Wedding Wednesday: Favors

Photography & Videography

Wedding Wednesday: Music

Posted on May 2, 2012 by TheGingerPennyPincher

***We’ve been wedding-series-posting our faces off over here, so in case you missed anything from the past few weeks, go here! Then pat yourself on the back for your wisdom and forethought.

Hi wedding planning people! The past few weeks have been very wedding decor- oriented, but this week we’re going to talk about wedding music.

Typically, you’ll have two types of wedding music: ceremony and reception. Instead of doling out advice from the onset, I’ll tell what we did in our wedding — what worked, what didn’t work — and then I’ll talk about the economic effectiveness of these choices.

First, ceremony music: Before Josh and I decided what we wanted in terms of music, we first talked about what we didn’t want. From the start, we decided that we didn’t want organ music (honestly, I can’t stand it) — which worked out fine anyway since our venue wasn’t a church and didn’t exactly have an organ at their disposal. They also didn’t have a piano, and we were pretty sure we didn’t want an electric keyboard for the ceremony (we actually used one for the reception, but more on that later). We also decided to cross off a DJ and the iPod playlist idea — we just really wanted live music for this particular part of the wedding. Eventually we decided strings would be the best option (and good string music? I mean, c’mon).

Josh and I were both music (and theatre) majors, so we tend to hedge on the picky side of the spectrum when it comes to choosing instrumentalists. However, we knew we were on a budget and we couldn’t exactly afford a full-blown orchestra (and it’d be too much anyway). After searching on gigmasters and other websites, we found a great (and affordable) group, all of whom are professional, active musicians in the Southeast.

We did a little price negotiating, did a lot of song research, settled on a few selections (we even paid them a teeny bit extra to make a strings arrangement of the jazz standard “In the Mood”), and that was about it.

by jk Dallas Photography

Looking back, while I think they were great musicians and very affordable, I would do things differently today. Though I was distracted by the fact that it was my wedding day, I still listened while waiting to walk down the aisle and what struck me was their lack of familiarity with our music selections (and our choices are very well known ones, so this is a little bizarre). In fact, for one of those songs they looped the same part over and over (and over) again. And I know they weren’t stalling because there were entire sections that they didn’t play at all. In fact, I was about to turn into a Bridezilla and say something, but fortunately, I chillaxed and just decided “whatever.” In the end, I’m probably the only person who cared, but still… if I were planning my wedding today, I would do things differently.

What would I do, you ask? I would re-visit the iPod playlist idea, but instead of the usual wedding ceremony choices, I would pick some of my favorites from the Vitamin String Quartet. For those not familiar with them, they are an amazing group of musicians who do string covers of popular songs. They do a lot of top 40, but they’ve also gone through the songbooks of a lot of other classic bands like Queen, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. (Their versions of “Yellow,” “Fix You,” and “Beautiful Day” are some of my favorites.) It might sound a little hokey — like an opera singer attempting “All the Single Ladies” — but I assure you, their interpretations to all of the covers they do is always fresh and exciting. Honestly, I’m CRAZY about them.

And going the iPod playlist route would also have been a lot cheaper — free, in my case — since the theatre department at our Alma Mater graciously loaned us their sound equipment for the reception… Ah well, that was before I discovered VSQ and before I’d heard of Pandora radio (which is where I usually make my new music discoveries nowadays).

And still, I make complaints about the way our musicians handled our song choices, but in the end, their stringed version of “In the Mood” for our recessional was spot on, so I wasn’t really too upset. :)

Okay, reception music time. I know that a lot of folks out there will set aside a chunk of their budget for a DJ or a band, and I could sort of understand that (to a point) if they were having an evening wedding and /or alcohol, as both of these go hand in hand with ~~raucous~~ spirited dancing. But you may remember (from this previous post), that we had a dry, Sunday morning wedding (don’t judge, just read the previous post).

And honestly, though I go through phases where I fancy the top 40/typical dance music, this just wasn’t something that Josh and I were interested in at the time. And if we had had an outdoor wedding (in an appropriate outdoor month, i.e., not January), we probably would have hired a bluegrass band and called it a day. But this wasn’t really appropriate to our setting, so we voted for jazz music (you hardly had to twist our arms — we happen to both love jazz).

by jk Dallas Photography

As I mentioned in the ceremony music section, the technical director from our Alma Mater had very generously let us borrow the sound equipment so that we could plug an iPod in and just play a big ol’ long playlist (our awesome friend, Mack also kept tabs on the iPod, faded the sound in and out when we had announcements, things of pageantry, ya know).

