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New Blog Feature! For the next ten weeks I will share three money-saving ideas in each blog post for a total of 30 Ways to Have Your Dream Wedding for Less. In addition to listing my tips, I will give you resources and photos so you can actually use the tips! I hope you will enjoy this addition to the blog!
In this first post in the series, I’ll cover money-saving ideas for your wedding cake, bouquet and reception tables.
1. Wedding Cake. This week’s three money-saving wedding tips starts with the wedding cake. Choose an alternative to a large, elaborate wedding cake and go with a small cake instead. A small cake will require less work in making and transporting than a large one and will therefore cost you less; however, it will still be fine for your ceremonial cake cutting. You may be wondering what to serve your guests if you have a small wedding cake. Here are a couple options: Cupcakes. Cupcakes are less expensive and require less expertise than creating a wedding cake. And by serving your guests cupcakes, you will avoid a cake cutting fee from the venue, which can be around $1.50 per person. Sheet Cake. Another option is to supplement your small cake with a sheet cake, which is cut “behind the scenes” and then served. A simple sheet cake is less expensive to make and easier to cut than a multi-tiered wedding cake.
Our Cupcakes Pinterest board has lots of photos to help with ideas.
The photo below is from Taylor and Andrew’s wedding and shows how a small cake with cupcakes can work wonderfully!
Photo Source
2. Bridal Bouquet. There are several ways to save on your bridal bouquet with varying degrees of savings. I’ll start with two very obvious points: A small bouquet will cost less than a large one and flowers sourced locally will cost less than flowers flown in from far away. If your budget is very small, I suggest that you pick up “cash and carry” flowers and tie them in to a hand-tied bouquet. I searched the Internet to find you a tutorial on how to make a hand-tied bouquet. The one I found has easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. My favorite tip from the site is “Practice beforehand. Don’t wait until the day before the wedding to give bouquet making a try”! Hand-Tied Bouquets
If you work with a florist, be sure and let her know your budget and be willing to use flowers that are less expensive such as roses instead of orchids. Using fillers of greenery and/or baby’s breath in the bouquet is a way to stretch your budget, also. We have two Pinterest boards with lots of bouquets to help with ideas. Be sure to show your florist (if using one) photos of bouquets you like.
Colorful Bouquets – White Bouquets
The bouquet below is a hand-tied rose bouquet with the addition of sprigs of rosemary.
Photo Source – Click to Enlarge
And if you are getting married in early spring, you may want to consider a Daffodil bouquet. Daffodis are profuse in the spring in many areas of the U.S. and you might even be able to get them at no cost at all. If you have enough time, you could even plant bulbs yourself to harvest in time for the wedding. In the photo below, the addition of a decorative wrap and embellishment elevates the look.
How to Make a Daffodil Bouquet
Photo Source – Click Photo to Enlarge
3. Large Reception Tables. By using larger, and therefore fewer, tables you will need fewer centerpieces and tablecloths. Along those lines, I especially love the idea of long, rectangular tables because they create a “family-style”, friendly ambiance and therefore encourage conversation.
Sometimes when using round tables it can be difficult to get a “decorator” look with DIY centerpieces. But long tables are very forgiving! You can use plain bottles or bottles decorated with ribbon or twine and add cut flowers and your tables will look lovely. Empty wine bottles, beer bottles, and other glass bottles will work just fine. Check with local restaurants and see if they will give you their “empties”. Our DIY Centerpieces Pinterest board has lots of ideas as does our Wedding Reception Tablescapes board. 
Photo Source – Click Photo to Enlarge
Additional Resources in My Other Blog Posts:
More photos from Taylor and Andrew’s wedding are in this blog post:
Taylor and Andrew’s Rustic Wedding
Wedding Bouquet Shapes
DIY Wedding Centerpieces
Wedding Cupcakes and Mini Cakes
One of the biggest expenses for a wedding reception is an open bar. Costs can spiral out of control pretty fast, since most venues charge you for every bottle that is opened, even if it was used for just one drink. If you are handling the bar details yourself, it can be an overwhelming task and expensive to stock it, hire a bartender, and the like.
been around since ancient times and their popularity has seen its ups and downs throughout the years. Their use in weddings slowed down for a while but we now are seeing brides using them again. Not only do floral crowns work well for brides but flower girls look adorable wearing them. And for a big impact, your bridesmaids can wear them, too!
It can be paired with turquoise, pink, or other shades of green, just to name a few possibilities. Emerald has less yellow and more blue to its tone. For Emerald ideas and inspiration: 
same basic shade of green but in varioius hues; they are mid-tone greens with a minimum of yellow. As shown in the top right-hand photo, you might want to consider having your bridesmaids in the same dress but in different shades of green.
ve. It pairs easily with a variety of other colors such as pink, yellow, and navy.
color “family” as olive. If you are having a 
we see too often but it definitely has that “wow” factor!
If you are planning your wedding you are probably seeing the total cost add up … and up! One way to stretch your wedding dollars is to use DIY wedding reception centerpieces.
Andrea shares her wedding planning tips:“One thing that I was not happy about when we booked our ceremony and reception was the break between the two. Because we got married in a Catholic church, they only do 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM weddings and we chose the 2:00 PM option with our cocktail hour starting at 5:00 PM. Therefore, our guests had a break between the two. Throughout the planning process, I got more comfortable with the idea. NOW, after all is said and done, I would recommend this to everyone! It was so nice, for Chris and me and our wedding party to not rush around trying to take pictures and then rush to get to the reception. We were able to enjoy and let loose a bit while taking pictures. Afterwards, we all hung out in the Country Club’s boardroom. It was nice to spend this quality time with our wedding party. Also, when the cocktail hour started, our wedding party went to join everyone else and Chris and I had some “alone time” in the boardroom. This was a really nice opportunity to sit and enjoy the special day and relax. Also, we were able to eat at this time. Luckily we did that, because from the moment we walked into the reception, I didn’t notice the food or even think about it. So I was really glad I had eaten during the break.
Taylor shares her wedding planning tips: “I’m a crafty person, so when it came time to plan my wedding, it didn’t seem right to buy my decorations when I could make them myself and could make it more personal that way, too. I was also on a budget, so it was much more cost effective to make what I wanted. Like most girls, I had been thinking and dreaming about my wedding since I was little, so it was a very personal thing for me. I didn’t want a wedding planner; I wanted to do everything myself and I wanted every detail to be special and unique to Andrew and me. DIY projects made this possible for me. While some of my guests may not have known, I spent time and effort making every detail the way that it was and overall I think that made a huge difference in the feel of our special day.
Your wedding reception is likely going to be the highlight of your wedding day. The ceremony is over and probably some of the stress is now gone and you and your guests are ready to party!
It’s time for you to choose your bridal bouquet but where do you begin?
Are you having a hard time deciding on your wedding color palette?
Crackling fires, a chill in the air, pumpkins and falling leaves … Autumn! It’s a great time to have a wedding!
For more fall wedding ideas, see our
If you consider your dog to be a beloved member of your family, it is only natural that you would want to include him or her in your wedding day … one of the most important … and family oriented … days of your life.
