Budget Wedding Tips!

[miss lilac]

Saw a programme recently where they used old china tea cups and teapots. Filled them with soil/compost and put lovely bulbs into it a few weeks before the wedding to be ready in time for centre pieces on the tables. Also another hint was to use sellotape across the cup each way to make square shapes in order to put rose stems etc into it without falling out of the cup. They looked lovely. Vintage china is all in at the moment for weddings I believe.

[Bettd]

Originally Posted by Bettd

Pat and me got an old-timer from Kilkenny who had been a Press Photographer, and a top professional in his day , because he's retired and just wants something to do , and wants to help young couples get married traditionally in Church in the midst of this recession, because he remembers going through all of it himself and wants to help . And he travelled here to our wedding, Home, Church, Hotel and all in Dublin, charged no travel expenses, gave us two CD's full of the most beautiful photos you could imagine , quietly used the Top Gear in film and digital photography equipment and cameras like the expert he is - a guest remarked that a fellow like that could do it in his sleep ! We asked him how long he had been a photographer. He was a Photographer and a Journalist on a provincial newspaper called The Munster Express in Waterford , altogether a Professional Photographer for forty-four years .

And we got an album too, basic twenty 10X8 photo enlargements, it's gorgeous - but he gave us an address to of a firm called Miniphoto here in Dublin where we could keep adding pages to our album as we liked and as we could afford, plus the address of his professional lab, LSL, just to mention his name, we have added another twenty already , at cost :-)

All in all we had quoted £ 2000 for the fabulous job this old Pro did for us for 500 Euro all told, yes, FIVE HUNDRED , he wanted 600 but settled for 500 Euro up front - and he even gave us a personal present a couple of months afterwards of Pat and me in a beautiful photo he took of Pat placing the ring on my finger at the altar, to a BIG 10x12 inches size in a nice frame - FOR FREE, because he took a liking to us as we did to him, and I'm having him back for when my first is born for the christening when he is to do a huge 16X20 wall portrait for our sitting room of baby, framed and all, and he promised that for less than rwo hundred .

All and all, this old Pro ( sorry for calling you ' old' , Michael ! ) , was a God send, he even attended here at the house as me and my bridesmaids were getting ready, he produced some funny shots too, me in curlers and all, but he captured everything of our wedding day, absolutely everything, and he was working quietly all the time through the reception until he had to go and take the train back to his home in Kilkenny , and didn't charge us for that either !!!

He kept quietly taking the photos like the expert he is all through, we have a wonderful pictorial record from start to finish. He DID insist on posing and taking both our families and us in traditional groups, but we didn't even notice much, and he made sure they were all taken, the traditional photos, before anybody had a drink ! He wouldn' t touch a drink himself all through the day - and it only took him 20 minutes to take as many family groups, again expertly, posed to perfection, I love the skin tones he brought out in me too . We are thrilled with those groups , so are all our friends and guests, we never saw anything quite like it .

A Pro Photographer to his fingertips , a gentleman and a scholar as Pat observed, quiet but amusing, witty, even funny . And all for a mere 500 Euro , we felt like we were robbing the man, but he said he was delighted to be of service as it gives him something to do for the day now that he's semi retired. We just simply can't recommend Michael McGrath of Kilkenny enough , that's him, just google that, Michael McGrath, Photographer, Kilkenny City, and you will thank your lucky stars. He goes anywhere in Ireland just for the day out, Thanks again , Michael, if you ever chance to read this . Bettd xxx

Michael McGrath photographed a murderer!!! Seems our old wedding photographer is leading an exciting life, a lot more exciting than folk half his age. He had a dramatic photograph of Garda struggling with an escaped murderer on the ground on a city centre street in broad daylight published right up there on the front page of The Kilkenny People newspaper last week. That's our old wedding photographer Michael McGrath for you, irrespressible, you can't keep a good one down, old photographers never die - they don't fade away either! Bettd.

[lushington]

Originally Posted by mkane70

Hi, I cannot pay the silly prices for a wedding cake in November, Infact I refuse to pay in the vacinity of 500 euros for a 3 tiered cake. Its preposterous.

500 Euro! That is silly money, I thought that this was budget tips. That is so wimdu oxox

[andy61]

my mother made cake, mother in-law made dress.
sister in law used same dress.
for recption ask guests to bring food dishes if summer have bar-b-q

[melissabell]

Wow!!! I think I'll actually use that idea!!! Thanks a mil :)

Originally Posted by Elnr83

I noticed the threads you had left for other people who were getting married and I thought I could pick your brains about all your wonderful money saving ideas.

Some you have given me already are brilliant. I'm sure lots of other people could really benefit from them also.

And I thought that there would be loads of DIYers on here who could add in their ideas.

