One of the most important aspects of a beautiful wedding is the flowers. Depending on the bride's final choice, they can be quite expensive. Fortunately, there are ways to save money on this expense and still create a lovely atmosphere. Here's the answer to how to have your wedding on a shoestring budget and save money on wedding flowers.
One of the best ways to save money on flowers, for a wedding, is to choose those that are in season. It should be quite obvious that because they are readily available, the cost will be less. Seasonal flowers usually reflect the colors of the season as well. Pastels are spring, primary colors are summer, gold, red, and purple are fall, and red, and white are winter. Carnations, roses, chrysanthemums are available all year long at budget prices.
Flowers can be ordered online at near wholesale prices. Keep in mind most wholesalers sell the flowers in a tightly budded stage so allow a few days for the flowers to open in a warm and light area. The flowers have to be kept watered of course so find an assortment of buckets you can use.
Choosing an outdoor location will sometimes enable a couple to save money on flowers, for this joyous occasion. Depending on the specific location, natural flowers and foliage may well be an added perk. (Hint: many botanical gardens allow weddings to take place on their premises.)
Smaller weddings usually require less pomp and circumstance. A relatively compact location and fewer guests can mean the need for fewer flowers and other decorations.
Instead of cut flowers, use potted plants. Plants such as African violets and even cacti (for western themed weddings) can be dug up and potted, specifically for the occasion. Afterwards they can be used to decorate the home. If you're planning a spring or summer wedding, consider buying flowering plants from a plant nursery. Or from a big box store like home depot. The choices and colors available are staggering.
Weddings on a budget
Choose a bridal bouquet that is held together with ribbon, as opposed to being hand wired. This will save money because it is less time consuming to create. Another alternative is to choose an exotic bloom like orchids or calla lilies and carry just one stem or spray.
It is important to note that ALL flowers will cost more during the Valentine's Day season and the week preceding Mother's Day.
Another way to save money on wedding flowers is to use candles as a focal point. This is a good choice when more expensive flowers will be purchased…fewer flowers are needed. Ribbons and bows can be used to replace flowers as well.
cheap wedding ideas
Keep these ideas in mind and you'll know how to save money on your wedding flowers.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Conserve Your Cash While Your Guests Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
Catering can drain your checking account faster than a leaky bucket. But you can plug the holes and still provide your guests a fabulous feast.
Check with your reception site about their rules on whether food can be brought in, or whether you have to use their food catering provider. Many hotels will not allow outside vendors to be brought onsite for a variety of reasons. Hotels charge a hefty price for their food service, sometimes as much as $15.00 per guest for a simple beverage service (no alcohol) just coffee, tea and soft drinks. A continental breakfast self service buffet can be over $20.00 a person.
A buffet is usually less expensive to provide than a sit down meal. You can also stretch a buffet to feed 10% more if extra guests show up. You can’t do that with a meal. Buffet service requires labor to set up, replenish the buffet and clean up. A meal service requires servers to bring the courses, remove them, refill drinks, fill special requests and clean up. That extra labor is an extra expense.
Breakfast and lunch are less expensive than dinner. Breakfast foods require less expensive ingredients while lunch means smaller portions than dinner.
A meal doesn’t have to be served at all. You could provide a fruit tray, a veggie tray and perhaps a few appetizers. Consider ordering the trays from your local grocers, which will cost considerably less than catering. Stick with food that tastes good at room temperature and doesn’t need to be kept cold for safety reasons. Deviled eggs are always a favorite and for the cost of two dozen eggs you get almost 50 appetizers. Crackers and spinach dip is another good selection at a reasonable price. Mini ham and cheese sandwiches served on a dinner roll is economical. If you use parmesan cheese and add a basil leaf you have a gourmet sandwich.
If you have an open bar hire a bartender. He or she will save you money by making sure that the drinks are proportioned properly. Guests may be too generous if they mix their own drinks.
The least expensive option is not to serve alcohol at all, and many sites prohibit the consumption of alcohol.
