Save the Dates
Invitations are costly enough without essentially having to double the budget by sending everyone a Save the Date before the official invitation. If you want to let people know when your wedding is before the official invitations are sent out, then you can always send on online Save the Date. You can even send your guests a link to your My Wedding website page with all the details there. Simple, and cost effective if you're looking to save some extra money.
Too much décor
Depending on where you’re having your wedding, you might be surprised by how much you don’t decoration you don’t actually need. Most venues provide table linens, chair covers, sashes and centrepieces, as well as custom table numbers and menus. If you have specific ideas about what you want, then you might decide to get some of these things yourself, but find out what you can get from your venue, and you can re-evaluate what you do and don’t need. Remember, aside from the cost side of things, any décor you buy, you’ll be responsible for setting up and taking down after the wedding.
Extra clothes
You don’t really need a second dress for your reception. You don’t really need personalised dressing gowns for the morning of the wedding. And you definitely don’t need ten different ‘pun’ t-shirts that say ‘bride-to-be’, ‘wifey’ or ‘Feyoncé’. If you really want another dress for your reception, or those cute dressing gowns for your bridesmaids, no one is stopping you. But really think about whether or not you really want or need them before you just decide to spend money on them on a whim. Think long and hard about anything personalised, because you won’t be able to change your mind and return those items.
Customised favours
Wedding favours in general can often be skipped if couples are looking for a simpler wedding, but if you do opt for them, make sure they’re really worth the money. Is it something guests will actually like? Is it a useful favour? Or is it just an extra bit of décor that you want to have, just because? Either way, wedding favours can prove very costly and are usually a good thing to cut altogether if you’re looking to spend a bit less money. If you’re still set on favours, consider at least leaving out the personalisation. 200 individually personalised favours? That will take a lot more money and time.
Cake tower
Couples are often wrong about how much cake they really need. Don’t get distracted by five-tier beauties or massive cake towers. Think logistically about how many people are at the wedding, how you’re serving the cake, and then decide how much you really need. If you’re serving it as a dessert, then you’ll need a slice for everyone, but if you’re not, then not everyone at the wedding will line up to take a slice. Some couples have gone home with the entire bottom tier of their cake – which is the biggest! Think about how much cake you really need before you commit to one for its appearance. Otherwise you could be looking at a waste of money and a waste of cake.
Transport
A white limo is costs more money than any other colour, so that’s one thing to consider straight away. Does it have to be white? Are you willing to pay more for a white one? The second thing to consider about your transport in general, is will your guests even see you arrive? If you have your guests awaiting your arrival, a fancy car might be lovely. But if your guests are all inside enjoying the wine reception you laid out, while you arrive to go off and get your photos, is it necessary to put that much money into a car that very few people will see?
A big bridal party
This one is important. You shouldn’t pick a number of bridesmaids because “you don’t want to ask one friend out of a group of five without asking the other four”. You also shouldn’t pick a number of groomsmen to match the whims of the bride and her six bridesmaids if you only want three by your side. You don’t have to have a symmetrical bridal party. The bridal party will cost you a lot of money, especially if you’re going by general etiquette rules in Ireland of paying for the bridal party attire. You should pick the men and ladies that you want up there by your side, and factor in how many you really need to help you get ready for a big day.
- Jenny Darmody
Image credits: Save the Date: Magva | Decór: Dust & Things | Dressing gowns: Etsy | Favours: Favour Lane | Cake: Pinterest | Car: Pinterest | Bridesmaids: Pinterest