Weddings are so rediculously expensive and they needn't be. There is so much that can be done for cheaper.

A really nice idea I heard of for favours was a little envelope filled with flower seeds with a poem about love growing like a flower on the front. It would be really cheap to do also :o)

REALLY looking forward to all your DIY ideas.

[crystal32]

Budget Green Bride here,

Great this link has started - everyone should get together for stuff like this more! Theres so much money to be saved!!

link to article in independant here:
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/...e-2578170.html

..I got married in march - it was the most fun day of my life, and it was mostly handmade by us so it was within our budget. Neither of us are traditional in most senses, so it was easy for us to be original with ideas for our Big Day, and save loads!

We actually got married the day before in the registry office - it only costs €150 & €10 for the cert (which you also have to pay anyway) - but we avoided the marriage course, the flowers / candles / decorations etc for the church, and the "donation" of €500!!!
So, our first wedding was a quiet affair in the Dublin registry office with immediate family only, and we went to the hotel next door and had lunch in the lounge - each paid for their own. The we hit the road for Wicklow where we started dressing the reception room for our Big Day the next day! We invited some guests down that night and had a meal/party in my families house there (the accom was self catering houses so it was cheaper than a hotel), so we saved a few bob, and had a great party to boot! The wedding was in Kippure estate (www.kippure.ie) - its an adventure centre! We all had breakfast together in the dining room to start the day - and then went our separate ways to get ready. My mums friend is a hairdresser, and she did my hair (and the rest of "the girls" – the usual bridal suspects!) - she did an amazing job, and it was her wedding gift to us! My friend is a make up artist, so her gift was to finish my make up and do a few of the girls too. My dress I found in a shop on Aungier St Dublin... its actually a debs dress, but its a ballgown so it was perfect. It was actually purple so I didnt have to go the whole Bridal shop route! (mind you, I did start off there!). My bridesmaid dress was also a debs dress which we got online. My (other) best friend married us in front of our guests which was amazing (another reason why we got wed the day before - we couldnt have legally been wed outside in Ireland!), anyway, she bought her own outfit. My husband bought two suits (one for each day), and he just told the guy in the shop that he was going to a function and wanted to look smart- they did him a great deal and threw in a belt, tie & shirt! The groom and the dads etc all had suits (every fella DOES!) so we let them wear what they wanted. Nobody matched, but when in life (other than weddings) DO people match? As long as everyones comfortable it doesnt really matter if they have the same shade of tie/shirt/suit...does it? We had personalised cufflinks made by an artist I had met - she took a piece from my dress and buttons of mine for them - they were magic! I made all the flowers myself - out of felt and buttons! I spent ages making them, but i loved every bit of it and gave myself enough time. The buttons I got from guests - everyone sent me one, so when I walked down the aisle i had some of everybody with me! I did the flowers for my bridesmaid & two little flower girls hair pieces. My mum covered two (charity shop) baskets with ribbons & the girls threw pot pourri down the aisle in front of us as we walked back down. My friends helped me make the boys button holes & a few brooches - similar to the flowers (buttons & felt) but more personalised for each person wearing them. Our ceremony was unique - we wrote it entirely ourselves. As we werent in a Church, we werent tied to readings or anything we didnt want to say. We each wrote a reading, picked a few poems we loved, and did a celtic hand-fasting (where hands are bound by ribbons to signify the physical bond of marriage). That was it. It was perfect for us. oh yeah - and I sang myself up the aisle!
After that, everyone moved to an area outside where tea & sambos was served and we had our photos. We had dressed the venue ourselves so saved a fortune on the fee there - and it was exactly the homemade tea party feel we wanted. I had made all the centre pieces in advance too. My mum got flowers in lidl the day before and did gorgeous arrangements for around the venue too.
The favours were teacups (that the guests brought themselves and swopped!) filled with sweets and a quote tied to the handle with ribbon. Dinner was a buffet (it was much more relaxed than a formal meal and suited our day better, aside from the obvious that it was the cheapest option!) The meal was gorgeous, and everyone was delighted with the range of choice - and everyone Loves to go back for seconds!!! A number of guests brought desserts, and my sister made our cake so that brought costs down further. It wasnt the "spectacular" kind of cake people usually expect, but we loved it just the same - and so did everyone else because it fitted the relaxed day we had. Afterwards, we went outside and lit some chinese lanterns (that we had got for €2 each in a garage) and let our guests make a wish as they sent up in the sky, it was magical. The band did a brilliant job, and luckily for us, they were good friends so it was a gift too! The usual hilarity followed,and then my husbands dad took over to do DJ with his computer (hooked up to the bands sound system)with all the songs we had uploaded in advance. A great night no doubt about it. Breakfast was a communal affair the next morning - another buffet. It went down a treat. Everyone was relaxed, everyone had had a great time. And we realised our dream.

