View Full Version : Hints and Tips please?
Me and my o/h are hopefully getting married next year. There's only one problem.... we are both hopeless at saving. I don't want a huge big wedding (well i do, who doesn't?) I've been thinking of doing little bits my self ie making the favours and invitations. Anyone got any tips on how to save money?
Well this may sound really obvious, but what about setting up a savings account and a standing order so that the day you get paid money goes straight in... that way you'll no even miss it!
I do this with my ISA and it's a great way to save! I work out how much I get paid, deduct all my outgoings (so I'm left with disposable income) then 50% of that goes into my savings, and I've got used to living off what I'm left with!
You can get different kinds of ISA's as well, some give you extra interest if you don't withdraw anything for a year xxx
Also, have you thought about getting your dress of ebay? There are alot of companies that make your dress to measure, but obviously you bid for how much you pay. They normally start around £50! Have a look xxx
Our venue is letting us pay monthly for the venue on the lead up to the wedding.... and because it is good for their cash flow, they are giving us 5% off the total for doing it!
We are also saving money by not having fancy wedding cars, I'm getting ready at the venue so only Shane needs something to arrive in.... And our family are digging in to help us out. My brother is a graphic designer so is doing our invites, menus, order of service, seating plan etc and my step mum is organising the cake to be made for us... use your families talents ! It saves money and makes your day more personal!
Another tip i was given was, reuse the flowers, take the ones from wherever you have your ceremony and put them out in your reception venue. if you have loosely tied bouquets with greenery in them they are cheaper than ones tightly packed with loads of flowers, and look at different centre peices that are not made from flowers, (some thing like candles ) can save you money.
Check out the wedding mags, they have great advice on saving money !!
Can you tell I'm in the middle of wedding planning madness right now??!! Good luck and have fun! xxxx
hey hun i agree with puss in boots use your family to there potential. when i was planning the wedding i had already set up home so had everything i needed when so instead of a wedding gift i asked my family and close friends for help with the wedding instead. i.e my mum was doing the cake and my dress, my cousin bought her own bridesmaid dress plus she got to pick it so suited her, the pound shop is great for place cards etc buying really nice cards then making them yourself also invites, there more personal that way and you know your gonna like them.
i died when i seen the prices for centre pieces 20 quid for a big thing of flowers. i think not! lol. i bought lots of fondue sets 3 quid each out a sale and was gonna put them on the tables with strawberrys, marshmallows, banana and things some cheap as chips chocolate bars break it up and put it in a nice serving dish (asking the vendor for the dishes) nobody would be done the wiser. plus you have the candle lit from the fondue sets which i thought would have been romantic.
wedding favours i picked up little gift baskets in a craft shop got 80 for 2.00 bought colour themed ribbon and made a nice bow on them then bought the sugar almonds (in a bag) for a 1.00 and put a sugar almond in them.
wedding dress i found my wedding dress in the store got the name of the designer and ebayed it cost me 150.00 for the dress was all new with its tags instead of 699.00
wedding cars if you know someone with a nice car its fab all you need is the ribbon.
sadly i stuck my wedding back and being grumpy i sold my wedding stuff. so i get to do the planning all over again lol. oh you'l find most places let you pay things up as long as you put a deposit down first. xxx
hey, i agree with the girls they've got some fab tips there. i made my own invites, just bought the kits from hobby craft and some little bows and stuck them on the front, they were lovely and looked very posh heehee. also things like ebay for tiaras and shoes etc are good. for gifts i found a couple of great peoms for my mum (one from the bride to her mum and one from the groom to my mum) and put them in a frame, might do that for a few of the gifts. for the favours, i got favour boxes from tescos and got loads of chocolate foil hearts and got the same bows as the invites and stuck them on.
our cake we're getting from marks and spencer just £159 compared to like £400 i was quoted from the cake shops, and my mums friend is going to decorate it for us.
good luck, let us know how you get on. xx
thanks guys, some of these tips are AMAZING!!! lol! :D I'm especially loving the fondue idea. I would never have thought of that. As for my dress I just cant decide!!!! :confused: There's so many!!!! Those of you who are married how did you do it?! lol!! I see one I like then look elsewhere and find something else!! :eek:
My o/h and I have been having a rough time lately, as some of you might have read which means the plans were on hold but I think thigs are finally looking up.Fingers crossed anyway. :D
xxxx
Hey hunni what are you doing about flowers?
We bought ours on ebay, they weren't real like but for me that was great as i still have my bouquet now! and its a year later!! :D they we were really reasonable too, i got my bouquet, my bridesmaid bouqet and the button holes all for 60 quid. I still have the button holes now, and they turned into a nice wedding favour for the family that wore them. When I go to The father in laws he has them next to our wedding picture!
