Your wedding plans depend on the amount of money you are ready to spend. With thousands of big and small details to look at, it is often difficult to determine what deserves more attention than the other.
If you are like most couples, your wedding may be the first occasion when you plan a party, so huge. So, it certainly isn’t easy. If you enlist the help of a wedding planner, you will receive very useful guidance on this front. This is because they are professionals, who have practice planning on a budget. Additionally, when working with a wedding planner, you don’t end up with nasty shockers like mentioned on this APW article, where something turns out to be twice the price you anticipated. One or two such instances, and all your budgeting goes for a toss. Nonetheless, wedding planners come at an added price, and not every couple can afford them.
In such a scenario, the easiest way is to prioritize what is most important to you, and plan your budget around it. Pick three priorities, allocate funds to these first, and then decide how to distribute the rest of your budget.
Take a look at this list, and choose the three most important things you want for your wedding from it. Once you do, you can divvy up your budget to accommodate the remaining details.
Dream venue and décor
Are you open to looking at various venue options, or do you have your heart set on a single location? All-inclusive wedding packages cover everything at a reasonable price, but do you want everything customized with the added price tag? Are you particular on a specific color palette, seating arrangement, or centerpiece design? If so, set aside a chunk of your budget for all this.
Menu and bar
Must you have a classic five-course plated meal, or will a buffet do? Do you want an open bar, or serve custom drinks only? Do you want your wedding to be remembered for the food and drinks you served, or is it just one of the other things at your wedding? Hiring local vendors and customizing your menu around seasonal dishes can reduce your food bill, if serving gourmet fare isn’t very important, to you.
Entertainment and photography
Wedding entertainment, in many cases, is what makes a reception a hit or miss. Here, you have to weigh the price of a live band against a DJ, consider the cost of games and hiring special entertainers for children. Similarly, do you want a particular professional photographer to cover your wedding, even if it means he charges twice as much as the others in the area?
Flowers, centerpieces, wedding cakes and favors
If you are prepared to try out various floral combinations, you may get a better deal. Similarly, how important is having exquisite centerpieces? As for favors, do you want to gift expensive one-of-a-kind favors, or is it enough to choose a keepsake, without a hefty price attached to it? In the cake department, how important is customizing it with very specific details? Or can you work with the best packages on offer?
Dresses for the couple
The wedding dress is expensive. Do you want to buy it brand new, or is it better to rent your dress, or even use mom’s dress, and save the rest of the money for something more important to you? The same goes for the groom too. If you plan on keeping the dress, figure in the cost of professionally preserving it as well.
Many couples choose not to invite children to their wedding. However, there are other couples who not only decide to invite children to their wedding but also look forward to including them in the ceremony.
Let us face it, having children in the ceremony makes it all the more pleasant and exciting. So, if you want your child or other children from your family involved in your wedding, here are some ideas on how you can have them participate.
Whether you love the idea of a Christmas-inspired wedding in spring, or want your holidays to be very merry with the added bonus of a wedding at the time, Christmas weddings are a delightful idea. Steeped in tradition, with so many festive elements, there are a few ideas we can borrow from Christmas and rock at your wedding.
With Santa’s visit scheduled in just a few days, this is the best time to take a look at how you can plan a fantastic Christmas wedding! So, bring on the holiday cheer and get ready to be inspired.
Let the tables at your wedding be elaborate masterpieces of red, gold, silver and white. Be generous with candles and throw in the seasonal signatures like fir, pine cones and holly. We love the idea of adding cute mini Santa hats and stockings with a scattering of snow for authenticity. Consider mixing in striped straws in red and white, cupcake cases that match the theme. Let the table linen be in red with white or gold accents. Or if you have a colorful centerpiece, opt for stark white table linen, instead.
Bouquets and floral decorations
The logical choice would be to choose a bouquet of red roses and have more of them throughout the décor. However, if you don’t want to limit yourself to reds and greens, you may like to consider colors like plum, purple and berry colors. A bouquet with berries alongside flowers would look fantastic, and perfectly Christmas-y! Add lavish doses of green into your floral décor and bouquets, and it will look more refreshing.
Festive wedding accessories
A flower crown would be festive and interesting. Or you could add tiny roses into your hairdo, and match the festive atmosphere with bright gold accessories. Add colors like berry or scarlet red into your makeup, or through your accessories to make sure you match the theme that’s going on. Skip the French manicure and do your nails in bright red. You could also consider a contrast waistband or deep red shoes for a pop of color.
Misty cool wedding dress
Choose a wedding dress that is snowy and exudes the holiday feel. Dresses with layers of misty tulle or with frothy ruffles would help you nail it. The other option is to dress yourself up in a vintage lace gown, complete with full sleeves and a high collar.
