Leah Ingram (writer and author who blogs at The Lean Green Family) was kind enough to send me a copy of her book “Tie the Knot on a Shoestring”.
Tie the Knot on a Shoestring is 262 page book, divided into 13 Chapters, each covering a different element of the wedding process. Each chapter concludes with a “Dollar Savings Do’s and Don’ts” wrap up which condenses down the most pertinent info in each chapter into a short bulleted list. This is a great way to scan the chapter if you don’t want to read the entire thing.
I like the way that Leah starts the book talking about budgets-the average US wedding costs $27,000. ACK! By page 5 she is already talking about needing financial priorities. This has always seemed to me to be the part that folks have difficulty with-setting priorities. They get so wrapped up in wanting EVERYTHING to be perfect (a state that the wedding industry encourages) that they don’t stop to prioritize anything. My personal advice to brides is always to write a list of everything that you want for your wedding, then prioritize it from first to last. If an item is on the bottom of the list, only spend money on it AFTER you’ve paid for everything else.
But back to the book. I was impressed that she thought to include the money spent on items for the various parties and showers in the cost of the budget. She gives ideas and options for a variety of wedding situations, which makes the book useful to a wide range of brides. There are sidebar boxes with tips on how to cut costs, stories from various brides and grooms, problems to look out for, and formulas for figuring out costs.
All in all I think the book lives up to it’s tagline of “Save Big $$ While Celebrating Your Special Day in Style”.
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Now for the giveaway portion of the program. Just leave a comment with your favorite wedding money saving tip. IMPORTANT-if you don’t have a blog, make sure you include an email so I can contact you. If you don’t feel comfortable posting your email, then post a comment and email me with your email.
On Tuesday, June 10th I’ll randomly choose a comment and the winner will get the book! It would be great for wedding planning, or as a shower/engagement gift to a bride you know.
Let’s see, my favorite wedding tip:
hmmm. I got married in 1975 so things have changed a lot.
I’d say plan, plan, plan your budget, ask others for help, and consider a private ceremony and big reception afterwards.
By the way, I’ve been reading your blog on my google reader, (I’m obviously a subscriber.) This is the first time that I’ve seen you new layout ~ I absolutely love the colors you selected and the whole thing. I think it’s time for me to go an update of my blog too!
GinnyBerry
I got married five years ago and my budget was $3000, and I got married in So CAL which is normally pretty expensive. One of the things that helped was to get married on a weekday. Since reception sites are often packed on weekends and empty on weekdays, we could get a better rate. Also, limit the size of your wedding party. A large wedding party means more flowers, gifts for the attendants, more photographs taken, and if you are paying for transportation for them, a larger vehicle.
My recommendation is to ask those loved ones in your life with applicable talents to donate their talents as your gifts. As in, if someone has an “eye” for decorating, ask for their help. Generally, people are blessed by helping you, and you create a wonderful memory associated with that part of your wedding.
I’m a bridesmaid for my friend who’s getting married later this year, and she gave each of her bridesmaids a job. My job is to say, “That sounds really expensive. Is it supposed to cost that much?” anytime the urge hits.
One resource that I found for my friend is the alternative gift registry by the New American Dream people. It allows you to make a list of your “wants” so that it’s not tied to any one store, or even limited to objects. So if your great aunt Thelma can find the silver platter at her thrift store, there’s no reason for her to buy it at Macy’s. Or you can request that guests give you their favorite weeknight recipes. Or help moving into the new apartment. http://www.alternativegiftregistry.org
I carried the arrangements from the ceremony to the reception (and obviously they were designed for that). I also got the favors at the Christmas Tree shop and made them myself. Favorite tip, though: I served a “signature” cocktail at the reception, then only wine and soda, no hard liquor. If good wine is not enough for you, was my thought, then drink soda.
My best wedding tip is make the cake yourself and the food. You save a bundle this way. Annette
I got married recently (we just celebrated our first anniversary not too long ago) and our entire wedding, dresses and all, was less than $1000. The dresses were the most expensive part, $600 for the wedding and Jr. Brides dress. He used a suite he already had and so did his best man, a friend made the cake at cost, the church and minister were free (why? I was a member there, most churches you are a member of will not charge for the ceremony and sometimes already have the decorations for you). Afterwards we all went to a local buffet (less than $10 per person to eat until they were stuffed if they wanted to).
