306-978-6916 gatewaytravelonline . ca bookings @ photoboothcentral . ca
Page 8 - FeBrUarY 23 , 2017 - martensville messenger
Cost Cutters
It ’ s no secret . Weddings can cost big bucks , $ 25,000 or more for the average wedding taking place today . Unfortunately , not all brides and grooms have that kind of cash to spare , nor do their parents . Fortunately , there are ways to save on wedding costs .
Make , make , make ! Make as much as you can . Design and print the invitations and programs . Create the decorations and favors . Arrange the bouquets , boutonnieres and centerpieces . Prepare the food for the reception . Sew the dresses and design the veil . There are dozens of patterns available for wedding dresses , bridesmaid dresses and flower girl dresses .
Do , do , do ! Do whatever you can yourself . The more professionals you hire , the bigger budget you will need . Save yourself some cash by tackling as much yourself as you can . Take on the duties of wedding planner , decorator and caterer . Do your own hair and makeup . Make all of the arrangements for the honeymoon and drive yourself to the airport .
Ask , ask , ask ! Enlist the talent of others wherever you can . Forget hiring a live band or artist . Ask your musician friends to do the entertaining in lieu of a wedding gift . Forget hiring a baker and caterer . Simplify the menu for your reception , make as much of the food as you can and enlist the talented cake bakers and cooks in your family to do the rest . Forget hiring an officiant and stylist . Ask a friend to become ordained online so they can perform your nuptials . Ask your bridesmaids to assist you with your makeup and hair .
Think thrifty . Select a less popular date and time to save on vendor costs . Borrow linens and silver from friends to save on rental costs . Choose flowers that are in season and supplement them with artificial blooms . Or , better yet , skip the fresh flowers in favor of inexpensive artificial flowers and feathers . Go for the designer wedding cake , but request a small one for the cake table and less expensive sheet cakes for guests .
You don ’ t have to spend thousands of dollars on your wedding . You can cut costs considerably just by being willing to make some compromises , do some things yourself and seek the help of others . And , don ’ t forget . Vendors want your business , so don ’ t be afraid to bargain with them . If you can ’ t afford something , say so and see if a solution can be worked out . You might still be able to serve your guests veal parmigiana . It just might not feature all of the organic ingredients you would like .
He felt now that he was not simply close to her , but that he did not know where he ended and she began . - Leo Tolstoy
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Centerpieces On A Budget
You ' ve been working on your wedding for months now and it is finally getting down to the wire . You can ' t put off selecting the centerpieces for the tables at the reception any longer . Your budget is tight , so live floral arrangements are simply out of the question . Lucky for you , there are hundreds of ideas for inexpensive reception table centerpieces .
A search through bridal magazines , shops and online will provide you with hundreds of ideas for wedding centerpieces , some traditional and some not so traditional . Here are some ideas :
• Balloons
• Baskets of artificial flowers
• Birdcages
• Bowls of fruit
• Board games and puzzles ( these work especially well for children ' s tables )
• Candles with artificial greenery
• Cards received prior to the wedding
• Champagne buckets
• Dishes of personalized chocolates or other candies
• Fish bowls
• Glass bowls with floating candles
• Hurricane globes with sand and seashells
• Old books and maps
• Pens and journals for guests to write their good wishes
• Picture frames with various photos of the couple
• Placemats featuring artwork from the couple
• Potted plants
• Scrapbooks of the couple ' s childhoods
• Straw hats
• Wooden hearts and love poems
To save even more money , you might want to consider having centerpieces that will serve a double purpose . For example , the personalized chocolates could serve as wedding favors , while strawberries dipped in chocolate could work as a pre- or post-dinner treat . Another trend is to have cakes on every table as centerpieces , which the guests can then eat at their leisure . The wedding cake can be smaller , and with various flavored cakes at each table , you ' re sure to offer something that will suit every tongue . Guests will enjoy comparing and sharing cake flavors .
The sky is the limit when it comes to inexpensive wedding centerpieces . Depending upon what you decide , you may even be able to create them yourself and save yourself even more money .
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