Bridesmaids in vibrant holiday colors
Experiment with reds, purples, green, silver and gold for your bridesmaids dresses. Marsala, which is the color of the year, would also be a great choice. If your wedding is in the winter, make sure you choose long gowns or find warm footwear, so your girls feel cozy. For dark dress shades, do the bouquets in white for a welcome contrast.
Minimalism is the new buzz word. With houses, offices and dresses, all taking the minimalist route, weddings are quick to follow. This article on This Luminous Life, gives us an insight into what minimalism is actually about. It rightly says that minimalism is not about getting rid of things, instead it is about shifting focus to what really matters in your life and making way for it by eliminating the unimportant things. Isn’t that an accurate way to put it?
Many couples now choose to have a minimalist wedding, for several reasons. For some it is about avoiding the stress associated with a big wedding. For others, it is about making it more meaningful by celebrating just with the people who matter to them.
While the term can mean different things to different people, having a minimalist wedding is usually a huge budget saver. Nevertheless, this doesn’t have to mean it shouldn’t be stylish. Minimalist weddings can have the desired impact, if you plan it right. Before we go into the planning part, let us take a quick look at why you may like to have a minimalist wedding.
Often, planning a big wedding ends up like a chore, especially when there are hundreds of details to perfect and it is entirely up to you to do it right. Even if you hire a wedding planner to do the planning part, it can seem impersonal and you may not really enjoy planning everything in bulk. Brides who want to enjoy every aspect of the planning and do it with perfection are better off when the wedding is small. Intimate gatherings are easier to personalize and allow you a better chance at enjoying the process.
#It helps keep your finances in check
Holding a big wedding is costly. Whether your parents or you pay for the expenses, there is no doubt that it will add up and a huge amount of money will be spent. Not all couples are keen on starting their life together in debt, or with most of their savings spent. A minimalist wedding offers more control over your wedding finances, and helps you plan a meaningful wedding without spending more than you can afford to.
#To keep it simple
Let us consider what a wedding is actually all about. Many weddings just end up being an extravagant show and people remember nothing beside all that was on display. Isn’t a wedding actually meant to be celebrating your love and being married in front of the people who matter to you? This idea is quickly forgotten with the stress of bringing together an elaborate wedding. Many couples find the pressure stifling, that they cease to enjoy their engagement. A minimalist wedding gives you a better chance of making the most of what you have, and enjoying every moment without worrying too much.
#To spend on the more important things
When you host a big wedding, you may feel obliged to spend on the food and favors.. This can sometimes leave you with a limited budget to travel to a place you love for your honeymoon. Or, it may be that you wanted a designer dress, but your funds run low after you budget for all the other wedding aspects. Keeping it simple will allow you to designate money to the more important aspects of your wedding, and not worry about impressing guests or obsess over how they will judge you.
Now, let us look at the planning part. How do you plan a minimalist wedding, and still make sure it has all that is important? These tips will tell you what to do.
1.Keep the crowd small
The wedding budget is directly proportional to the number of people attending it. If you think you should invite all the people you know, meet, have been friends with, whose wedding you have attended etc, the list will just go on. And with it, your ideas of keeping it small will have to be tossed out. Invite only your immediate family, close friends and those who you really want at your wedding. A good idea is to first fix a number, and then plan your guest list. This will allow you to narrow it down to people who are most important to you.
2.Leave out the fancy stuff
Unless it is important to you, of course! There is no rule that says your invitations have to be engraved, your décor should include real flowers or you have to buy your wedding dress. There is plenty of scope to customize, and you can find brilliant designs at a nominal cost. All you need to do, is to research options and find cost-effective ones. You can always rent a fabulous wedding gown at a fraction of the original cost and still be the beautiful bride you always wanted to be. Of course, with the bonus that you save a significant amount this way. Similarly, you can craft the look of the venue by mixing and matching options, or working with something that isn’t extra-expensive.
3.Plan the timing well
Did you know that wedding costs are significantly reduced, when held on weekdays? The same applies to when you get married during the off-peak-season. Have your wedding between December and February, and not only will it be easy to book the venue you want, you can also get a discount on it. The same applies to your caterers and other wedding services, as it is not wedding season. If you don’t mind having a wedding brunch instead of a dinner reception, you can also serve delicious meals at a cheaper rate.
4.Skip all that is unnecessary
There is a lot going on during the wedding planning, but have you ever felt that most of these are totally unnecessary? An engagement party, bridesmaids in matching outfits, save-the-date cards, expensive favors, flowers that have to be flown in and tiered wedding cakes—are all these actually compulsory? Keep the ones that really matter to you, and choose the sensible approach for the rest. Go with personalized wedding favors and bridesmaids in dresses that you choose specifically for the wedding, only if they matter to you. Go with seasonal flowers and accessories for the décor, a simple wedding cake, and minimum wedding stationery and your wedding will still be a wedding.
