SOME cheap tips helped a bride have her dream day without dishing out the dough.
She was saying ‘yes’ to saving and guests even preferred her savvy swap.
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Redditor Thinkysparkle shared the eight tips that allowed her to throw a “wow” wedding for under ten grand.
Her suggestions for spending less start with finding the right location.
“Look for a cheap venue that doesn’t lock you into certain vendors, like a park,” she said.
“We had it in a backyard which probably saved some money but not much because we needed to rent a tent, tables, chairs, linens, and a restroom trailer,” she added.
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To save even more, however, she now realized that hosting an affair in a public park or restaurant – or any place that already had most of the essentials – was the wedding venue way to go.
DON’T LET YOUR WEDDING GO TO SH**
“Restroom trailers are super expensive but we thought regular port-a-potties would be cruel if it was a hot, humid day, so even a place with bathrooms gives you a leg up,” she said.
She also doesn’t want you going into debt on decor, something which can be avoided if you host your event outdoors.
“Less chance you have to cancel over a Covid wave, less decor needed,” she said.
“Decor is not what people remember,” she added.
According to the bride on a budget, you can forget about favors altogether and instead focus on having “good” food.
She also recommended having a food truck rather than hiring a regular caterer.
DRESS FOR LESS
And don’t get bogged down by going over budget on your gown.
Instead, you can opt for “a Lulu’s dress or similar.”
Lulu’s offers affordable alternatives to designer dresses with creations starting at around $118.
Her next suggestion might just be music to your money-saving ears.
PLAY IT RIGHT
“Playlist instead of a DJ or band,” she said.
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It might not be a popular idea, but she has no regrets.
“People say not to do this because DJs manage the energy level and the timing, but my wedding wasn’t dancing-centric, being outside in the grass,” she said.
“We had activities instead (bubbles, Jenga, walks in the woods, s’mores) and people loved it,” she added.
She shared the steps she took to put the playlist together.
“If you go with Spotify, definitely practice with your playlist first,” she said.
“I found that shuffle mode can repeat songs, and the iPad version of Spotify wants to shuffle by default, so I had our MC start the playlist by playing the first song with shuffle turned off,” she added.
In order to avoid any interruptions due to notifications, she kept the iPad disconnected.
Her trick involved downloading the playlist to be “super safe.”
To ensure the evening went smoothly, she had a friend practice using the sound system at the rehearsal dinner.
“People complimented us on how well things flowed, and we stayed on schedule, but that was also thanks to our day-of coordinator,” she said.
Staying on budget also meant being careful about not spending too much on booze.
“We had coolers of beer and wine instead of a full bar and a bartender,” she said.
She admitted that while it was a bit more work, it can be one of the biggest saving solutions if you’re up for the challenge.
“It was a lot of lugging alcohol – we rented 3,120-quart coolers and had to have someone do an ice run the day of, so it wasn’t the easiest choice, but it did work out just fine,” she said.
She is also a fan of DIY projects – when planned for in advance.
“On the day before/day of, you’ll be busy, and delegating can work but your friends and family aren’t wedding planners, so it’s dicey,” she said.
“We did spring for a day-of coordinator and I am extremely glad,” she added.
HOLD YOUR (WEDDING CAKE) TIERS
She also cut costs by not having to cut into any wedding cake.
Guests were super floored by the frugal swap.
“I had donuts instead of cake. I bought an acrylic tiered cupcake holder to put them on so we’d still have a tiered thing, and we each fed each other a donut,” she said.
“People loved it. I got several comments about how they preferred it to cake. And it was less expensive than cake,” she added.
If you decide to copy her cake substitutions, she does have a warning – they go stale fast.
To avoid any issues, she had a friend pick the donuts up the day of the wedding while the coordinator continuously replenished them.
FRUGAL FANS
Others were impressed with her tricks.
“My fiance and I are going back and forth a lot with a dance-centric ceremony versus a hangout/backyard/fun-time-while-in-dresses kind of reception,” said a user.
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“The idea that we can just do a Spotify playlist of our favorites is a good point towards a backyard-style hang! Love this,” they added.
“Your wedding is exactly what I’m in the works for doing mine! Happy to hear our ideas aren’t too much and it’s totally feasible,” another Redditor agreed.