The jazzy jazz playlist played while folks trickled in and got their food, but once the general crowd was seated, out came our showbiz friends (I just broke my own personal promise of never using the word “showbiz” in earnest… Ew).

by jk Dallas Photography

Prior to the wedding, we had asked some of our friends who sing if they wouldn’t mind dong a song or two at the reception, preferably a jazz standard or something equally classic and low key (so, no Alice Cooper or Marilyn Manson). They all agreed, and thanks to their generosity and talents, it was one of the highlights of the reception — people still talk about it, and that was almost four years ago!

by jk Dallas Photography

We arranged our singer friends into about three 20-minute sets of music, with a little time in between for the usual reception stuff (garter and bouquet tosses, father-daughter and mother-son dances, cake cutting, etc.). When our friends weren’t singing, we relied on the iPod jazz playlist for ambient music. Purely to the credit of our enthusiastic friends, ambient music soon turned into dance music, which soon turned into amazing picture opportunities.

Go go gadget dance pictures!

by jk Dallas Photography

photo by jk Dallas Photography

Yeah, and that’s without them being liquored up! I was impressed.

Like I said, our music choices were mostly low key classics, but we did venture out a little for the bouquet toss (“All the Single Ladies”) and garter toss (I don’t remember, it was something top 40).

photo by jk Dallas Photography

So for what we paid for in ceremony music, we definitely made up for in reception music costs (free!). Yes, we were super lucky to have the connections we had and an amazing pool of talent at our disposal, and they really helped make the reception. But even if you don’t have a theatre department or free sound equipment available to you, there are still inexpensive ways to do these things without forking over thousands for a DJ. Ask friends — maybe someone you know has this kind of equipment already — or maybe they know someone who knows someone? You may be surprised!

How about you? Any ideas for inexpensive ceremony or reception music options? Or free ceremony or reception music options? (We like free.) Share!

Check out the previous posts in this series…

Photography & Videography

Wedding Wednesday: Ceremony Decor

Posted on April 18, 2012 by TheGingerPennyPincher

***To check out my other wedding related posts, go here.

Continuing the wedding series, I wanted to discuss ceremony decor today (we’ll talk about reception decor next week). Obviously, the reception is the big, fun celebration, but the ceremony is definitely the more intimate part, regardless of what type of ceremony you have. It is a wedding of two people, after all — that’s serious stuff!

When trying to plan the decor for a ceremony, aside from going the thrifty-but-fabulous route (of course I’m going to say that), I think it helps to put yourself in the shoes of a wedding guest: What will they see when they first walk in? What will they see as they are sitting and waiting for the ceremony to begin? What will they hear? (There will be a music post in a couple of weeks, but it doesn’t hurt to go ahead and consider that as part of your decor, too.) With this perspective, you are able to consider all of the details, with hopefully no last minute surprises (last minute surprises = last minute expenses = gross).

So, I thought I would put together a round-up of ideas for ceremony decor — because sometimes the best money saving ideas comes from real life inspiration (I know this helped me more than anything when I was planning my wedding).

First up, here are some aisle decor ideas…

I know I’ve posted this one here ad nauseum, but this was what we did for our wedding (this is the last time, promise).

Green lanterns {photo by jk Dallas Photography}

We ordered the paper lanterns from Oriental Trading for about $20 and bought the ribbon with a 50% off coupon at Michael’s. The whole thing was less than $30, which is a huge savings when compared to the usual cost of floral aisle arrangements.

These tissue paper poms could be made or even less moolah:

{Source: Koyal Wholesale Blog}

Or take the same idea, but make smaller flowers out of the tissue paper and attach to a foam ball:

{Source: Intimate Weddings}

Here, Asian paper lanterns are used to decorate each aisle chair:

Paper parasols used as wedding aisle decorations

{Source: My Wedding Reception Ideas}

Cheaper still, mason jars with one hydrangea (or any inexpensive floral or non-floral), tied to the aisle chair with a pretty ribbon:

{Source: We Be Girls}

Here’s another idea that promises to be frugal — a single daisy and a lot of ribbon:

{Source: One Fine Day}

Tulle wrapped around each aisle chair. You can buy this stuff at the Dollar Store. Crazy cheap.