5.Getting help and delegating duties
There will be many people around you who would love to help. It may be family, or friends. Enlist their help and give them the chance to make your life easier. For a smaller wedding party, you can afford to find time to employ your DIY skills in making gifts and décor items. So, make the most of it. Not only will it be more personal, you will also enjoy it a lot more than just having everything done by a vendor. If there are florists, bakers or photographers in your circle, you can even delegate the wedding tasks to them, if appropriate.
With these 5 tips you should be well on your way to planning a meaningful minimalist wedding. We also suggest that you take a look at the Nourishing Minimalism blog page, for more ideas.
If you are stuck for ideas, here are some specific ideas to go minimal.
Invitations: For those of you who want to minimize expenses on stationery, either send out wedding invites by e-mail or print your own invites and send them out. But if you are looking at budget-friendly professional options, you can choose thermography or digital printing for your invitation cards.
Bridal party: Like we said before, skip the matching look and go with the mix ‘n’ match look instead. Find out how you can obtain cheap bridesmaids dresses on a budget with the help of this article. Or, you can always ask your girls to wear a common color (the Little Black dress is a wardrobe staple and your best bet), and work around to achieving a cohesive look through inexpensive accessories like shoes and belts.
Image Credit: Mark Taylor Cunningham, via Flickr [CC BY 2.0]
Wedding dress: Rent your wedding dress, buy it on sale or second-hand. If you start your search early, you can find fabulous vintage dresses on sale, and even second-hand dresses with tags. You don’t have to skimp on style, just because your wedding is minimalist. Although a dress silhouette may be simple, it can still be classic and stylish. The sheath and A-line silhouette are essentially minimalist, but you will find fantastic dresses in these options with a signature element or two that makes it fantastic. At stores like Best for Bride, several designer collections allow you to pick from what is available within your price range.
Accessories: If there are family heirlooms, make the most of the available choice by building your outfit around it. You can also consider wearing a wedding dress with an illusion neckline or longer sleeves to minimize the need for jewelry. Just like renting your wedding dress, you can do the same for accessories too. It makes sense too, as it is a one-time occasion and you needn’t spend so much on it.
Venue: For a small crowd, you could plan your reception in your backyard, at a nearby park or a site that your friend or family has agreed to lend you. With a little effort, even the simplest location can be transformed into a beautiful wedding venue, without the additional costs that you incur when booking an actual hall. You could also keep the ceremony and reception venue the same to minimize cost.
Venue décor: Limit the décor to what is available seasonally and locally, and try to DIY for a pocket-friendly choice. Look at Pinterest or other online websites and borrow ideas to make the most of simple décor items that you can find at thrift stores. Consider alternatives to flowers, like potted plants, candles, berries, fruits and vegetables, to make attractive but inexpensive centrepieces and decorations.
Food and cake: You do not need the classic tiered wedding cake, especially for a small crowd. Either ask to make a faux cake with just the first tier made from actual cake, or choose practical and equally attractive options like wedding cupcakes or a dessert buffet instead. Opt for brunch or a buffet with local and seasonal fare to keep the food costs minimum.
Bouquets: The bride needs a bouquet alright, but it doesn’t have to be made from exotic blooms. Equally appealing bouquets can be crafted from flowers like daisies, lilies and lavender. Even wild flowers can be grouped together to create a fantastic rustic and unique looking bouquet. If you are flexible, you can even work with what you find on the day before the wedding, and design your bouquet around it. Another option is to use silk flowers or faux flowers to create a beautiful and different bouquet.
Wedding favors: Think of whether photo wedding favors or expensive wrapped favors will actually be displayed or used by your wedding guests. If you really want to gift a favor that will be appreciated and used, gift edible favors like cookies or candy that will cost less too. The other option is to gift green wedding favors like plant starters or nice sachets of tea or coffee that will find use.
Driveaway car: Skip the limousine or vintage car, and instead go with a regular car that has been decorated to look festive enough for a wedding. As with everything else, remember that it is not all about impressing the guests, it is about functionality and how meaningful it is. As long as you keep this in perspective, everything will seem alright.
Now that you have all the inputs you need to plan your perfectly practical and minimalist wedding, you are set to act. Whether you want to buy or rent your wedding dress, visit our bridal gallery at Best for Bride and you are bound to find a dress that you will fall in love with. Also find all your wedding needs, ranging from décor and accessories to wedding favors and invitations, all at our Best for Bride stores.
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Dresses for the couple 
