Need help saving money for your wedding ?

Since Nick proposed, I’ve been looking for ideas, gaps, & so much more on how to save money and not end up with a 2093509237498324729034723987 $ wedding.. if that’s even possible. People get so carried away! You don’t need a fondue fountain, candy carts or ice carvings. 

So, I put together a list of things that may be helpful! Enjoy !!

Songs:

• Find a jar or a box ANYWHERE & when there is a song you like put a given amount ( your choice ). Every time it plays, put money in there. When a song you DON’T like the song - force yourself to hear it & reward yourself by putting a given amount ( maybe double of what you put for the song you like) in the jar. I read of a couple who saved up 6,000$ within a year, they had a whole playlist!

Cursing:

• This may help or hinder you to be honest - lol. With the same technique as the songs - place a price for every curse word you KNOW you use. Every time you say it, mark it down or put that to the side. I won’t tell you how much I’ve saved ;) lol..

Working out:

• Your biggest goal when working out is how you look in your wedding dress.. yes? Well, your dress is also to be gorgeous. So every time you work out, push yourself, or try something new - pay yourself. Reward yourself for a job well done!

Goals:

• Set a daily goal(s) and a weekly goal(s) - every time you complete one, give up a set price. When you don’t get it done - give it up! Twice the size!

On top of these goals, put $5-$10-$20 dollars in there a day, if you can.. 

If you put in 5 a day, that’s 35/week — 140/month ; & 840 in 6 months

If you put in 10 a day, that’s 70/ week —280/month ; & 1680 in 6 months

If you put in 20 a day, that’s 140/week — 560/month ; & 3360 in 6 months

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE ! 

How many is too many ? Where do you draw the line?

I’ve been stressing the Wedding Invites .. Like.. nuts. I have so many people that I HAVE to invite & then there’s a list of people that are under a “Big Maybe” ( literally, BIG MAYBE). & it’s so hard to narrow down. 

I was told by a friend to not even bother setting a limit but to make sure that I’m not inviting people who I haven’t spoken to. She went so far as to suggest that if these people weren’t present BEFORE the announcement of our engagement - to not bother inviting them after. 

If you are planning your wedding & find that your guest list is struggling -do the following: 

• Before even thinking about a number, write down the people that come to mind when you think of your wedding. 
• First and foremost, it should be FAMILY. Family should always come first. Then, come the friends. Friends should be your closest. Not people who like your Facebook status’ or send you a general text saying “happy bday”. Chances are if they are that cheap with a birthday message, they’ll be cheaper when it comes to welcoming this new, exciting stepping stone in your life. 
• Decide whether or not you want children to attend. Certainly, the flower girl(s) & ring bearer have to be there - but there is nothing wrong with you wanting it to be an all adult thing,. Personally, I invited children. It’s a way to welcome and bless your marriage - with the old & the young. Just a thought though. 
• Divide the list : DEFINITE invites, POSSIBLE invites, & ( literally ) “If I have to” invites. Which makes sense if you think about it. There are going to be a lot of people on your list that go under the latter because they are family members & friends that you haven’t seen in months, even years, and you cannot feel guilty. There is nothing wrong with being frugal & logical. 
• When sending out invites - send to the possibles that you know WILL make it. 
• Remember, couples get one invite - let them know that they are BOTH invited. No Guests attending is needed here. 
• For those that are single, indicate whether or not they are allowed to bring a guest. Remember to keep that thought when making the list. In fact, you are better off asking if they would like to bring a date. 

After the venue is set, your hardest feat is narrowing down the guest list. Remember you ONLY want the people who have supported your relationship from the beginning, those who TRULY matter & those who YOU know will be there and make your special day .. one to remember <3

Flowers:

I decided that I don’t need a whole bunch of flower arrangements, nor do I need them to be done for me.. While my wedding is a little over a year and a half away — there is nothing wrong with being firm on my wants.

I’ll be buying vases from Ikea - different sizes and shapes.. & I’ll be putting at tops 5-6 flowers in each vase. I urge for simplicity… Besides, these vases serve great purpose when Nick and I move into our own place :) 

Because I plan to do everything hands-on and throughout the week leading up to our wedding — it’s simple. Vases + flowers = hit. Simple. Elegant. Ta-da. 

Bouquets: 

Each bridesmaid gets to pick their signature colors — because it’s a fall wedding & the colors are very simple on the invites, coasters, table settings, envelope seals & so forth .. they get to design everything, however they want. My parents suggested I just pay someone to get it done.. but I think it’d be a cute idea for the girls and I to share this moment <3 

What do you guys think ? 

So, most people think I’m crazy when I say this, because let’s face it .. it is very rare- but I’d like spend no more than 20,000 on this wedding & that’s pushing it. Fact of the matter is - venues alone are a good 8-12k.. everything else is added by intricacy, details, specific nutty things —-

When I got down to it.. people spend a crap ton on photos, wedding favors, food & flowers. Something I don’t want to do. I don’t need to waste wedding favors that sit and collect dusts & flowers that will unfortunately be thrown away. Food & photography are inevitable - good food is needed & memories must be captured!

I spoke to a friend who did her wedding in the same location that I am considering & she spend 35,000$.. no can do. 

Let’s see how far this gets :T