I am in love with these chair decorations! Braid some tulle in your wedding colors around the sides of the aisle chairs and walk down the aisle surrounded by bright, creative decorations. Also, a very cheap substitution to those expensive traditional flowers.

{Source: The Love of Weddings}

Then there’s the focal point of every ceremony: the altar. It’s basically the stage you set your wedding on, so make sure you consider what it will look like both with and without the bridal party standing on and around it. Especially factor in what colors your bridal party will be wearing so the picture isn’t a clashing or monochromatic mess.

This first one is definitely more modern than most, but since this couple used Ikea frames and fabric, it is definitely a thrifty option:

{Source: The Knot}

When I first saw this next idea, I was sure it had been painstakingly (and expensively) made with real flowers, but as the tutorial says, it is made entirely from faux flowers and a leaf garland:

DIY do-it-yourself easter lilies altar ceremony decor backdrop

{Source: Ruffled Blog}

This altar is similar to the one above, but in this case, they chose to evenly space the strings of flowers:

Wedding Decor :: Floral garland Kathy Beymer, Photograph by PenCarlson

{Source: Merriment Design}

I love this next idea, featuring a wall of flowers and medallions — that could all be handmade:

{Source: A Beautiful Mess via All You need is Love Events}

This next altar was made from receipt paper — yes, receipt paper. I looove the ruffled look of this, but I’m sure this could easily be achieved with another thin type of paper. I love this in white, but it’d look great in color, too… I’m thinking an ombre effect… Mhmm….

{Source: Glitter Weddings}

And here’s a closer shot:

{Source: Glitter Weddings}

Venturing into shabby chic land — emphasis on the chic – here are a few ideas using old doors… This especially appeals to the penny pincher in me, because I see these kinds of doors on the side of the road or on Craigslist all the time. All they need is a little bracing action, and that ain’t no thang.

For this first one, I’d nix the letters and use flower garlands or bunting:

{Source: Intimate Weddings}

Flowers… pretty…

{Source: Intimate Weddings}

What’s better than one shabby chic door? Three shabby chic doors!

{Source: Intimate Weddings}

Ok, I’m thrifty-ceremony-decor spent.

Your turn! Share any ceremony ideas you might have seen (or have dreamed up). The more the merrier!

Check out the previous posts in this series…

Photography & Videography

Bridesmaids’ Dresses

Wedding Flowers

Wedding Wednesday: Saving on Wedding Photography and Videography

Posted on March 7, 2012 by TheGingerPennyPincher

***Check out the previous posts in this series, “Tying the Knot without Breaking the Bank,” including posts on saving money when setting a date, picking vendors, and choosing invitations and save-the-dates… emphasis on the saving money part.

So far I’ve doled out some of the tips and tricks I picked up while planning my own 250 guests-winter-time-orange-and-green-money-savin’-machine wedding. I feel that I’ve been more than a little budget conscious in my advice, almost to the point of cheapskated-ness. Today is… well, not so much the case.

Wait. Keep reading.

At the end of this post, I will absolutely provide you with ways to book photographers and videographers on the cheap (and there are plenty of ways, let me tell you). However, if I’m going to be completely honest with you fine GPP readers, I did not go the traditional GPP route with the photographer. (Gasp! I actually spent some money!)

Here's a tip: place disposable cameras at each reception table and encourage your guests to take pictures. (Expect for some of them to be blurry and/or borderline offensive.)

Rewind… Story time: Right after I got engaged, my mother and I decided to go to one of those bridal expos (which I actually do recommend — it’s a great way to meet local vendors). We saw a lot of stuff that was interesting, picked up a whole slew of brochures and goodie bags, sampled waaay too many salty hors d’oevres and too-sweet cakes… and we met a fabulous photographer. Needless to say, this last part was the highlight of our day (and totally worth going just to meet him).

I’m not sure what it was — fairy dust, ideal star alignment, a wedding cake induced sugar high, something– but as soon as we saw jk Dallas Photograhy’s display booth and met the founding photographer, we were smitten… well, as platonically smitten as you can be with a potential photographer who just emanates “I am exactly what you want in a wedding photographer.” Not to mention, it’s a family business, so there was not just one, but three fabulous photographers (though we didn’t meet the other two that day).

