The Easiest Way to Plan on a Budget

I’ve been reading lots and lots of advice on how to plan a wedding on a budget. Some of this advice has been excellent, some of it has been awful, and most of it has contradicted other advice I’ve read. So here it is, my practical advice for planning your wedding on a budget in only two steps:

Step One: Decide What Kind of Hostess Do You Want to Be (a.k.a. budget advice to ignore)

It’s YOUR day, but by inviting people to your wedding, you are accepting the responsibility of making sure your guests enjoy themselves. This is really important to me for a few reasons. Not only do I pride myself on being a good hostess, but I also know the (well-earned and prolonged) trash talk that follows a wedding thrown by someone who disregards their guests.

On many of these “ways to save money” lists I’ve seen, there are a few glaring culprits that show up repeatedly. A lot of this is regional and even family-specific, but in my area, these cost cutters will annoy the heck out of everyone you know.

1.       Cash bar. While I know in some areas it’s completely normal, fundamentally, I believe that if you invite people to an event where they bring you a gift, it’s inappropriate to ask them to buy their own drink. You can still save money here, but do it nicely. If you and your fiancé aren’t drinkers, don’t offer alcohol. If you’re trying to control cost, offer just beer and wine.  If you want to limit the drinking, try a champagne fountain and sodas.

2.       Potluck. As above, people bring gifts to weddings. Throw a potluck and you’re asking not only for a gift, but also for them to feed themselves… and other people!

3.       Dessert receptions. In my 20’s, I would have been all over this. In my 30’s not so much. Even if you are throwing a mid- afternoon wedding and don’t want a full meal, you should serve sweet and savory snacks.

Decide what’s Important to You

This is where you can get whiplash the advice: “programs are a waste, don’t do them!” and then the next site is “programs are a lovely way to tie together your theme.” So here is what I suggest:

Beyond being a good hostess, make a list of what will make you happiest.

Having a list will help you prioritize (because it can quickly become the case that EVERYTHING is critical if you don’t). Make a list of all of the elements of your wedding, and then rank them in order of what you care about most. Look at your budget and figure out if you’re out of whack. If programs are at the bottom of your list, cut them. If they are at the top, dip those suckers in gold.

I am atypical in that the photos and flowers are not very important to me, but serving an incredible meal is. So, I have a friend taking pictures for me, which saves over $1,300. My sister and I are going DIY the flowers, saving about $1,000. So $2,300 divided among about 90 guests upped my per person budget by $25 and let us select a nicer caterer. 

Maybe this is helpful, maybe not. All in all, just my two cents for what it’s worth!

Wedding Planning Advice... Buying a dress made more practical

So, last Thursday I mentioned my upcoming wedding, how planning increased my estrogen level, and that there are differences in wedding planning in your 20's versus your 30's. Here is what I consider to be the biggest difference, at least for those of us financing our own event-- mortgages. I am working on planning a wedding while paying a mortgage, car payment, student loans, etc., and those things take precedence over one day.

That said, I do have a perfectly comfortable budget, and I do, like most brides, have dreams of looking perfect. So I, of course, want the perfect dress. However, the quest for such has proven to be a bit eye opening. Thus, even though I have not yet bought my dress, I have some suggestions for how to get a dress that makes you feel beautiful without making you cry.

1. Don't be bullied. In each salon I have been to, I have been shamed about my budget, and then seen consultants quickly (and ineptly) pull out their hard sell tactics-- don't fall for it, and don't feel pressured to buy on the spot. You do NOT want to be shamed or bullied into buying a dress because then, no matter how much you love it, your perfect dress will be perfectly tainted by the crappy situations under which you bought it. 
2. Don't think you have to go to a salon. I do recommend that you go to a salon, try on dresses of different colors, fabrics, and shapes to get an idea of what you want. If you buy it there, great. But there are also other venues you can look at. Does wearing a pre-owned dress make it less perfect for you? If not, try http://www.preownedweddingdresses.com/. If you want a new gown, look for at places like www.bestbridalprices.com/‎ have discount dresses. 
3. Don't go to China. OK-- this isn't so much a rule as a request.  There are many Chinese manufacturers selling dresses at steep discounts that seem almost too good to be true. However, these discounts are often because designs by prominent designers and are literally being stolen. While I am far from a fashionista, as a writer I know what it feels like to have years of your work completely devalued. Yep, you're getting a deal, but that designer is getting nothing.  And, if that is not a solid reason, research the reviews on these sites. You will find many cases of people who did not get what they ordered, or got a low-quality product that they then had no way of seeking a refund. It's a risk on top of IP theft.
4. Don't feel roped into to "traditional." Maybe you have your heart set on that poofy cupcake dress, and if so, more power to you. However, if you are looking for something simpler, or perhaps more elegant, consider looking into evening gowns or non-traditional vendors like www.forherandforhim.com/‎ . They have lovely products at even lovelier prices. 
5. Don't succumb to "the feeling." Chances are, most of us have watched "Say Yes to the Dress" enough to intrinsically believe that if you cry, its the dress. The first dress I put on was "the dress" and I loved it. I had "the feeling" and I WANTED it... But it was $700 over my budget. So, I did a REALLY tough thing and walked away. Since then, I have found another dress that also gave me "the feeling." In fact, there have been several such dresses, all closer to my budget. Now, if you try on more and never get the feeling again, look around for a good deal, see where else you can tweak the budget, and then decide if the feeling is worth it.

Wedding advice for the 30-something dude of a bride... Part 1

So yesterday I mentioned that I've been fighting illness-- not the greatest thing in my life at the moment-- but did not mention something very, very exciting in my life. I am getting married! Next June, I am walking down the aisle.

What's interesting to me is the undocumented connection between an engagement ring (and this sparkly beauty is mine) and an increased estrogen level. Yes, ladies and gentleman, me-- lover of horror, action, and sci-fi films, hockey fan, and vehement hater of all things heart-shaped-- have turned into an habitual Pinterest swooner.

Two of my closest friends are also in various stages of wedding planning, but I am noticing something very interesting in comparing our collective experiences in light of that of the friends of mine who got married in their 20's had. It seems to me that when you're in your 30's, and in my case paying for the wedding yourself, you approach the whole experience in a different light.

Thus, though it goes against the writer in me who wants to reserve this space for all things literary, moving forward, I'm going to share some ideas and thoughts about staying sane, and avoiding bankruptcy, while planning a great event. Stay tuned for next Thursday...