Often the initial bliss and excitement of the engagement can be in danger of wearing off quickly and becoming total bewilderment once the wedding planning begins. However – this is where our friends over at Adorn Invitations come in.
Not only does the handcrafted invitation company provide gorgeous invite designs but their decades of industry experience means that they can share some of their insider tips and tricks for planning!
Their detailed timeline is here to help you keep your pretty pennies in your wallet, and your sanity in check. The road ahead may seem long, but after this read, you’ll be able to successfully navigate your way through that mountain of tulle, table settings and ruffles.
Graphic by Adorn Wedding Invitations
Crunching the Numbers
Our number one tip for all of our beautiful brides is to set a budget early and stick to it. Order some takeout, sit down with the amazing guy you’re going to marry and discuss the nitty gritty questions such as how much are you both willing to spend? Can you save this much before the wedding? Are others going to contribute? Once you have a figure in mind, the bellow formula will help you stay right on track and see exactly where your hard-earned cash is going.
48 to 50 percent of total budget to reception
8 to 10 percent for flowers
8 to 10 percent for attire
8 to 10 percent for entertainment/music
10 to 12 percent for photo/video
2 to 3 percent for invites; 2 to 3 percent for gifts
8 percent for miscellaneous items like a wedding coordinator.
Keep an extra 5-10% of your budget tucked away for any extra expenses like reprinting additional invites.
Be flexible with your Date
If you need to save on cash, look at having your wedding on a weekday. Often venues will offer major discounts on weekday weddings and also during off-peak season. If you’re having your reception near the beach – these beachside restaurants will have huge cuts in the colder months. Looking at having your celebration on a public holiday can also come with lots of benefits. Out of town guests may be more likely to make it due to their time off of work and venues usually offer fantastic discounts on these days.
DIY Queen
It only takes a few carefully executed DIY projects to make a massive impact in a wedding space. Often they instantly inject your personality into the room and can save you pennies. If you’re not a craft goddess, go simple. Vases or jars placed around the ceremony filled with flowers from your local market. Create table numbers, each with a different photo on the back (great way to use those pre-wedding photos you have been dying to show off) Browse through our Idea and tutorial sections to get started on your own DIY projects!
Shhh!
The most secretive tip that your vendor WON’T tell you is that when you mention your event is a wedding – their prices may triple. Yes, you’ve read that correctly. TRIPLE. If you can avoid telling your vendor that the event is for your wedding day, you’ll be able to save some big bucks. Obviously, you won’t be able to keep this information from your wedding photographer (who specialise in weddings anyway) but if you can avoid telling your florist or baker, that’s a plus.