Some people make their #1 priority their wedding dress, or the venue, or the date; we made our number one priority booking jk Dallas Photography, come Hell or high water.

All of my bridesmaids had fabulous legs. It was a requirement. (Photo by jk Dallas Photography)

And just so I dont mislead anyone: jk Dallas Photography is not the most expensive company out there. Nor are they the cheapest. The average person would have no internal struggle over choosing them. But you know, I’m super cheap. And for those of you who read this blog, you know that anything more than the cheapest option is usually not a typical Courtney choice; my style is more like… getting a photography student to do it for free for the purposes of … portfolio building… or getting a good friend with a DSLR and a steady hand. However, we decided — even before we met the Dallases — that getting a professional was a must. And since there couldn’t be a wedding day do-over, we had to get it right the first time.

While everything felt perfect with the Dallases, we did explore other options — just to say we did — however, we kept coming back to jk Dallas Photography… Nothing else felt right. So we caved.

And we never looked back.

Except when we look back at pictures of our wedding… And then we do figuratively “look back” so…

Nevermind.

Photo by jk Dallas Photography

We were practicing standing-sleeping like the astronauts do. (photo by jk Dallas Photography)

One of our personal faves (by jk Dallas Photography)

Another fave (by jk Dallas Photography)

Our very own American Gothic. But less pitch forky. (by jk Dallas Photography)

(Check out their website! They also submitted our wedding photography to a couple of publications and they were published! Check ‘em out here: The Knot and the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers. Yeah, jk Dallas Photography is kind of a big deal.)

***For all of those inquiring minds out there, though jk Dallas Photography is based in Columbus, GA., they can and will travel most anywhere if they’re available. And did I mention they are awesomesauce?!

So, photographers: booked. However, we decided we weren’t interested in videotaping the wedding, so we didn’t bother with any of that. But, two weeks before the wedding, we changed our minds. We decided, while we didn’t need cutting edge, Scorcese style stuff, we wouldn’t mind having the ceremony and dancing documented for posterity’s sake.

(And did I mention we planned on singing to each other at the reception? Independently of each other, and completely by surprise, we found out the others’ plans two weeks before the big day. Chock it up to coincidence… Or not. We are two nerdy musical theatre kids, after all, so it shouldn’t come as any real surprise. Spoiler Alert: I sang “Come Rain or Come Shine” and he sang the Elvis song “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You.” Swoon.)

We played rock, paper, scissors to decide who got to sing last. (Josh won.)

Josh, winning. (Photo by jk Dallas Photography)

Love song singing and all, we wanted to get everything documented, but we didn’t want to spend the big bucks. Fortunately, we have many multi-talented friends, one of who happens to be a videographer (when he’s not excelling at the other 547 things that he does), and he was able to help us out. Hooray!

Fin.

Well, “fin” for story time that is.

Like I said, photography was our big (and only) splurge. But through my research, I did explore a few less expensive options, we just didn’t go with them (but you know the story). However, if photography and videography are not as important to you, or if your budget is really teeny tiny, there are other ways to get your wedding photographed (and whatever you do, don’t not get a photographer — you hopefully only get married once, and you will definitely want to look back at those pictures).

Wedding Photography Money Saving Tips:

Contact the photography department at a local art school. Explain to the professor that you’d like to have your wedding photographed by a few burgeoning photographers and try to sell it as a way to help them build their portfolios, offering to pay for their meals and travel that day (or more, if you feel so inclined). As long as you set the conditions, you can definitely get some good photos and save money whle you’re at it.
Do you have a friend with a fancy camera and a steady hand (like I mentioned previously)? As long as they don’t mind spending their time taking pics (instead of doing more wedding guest-ly things), this would be a great solution.
Instead of booking a photographer for the entire day, get a partial package. For example, just get them to cover the ceremony and reception (as opposed to some of the getting ready stuff that’s usually included in most photography packages).
This next tip should be of no surprise — I am the Sunday-morning-in-January-wedding day lady after all: book a photographer off-season (January, February, and March) and you actually save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.
Skip the leather bound album thing. They’re super pricey (in my opinion, usually overpriced), and quite frankly, a little dated. There are so many great (free) services out there where you can create your own albums for a much smaller price tag, and you can take your time doing it and customize it to your exact wants.
Research, negotiate, rinse, repeat. You know the drill.

