her wedding. This used to be a small worry in a bride’s mind because her parents were the ones setting the budget. These days it is more common to find that the bride and groom are responsible for funding their big day. So how, exactly, does one set a budget for such a grand event? First, don’t panic. Second, read this post. Then, get a wedding planner to help you stay in your budget.
Start with the knowledge of percentages spent on the average American wedding.
- Ceremony (location, officiant, marriage license, ring pillow, unity candle)…………………………………..3%
- Reception (location, catering, rentals, cake, favors)………………………………………………………………48%
- Attire for the bride and groom…………………………………………………………………………………………10%
- Rings for bride and groom……………………………………………………………………………………………….3%
- Flowers (decorations, bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, basket for flower girl)………………………….8%
- Music (musicians, DJ)……………………………………………………………………………………………………….8%
- Photography/Videography………………………………………………………………………………………………12%
- Transportation (shuttle, parking attendants, limousine)…………………………………………………………..2%
- Stationery (invitations, announcements, response cards, save-the-date, stamps, thank you’s etc)…..3%
- Gifts (future spouse, attendants, parents)……………………………………………………………………………3%
Now, choose what’s most important to you. For instance, if you love photography and wouldn’t settle for less than perfect to capture your day, than you might raise the photography percentage to 15% and lower attire to 9% and Reception to 46%. Adjust the budget to fit your needs and desires. Don’t forget to consider what’s important to your fiance!
If you have a rather large budget, think before you just start booking the most expensive caterer and buying the most fabulous favors. Remember: this is a large budget, not an infinite one. If you have a particularly low budget, don’t fret. You can still have a lovely wedding with the help of professionals. Like I said in yesterday’s post, you may be able to get a fraction of your vendors services for less than their full package. For instance, a photographer might show up for a limited number of hours on your wedding day, instead of capturing showers and brunches and including albums and everything else you can think of. You can choose to hire a wedding day coordinator instead of a full wedding planner.
I will leave you with a piece of advice that my dad told me before I got married: As long as you are married by the end of the day, it was a successful wedding. So, when you’re worrying about whether you forgot to put someone in your seating chart or if the flowers will last through the heat, calm down and imagine what your life will be like when you’ve pledged your life to the one you love.