Champagne punch is an alternative to straight champagne. Sangria, a fruit and wine cocktail, allows the usage of a lesser vintage of wine, since the taste is camouflaged by the addition of the fruit. You can also add ginger ale or lemon-lime soda to stretch the wine even further. A white sangria can be made with a white wine, lemon, orange, tangerines and lemon lime soda. Pink sangria uses the same recipe but adds raspberries or strawberries to the mixture. Just about any juicy fruit can be used.
1 and half liter bottles of wine means a savings of about 20% over the standard 750 liter size bottle. Many stores offer additional case purchase discounts of 10%. A standard tactic is to serve a ‘good’ wine as the first glass and then switch to serving a lesser vintage as the festivities wear on.
You might see if there is a cooking school in the area that would agree to provide the catering as an exercise for their students. These students are not beginners and all the food preparation is supervised by the staff so the quality of food should be high. You may have to provide containers for the food and transportation from the school to the wedding site.
Check with your reception site about their rules on whether food can be brought in, or whether you have to use their food catering provider. Many hotels will not allow outside vendors to be brought onsite for a variety of reasons. Hotels charge a hefty price for their food service, sometimes as much as $15.00 per guest for a simple beverage service (no alcohol) just coffee, tea and soft drinks. A continental breakfast self service buffet can be over $20.00 a person.
A buffet is usually less expensive to provide than a sit down meal. You can also stretch a buffet to feed 10% more if extra guests show up. You can’t do that with a meal. Buffet service requires labor to set up, replenish the buffet and clean up. A meal service requires servers to bring the courses, remove them, refill drinks, fill special requests and clean up. That extra labor is an extra expense.
Breakfast and lunch are less expensive than dinner. Breakfast foods require less expensive ingredients while lunch means smaller portions than dinner.
A meal doesn’t have to be served at all. You could provide a fruit tray, a veggie tray and perhaps a few appetizers. Consider ordering the trays from your local grocers, which will cost considerably less than catering. Stick with food that tastes good at room temperature and doesn’t need to be kept cold for safety reasons. Deviled eggs are always a favorite and for the cost of two dozen eggs you get almost 50 appetizers. Crackers and spinach dip is another good selection at a reasonable price. Mini ham and cheese sandwiches served on a dinner roll is economical. If you use parmesan cheese and add a basil leaf you have a gourmet sandwich.
If you have an open bar hire a bartender. He or she will save you money by making sure that the drinks are proportioned properly. Guests may be too generous if they mix their own drinks.
The least expensive option is not to serve alcohol at all, and many sites prohibit the consumption of alcohol.
Champagne punch is an alternative to straight champagne. Sangria, a fruit and wine cocktail, allows the usage of a lesser vintage of wine, since the taste is camouflaged by the addition of the fruit. You can also add ginger ale or lemon-lime soda to stretch the wine even further. A white sangria can be made with a white wine, lemon, orange, tangerines and lemon lime soda. Pink sangria uses the same recipe but adds raspberries or strawberries to the mixture. Just about any juicy fruit can be used.
1 and half liter bottles of wine means a savings of about 20% over the standard 750 liter size bottle. Many stores offer additional case purchase discounts of 10%. A standard tactic is to serve a ‘good’ wine as the first glass and then switch to serving a lesser vintage as the festivities wear on.
You might see if there is a cooking school in the area that would agree to provide the catering as an exercise for their students. These students are not beginners and all the food preparation is supervised by the staff so the quality of food should be high. You may have to provide containers for the food and transportation from the school to the wedding site.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Fancies – Yes, Diamonds Come in Colors.
Think of diamonds and you think of breathtakingly clear stones, clear as water, pure as ice. But diamonds do come in colors, over 300 different colors in diamonds have been found in nature so far. Diamonds are normally graded from colorless or rare white, to brown. Black is not used in jewelry except as a novelty item. Colors deeper than light yellow are not usually used in jewelry making, although on occasion, champagne diamonds or cognac diamonds appear. These are really, in most cases, white diamonds of an inferior color grade, rather than fancy diamonds.
The colorless is the most expensive of the white diamonds. Diamonds with a faint tint of yellow are less valuable and a yellow color visible to the naked eye are the least valuable.