Opa! (photo by jk Dallas Photography)

As always, feel free to offer your own tips in the comment section, and don’t forget to check the other posts in the ongoing series “Tying the Knot Without Breaking the Bank”!

Setting the Date

Picking a Venue

Or better yet, subscribe!

Wedding Wednesdays: Save-the-Dates and Invitations

Posted on February 29, 2012 by TheGingerPennyPincher

Wedding invitations are a necessity when you’re wanting to invite people to your wedding (duh). Save-the-dates, though growing in popularity, are not necessarily a necessity (ooh, so alliterative!). However, if you anticipate a lot of out-of-town guests, or if you just want to formally announce your engagement (and the fact that you’ve set a date) then they are a great, fun way to do this.

So if you decide to do both, or just opt for the invitations, one thing’s for sure: a wedding stationery is an easy way to spend A LOT of your wedding budget. And we don’t like that. Invitations can be as much as $1,000 if you opt for the envelope-within-the-envelope-sheet-of-velum-calligraphy-metallic-paper-hoop-de-doo; depending on the size of your guest list, this price can be even higher. Considering that you’re spending this much money on paper — paper that your guests will eventually throw away or recycle — this definitely seems like an area where saving money would be wise.

That’s what I’m here for! I had this realization with my own wedding, and researched nearly every option out there until I found the best deal. But like I said, I researched nearly every option out there. It took some serious time and energy. (I also did Save-the-Dates, too — so we’ll talk about those as well.) To save you some time, I’ve got a few tips, websites, and other resources to make this aspect of your wedding planning as painless as possible. (Because seriously, it’s a few pieces of paper!)

First things first: you can’t really start seriously shopping for wedding invitations until you’ve come up with a guest list. For some of you out there, that may be a very short list, especially if you’re having a smaller wedding. In our case, we invited about 250 people (and nearly all of them came) so we need lots of invitations.

Remember, the number of people on the guest list does not equal the number of invitations you need; you’ve undoubtedly invited some families who live in the same house together, so they would need just one invitation.

Once you’ve taken into account the number of households, add twenty to that number and you have the number of invitations you’ll actually need (I say twenty extra in case there are any mess-ups when addressing the envelopes –wedding invitations are not really the place for white-out).

From that point, you need to decide how much you’re willing to spend on invitations (count on $1-2 per invitation as the lowest price you will probably find out there). If this number is already a little higher than you’d care for, you can probably figure that the whole envelope-within-the-envelope-velum-paper-blah-blah-blah thing isn’t in the cards for you. (And who needs it?) Of course, if you find a place that has a sale or you have a hook-up with a stationer, then maybe you can swing it. (Or if you check out a Michael’s Arts and Crafts store or the Target wedding section, you can always find SUPER discounted stationery on clearance, so if any of that is to your liking, grab it because it will be gone the next day!)

When budgeting for stationery, you also want to take into account how much postage will cost — for the invitation and the included response card (you should definitely include pre-stamped response cards — don’t expect your guests to have to do postage themselves).

If you want to save some money with postage (and you do!), don’t forget the following:

It costs more to ship a square envelope than it does a standard rectangular one
As of this writing, it costs $0.45 to ship a 1 oz. or less rectangular envelope. When putting your invitations and response cards together, make sure you’re within this weight limit, otherwise you’ll be paying more.
Sometimes people like to put a map or hotel info in the envelope, thereby adding to the weight of the envelope (and therefore upping the cost of postage). Unless you think it’s absolutely necessary (like, you’re having a hoedown on a farm and there are no street signs for miles), chances are your wedding guests can figure it out based on an address. However, if you think there may be some logistical difficulties like finding the location, but you don’t want to add to the weight of the envelope, try just doing a small slip of paper or include on your invitation the URL to your own website. (You can make free wedding websites with a variety of companies, including My Wedding, eWedding, and The Knot, and these websites are a great place to put wedding details like venue and hotel info and registries — and they’re free with easy to use templates.)
When picking invitations, find packages that include small postcard response cards (no more than 4.25″ X 6″), this way you save on postage (as of this writing, postcard stamps are only $0.32 each).

