1. Go Green: As in utilize more greenery instead of flowers. Greenery tends to be the more cost-effective solution to filling in the spaces of a venue when thinking about décor. Utilize bridal party bouquets as center pieces for the reception & fill in the rest with lots of greens! if you’re doing your own florals/greenery, go to a farmer’s market and get an assortment if you can. Otherwise, shop wholesale!
2. One-Stop-Shop: As in the VENUE! There are a lot of venues out there with limited options. Get the most for your money & the best overall idea of a total spend with a venue who can & will do it all for you. *HINT HINT* – Verona Villa
3. Be Digital Friendly: We know, this one’s a bit controversial. Some people strongly dislike digital save the dates & wedding invitations. We however, think this is a wonderful way to save a few dollars. After all, the invite will probably end up stuck in a drawer or even worse, the trash once you guest gets it & puts a reminder in their (digital) calendar *See what we did there?!*
4. Ditch the Program & Menu’s: Not entirely, just the hundreds of printed copies for your guests! Significantly reduce paper expenses by utilizing one large decorative sign for the program and one for the Dinner menu. Place them near the entrance of each designated room or where most appropriate.
5. Skip the Favors: Now you should always be a good friend & do people favors when appropriate BUT that’s not the kind of favor we’re talking about….We’re talking wedding favors. While they’re a cute idea & guests certainly do love a good favor, the bottom line is that they are an unnecessary added expense. Think about it: you’re already treating your guests to a full course meal, dessert, a bar & entertainment!
VV Tip: Open up a wedding checking account. Anything that has to do with wedding related expenses should be carefully managed. Trust us, it’s worth it to have all your “wedding money” in one spot as this really enables you to stay on budget at all times. Even if you go with a venue who does it all, you still might have additional expenses for random items that can’t be avoided. We also love the idea of including bachelor/bachelorette party & honeymoon related expenses in here!
