Money saving Wedding Tip of the Day

Thank you for the music...

DJ's aren't cheap, and neither should they be, because there's a heck of a lot of time and effort goes into providing great music at a wedding, researching the playlist and generally 'reading' the crowd on the night to try and keep 17 year old hip-hop mad cousin Matt and Great-Grandma equally happy with the selection. They also have to constantly update their music and equipment to keep up to date.

So hats off to the wedding DJ's of the world. You guys do a great job! (just, as a personal favour to me, do you think you could manage to lose every single copy of "The Chicken Dance" and "The Macarena" currently existing in Australia? Thanks, appreciate it.)

Having said that, if you, like most people, are planning your wedding on a budget, then you want to save a few dollars wherever you can. One way to do this is to hire the DJ for a shorter period of time, just to cover the time when you are actually planning on hitting the dance floor.

During the sit down dinner part of the reception (if this is what you're having, obviously) then background music is really all you need, and this can easily be taken care of with either a few mixed CD's or a personalised playlist on your iPod, all plugged into the venue's sound system.

Obviously if the venue doesn't have a sound system of any kind then this won't work for you, but if they do, why not ask if you can provide your own music during pre-dinner drinks and dinner, and have the DJ take over when it's time for serious dancing.

Just remember that if you go for this option you will need to make your own arrangements for a microphone and PA system for speeches, however most venues will be able to supply this for you at no extra charge.

*J*

Money saving Wedding Tip of the Day

Today's tip on not blowing the budget entirely is to consider the items you can DIY, and there are many!

Invitations / table menus / place cards / orders of service

(aka "stationery", not to be, but often is, confused with "stationary")

If you're the crafty type, then the sky's the absolute limit when it comes to options for wedding stationery. Get yourself a decent printer, visit one of the many suppliers of specialist papers and go nuts. Friends who scrapbook will have some fantastic ideas on both design and where to find papers and accessories to match your theme. Table menus can double as name cards if you print the guest name at the top, and are a very affordable way to add to your guest tables' colour themes. Don't just stop at papers, either. Ribbon, lace, sparky bits, stick on stuff (can you tell I gave up scrapbooking after the 1st month?) etc. will all add an elegant and personal touch to your creations.

Bombonniere

(If I EVER spell that word correctly I'll be amazed. I've seen about 812 different variations, which is odd considering it's so few letters!)

Here's another area you can get up close and personal with. The traditional wedding favour consists of 5 sugared almonds, all wrapped up in a cute little tulle bag with a ribbon. These almonds are meant to represent happiness, health, wealth, fertility and long life. Wow. Cool! If, like me, your teeth run away screaming at the thought of sugared almonds, however, there are many, many other options out there. Some I've seen include silver momentos (key chains, compact mirrors, mini photo frames), stubby holders (useful, but don't always look so good on the guest tables), CD's (often flagrantly violation copyright laws, by the way), jars of lollies (you can get these cool ones personalised with your initials or names) and flowers or plants, just to name a few.

One of the loveliest ideas I've ever seen was Australian native seedlings planted in handpainted mini terracotta pots. Each pot had been painted in colours to match the overall theme, with the bride and groom's name and the wedding date. A tiny name tag on a ribbon was attached to each one, so they doubled as place cards as well. Call on those ever-patient (and hopefully crafty) bridesmaids to lend a hand with the painting process, but be nice, at least provide them with some decent champagne and nibbles to help ease the monotony and inevitable hand cramps of painting the words "Dick & Jane, August 2008" 47 times in succession!

Centrepieces

Now, unless you have a family member of close friend who has professional florist training, or incredible natural talent in this area I'd tend to steer clear of DIY flowers, as the ending result can sometimes be very amateur looking, but there are lots of other centrepiece ideas which don't involve flowers.

Mirrors, shells, glass pebbles, vases and lanterns, candles, leaves or petals, coloured water, and even goldfish can all be used to great effect. Once you come up with an idea you like, try contacting some decorating and florist wholesalers to buy in bulk and save the $$. Even if your heart is set on floral centrepieces you can save money by sourcing your own vases, and add your own touches in addition to the flowers with tealight candles, coloured sprinkles - anything at all!

A popular custom is to write the name of one special guest at each table, who may be a particular friend, or have helped out in some special way with the wedding plans, and ask that they take the centrepiece home as a thank you. Just remember that if you do this, you'll need to provide your own vases, otherwise you'll be in for a hefty bill from your florist!

IMPORTANT FOOTNOTE - if you go for the goldfish option, please remind your guests that, no matter how intoxicated they may become, you will NOT consider it amusing for the fish to be swallowed whole with a large bourbon and coke, and that any offenders will be prosecuted to the full extent of animal welfare legislation!

There are many other money-saving DIY tips, but as I seem to have committed to providing a tip per day, I'd better not post any more for now otherwise I'll have run out of material by June.

Happy Planning :-)

*J*

Money saving Wedding Tip of the Day

With wedding cakes costing a bloody fortune these days, why not make the most of your investment and have the cake plated and served as dessert, thereby saving you money on your reception menu.

While fruitcake remains the traditional choice, mud cake, sponge cake, marbled cake or any combination of the above for each layer is becoming more and more popular with today's bridal couples.

The chef will, for a small fee per person, take the cake away after the cake cutting ceremony, cut it up and serve it with a delicious swirl of fruit coulis and cream.

Just remember that if you want to go with the tradition of saving the top layer for either the first wedding anniversary or the christening of the first child, you will need to have at least this layer as a fruitcake, because mudcake won't last long in the freezer no matter how nicely you ask it to!!

Another money saving wedding cake tip is to have a smaller, yet beautifully decorated cake for display and for the cake cutting, and have your cake maker make a simple iced slab of the same, called a "kitchen cake" for the chefs to cut and serve along with your display cake. It will save you money, and your guests will never know the difference!

Mmmmm, cake. I think it might be time for a snack...