Elz xxx
Oh and I are planning to get engaged this year and marry hopefully in 2011.
We're going to set up a savings account pay into that and save all the money and bonus that he will get on tour next year lol.
I am also going to use my family's talents (mainly my nan's though lol)
My nan is going to make my cake and also offered the other day to make my wedding dress :D (she is fab at dress making etc lol)
Me, my mum and bridesmaids will make invites, place cards, seating plans, orders of service etc.
Am borrowing M-Lee's idea if Port sippers for mens wedding favours lol :o haven't quite decided on women's yet.
Am going to "borrow" Emzy's idea of poems in a frame for gifts (was going to do flowers but that is so much more personal and a fab idea!)
I'm going to scour the net for a good site and would like silk flowers, will be much cheaper than fresh but still look as beautiful.
Centre pieces I'm hoping will be floating candles, bubbles and a balloon.
I would like to get married in the afternoon so the meal for guests will be around teatime and am going to have a hot buffet which is still as good as a sit down dinner just a bit cheaper and not going to have a buffet in the evening but am looking at a Hog Roast or something along those lines which is different and will go down well :D
I'm not even engaged yet but have a very clear idea of what I'd like it to be like and have picked up some fab tips so far of how to save a bit of cash so it doesn't cost the earth lol.
Oh is happy as long as he has an itinerary of the day and lots of rehearsals lol
x x x x
Yay!! Whilst oh was home we talked a lot more about savings accounts and are going to set one up at the end of this month! :D
And whilst I was at work, godbless him he was on the net looking up Venues and he went out and got brochures and all sorts :)
Saving for my ring got put back by a month though, my clutch went on the car and needed a new one so both had 2 put money 2wards that :(
Its def coming though which made me smile!
x x x
Oh and I are planning to get engaged this year and marry hopefully in 2011.
We're going to set up a savings account pay into that and save all the money and bonus that he will get on tour next year lol.
I am also going to use my family's talents (mainly my nan's though lol)
My nan is going to make my cake and also offered the other day to make my wedding dress :D (she is fab at dress making etc lol)
Me, my mum and bridesmaids will make invites, place cards, seating plans, orders of service etc.
Am borrowing M-Lee's idea if Port sippers for mens wedding favours lol :o haven't quite decided on women's yet.
Am going to "borrow" Emzy's idea of poems in a frame for gifts (was going to do flowers but that is so much more personal and a fab idea!)
I'm going to scour the net for a good site and would like silk flowers, will be much cheaper than fresh but still look as beautiful.
Centre pieces I'm hoping will be floating candles, bubbles and a balloon.
I would like to get married in the afternoon so the meal for guests will be around teatime and am going to have a hot buffet which is still as good as a sit down dinner just a bit cheaper and not going to have a buffet in the evening but am looking at a Hog Roast or something along those lines which is different and will go down well :D
I'm not even engaged yet but have a very clear idea of what I'd like it to be like and have picked up some fab tips so far of how to save a bit of cash so it doesn't cost the earth lol.
Oh is happy as long as he has an itinerary of the day and lots of rehearsals lol
x x x x
yay i'm glad you liked the idea for the gifts heehee.
i got my silk flowers from a lady who makes them in wales, but she'll send them to you anywhere and my god, the flowers are amazing and they were soooo cheap compared to some of the other quotes i got. £257 for my flowers, the bridesmaids, 3 flower girls wands, 8 centre pieces (huge long calla lillies bunched together in tall glass vases) button holes, 2 corsages and top table flowers. she can do any arrangements you like and she is such a lovely woman. oh and the price included all postage and packaging!!! let me know if ur interested and i'll pm you her details. xxx
Definitely!! I was going to ask my Nan but as she offered to make my dress and cake I don't want to over load her! lol xxx
Im surposed to be gettin married at the end of this year earlier next...=] really looking forward to it..but have no clue where to start....help anyone? x
lol
thanks guys, some of these tips are AMAZING!!! lol! :D I'm especially loving the fondue idea. I would never have thought of that. As for my dress I just cant decide!!!! :confused: There's so many!!!! Those of you who are married how did you do it?! lol!! I see one I like then look elsewhere and find something else!! :eek:
xxxx
It sounds silly but you will just know... I tried on a couple of styles and then tried the one i will be wearing on, and i just loved it... The following weekend i went off to another shop and tried some more i thought i was even more confused... until i tried on the one i loved again ... and when she put on my tiara and a viel, my mum couldn't speak and i cried! I just knew it was the one, and i knew Shane would love it!!
I have another tip for you ... you can make your flowers less expensive by using a few large blooms and bulking them out with greenery... still looks stunning, but won't cost as much as packing in load of expensive flowers!
Hope the plans get back on track soon.... xxxx
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