Monday, October 27, 2014

Do it yourself weddings. Smart Save ideas for a tight budget wedding.

WEDDINGS. Something that gives me jitters every time. At puberty even up to now when I am a bit old already, I did not have the heart attending to such. It makes me terrified just fitting up a gown for the entourage or being questioned as to when I will get hitched with my long time boyfriend. Yes I didn’t have the heart for it, but surely I am always fascinated of how things can be so magical on a wedding day.

Until my turn came, early this year I and my boyfriend have decided to tie the knot! Yeeyy!

We were so excited about it! And so clueless we didn’t know what to plan and where to start. Caught us some slack, we’re young and didn’t have much savings but we’re too in love to let the momentum slip away!

We religiously researched on smart-save budgeted weddings; we resulted in doing a DO IT YOURSELF (Diy) WEDDING.

On this blog I will be sharing some of the stuffs we did for our wedding. During our preparation I have learned so much about budgeting and practicality.

Here are my advices for DIY weddings:

Do a research!  There are a lot of smart-save styles for a simple DIY wedding.

Before you start planning make sure you already have decided on which motif you wanted to pursue.


Look for:

-         Wedding gown. Choose a simple but elegant wedding gown patterns or ready to wear wedding gowns available on the internet or wedding shops maybe. If you decided to have a made to order gown, make sure that you choose a mid-class fabric, neither the cheap one nor the expensive ones, just MID-CLASS. Satins are less expensive than fabricated laces fyi.

-         Entourage dresses. “First user dresses/gowns” are good if you have the budget but if not just rent. You just have to meticulously check for cuts and stains.

-         Make up. Look it up on youtube. Or let somebody else do it for you. Have a trial make-up with a friend so you’ll have a glance on how you want to look on your wedding day. The same thing also goes with your hairstyle. For your entourage it’s better to set a flower crown for the girls to save putting much effort for the hair alone. Powder will do the trick for the boys.

-         Invitations and Wedding favors. Go for the least expensive style. Search on Instagram and Pinterest for DIY samples. It took me two months to finally come up with a simple concept for my invitations and souvenirs. Make sure that your designs for these two are similar. Don’t forget to put RSVP on your invitation cards. OR you may put ‘We have reserved __ seats for you.’ Trust me this one is essential.

-         Shoes. Buy new shoes for the bride and groom. It’s a rule. It doesn’t have to be expensive; it just has to be comfortable. For the entourage, it will be smart looking if they wear uniformed style of shoes. Choose something that they can also wear on casual events.

-         Flowers. Hire a florist if you can. But if not, there are also a lot of DIY flower arrangements you can search on IG and Pinterest. Don’t spend too much on the flowers. The flower decorations on the Church can be brought to the reception if you wish; you can save a lot on the decorations plotted at the reception by doing this. But don’t forget to inform the Church personnel or assistant if you plan on doing so. (Just a reminder!) Also a one long stem flower is a budget saver for the entourage compared to a bouquet of flowers, just put little ribbons on the holder part and it’s done. (Of course, it also depends on the theme and style you wish to have.)

-         Food/Reception. If you wish to save on this part. Make a list of the people who will be present on your wedding day. That’s a principle. Don’t run out of food and make a guest go hungry! How do you do it? Make a RSVP on your invitation card. Remember that you can’t invite all the friends and relatives you have. Choose those people who are closest to you both and those who have been part of your relationship as a couple. Be realistic and don’t stay out of budget. If you really are in a tight budget, have your celebration on mid-morning/mid-afternoon set up; Serve snacks and refreshments instead of heavy lunch or dinner. Choose different type of meals, dry and savory. It all depends on your taste. Not all people eat the same type of foods, be sensitive that there are people who you may not known are allergic to certain types of foods and etc. Choose a variety of cuisines available by your Caterer.

-         Decorations. Make use of a tulle, put small ribbons and a couple of flowers to do the magic! Paper chains or paper patch is conventional. Don’t overdesign. Curtain drapes are elegant to look at only if you have the budget. Remember to never go overboard!

-         Cakes/Wines. Don’t go for tall standing ones. The principle of the slicing of the cake is for the couple to stay sweet for their entire lifetime. It doesn’t matter if you have a 4-5 layered cake, coz the cake won’t make your destiny. Nah seriously, just have a plain and simple one. One simple cake and a few cup cakes on the sides will do. Don’t drink too much alcohol, it will take away the moment. 100% sure!

-         Photos/Videography. Invest on photos for this will mark the most memorable day of your life. Make an album and call it your “memory lane”, look it up after 50 years after. Lucky if you won’t get Alzheimer’s early on. Seriously speaking, nothing is more valuable than keeping memories.

-         Program. Make it smart, entertaining and fun. Do the traditions first, wine toast, slicing of the cake, releasing of the doves, removing of the bridal garter, bridal dance/ money dance, tossing of the Bridal flower and etc. Don’t bore your guests; make sure to involve everyone around.

So I guess those are the essentials. I will be putting up our photos really soon. I hope you enjoyed reading and learned something. Put in mind that you are not getting married to impress other people. Spend what you can, only when you can. Don’t stay out of budget and drown out of debt. The Vow of the Holy Sacrament of Marriage is what will keep two hearts together, neither anything nor anybody else. Keep calm, don't over spend, just enjoy the moment...


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