Planning a Visually Stunning Wedding on a Budget
Planning a wedding can be a source of great joy or one of enormous stress. With the average cost of a wedding in America ringing in at $33,900, not including the honeymoon, it’s easy to see why. When you’re on a budget, even the average amount could be far too much. But for those women who’ve dreamt of their big day, it can feel disappointing to have to cut things out. Fortunately, there are many great ways to plan a beautiful and affordable wedding on a budget.
If you’re planning a visually stunning wedding on a budget, here’s what you need to know: It’s all in the details. And those details don’t need to cost a fortune. While you may love the idea of crystal from Tiffany’s at every table, most frugal budgets can’t afford that.
Location
While a specific wedding venue might be at the top of your list, be flexible about the location of your wedding and reception. Even if the venue itself is less than stellar looking, there are ways to beautify almost any location. There are many beautiful churches, all-purpose community centers, and halls in most cities. These can easily be transformed into gorgeous reception halls with a little creativity. Additionally, sometimes it’s beneficial to change the season you want to get married in so you can do it more affordably.
Lighting
Lights are the perfect tool to create a gorgeous wedding on a budget. If your wedding is a while out, you can find great deals on things like Christmas lights, lanterns, and outdoor bulb lights at the end of the season. With the interior lights dimmed and these sparkly lights turned on, you may not be able to tell that the walls are made of industrial cement.
Table Setting
Rental companies often offer plates and dinnerware for rent for a fee. This means you won’t need to buy plates, cups, and silverware if you can’t afford it. They can help you create a table setting that looks and feels luxurious for a fraction of the cost. If you’re into thrifting and you are good at finding bargains, you may be able to find dinnerware at home auctions or estate sales. Even if you can’t find enough place settings for 100 guests, perhaps you can find a set for each table.
Paper Goods
Between the programs, the menus, and the invitations, paper goods for a wedding can bring the cost of your event up by a lot. But things like wedding menu cards are what help add the wow factor to your event. While you may be tempted to skimp on it, if you want to create those beautiful and unique touches, simply find a way to do it more affordably.
Centerpieces
If you’ve watched any wedding shows, you’ve probably seen those giant centerpieces with rare and exotic flowers that cost as much as your rent each month. While it may not be affordable for you to have massive vases filled with flowers, you can have gorgeous centerpieces. A fun option, if you feel safe enough, would be to find antique candelabras. Choose different ones for each table, but paint them in the same colors. This can add visual interest, glamour, and unity to your wedding décor.
Your Bouquet and flowers
Let’s face it, you are the highlight of the day. And a beautiful bouquet for you and your bridesmaids can run you in the thousands of dollars. If you don’t have quite that much to spend, here are a few tips: Choose a few of your favorite flowers for your bouquet and have the florist add less expensive greenery and flowers to save you money. Another option would be to give your bridemaid’s only greenery and affordable flowers but go all out on your bouquet. This allows your flowers, and you, to be the one that really shines.
Borrow
The saying goes “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”. There is nothing saying that you can’t borrow some items from friends to help your wedding look amazing. Maybe one of your friends has a huge stash of fabric that could be draped in places to add visual beauty and interest. Perhaps another friend has more Christmas lighting than the North Pole. The key is to get creative and use all the resources at your disposal.
