My husband and I got married 10-5-19 and it was hands down the best day of my life. It was a very expensive day, but one I would relive over and over again if I could! I have no regrets with the vendors we chose and the money spent. We splurged in some areas and cut in others. It all depends on what’s important to you on where you decide to save some money.
Splurge Areas
- Dress – what girl doesn’t want a princess dress for their wedding? I knew I wanted a ballgown dress because this was my only chance in life to wear a dress like this. I purchased my dress from Gracie’s Bridal in Springfield, MO.
- Flowers – I had so many pinterest pictures saved of huge floral arrangements and centerpieces. They change the look of a room and take your breath away. I compromised on flowers to cheapen the bill by only doing huge arrangements on the tables in the middle of the venue. We filled in other tables with smaller arrangements. I did save my bouquet but the rest of the flowers went in the trash when the day was over. I wish I would have found a local nursing home or hospital to donate them to. If you’re reading this, look into donating your flowers the day after! We ordered our flowers from Artistry in Bloom in Nixa, MO.
- Photographer – I spent WEEKS talking to photographers, reading reviews and getting a feel for whether we meshed well with the photographer. This person is going to be by your side on one of the biggest days of your life and you want to feel comfortable with them! I went with J Design Photography in Springfield, MO. Our photos are backed up online for 10 YEARS and we have access to them anytime. I know so many people that paid for a photographer but did not get photos printed in time and they have hardly any saved or printed. If your photographer does not back your photos up online, I would recommend buying a flash drive and saving them all there. Don’t let all that money you spent go to waste!
- Venue – I feel like this is a huge chunk of everyone’s budget unless you have a family property you’re getting married at. Things to ask when looking at venues: what time do we have to be out, are there additional fees for alcohol, when will the venue be available for a rehearsal, what’s not allowed, and of course, availability is a huge factor, Also consider how you want your wedding pictures to look and if there are areas for good picture taking. We actually passed on a venue because we felt they did not have many options for pictures. We ended up getting married at The Gambrel Barn in Verona, MO.
Areas We Cut Back and Saved
- Videographer – This was not a priority on my list because I did not want to spend thousands of dollars on a video I’d watch once a year. My mom recorded the entire ceremony on her phone and it has ton of personality and funny mom moments lol 9 months later and I still don’t regret not hiring a videographer.
- Cake – We priced cakes and a cake to feed 250 people was every bit of $500. My aunt made our cake and we still got to choose filling flavors and make it our own. We paid for ingredients and gave my aunt a big ole hug for the best gift she could’ve given us.
- Flower Girl Dresses – I found our flower girl dresses on Jane.com. They were $30 a piece and perfect for a little girl who’s going to be rolling on the ground seconds after walking down the aisle. Amazon also has a really good selection of affordable flower girl dresses.
- Hair accessories, flower girl baskets, cake cutting knife – go to Hobby Lobby. My hair piece was $10, flower girl baskets were $20 a piece – but make several trips and use the half off coupon, and the knife cutting set was $12. And don’t forget to keep your receipt because there is a chance you could end up not using something and return it!
Don’t forget to have fun and let your personality shine through with your details. We ordered an engraved wooden guest book off of etsy. My husband had a fishing groomsmen cake and surprised me by singing our first dance song, Die A Happy Man by Thomas Rhett. Remember to breathe and take it all in because it all goes by so fast. Good luck to all the brides out their currently planning their special day.
