Cheap Wedding Fridays Tip #13 - Cut Out the Crap
Friday December 19, 2008
It might be the simplest way to save money on your wedding - don't spend money on things you don't really need. People planning weddings get so caught up in what they "have" to do, and what's "expected". What they don't realize are that wedding companies are really good at making new products essential. Did you realize that Theknot.com, WeddingChannel.com, and Martha Stewart all sell such chotchkes as wedding favors, elaborate invitation kits, and personalized items? It makes you wonder if that leads them to push them, just a little bit more, in the editorial section.
Here's my current list of things you don't really need. Please mind my caveat though: It takes different strokes for different folks. If one of these things brings you unbridled joy, by all means go ahead and have them at your wedding. But folks on a budget will do well to cross them off their lists.
--- A special unity candle. Just use a regular candle for your unity ceremony. It certainly doesn't need to be decorated, or have a special holder.
--- Bride and groom toasting flutes. People will sell this to you as a "keepsake." In two months they'll be gathering dust in a closet. --- Personalized matchbooks and napkins. Nobody ever says, "Oh that was such a nice wedding. Did you see the matchbooks?" --- Wedding tissue packets. Tissues are tissues. Don't buy little packets that say "tears of joy." Instead just put a few easily accessible boxes at the end of the first row or two. --- Specially decorated bridesmaid "getting ready" outfits. They will really never ever wear these again. I promise. --- Name change kits. It's easy to find name change resources online for free! What are your unnecessary wedding accessories that you're cutting out to help your budget?
Here's my current list of things you don't really need. Please mind my caveat though: It takes different strokes for different folks. If one of these things brings you unbridled joy, by all means go ahead and have them at your wedding. But folks on a budget will do well to cross them off their lists.
--- A special unity candle. Just use a regular candle for your unity ceremony. It certainly doesn't need to be decorated, or have a special holder.
--- Bride and groom toasting flutes. People will sell this to you as a "keepsake." In two months they'll be gathering dust in a closet. --- Personalized matchbooks and napkins. Nobody ever says, "Oh that was such a nice wedding. Did you see the matchbooks?" --- Wedding tissue packets. Tissues are tissues. Don't buy little packets that say "tears of joy." Instead just put a few easily accessible boxes at the end of the first row or two. --- Specially decorated bridesmaid "getting ready" outfits. They will really never ever wear these again. I promise. --- Name change kits. It's easy to find name change resources online for free! What are your unnecessary wedding accessories that you're cutting out to help your budget?
Comments
This isn’t my first comment to you Nina but it is the first time I’ve had a duspute. I do a Unity Candle Ceremony more than any other variation in weddings I perform and although I have often supplied the candles and gotten them at BigLots for two dollars, there is a part of this that calls for an unneccesaary expense. I have had a couple of weddings that needed to acknowledge parents that were not there. Death or some other insurmountable barrier kept them from attending. One way I’ve included them in the ceremony is using match books from the parents wedding to light the tapers for the unity candle ceremony. This can be mentioned in the narrative I speak, or left private for the wedding party to experience silently. It needs the matches.
On the other hand, vendors get the Bride for every spare buck, so save it where ever you can!
I’ve never though of getting any of the listed items anyway.
well, you can say that about everything couldn’t you. I mean why even bother with the reception, the ceremony, the dress, just go down to city hall and get married there. The point is wedding is a tradition, and all the good stuff that goes along with that. I agree that there are some things that the bride just could do without and definitely some brides give equal stress value to everything.. which is the worst thing a bride can do.. but having said that, some times its the little things that adds a nice touch, whether its a memorial candle or matching personalized toasting flutes.
I think you are misunderstanding my comment. What I mean is that have a unity candle, or make a special toast, but be mindful of what suffers from the dreaded wedding markup. You don’t need personalized wedding toasting flutes to have a special wedding toast. The Unity candle ceremony can be a very important part of a wedding ceremony, but it is one that many people did and took meaning from long before a merchant latched onto the idea of making special decorated unity candles that are more expensive. Especially couples on a budget need to be aware of how merchants convince them that such things are essential when actually they are optional. And optional means just that – if they appeal to you, and you’ve got the budget, go ahead and get them. But don’t feel that you have to.
See what I mean?
Here’s a way I’m planning to save money on a “little” thing–making it mean more. Foregoing traditional matchbooks or other candy or purchased favors and instead, making a charitable gift in honor of my guests. Commemorating the day and sharing our love and values as we start a new life together. There are several organizations that may give you this option. Some even create a ready-to-print favor card or text to print on a scroll and place at table settings. I’m using justgive.org.
I was never a fan of wedding favors. The people I’m inviting want to be there and wouldn’t notice a wedding favor, even your closest family won’t keep those and my favor to everyone for coming is free food and dancing at the reception. A tip for saving money at the reception if it doesn’t bother you is using an IPod hooked up to speakers with a wedding playlist. You can have one of your friends mess with it if they need to.