Honestly I couldn’t be happier. The day is just as special if not more memorable. I really don’t understand why people spend so much money on weddings. Yes it is a very special time, but where are your priorities if it has to be expensive to be special? We live frugally not out of necessity, but to be responsible with our money. I think it’s a lot of fun and entertaining for me.
Check out my blog for more frugal tips http://forcheapsake.wordpress.com/
elope. 😉
These are all great! Keep them coming!
DIY flowers are a real money-saver if you want fresh flowers. There are a bunch of wholesalers online that are reliable. I did my own wedding flowers in ’99, and the church & reception flowers for a friend last September.
Now that friend bought her bouquets, corsages & bouts at the grocery florist, who did a FANTASTIC job. Way worth the money.
But if you want something simple, they’re easy to do. Especially bouts–super easy!
My husband and I eloped, but some family members gave us gifts afterwards. We made frugal and personalized thank you notes with the computer, using card stock and a photo of us that a waitress had taken during our honeymoon.
One of my friends had an outdoor July wedding on an island in Lake Champlain with music that I assume was frugal though it was very enjoyable. The musicians were students, but very proficient and professional-acting. They were under a tent, along with catered food and tables and chairs. The weather was too hot for much in the way of dancing, but the music provided a nice background for the festivities.
Wedding gift idea. When I got married I could easily and regularly have burned cornflakes. I would have loved to have been given a homemade recipe book of someone’s tried and tested “go to recipes”. Nothing fancy just simple everyday cooking, stews soups casseroles, just soomething handwritten maybe with a photo tucked in at the recipe in a nice book. That would have been perfect.
Have a fake cake out with only one real layer to cut into then have sheet cakes in the kitchen to be cut and served. Nobody will know the difference and it will save a bunch of money!
My best wedding tip is to buy your dress second hand. They have bridal shops set up to do just that, sell dresses that were samples or worn once (or maybe not at all). It will still be special to you but at a fraction of the cost.
Blessings
Sue
marklovessue@numail.org
My best tip is get a fantastic tasting cake and treat your guests to something good. Then save money on other areas such as making some of the food yourself.
I forgot to say don’t actually enter me in the draw, I was just commenting. It’s be a car payment to post something to NI.
My favorite way to save money is to elope! My daughter doen’t agree, so she really needs this book!! HaHa
Please enter me, please. My daughter has been engaged for around 4 years and is nearing 30 and she’s living at home. Help! She wants a big foo foo wedding and we don’t have the money.
The best wedding tip I know is buy a small fancy wedding cake for show at the reception and have the reception staff take the cake back into the kitchen out of sight after cake cutting pictures. Then, the kitchen staff can feed the guests from a sheet cake when the small foo foo cake is done. Sheet cakes are much cheaper. Thank You Dianneo
d.fox13@hotmail.com
I made my own flowers out of silk,the corsages ,the mens boutuneers,my boutique,the table flowers,I saved a ton of money,an actually sold the flowers a few years later to another girl that was getting married so they were recyled an I saved even more
vlbelk@hotmail.com
Dianneo here’s another tip for you–use centerpieces that do double-duty. For example, a small cake as centerpiece at each table that serves only the # of people at each table. Bride & Groom get their own special cake at their head table (or family table) for cutting. Certainly reduces the floral budget, and you need enough cake to feed all the people anyway. (This becomes even simpler if the bride & groom select a cupcake display instead of a traditional cake.) Other similar ideas include appetizers right at the table as centerpiece–such as basket of cut fruit and small bowls of ‘dippers’ like powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, lavender sugar, etc., or a stack of three artisinal bread loaves and gourmet butters for an italian dinner.
BTW, Jenn, don’t enter me in the drawing–I don’t need the book. I’d rather see it go to a frugal bride-to-be! 🙂
I spent $17.50 on my wedding (license fee) now a friend’s GF is planning to spend tens of thousands-I need to leave this book where she can find it!!!
elope 😉