$ave or $plurge
Happy Tuesday! Weddings are expensive, we get it! One of the biggest struggles with planning your dream wedding is deciding what areas to save money and which areas you will not regret splurging on. We see couples grapple with these decisions. Also, we see the same mistakes made. From our experience, these are the areas you can save money on and the areas you want to allocate more to. First, consider the top 3 priorities you and your spouse have for you wedding. These three will account for 1/3 of your total budget. Use this to plan accordingly.
Splurge:
Photographer
Your photographer is one of the most important vendors! This is our top suggestion for where to splurge. Think about it this way, you will have these photos for the rest of your life. These are the pictures your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren will see! Not to mention you will most likely have these printed and framed in your home. Hiring an experienced professional is so important. With that being said, if you were to only splurge on one thing make it your photographer. They are a lifelong investment that you will not regret!
Videographer
Second to the photographer, is the videographer. Having a videographer is not necessary; however, there are many reasons people opt to have one on their big day. A videographer is a great way to fully capture the mood of the day. From the ceremony to the cocktail hour and your reception, having different video clips can help you relive the day over and over again. Hearing your vows and replaying the toasts will bring back all of the feelings for years to come!
Craft Cocktails
We suggest splurging on a craft cocktail to enhance the experience of your guests. Creating a great guest experience is what everyone wants to do. Including a craft cocktail channels your spouse and your personalities and is memorable to guests. Plus, who does not love something unique at a wedding?
Full Wedding Planner
What kind of wedding planners/bloggers would we be if we were not up here? We could spend hours explaining why you need us but, here are the top reasons. We take responsibilities off your shoulders that are time-consuming. For example, researching, scheduling appointments, and talking to the vendors. We have insider knowledge to solve the tough situations and make your vision come to life. One of the more important responsibilities we help with is budgeting, keeping you on track and in line! Additionally, day of we take all the stressful tasks off your plate. This includes setting up decor, making sure your vendors are ready, and keeping the day running smoothly. We also tend to all of your needs throughout the planning process. We make the planning process and your day as enjoyable as possible.
Music
Whether it be a live band, string ceremony, or your DJ, we recommend you splurge for the best. These are the people who make your day stand out and keep the party going. Music is such a big aspect of your day! We have seen so many receptions end early because the DJ did not play songs that kept people on the dance floor.
Save:
Favors
We know there are so many cute ideas that people do for favors. They are cute but the problem is most people do not take them home. As planners and coordinators we end up packing up the majority of the favors at the end of the night. We know you do not need 100 koozies with your names on them or 75 heart-shaped measuring spoons. So many favors end up being left on tables, no one would even notice if they were missing from your wedding. You can use the money you are saving by skipping the favors and adding a late night snack to your reception.
Menu Cards
Menu cards are not necessary and can easily be skipped. The decisions have already been made so it makes little difference if you have menu cards made for your wedding. We see people make one sign with the menu on it if they want to have it, but overall, this is definitely an area we suggest you save on.
Champagne Toast
Imagine pouring money down the drain (we personally have dumped out five bottles worth of champagne, should have kept them for mimosas in the morning). This is what a champagne toast is. Most people do not like champagne or do not drink it. We recommend doing a champagne toast for the wedding party only. You can even have a station were it is offered if you would like. By this time anyway, cocktail hour is over and everyone has gotten their drinks. They can toast with whatever drink they have and will be just fine!
Formal Rehearsal Dinners
We recommend after the rehearsal you invite everyone to casually go to a bar or restaurant. Everyone is on their own which will save you money. You are providing a very nice, and expensive, dinner to them the following night so this should be no biggie.
Florals
We love live florals, like we loooove them. But, reuse them! Use the same arrangement for the reception that you used for the ceremony. Another tip that we suggest is using your bouquets on the head table. You will need somewhere to put them and they should be displayed. They are gorgeous!
In closing, we get that weddings are expensive. At the end of the day, as long as you and your spouse are happy, no one else’s opinion matters. Share your favorite save or splurge with us in the comments or on social media!
