A good photographer can tell a good story from even the lowest budget wedding. In my (biased) opinion, it’s a worthy splurge.

But the reception venue is really where I think we’ve saved the most money. We’re holding the ceremony at the community park and the reception at the community hall. I know some brides out there just shuddered but hear me out and I hope this doesn’t offend anyone; go to the upscale side of town. Every city has one and I guaruntee the parks in the upscale side are 20 times more beautiful and the comunity halls rival most hotel ballrooms and “event sites”. You might pay a little bit more if you’re not a resident but that savings will be tremendous. Added bonus: most community halls let you choose your own caterer which gives you much more bargaining room when you’re shopping around for a caterer.
Also, a word on alcohol. Find someplace that does not require you to buy your alcohol through them, only that you use a licensed bar-tender. You can go to a state liquor store, buy the alcohol you want and you know you’re getting the best price and also, at the end of the night, you keep any alcohol that isn’t consumed.

I bought my dress off the rack saving nearly half. Also, don’t waste your money on a veil from the bridal shop. They are often way over priced. If you’re so inclined or know someone who is crafty, have them make your veil. Seriously, they’re super easy. If a veil isn’t your thing and you’re more a tiara kinda girl, check out costume shops. I’m not talking about Halloween Express, but the theatre costume shops (ours is downtown). They sell beautiful tiaras that are much less.

For bridesmaid’s gifts, if you’re feeling jewelry (I’m giving my girls pearl necklaces with matching pearl earrings), check places out around the time of traditional jewelry giving holdiays (Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc.) and look for sale fliers. You can get great (real) jewelry at a much reduced prices.

Make-up: If you don’t know an Avon or Mary-Kay lady, try going to Sephora or MAC several months out. Tell them you’re shopping around for wedding day make-up and either tell them what your after or bring in pictures to show them. People don’t work there unless they like make-up and if they like it, chances are they know a thing or two about applying it and will gladly teach you. They may even give you free samples of a few make-up colors which you can then practice with at home. If you’re doing your own make-up keep in mind that you will want stuff that is a little different than everyday wear. Make Up Forever is a brand that recently came out with a foundation specifically formulated for being photographed. And it does make a difference.

And lastly, even if you find what you think is the perfect place at the perfect price, be prepared to walk away until you have *thoroughly* read the contract, and the pricing is the same as what you discussed and bring a calculator with you when you’re reviewing the contract before signing. It doesn’t happen often and most wedding professionals are just that, professional, but some aren’t. One place we looked at was fabulous and the price was what were looking for, we had the contract drafted and were ready to put down a deposit. But when we read through the contract, there were many hidden charges (truly, hidden. As in, buried in legalese with numbers written out so as not to drawn attention). When we calculated what was actually in the contract, it came out to almost 30% more than what we had discussed. Needless to say, I was upset and we left.

Just a few thoughts. : )