TIPS:

Go through the list of necessaries and traditionals - and work out what YOU actually want your wedding to say about you two. In doing our budget we realised we didnt LIKE most of the traditional ideas - so we scrapped them!

Budget properly. And stick to it. Work out exactly what you want (and WHY!). Work out what you can really afford. Give yourself a few hundred over budget – just in case!

Don't skimp on a photographer. Its the one thing you cant go back and change - and theyre the ones to give you the memories in print to keep forever. It IS possible to find a very good photographer that doesnt cost the earth. Shop around on it - find a few that you like the style of. See who's offering deals. Haggle. And DO meet them before you book. Ask them their style and how they do it (you dont want a bossy photographer who takes over on the day! Also find out what they are going to give you afterwards (do you HAVE to buy an album to get the photos, how much per photo do they charge, do you get copies of ALL the photos on disc regardless of if you get prints etc.)

Decide at the start that your Big Day is about you and your partner, and love. Its not about stress of fussing or details.... forget this at your peril! As long as you keep it about the real things, everything else will work! I promise!

Give yourself time. Research ideas and give yourself time to change your mind about things. Its worth spending a bit of time on the net just looking up details of other peoples weddings - then make a list of what you do / dont like!

Avoid using the "W" word (wedding!) as much as possible - people who hear it automatically see €€€ signs flashing before them!!! I told people I was going to a fancy dress party, 60th, christening....ANYTHING other than use that word!!! And people still went out of their way to help me - you dont have to tell everyone its for your wedding, you know it is - save yourself some money and keep your mouth shut!

Put your foot down. no matter what the wedding planner / shop assistant /family member (or whoever else!) says... its YOUR day. Its YOUR dream. Its also YOUR money!!!!

Find our what skills and talents family and friends have - people really DO like to get involved, and its ok to ask!!! They can make it your present if you want, and then you've got something useful that you will always remember! Dont underestimate people either - everyone has the ability to be great!

Food - its probably your biggest cost. If youre not happy with the menu, dont use it. Dont be afraid to tailor it more to what you want. Ask for other options, see if they will allow you bring somebody in to cater, or get friends and family to bake and bring! Dont forget YOU'RE paying the bill!

Shop around - but dont drive yourself nuts. you know what you want, work out how much its worth to you, and stick to it. If youre having trouble finding something, delegate the job to a close friend and Move On!

Talk it out - make sure you have a team of 2/3 people you can go to at any time to bitch/moan/rant/cry - & laugh with. Dont overbear any one person, but dont allow any one thing get on top of you. Theres no reason to get upset about anything, it will all work out on the day.

Set time limits and deadlines for each task. If its not done by the time you set, forget about it - leave it behind and move on. If it couldnt be done in the time, its not worth the stress and hassle of pushing twice as hard to get it done - and then the other things suffer for it!!!

Keep some things loose - dont plan everything to a minute detail. If you allow a few things have a bit of room for change on the day it means it cant go wrong because you had no expectation of it! Leave room for surprise and you WILL be surprised! ( I had no idea of hair/makeup/jewellery until I had it together on the day - and I couldnt believe how stress free I was! Believe me, I'm a perfectionist and cant believe I managed to follow this rule myself!)


Thanks for taking the time to read this - I hadnt realised I had so much to say! Now for the reward - SEE our wedding!!!
http://www.giveusagoo.com/blog/?p=1176

The best of luck to any brides to be - your day will be unique & amazing because its exactly what YOU made it!
Crys
x

[Chris P]

Hi Crystal32,

I've just had a peek at your wedding album -- really impressive stuff!
Many thanks for sharing your words of wisdom and fabulously distinctive album. And finally, congratulations!

Regards
Chris P
Admin

[crystal32]

Hi Chris,

Thanks!

I've been meaning to get on here and do this for ages - I've just been so busy since we got married! it was the most wonderful and relaxed day ever, and it didnt break the bank either. Everyone is still talking about the weird and wonderful day they had. Nobody will forget it for a long time thats for sure! I just wanted to share because life is too short, and everyone should be happy. Stress isnt a nice thing, and weddings create a LOT of that - but they dont have to! Its amazing what you can do if you believe in it enough and just go for it! plenty of times I wasnt sure if I was mad, but it all paid off in the end!

Good luck to all the budget brides out there - and the JTers of course - theres a wealth of information and resources out there for the taking!
Crys
xxx

[Chris P]

Originally Posted by crystal32

Hi Chris,

Thanks!