Once you’ve determined an invite number and a budget range, it’s time to go stationery shopping! You want to keep in mind that while the save-the-date should be pretty casual, the wedding invitation sets the tone for what type of wedding it will be. Obviously, you wouldn’t send an invitation to a hoedown that was decorated in scrolls and calligraphy, and you also shouldn’t send a neon yellow, Comic Sans font bedecked invite if you’re having a steak-and-lobster sit down dinner, either. Give your guests an idea of what to expect, both in the wording of the invitation (“Tea reception to follow” or “Following the ceremony, enjoy barbecue and dancing in the barn”) and in the actual presentation of the invitation itself.

After much research and price comparisons, we eventually decided on seal and send invitations. We knew we wanted to keep postage costs and paper waste down, and this seemed like the easiest way to guarantee this. Here’s how they work: The invitations are one long piece of rectangular paper with a perforated bottom for the response cards. When sending them, you fold them in thirds (already creased for you), attach a seal to the outside (it resembles and envelope), and then add regular postage and a mailing address (you can get them to come pre-printed with your return address). So not only are you saving on postage, but there’s no need for the envelope-within-the-envelope-thing.

The company we used was called Seal-n-Send.com, however it looks as if they are now carried on the Ann’s Bridal Bargains website — this was three years ago, after all. (Here’s a link to the Seal-n-Send section of their website.) Three years ago, there were not nearly as many options as there are now, however it looks like their selection has grown a lot since then. Here are the invitations Josh and I ended up picking:

Click on this image to redirect to the webpage.

They were ideal for us because, aside from the price and the prospect of saving on postage with response postcards, they were pleasantly formal enough but still slightly unconventional (like our wedding). And did I mention they only cost $119.99 for 100 invitations? Yeah, we liked them just fine.

Here are some other great seal and send choices I found — all with personalization options including font and font color choices:

These are only $99.99 per 100 -- click on the image to go to the webpage.

Bright Blooms - Seal and Send Invitation

Only $119.99 per 100

Damask Arch - Ebony - Seal and Send Invitation

$119.99 per 100

Oooh… I especially like those damask invitations! And if you’re not sure which one you want based on the picture alone, you can order samples for free and see for yourself in person.

If you’re not into the whole seal and send thing, here are some more resources that have affordable invitations (and sometimes they’re on sale!):

Target
Michael’s
JoAnn
Wal-Mart
Costco
Sam’s Club
And a slew of websites — Google it!

As for save-the-dates, we went the postcard route, and I found the best deal on Vistaprint.com (kinda like we did for our Christmas postcards this year). We did our own backyard photo shoot, then stuck in our three faves for “save,” “the,” and “date.” Here was our finished product:

Save the Date postcard (front)

Save the Date postcard (back)

Awww…..

At the time, there was a special for first time customers, so I got 100 postcards for free — which was all we needed! However, we did have to upload our own photos, so we paid a few more bucks (like $10, I think), but being able to personalize these was important to us, so we were willing to spend this teensy amount of money. After buying a roll of postcard stamps, we weren’t out more than $30 for all of our save-the-dates (but this was three years ago, so prices have gone up a little since then).

Of course, there are numerous ways of getting cheap postcards made (including making your own using cardstock, a paper cutter, and whatever else you might use to decorate them). However, we went with Vistaprint specifically because of the free postcard special, but make sure you do your own Google search to find the best deals (or put your name on some mailing lists so you’re the first to know about any sales or specials).

I always love a little (or a lot) of DIY, but in the case of wedding invitations, I found that I couldn’t get the price at or under $1 an invitation when making them myself (accounting for the cost of supplies and printing), so to me it wasn’t worth it. But if you don’t mind the labor (and potential additional costs), or maybe you have a friend who can get the supplies or printing for you wholesale, then have at it! These will definitely be personalized to your wedding and give your guests a good idea of what to expect.

How about you folks out there: Do you have any tips or tricks for saving money with wedding invitations or save-the-dates? Did you go the DIY route? Anyone else try the seal and sends? Let me know in the comments below!

And you can check out the rest of the wedding series here…

Wedding Series Preview

Setting the Date

Saving on a Caterer

Wedding Wednesday: Finding a Caterer

Posted on February 22, 2012 by TheGingerPennyPincher

This week’s “Tying the Knot without Breaking the Bank ” post is a piggyback onto last week’s post where I offered money saving tips when picking a wedding venue.

I recommend checking out the previous posts first, before deciding on anything food related. It’s key to first know the date and what time of day your wedding will be — this can help you make some food decisions right off the bat.

