It's been over two years of wedding planning for me... and two years of having a wedding planning podcast! I've done tons of research, but also heard from so many different brides, grooms, and wedding planners that we've had on our podcast.. and everyone has their own tips and tricks and traditions, but I wanted to gather some of the ideas into one post, not only for my own checklist, but in case anyone hasn't listened to every single episode of our podcast.
I hope these give you as many "wow, okay, yeps" as they gave me! Thanks to all of the people who have already gotten married and shared their results so the rest of us can thrive!
MONEY SAVING TIPS:
- Instead of paying high dollar for a photobooth rental, do it by mail for a fraction of the price, and get it for the whole weekend
- Print out invitations at Office Depot for 7 cents each [and make them on Canva!]
- Follow the local wedding resale Facebook groups to use others' decor
- Ask friends and family for the extra jewelry like rings, bracelets, and earrings
- Call and ask places that you've been to and loved if they'd allow you to have your wedding there. Sometimes the best and cheapest venues are not considered wedding venues.
- Check Shein for cheaper versions of popular wedding decor [or anything for your home/accessories/etc]
- Join an online wine subscription and share your link with family members who can also sign up, each time getting you both free wine [to use for the wedding events if purchasing your own]
MEANINGFUL GIFT IDEAS:
- Envelope cufflinks with an important note or photograph inside
- A make-up bag or purse with a photo or message inside
- A belt with a special message engraved into it on the inside
THINGS TO DO ON THE BIG DAY:
- People watch away from the party for a little while to take in all the love
- You can also plan a meal in a separate room/area to eat before going out the entertain the crowd
- Seat your family on the opposite side of you at the ceremony so they can see your emotions
- Splurge on new perfume or cologne.. then wear it on special occasions and have the memories come flooding back
- Give your bouquet to the couple who's been married the longest
- Give the matchmaker a special chair/decor/label
- Use your grandmothers as flower girls
- Put a window at your photobooth setup for people to write messages on then stand behind it
- Be introduced into the reception first, then you can introduce your bridal party to everyone
- Instead of a sparkler send off, have everyone hold sparklers around you during your first dance
- Have ice breaker game cards at each table in case people don't know each other
- Take a selfie video together at the end of the night of how you're feeling, no matter how sloppy
- Take scraps from your dress alterations to be made into lingerie
MORE HELP:
- Alexa has wedding planning skills
- Use WithJoy for your wedding website if you plan on having multiple events with different people invited to each
AFTER THE BIG DAY:
- Save your dried flowers in dice, or press it into a floating frame
- Get a replica of your cake made into an ornament
- Donate your flowers to a nursing home or hospital