Let's delve into 9 useful tips on how to save some budget on your wedding design, but for the overall design to still look good!
So let's dive straight in!
A Venue That Says It All!
My first useful tip to help save money on the design is to try and choose a venue that says it all! Don't choose a venue that's a blank canvas where you really need to dress it up with decor for it to have an impact.
Try to choose a venue that fits the vibe that you want and somewhere that looks beautiful without having to add lots of extras.
Florals
A great way to save on your florals is to repurpose your ceremony flowers! I say it all the time but it can really help with budget and for those that want to be more sustainable. Why waste beautiful flowers for a 30-60 minute ceremony!
Try to incorporate florals that can be reused in a different area, this could be aisle meadows that become table centres, you could have big displays either side of the altar which you then want positioned behind you at the table. If you want florals on your registrars table this could then be draped over a fireplace or on the top table. There are numerous ways for your florals to be repurposed so keep this in mind when speaking with your florist!
You may also be thinking that foliage and greenery is a cheaper alternative to flowers but at the moment this sometimes isn't the case, because everyone is thinking this, which then increases the demand and therefore bumps up the price!
Stationery
Now don't get me wrong I love working with a stationer and calligrapher but they can be expensive so there are ways for you to save money on this aspect!
Place names - if you have beautiful hand writing consider writing your own rather than getting them printed. It's also nice knowing you've created these yourself for that extra personal touch!
Menus - only have one or two per table rather than one on every place setting. You could even include the menu on your table plan which means you're only having to print one and it's combined with your table plan too!
Invites - why not go completely paperless and send out e-invites associated with a wedding website (which are also free!). Extremely eco-friendly and sustainable as remember most invites will just go in the bin, you're literally throwing money away.
Candles
I love candles! They look so beautiful on the overall design and you can get so many different types nowadays however they do just melt (obviously) and disappear and thats that! And they can be pretty expensive, for one wedding we spent over £200 just on candles!
So this might be a design element you want to re-think to help save some money. There are places like Flying Tiger that do sell cheaper candles but they might not burn as long.
Another way to get beautiful lighting on the table without using candles is the use of fairy-lights. You can pop them into jars, vases, enclosed domes or scatter them through a floral runner. They're battery powered and you can always sell them or reuse them around your house afterwards!
Food
Food can be one of the most expensive elements to your wedding day so try to explore different ways to reduce this, this could include: only have 2 courses and serving your wedding cake for dessert, having a buffet or sharing platters may be cheaper than having plated dishes. You could have a bbq or pizza trucks as your wedding breakfast rather than a formal sit down.
But from a design point of view, as this is the point of this blog, have you considered grazing tables as they're look so bloody cool and could save you money rather than having a 3 course meal. I would highly recommend Grape & Fig they're a true inspiration in grazing tables and they do weddings!
Cake
A beautifully designed wedding cake can be expensive so why not look at alternatives that could save you money!
What about a doughnut or brownie tower? Could you have an ice cream cart or candy floss machine, something different that could save you money but still give you impact on design.
You could also just downsize the cake to a single tier if you wanted so that you're still able to have the tradition of cake cutting and feeding each other a little piece.
Wedding Dress
Don't feel like you have to go out and buy a brand new wedding dress!
There are two options here, you can either buy a pre-loved dress or hire your wedding dress. It's so great that there are these options now as you can pay through the roof for wedding dresses, and if you know you'd want to sell it afterwards anyway then why not hire or recycle!
I actually bought a pre-loved dress for my own wedding, I went to a wedding dress shop that stocked pre-loved and ex-display dresses and that's where I found 'the one!' No one is going to judge you that you didn't buy new if you feel like a million dollars!
So there you have it guys, 9 budget hacks to help you save on your wedding design without compromising on the overall look!
Remember if you need any help with design we offer a wedding consultation service to help bring your wedding design to life so please do get in touch!
And don't forget to check out our digital products that can help with all your wedding planning needs and sign up for our FREE Wedding Planning Checklist!
Happy Planning
Lauren xx
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Photos: 1 & 3. Sophie Duckworth Photography, 2. Lauren Goodman, 4. Mindy Coe Photography
