TIME CRUNCH AND MONEY SAVING WEDDING TIPS
@lakenhammon and I sat down to discuss how she planned her wedding in under 3 months!! Not only did she tie everything together in a short amount of time, she also saved some money on her big day. Let’s talk about how to plan on a time crunch, save money, things she is glad she did, and things she would have changed about the day!
-The first step is to change your mindset!! Weddings aren’t just a huge party, they are a day for you and your spouse to tie the knot and begin your life as husband and wife and to celebrate that! In today’s society it is easy to get caught up in the idea that you need to have a big wedding with all the things. When in reality a wedding should be all about you, your spouse, and your favorite things!
– Make a list of the top 3 things that are most important to you for your wedding. This could be your photographer, your venue, and your dress. Splurge on these things! If there is a photographer that you love their style and would love for them to capture your day but they’re a little pricey, splurge on them!! Making a list of things that are important to you can also help you maintain your vision, that way when others try and incorporate things that aren’t fitting your vibe it’s easier to express to them your vision!
– Make a list and take one task at a time. There is a lot that goes into weddings. If you are finding yourself overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done, make a list and go task by task. This will help you feel more accomplished and organized when planning. A good resource for this is the knot app! I recommend all of my brides to use it and especially those who don’t have a planner. It will break tasks down for you according to your wedding date and make the process seem effortless!
– If you’re in a time crunch, be flexible! There are always going to be hiccups and things won’t always go as planned. Don’t be discouraged!
– Look on Facebook marketplace for decor! After a wedding many people go to the marketplace to sell their decorations. This is a great way to get your dream decor for less than retail price!
– Don’t worry about expensive food for the guests! Try something out of the ordinary! Laken decided to have Moes and Pizza cater her wedding and it was a HIT! This saved them so much money and allowed them to incorporate some of their favorite food!
– Wedding cakes today are normally hundreds and increase depending on your number of guests. Laken got her cake at Sam’s Club for just $39 dollars! They then added some flowers and other touches to the cake and it was reception ready!!
-Creating centerpieces, bouquets, and boutonnières can be expensive when going through a florist. Go to your local grocery store and create your image on your own! This will not only save you lots of money but it will help make sure everything looks exactly the way you want!
Not only did we talk about planning on a time crunch and saving money, we also talked about the things she did and the things she regretted doing!!
Things she’s glad she did…
– An audio book instead of a guest book! Guests would pick up the phone on the table and a voicemail would automatically play saying “hi, you’ve reached ____, sorry we can’t get to the phone. Please leave us a message” At the end of the night you have sweet messages from all your guests that can be put onto a hard drive or even made into a vinyl record. This is a great thing to look back on especially when you just want to hear someone’s voice.
– Disposable cameras – we are seeing these become more and more popular at weddings today. This is such a fun way for guests to snap a quick picture of themselves and have a keepsake from them for forever! Make sure to buy a couple so they don’t run out of film and place them all over the venue! This is also a great way to look back on the wedding the next day.
– First touches!! I know we’ve talked about first looks but we haven’t talked about first touches yet. First touches provide a level of intimacy that you can’t even imagine. It’s a great way to build up the anticipation of seeing each other and is a great way to calm your nerves right before the ceremony. My husband and I did a first touch and read letters to each other right before our ceremony. We had our photographer take a quick picture of us touching hands and then leave so we could read our letter privately. This was such a special moment for both of us and something I’ll cherish FOREVER. If you’re not doing a first look I highly recommend a first touch!!
Things she wishes she had done…
– Booked the venue for longer! The day goes by faster than you can imagine. Make sure that you book enough time at your space to enjoy the day as you decorate and get ready and relax at the end of the night.
– Researched the DJ more! DJ’s really are a critical part of every wedding. They set the vibe for the entire reception for yourself and your guests. Make sure you pick a dj you connect easily with and that knows the vibe you are looking to have at the reception.
Wedding planning can always be stressful, especially on a time crunch! I hope that this blog post inspires you that it is possible to plan in a short amount of time and save money at the same time. The new season of Up 2 Date with Kate is full of all kinds of wedding planning needs that you don’t want to miss out on! Make sure to subscribe to make sure you don’t miss out! Can you guess who the next guess will be?
As always, let me know what questions you have and want answered on the blog / podcast by sending me a DM to @katiemichaphoto on IG <3
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