Epic Wedding FAILS - too funny!

If you're a bride-to-be, PLEASE don't let this video freak you out.  The odds of these things happening at YOUR wedding are slim to none.

C'mon, what bride has a dog PEE on her during her wedding ceremony, right?

How To Hire a Great Wedding DJ

If you're planning on having a DJ at your wedding reception, please take a moment and watch this quick video that shares 10 tips when it comes to hiring a wedding DJ.

Totally worth the 3 minutes taken to watch it.

Do's and Don't For Your Wedding Day

Some great advice in this video from a woman who just "lived thru" her wedding day  ;)

Inexpensive Wedding Ideas That Won't Cost a Bundle

There are numerous weddings held each day, so it is important for you to do something to distinguish yours from the others. You want people to remember the occasion for years to come, but you might not want to spend a ton of money. This article contains several unique ideas that will help you stand out. The best thing is that none of them require a large financial investment.

Choose a venue that is a bit unusual. Most of these places will not have a lot of wedding requests, so the price will not be as high. For example, if you are a history buff, think about renting a courtyard at the local museum. Like the rustic wedding idea?  Consider a barn wedding or any of the many outside wedding ideas.  This will be a lot less costly than trying to book space at popular church in your area.  If the scenery is amazing, just think how much you will save on wedding flowers!

Instead of spending a lot of money on a reception, think about having a backyard barbecue instead. When many people think of weddings they have visions of stuffy venues and painted on smiles. Having a barbecue will give people the chance to relax a bit more and have fun. It is also much cheaper since there will be no need to rent a space or spend a ton on catering.  You can still wear an amazing dress, but the atmosphere will be more relaxed and your guests will be more comfortable.

If you insist on having your reception at a rented venue, think about having a cocktail party instead of a full menu. Small plates are popular these days, so don't worry about looking like a cheapskate. People will probably think you are more worried about being trendy instead of being frugal. This will also be a good excuse to have a shorter reception, which means that you will not have to spend as much on the venue rental.

Do not offer a full bar at your reception. Work with a mixologist to create two signature cocktails. Offer both of these as well as beer and wine. This is much cheaper than offering people an unlimited choice of drinks. Besides, it will be a lot of fun to see what type of drinks the bride and groom come up with.

Instead of hiring a live, professional band to play at your wedding, think about working with some music students. Go to music schools in your area to see who is available for the time and date of your event. They may not be professional, but chances are they will sound pretty good. The fees they charge will be a lot lower than those charged by professional bands, so that should make up for it.

Offer an array of different desserts instead of having a huge wedding cake. This will save you money since you will not have to contract anyone to make a special creation. If you want to be a bit more traditional, you can have a small cake to participate in the cake cutting, then have everyone dig into a plethora of sweets instead of the cake. You won't miss the traditionalism and everyone will get the sweets they have been craving.

Everyone imagines showing up to their wedding in a limo, but you should consider hiring a party bus. This will help ease a bit of the tension and stiffness that is associated with formal weddings. This will also cost you a lot less and fit a lot more people.

There are many ways that you can cut corners when planning a wedding, but you don't want to do that at the expense of your guests. The ideas above will help you create an event that everyone will enjoy without them knowing that you are on a quest to pinch pennies.

If you need more help planning your wedding budget, check this web page out.

When it comes to saving money as a GUEST at a wedding, there are a lot of ideas for low-cost gifts.  One of my favorite ideas is a scrapbook for the newly married couple.  That always goes over SO well and the thought behind it means much more than a price tag.

Unique Wedding Ideas on a Budget Guide

Here is a great little guide to planning a truly unique wedding on a really tight budget. Remember, the more budget wedding ideas you collect, the more you will save AND enjoy your special day.
 

Unique Wedding Ideas on a Budget from ppg213

Having a Budget Wedding for $5000 or Less? Here's How

Considering a typical couple spends about $30,000 on their wedding (ouch!), it might seem that having a wedding budget of only $5,000 will never be enough.  Thankfully, that is absolutely NOT true.

Only have $5k to spend on your wedding?  No problem!  Let's break it down...

Here is an example wedding budget of $5,000:

Wedding Photographer: $1,500
You want your wedding photos to be GREAT - you only have one chance to get it right so be sure the person in charge of taking your photos knows what they are doing.

Also, consider putting disposable cameras all over your reception area and let your guests take photos of you and each other as well.  This is a cheap way to get some truly unforgettable wedding photos.

Food - $500
Plan your wedding to be mid-day...something like 2pm or so.  Guests will have already eaten lunch and wedding will be over by dinner time.  Serve simple finger foods and hors d'oeuvres as opposed to a full "sit down" meal.  Consider shopping clubs like Sams or CostCo to make some food yourself (or enlist the help of family and friends).

Flowers/Centerpieces - $500
While hiring a florist sounds easy, it is NOT cheap at all.  Here are some great ideas to save money on your wedding flowers.

Wedding Dress - $800
Simple - buy off the rack.  There is no need to spend thousands of dollars on your dress.  Yes, I know so-and-so SuperStar wore one just like it, but you will look just as amazing in a dress that doesn't cost so darn much.

Cake Budget - $500
I love a gorgeous wedding cake and it certainly is the focal point of a wedding reception so don't skimp here (also includes the Grooms Cake)

Wedding Invitations - $200
Print them YOURSELF!  This $200 should cover paper, printing, and postage.

Venue and Extras - $1000
This amount should be able to cover your wedding venue, groom's tux, bridal party gifts, and any other things that come up.

The groom might get his tux free if his groomsmen all rent from the same place.  Get a friend to do the music for you.  Make your gifts for your wedding party yourself.  Have an outdoor wedding to save on venue costs.  Just some tips to help you save on this line item.

There ya go - one low-cost wedding with a budget of only $5,000  =)

Did You Know I'm on Pinterest?

Thought I'd make another quick post while I'm working on this blog to let you know that I am on Pinterest.

You can see all my wedding ideas boards on Pinterest here... or just look thru the list to the right.

Just thought I'd let you know since my cousin asked me where my boards were...lol!