So, you’ve picked a date and hopefully a venue at this point (or venues: ceremony and reception). Now it’s time to focus on that whole feeding-your-wedding guests thing — reception food! Depending on the limitations of your venue, you may be forced to use one of their preferred vendors. Such was the case with Josh and I when using the Foundry at Puritan Mill in Atlanta. And this fact almost made me walk away from this venue.

However, I was super honest with the representative at the Foundry, and that made all the difference. I asked her right up front which of her preferred caterers she thought would be the most reasonable, price-wise. She gave me two recommendations, one of which I ended up using (Carole Parks Catering — and they did an excellent job).

photo by jk Dallas Photography

Faced with a morning wedding, we decided on 11:00. Not too early, but not so late that we were getting married in the middle of lunch time. Our ceremony was about 45 minutes long, so by the time the chair/table transition happened, everyone was enjoying brunch around 12:00. Ok, so maybe that’s more of a lunch hour, but I didn’t notice anyone complaining — in fact, we got enough food for about 300 people, about 250 showed up, and there were no leftovers. So, lots of food that everyone seemed to love and still extremely affordable — because I explained up front that price was one of the most important factors and if they couldn’t work with me, I could work with someone else. I wasn’t rude about it, but honest. This polite honesty helped me get an even better price than I anticipated (though I never let on), and it also helped lay the groundwork for a positive rapport between the account executive and I (and this rapport helped us get a few freebies along the way!)

Fortunately, the catering company had an in-house bakery that we were able to take advantage of in the form of a delicious wedding cake with a small price tag (comparatively).

(Picture Time, Part 3!)

photo by jk Dallas Photography

However, some catering companies don’t have an in-house bakery or they charge a cake cutting fee or some other such nonsense. Make sure when making an honest and reasonable budget for food that you consider the cost of a cake and any other dessert you may want (a groom’s cake, for example).

Ok, so aside from getting married on a Sunday morning in January, having a brunch (arguably the lest expensive meal), and using pluck, kindess, and honesty with the caterer, there are additional ways to save money with a wedding:

