Plan a First-Rate Wedding on a Tight Budget
What is your dream wedding? Do you have grandiose, exuberant ideas and the odd ice sculpture in mind? It's hard not to fantasize over celebrity weddings and A-list parties that bombard us online. If you can afford it, why not? A wedding is meant to be the happiest day of your LIFE, right? RIGHT?!
My, that’s a lot to live up to! Enter a worldwide pandemic, less job security and the first recession in Australia in twenty-nine years. You may ask yourself, can I have the wedding of my dreams without emptying my pockets?
Why yes, yes of course!
Call Out On Social Media
Somewhere in your contact list, you’ll find a friend or acquaintance working in a wedding related-industry. Reach out on Facebook: “Does anyone know a photographer/makeup artist/celebrant/restaurant owner?" You’ll be surprised how much money you’ll save by accessing mates rates or even free services as a wedding gift from friends.
My own wedding started to fall apart last minute. I’m talking ripped dresses, double booked vendors, and the trusty San Francisco fog rolled in the morning of my wedding. I scrambled on Facebook and found videographers who captured the most breathtaking footage. They even went back the next day to film the venue exterior, fog free!
Formal Dresses VS. Wedding Dresses
A treasure trove of wedding couture stores line Sydney Road in Brunswick, Victoria. Early one morning, I stumbled into Duchess Boutique. Amongst racks of debutante gowns and school formal dresses, I spotted a gorgeous open-weave lace dress in the wildest colour. Dare I walk down the aisle in an orange lace dress with nude lining? Or do I succumb to the modest white lace over white lining? Is black on nude a bit much?
No! I marched to the counter and asked if they would create a custom gown - white lace over nude lining please! They said YES to that dress and I received the perfect 1920s style wedding dress. $450 including alterations ain’t too shabby!
Flower Farm
You can save thousands of dollars on your floral arrangements. Seriously. Visit your nearest flower market or farm and see which blooms are stocked about a month out from your wedding. Return a few days before your big day with some trusty buckets and purchase your flowers. You can style your event for a modest $500. Have your Instagram or Pinterest vision board handy for reference. The gorgeous homemade bouquet below features flowers picked from Van Gogh Flowers in Hawthorn, VIC.
The day or so before your wedding, call on your bridal party, mum and aunties to place bunches of flowers into mason jars and galvanised buckets. Wrap burlap and lace around the DIY vases and call it a day. This flower hack brings me to my next point:
DIY
You’ve heard of Pinterest right? Peruse social media to find inspiration. Do-it-yourself blogs, videos, and step-by-step guides are at your online fingertips. Get crafty with items you may already have at home and see how easy and fun it is to put personal touches into your wedding decor. For specific ideas, subscribe to my blog. I’ve got a full DIY post coming at you! For now, collect empty jars, wine bottles, ribbon scraps and whatever else you think may be useful.
Ask For A Discount
Yes, the wedding industry can be overpriced and we all love a bargain. Don't get too carried away haggling with small businesses. However, if you truly cannot afford your dream whatever, it doesn’t hurt to ask what your favourite supplier can offer within your budget.
In the early years of 8 Count Dance Weddings and Hens Parties, I had one bride plan her own hens party. At the last minute, she only had a handful of guests coming and couldn’t meet the minimum spend for our dance class. She politely asked for a discount. I was able to work with her budget and cut back on finer details so that she got her girls night out. Don’t worry, she still got some bells and whistles! I never let a bride get hitched without the princess-fairy-all-eyes-on-me experience.
No matter what your wedding wishes are, spend time researching, placing enquiries and take the reins yourself. With a little imagination, you can have a delightfully impressive wedding - at a fraction of the cost. So get out there!
Got more ideas to add? Comment below!