I've been meaning to get on here and do this for ages - I've just been so busy since we got married! it was the most wonderful and relaxed day ever, and it didnt break the bank either. Everyone is still talking about the weird and wonderful day they had. Nobody will forget it for a long time thats for sure! I just wanted to share because life is too short, and everyone should be happy. Stress isnt a nice thing, and weddings create a LOT of that - but they dont have to! Its amazing what you can do if you believe in it enough and just go for it! plenty of times I wasnt sure if I was mad, but it all paid off in the end!

Good luck to all the budget brides out there - and the JTers of course - theres a wealth of information and resources out there for the taking!
Crys
xxx

Hi Crystal323,

It's clear from your wedding-album that all of your creativity and hard-work paid off handsomely.
Thanks for the inspiration!

Regards
Chris P
Admin

[Laura h1]

Hi Crys - well done i got married 5 years ago & had it in a castle the big day i always wanted but my sis is plannin to get married & wanted something different i will show your article & photos so she can think outside her big box thanks again for sharing your fab photos u looked amazing xxx Laura

[crystal32]

Hi Laura,

Thanks for the message. Congrats on your wedding, I'm glad it was your dream. I hope your sis has the day she wants too - its totally possible as long as she's open to possibilities! Glad i could be of help and maybe a bit of inspiration too!
The best of luck to you both
Crys
x

[miss lilac]

loved your ideas and your wedding photos too...thanks for sharing them with us on jumbletown....just goes to show...where there is Love...anything is possible..have a wonderful life together....good health and happiness to you both all the days of your life...

[dcmedia07]

Here are 12 Tips to Plan Your Wedding on a Budget

1. Avoid guest list bloat.
2. Ask for wedding help instead of wedding gifts.
3. Hold the ceremony at home, or outdoors.
4. Do the catering yourself, or hire a family-owned restaurant.
5. Go minimal with the flowers.
6. Skip the groomsmen and bridesmaid gifts.
7. Make your own invitations.
8. Borrow stereo equipment or use yours from home.
9. Stock the bar yourself.
10. Display ‘vendor cards’ in exchange for reduced rates.
12. Price shop for decorations – and consider buying used.

if you're looking for wedding videographer consider DC Media - Irish wedding films. https://www.dcmedia.ie/
DC Media provide various types of videography from single camera to multiple cameras usage.

DC Media are very budget minded and can accommodate all client budgets by offering various wedding day packages.

DC Media pride ourselves on the high standards and professionalism we invest in all our wedding films.

[MilianaCrawford]

Originally Posted by dcmedia07

Here are 12 Tips to Plan Your Wedding on a Budget

1. Avoid guest list bloat.
2. Ask for wedding help instead of wedding gifts.
3. Hold the ceremony at home, or outdoors.
4. Do the catering yourself, or hire a family-owned restaurant.
5. Go minimal with the flowers.
6. Skip the groomsmen and bridesmaid gifts.
7. Make your own invitations.
8. Borrow stereo equipment or use yours from home.
9. Stock the bar yourself.
10. Display ‘vendor cards’ in exchange for reduced rates.
12. Price shop for decorations – and consider buying used.

if you're looking for wedding videographer consider DC Media - Irish wedding films. https://www.dcmedia.ie/
DC Media provide various types of videography from single camera to multiple cameras usage.

DC Media are very budget minded and can accommodate all client budgets by offering various wedding day packages.

DC Media pride ourselves on the high standards and professionalism we invest in all our wedding films.

oh thanks , very useful list

[derek2021]

1. What is your experience of filming weddings and occasions?
This should be your first priority question. The experience of your wedding videographer will show how much ability he has to explore the area and to capture every minor detail beautifully. For catching every little detail, an experienced videographer is important.
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In the film industry, photographers and videographers are usually connected to each other. If your videographer has already worked with someone, it can be very helpful. Hiring both the persons of same taste can give the best outcome.
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Every videographer has its own style of capturing. Some use a typical traditional style while some have a cinematic point of view. Therefore, before hiring you should be clear about your own demands and what the videographer is offering.
4. What are your demands from us?
All the videographers have their own demands. For example, some particular type of music, some artistic backgrounds, and some specific locations for shoot etc. While hiring any videographer, you should trust them completely; else you can hire the one who has the same thinking as yours.
5. What pricing do you expect from us?
This is very important because you have to select the one according to your budget. Really high class and professional videographers can overburden you with their demands. It is better to check the cost of each group before hiring.
6. Are you completely free on the booking dates?
You should book the wedding videographers for the whole day. It is because some videographers have multiple booking for the same day and then it becomes difficult for them to give you proper time.
7. Do you have any backup plans?
It is important to know because, in case of any mishaps with your types of equipment, your event can be destroyed.
Best Wedding Videographers
If you are looking for a wedding videographer in Dublin have a look at my website www.reelirishwedding.com