Recession-Style Weddings

We are getting married in August in my fiancee's parent's back yard, and are doing most of it very simply, DIY, or with friends' help. A friend who is a costume designer is making my wedding dress, a graphic designer friend has designed our invitations (we saved $175 by rubber-stamping our return address on the envelopes instead of having it letterpress-printed on), and another friend (photographer/filmmaker) is doing the photography. We have put a lot of trust in people who are young and talented and just starting out and who are willing to give us a friend rate. My fiancee's mother and some friends are doing all the cooking, and a generous family friend is buying our cake (well, cupcakes) as our wedding present. I also have another friend making 200 raw vegan chocolate truffles as a wedding gift. Also, my future in-laws are both painters and are very connected in their community, so we are lucky to be able to trade art for wine and borrow tables and chairs from the local museum! In spite of all this, though, I don't feel like we are compromising on too many things. I think our wedding will be extra special because of all the love that is helping make it happen!

There are tons of ways to save and most guests woudln't even miss the stuff. I did a lot of DIY stuff. I made the invitations and favors myself with supplies I bought at AC Moore... tied bows on them to add that "little something special"... most people had no idea but I probably saved a few hundred dollars there. I printed my own programs for the church service instead of ordering them, which was time consuming but worth it because we wrote our own vows, anyway.

I also bought a sample designer dress... there are many shops, even the fancy ones, where if you buy the one "off the floor" instead of sending away for it, they'll give you a huge discount, sometimes 50%... you have to be a sample wedding dress size, though (6-8 usually). I got exactly what I wanted though for a great deal cheaper than it would have been had I special ordered it.

I also used a small, independently run florist who worked out of her house. The flowers turned out to be one of my favorite things because they were so unique.

I had my makeup done at the MAC counter at Macy's for a great deal cheaper than it would have been at a salon. One salon quoted me in the several hundred dollar range, and at Mac wedding makeup was included with a $50 makeup purchase.

There are lots of other ways, too. Don't be too proud to accept offers for help from family, too. My parents graciously offered to foot the bill for food and alcohol... I wasn't about to turn that down! Plus, those are the ONLY two things that I think you can't skimp on. Favors? A band? Ice sculptures? Vienesse dessert table? Unnecessary, and SOOO last millenium.

For our low cost wedding, we chose to tie the knot in our town square. There is no fee to use the gazebo and we will be in the city we first met. My fiance's spouse tailored my dress for me and is making me a veil. Instead of a large dinner party for all our friends, we are hosting a small intimate dinner for the immediate family after which we are hosting a small cocktail party for our friends. One of our closest friends is even going to perform the ceremony. Viola!

My husband and I told friends to meet us at the base of Cannon Mountain at a certain time on a certain date. We were able to get the group rate to take the tram up together, we were married on the observation deck by a JP friend and went to dinner afterwards at a local restaurant. My dress cost $75 off the rack at a local store, husband's clothes were equally as inexpensive. Total cost: approximately $500 (dinner for 22 was the most expensive). It's all in the mindset - we didn't need extravagant clothes, settings, etc. We did it to solidify our commitment to one another, not to show off our ability to go into debt.

DIY is huge this year. And for brides who don't have time for DIY, but still want the handmade look and the cost-savings, there's Etsy Alchemy. Etsy Alchemy allows buyers (it’s free to join and anyone can become a buyer) to post requests for custom handmade items. Buyers state how much they will pay for their completed project. Sellers bid on the opportunity to create the goods - which can be anything from a wedding dress to a ringbearer pillow.
You can read more about it here http://www.intimateweddings.com/blog/recessionista-bride-tips-on-saving-...

Small weddings are also becoming increasingly popular. Less guests = less money.

I’m getting married in July. Recession aside, Sarah and I are not into big ,expensive weddings, so we're getting married on the beach and foregoing expenses like fancy dresses, tuxes, or wedding cakes. My groomsmen and I are wearing linen summer pants, nice summer shirts, and flip flops. Sarah bought a dress for $39. Her bridesmaids will wear summer dresses that they can wear again. Instead of getting us a gift, some of our friends are throwing us a barbecue for the reception. Sarah's family will be making about a hundred cupcakes. Our friend Adam is playing a few hymns on the guitar. Reception entertainment will include Frisbee, swimming, and whatever else folks want to do at the beach. Rather than incur the cost (and effort!) of mailing out invitations, we started a blog that we update a few times a week. The blog costs us nothing, and it’s been a huge hit. A friend of ours is a wedding photographer, and she's cutting us a great deal--that's the single biggest expense, but having the pictures are definitely worth it. We found a ring for Sarah for $120; mine only cost $8. We're having our "rehearsal dinner" at Flatbread in Portsmouth. All told, I think the whole thing will cost about $3000. The most important part, though, is I think it’ll be fun and meaningful—and that’s all we really care about.

By working together and thinking in the long term, our congregation, The Nashua First Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been putting on nice receptions for our sons on daughters for under a thousand dollars. Some of us have learned to do wedding cakes and others help with the wedding gowns, either construction or reconstruction dresses. I've been investing in table clothes and serving pieces and cook ware over the years and have developed a volunteer team of caterers that can would amaze you. I know that as I make these investments, they will be available for the wedding of my three children and can help with the weddings of all their peers. We have a great time and take the big money out of the special day.

Anyone tried doing their own music? When I got married we brought in our 5 CD changer programmed with CD's I'd mixed beforehand, but setting a playlist and running your own music would be even easier today. Or is it so easy that everyone already does it?

My fiancee and I are getting married this August and are trying to think outside the box so that we do not have to make too many cut backs. Our first decision was to get married on a Wednesday, which saves us thousands of dollars because of vendor discounts. Also we are doing a lot of work ourselves with the help of our friends, for example our invites, favors, and music.

I own a wedding rental business. I rent all of the little things that you need for a wedding, like flower girl baskets and ring bearer pillows. This can be a way to keep your wedding cost effective and still have the touches that you want. Readers can contact me at borrowedbliss@comcast.net, call me at 603-521-5544, or visit my website at home.comcast.net/~borrowedbliss/site.

Thank You,
Nicole Blaha