If you’re hosting a backyard wedding (or one at the home of a friend or family member), there’s no reason in the world why you can’t take care of the food yourself! Go to a warehouse club like Sam’s or Costco (borrow someone’s card if you don’t have your own) and buy whatever you’re wanting in bulk. The Petersiks over at Young House Love hosted their own backyard barbecue to much success and spent less than $1,000 on food, drinks, and cake (check out their wedding post here).
If you’re looking for even bigger savings, perhaps enlist the help of friends and family, potluck style. Figure out a menu, then approach each individual requesting their help in lieu of a gift. It’s definitely non-traditional, but it would certainly make for a unique reception, and if you’re clear with your request (“Please make 1 tray of macaroni and cheese?”), then it can still have the finished feel that other catered receptions have. However, bear in mind that without a caterer, you also are without a waitstaff, so consider seeking volunteers for this as well (or hire your own) — this is definitely not something you or your parents (and future in-laws) should have to worry about on the big day.
It really should go without saying, but a sit down dinner will always cost more than a buffet. Of course. And if you’re really seeking to save money, this couldn’t be a more obvious first step to make. I understand that it’s a regional thing (buffet style is more prevalent in the South, sit down dinners are more prevalent in the North), but I honestly don’t see the harm (or tacky-ness) in allowing people to get food for themselves. (In fact, I prefer it as a wedding guest.) This way the guests actually get what they want, and a buffet encourages a more relaxed and social environment (versus sitting in chairs at tables that have been assigned to them). And if you didn’t want to socialize with friends and family on your wedding day, you would’ve just done the justice of the peace thing, right?
It’s a common misconception that hors d’oevres are cheaper than an actual meal (and I mean buffet style, in this instance). Sometimes hors d’oevres are cheaper, however in the ever evolving foodie world, hors d’oevres are becoming less about tapas/appetizer/small bites o’ food and more about works of art (those mini grilled cheeses probably took twice as much time to make as that tray of macaroni cheese and probably feed half as many people). This added labor can up the price quickly… and we don’t like that. Again, this is not a black and white thing, but don’t assume that hors d’oevres are always the thriftiest option; explore various options with your caterer until you get the price you want. Which leads me to my next point:
Most caterers will do a free estimate for you, which means a sample menu of what you can expect if you choose them (along with a personalized price list based on the size of your event, i.e., the number of guests you expect). Until you’ve given them a deposit, don’t feel you have some sort of allegiance to anyone, and if they cannot meet your needs in the price range that works for you, don’t feel guilty about walking away. Be realistic, but be thorough in your search for a good product at a good price.
Negotiate. Don’t be scared. I didn’t settle with the first estimate I received, however delicious it sounded. I went through the menu and realized there were some unnecessary things (or foods that most people would probably pass on, therefore potential waste). I responded with specific suggestions and requests, until we figured out an affordable menu that I thought would actually be enjoyed (much less, eaten). These little tweaks also helped bring the price down a wee bit… which is always good.
Be true to who you are as a couple. Do you actually like the food you’re serving? If you were going to celebrate a major accomplishment, would you go out for steak or order a pizza? I’m not saying call Domino’s to cater your wedding (though that would be undeniably fun), but be honest with your own personal style (and budget limitations) and make food choices that actually make sense with you as a couple. You will enjoy the day more, and it will be a celebration that’s authentically you. Not to mention your guests will appreciate this and enjoy themselves more. (Except for Aunt Frances who won’t be able to stop clutching her pearls over… something scandalous. Who knows what.)
Have a tea! Scones, finger sandwiches, pastries… and tea, of course. This would be inexpensive, and you wouldn’t have to apologize for it as long as you pick a time of day that’s appropriate to this type of food (so a reception some time between 1:00 and 4:00). And of course, it’s even better if you give your guests a heads up on the invitation (“Tea reception to follow”), that way they know exactly what to expect and are prepared.
Chicken is cheaper than steak or seafood. And pasta is cheaper than most anything, not to mention it can stretch more.
Skip the cocktail hour. Yes, as the bride and groom (or bride and bride or groom and groom), you may want a minute to yourselves to relax, take pictures, bask in newly-wed-ness, but your guests will be perfectly fine without the passed plates and martinis. They can wait. And in the mean time, you can provide them with something to do until the food comes out. We had a wish jar where everyone could write “wishes” for us to read after the wedding (and these “wishes” proved both lovely and humorous). You could also do a photo booth or an interactive guest book (a videographer interviews your guests). There are endless possibilities to occupy your guests, so don’t worry about a little extra food that they probably won’t notice anyway (not to mention a cocktail hour requires more waitstaff, i.e., hundreds of more dollars).
Consider what foods will be in season when you are getting married, especially certain fruits, which may cost more at different times of the year (as well as flowers — more on that in a few weeks).
We had a dry wedding. Gasp! Was this our first choice? Not exactly, but it was the most cost-effective choice (we’re talking the difference of a few thousand dollars with our particular venue), and with a lot of Baptists in the family (I say this with love), paired with the fact that we were getting married on a Sunday morning… yeah, a dry wedding just made the most sense. If Josh and I had to do it over again, the only thing we would have done differently was celebrated with some of our closest friends at a bar or something afterwards, but this was hardly a thing that ruined the wedding (or so I believe when I look at pictures of my friends dancing like crazy people at the reception). Again, this being a Sunday morning wedding, this omission was a lot more justifiable than if it was an evening wedding. My money saving point in all of this is: a dry wedding is the cheapest, but if you want alcohol at your wedding (beyond a champagne toast), you need to make sure your venue doesn’t make this impossible. A cash bar is sometimes an option, however there are many sides to this and many people have strong opinions, and in general, a lot of folks out there think a cash bar is… tacky. You know your friends and family, and you can make the final ruling on this, but I knew it wasn’t something I was interested in.
Also, venues vary, but be careful of the “we’ll charge per drink”/tally system that some venues do. Limit the alcohol to just the first 2 hours, or just wine and beer, or just a signature (pre-mixed) cocktail. And if you have a little more freedom, then providing your own alcohol would definitely be more cost-effective (a few kegs and 2 buck chuck from Trader Joe’s — you can’t beat it!).

That’s all the wisdom I have for today (if you can call it that). Hope these tips help! And as always, if you’re reading this from a “been there, done that” standpoint and you feel you have a few tips to offer, please do so in the comments section below (or click on the permalink above to be directed to the comments section). Thanks!

Check out the previous Wedding Wednesday posts:

Preview