Hotel Room for Wedding Night: Book the hotel room for your wedding night a few months in advance and ask if there are any discounts available. Also, ask if they have any packages for a couple that just got married. Some hotels have a romance package or a honeymooner’s package where you can get one night stay, breakfast the next morning and champagne or a goody basket. Ask for any kind of discount you can get. If you have a lot of guests staying at the same hotel, be sure to ask for a discount because you helped them book so many rooms, they may be willing to give you a little off of the price of the room or they may be willing to upgrade you to a nicer room, like a larger suite. If you book a regular room it will most likely cost less than a suite will cost.
Small stuff: Most people don’t even think about the small stuff like favors, your garter, a guest book, cake topper, aisle runner, photo mat, and decorations for ceremony/reception, but it all adds up fast. Many of these things you can purchase at retailers like Wal-Mart, Target and online at Oriental Trading Company(www.orientaltrading.com) very inexpensively. Try to keep your favors something small and simple. Ask yourself again if you want a cake topper, an aisle runner, a photo mat and what kind of decorations you want for the ceremony and reception. Keep in mind that many reception locations will provide you with the linens and a small round mirror with tea light candles. You can actually buy a garter, guest book and little stuff for favors at places like Dollar Tree and other dollar stores now.
Gifts for attendants and each other: Many times you can’t find cheap bridesmaid or groomsmen gifts at retailers like Wal-Mart and Target. Most of the time the best deal you’re going to find is online. Get on the internet and surf to stores like these that offer cheap or discounted gifts: www.orientaltrading.com and www.photoframesplus.com. You can find gifts for as low as $9.99 each on Oriental Trading, $2.70 each on Photo Frames Plus.
Think to yourself what do you really want? What is necessary? (Is it really necessary to have an aisle runner, a grooms cake, a unity candle or candelabra, a videographer, limo service) What’s important to you on your wedding day? Do you have to have a huge cake? Do you really need to have an over the top reception? From what I know most people won’t remember your dress or much of the ceremony. They will remember the food and the reception activities like the dancing and the bouquet/garter toss. They probably won’t really remember the flowers, your rings, the cake or your invitations, these all come in second when most people go to weddings and the most memorable parts of weddings usually take place during the reception, so just keep that in mind when you’re making decisions. If you have to have a designer cake or designer dress then you can make that decision if it is an absolute must have for you and your wedding, but keep in mind you don’t have to have anything over the top for it to be a nice and memorable wedding.
Other Tips to Consider:
Do you really want to get married on a Saturday or could you do it on a Friday or a Sunday? Saturday is usually the hottest day for a wedding because many people choose to get married on a Saturday. If you choose a Friday or Sunday you can usually get a discounted rate. Discounted rates usually apply to Friday or Sunday at many locations. Go to any local bridal shows in your area because many times you can win stuff at bridal shows or get even bigger discounts on stuff you need for your wedding by meeting with vendors there. I personally won a free engagement photo (8X10) and a friend of mine won money towards a reception at a certain vendors site.
