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By
Konnie McCollum
Contributing Writer
(February 2007) – Many brides begin
planning their weddings long before they
even get engaged. In fact, many worked out
every little detail of their wedding when
they were little girls playing dress up
with their mothers’ things.
For most brides that “Cinderella-princess
wedding complete with horse-drawn glass
carriage” is not a dream that fits
into financial reality. However, with careful
planning and a few tips from the experts,
any bride can have the perfect wedding on
a budget.
Wedding consultant Diane Lock, owner of
Madison, Ind.’s Memory Mine, said a
wedding planner is really a must for brides
hoping to have a large wedding on a smaller
budget.
“We put together over 30 weddings last
year. We have 20 booked already for this
year, and we can really save brides and
their families money and time.” She
said professional planners know extra cost
cutting tips, time and stress saving strategies,
and are not all that expensive.
Lock said some planners charge a percentage
of the cost of the event for their fee,
some charge by the hour, while yet others
offer package arrangements. She offers all
three fee arrangements.
She said first of all, brides and their
families should decide on the absolute limit
for what can be spent. Then, when that number
is set, decide what is most important to
the bride and must be included in the wedding.
After that, the rest of the wedding details
should be worked around those two factors.
According to Lock, 50 percent of the budget
comes from the reception, so if costs need
to be cut, this is the first place to look.
Instead of booking an expensive indoor venue,
she suggested a few indoor venues around
the Madison area that are less expensive,
such as the Lide White Boys and Girls Club,
the Moose Lodge and the Knights of Columbus
hall. The Madison Township Firehouse was
also on the list of popular, yet inexpensive,
reception sites.
She also said some brides have been satisfied
with outdoor reception sites, which in many
cases are free. Some sites to consider for
an outdoor reception would be Clifty Falls
State Park, the Broadway Fountain, the gazebo
at the Madison riverfront or in someone’s
backyard.
Because catering is an obvious major expense,
Lock said the number of wedding guests is
another area to cut costs. “Fewer guests
equal less costs,” she said.
Geraldine Kidwell, owner of Milton, Ky.’s
Artistry in Cakes, agreed. Kidwell makes
wedding cakes and will make any cake a bride
can picture. She also offers catering services.
She said brides can cut costs by carefully
planning the reception menu.
She suggested that brides offer a buffet
line at the reception instead of a sit-down
dinner. “Sit down dinners are far more
expensive per person; buffets of any kind
are cheaper,” she said. One reason
is because buffets require less work and
less hired helped.
Prices can range anywhere from $5 per guest
for appetizers to $45 or more per guest
for a sit-down dinner. “Obviously,
when you invite 200 guests and pay even
a mere $10 per person, that cost quickly
adds up,” Lock said.
Kidwell suggested another budget-saving
tip would be to cut the amount of cake servings.
“Most cake decorators price per serving,”
she said. Obviously, a smaller cake means
a smaller price.
She said the timing of when to serve the
cake is a consideration when trying to decide
how large of a cake to buy. Kidwell said
cakes cut right after the buffet need to
be larger, with more servings because everyone
will want a piece. However, if the cake
is cut later in the evening, perhaps after
some dancing or entertainment, then fewer
people eat it.
Other businesses involved in wedding preparations
had budget tips as well. Crestwood, Ky.’s
Minish & Potts florist Debbie King offered
several cost-saving recommendations for
brides. She suggested sticking with in-season
flowers when putting together the floral
arrangements. “There are many books
for brides to choose seasonal flowers when
they are ready to plan their arrangements,”
she said.
She added that brides should choose in-stock
flowers as well because special order flowers
are more expensive. She suggested limiting
the number of people getting flowers in
the wedding.
Photographer Pam Davis of Crestwood’s
Image Makers Photography said brides should
first look for quality of work, not necessarily
quantity, when choosing a wedding photographer.
While all photographers have their own pricing
policies, Davis warned brides to discuss
exactly what is included in any price. “Some
photographers may have packages that don’t
include anything but the bare basics and
have additional charges for anything extra,”
she said. She suggested discussing everything
up front in the first consultation.
Davis offers set wedding packages for set
prices. Her packages include everything
from photographs of the engagement session,
the bridal party getting dressed for the
big day and the events throughout the reception.
Her packages also include the actual albums
with prints.
Lock had numerous other money-saving tips,
including making one’s own invitations,
wedding favors and giving personalized,
homemade gifts to the bridal party. “Don’t
be afraid to take advantage of the talents
of extended friends and family,” she
said.
Try the aunt or uncle who can bake beautiful
cakes, or the next-door neighbor who loves
to play the piano during weddings, she said.
Lock added that brides should use the Internet
to shop for wedding gowns. “Ebay is
a great place for brides to get designer
gowns at bargain prices,” she said.
Consignment shops and discount outlets are
other ways to save on wedding apparel.
She also suggested searching wedding websites
on the Internet for more cost-saving tips.
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