{On the blog} Avoid these major money wasters

When it comes to your wedding, every penny counts! The more you save on the small things, the more you will be able to spend on the big and/or important things to you! After you and your fiancée initially decide on your budget and as you begin to spend your money, you will see how easy it is to go over budget. There are ways to cut back on just about everything, but we understand that you want your wedding day to be perfect and just the way you pictured it in your head. So, without having to sew your own dress or bake your own wedding cake, we offer a few areas we would like to warn you about as they can quickly become money wasters:

1. Party favors: These are not only money wasters, but they can also be time wasters. There are hundreds of cute ideas that are very cost effective! Your guests will attend your wedding to see you and your fiancée start a new chapter in your life, not to see what party favor you are handing you. Keep it simple and easy! 2. Your wedding dress: There are SO many options for wedding dresses, you should not have to spend a fortune (unless you really want to) for a wedding dress. Wedding dresses can now be found in more than just bridal shops, they can be found in department stores and they can even be ordered online (Buyer beware when buying anything online). Be diligent when shopping for your dress and look around at different stores to get the best price for you.

3. Champagne toast: 150 guests all having Champagne for your very special toast. The idea sounds lovely, but it can be very expensive. There are about 5 glasses of champagne to one bottle. A low end bottle of champagne can cost you a minimum of $20. You will need 30 bottles just for the toast. In a brief second, you just spent $500 on your champagne toast. It is perfectly acceptable to simply have your guests raise their glass (and whatever is in it) for the toast. Champagne can be offered at your bar or if you are intent on having a champagne toast, simply inform your caterer that you only want the glass half filled.

4. Printed Programs: Programs can be quite pricey if you begin to print lots of pages with colored pictures and have them bound. This task can be overwhelming for the at home printer so consider simplifying your program. It can be a one or two page program that is simply folded.

5. Menus: This is a nice touch, but often times you ask them to pre-select their dinner item on the RSVP card. Servers will be there to answer any questions about the menu and most people really aren’t there for the food. Also, feel free to post the menu either on a chalkboard or a cute display on the bar. This will save you time and money, both of which you will need plenty of.

There you have it, a few things we want you to consider to help keep your costs in check. Our tips listed above will help you not only save time and money, but it will also allow you to put more emphasis on the things that are really important to you.

Think we missed a major money waster? Email me and let me know.

Questions, comments or suggestions? I’d love to hear from you! Email me at adrianna@sterlingweddingsandevents.com