Fancies are the term used for colored diamonds. Diamonds can be found in every color and intensity: red, blue, yellow, green, and lavender. The intensity of the colors can range from palest pink to red, lightest blue to sky blue and so forth. Fancy diamonds are rarer than white diamonds. The most common fancy colors are yellow ranging from canary yellow to orange. Colors such as pink, lavender and light green occur much more rarely than the yellow colors. Most valuable of all are the deep reds, greens and blues.
One word of caution: colored diamonds can be created artificially by subjecting inexpensive yellowish and brown stones to radiation or heating. Fancy diamonds, other than green, can be tested to see if the color is natural or the color has been induced. Fancy diamonds can also be created synthetically. These artificially colored, or produced diamonds, don't have nearly the same value as fancy diamonds found naturally. It some cases the colors fade, revert back to their natural state, or change color.
The Hope diamond is an example of a fancy blue diamond. The Argyle Mine in
The
Colored diamonds are valued on a different scale than white diamonds. The color's saturation, hue, and darkness determine the value. In other words the more intense the color the more valuable the diamond is. Make sure you take any fancy diamond you plan on purchasing to a certified lab for evaluation.
Dee
Weddings on a Shoestring Budget
Saturday, February 6, 2010
2 Tips for a Champagne Wedding on a Shoestring Budget
Are you faced with planning a wedding on a shoestring budget? Considering the state of today’s economy, you can rest assured that you’re not alone. Many brides-to-be are in the same boat. You can have a champagne wedding on a shoestring budget.
The good news is this: there are many things you can do that will actually help you save money on your wedding. You can still have a beautiful day, without spending thousands of dollars in the process.
Tip number one. Develop a budget. Be honest with yourself and your fiance about how much you can reasonably spend for your wedding. You can do some preliminary estimates by going to websites and seeing how much a three tiered wedding cake costs, a dramatic bridal bouquet, centerpieces, invitations, and so forth. Once you set a budget limit, stick to it. It's easy to get carried away and decide that the darling tissue paper liners for the save the date cards are a must have and add only $100 to the total cost of the invitations. The problem is that if you keep adding $100 here and there you'll end up thousands over budget.
Tip number two. Decide what's important to you. If you've always dreamed of a beautifully embroidered wedding gown with yards of lace then cut back in other areas. Or find a wedding gown that fulfills your dream but is second hand. Because most dresses are only worn once, opting for a 'gently used' gown is almost like purchasing a new one... for a whole lot less.
Many bridal shops carry at least a small selection of used wedding dresses. You can also utilize online resources such as eBay. You will probably be surprised at the number of 'designer' gowns that are currently up for grabs, for a fraction of the price.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Mini meals are fun and tasty. Try these ideas at your wedding reception.
Guests love bite size snacks they can carry with them. Just about
everyone loves macaroni and cheese. You can make it special and
portable by hollowing out a small dinner roll and stuffing it with
mac and cheese. They won't even need a spoon.
Stuff cherry tomatoes with a mixture of one cup of cottage cheese
mixed with one quarter cup of Parmesan cheese.
For a variation stuff the tomatoes with chicken salad or tuna salad.
Chicken wings are fun and easy. Cut a chicken wing in three pieces.
Save the bony wing end for making chicken broth. Bake the wings at
350 degrees until done. Serve at room temperature with dipping
sauces. Mix equal parts honey, lime juice and mustard for a tangy
dip. Or try equal party ketchup and brown sugar for a BBQ like
sauce. Each guest gets their own little cup of dipping sauce.
Miniature hot dogs and buns are always a hit. Buy the little franks
and refrigerator biscuits. Cut the biscuits in half. Place one
little frank in the center and roll up. Bake as package directs.
Grill baby burgers and place in a cut dinner roll, top with a slice
of tomato, a lettuce leaf, and favorite condiments like mayonnaise,
ketchup, and mustard.
Keep portions tiny.
Salad to go. Wash endive leaves. Fill the broad end with a teaspoon
of your favorite prepared salad. Wash butter lettuce leaves,
selecting the smaller more pliable leaves. Spread out the lettuce
leaf and put a tablespoon of salad on the end nearest you. Roll the
leaf forward covering the salad. Tuck the ends of the leave under
as if you were rolling up a burrito.
Lightly fill celery stalk with cream cheese. Press dried cranberries or
raisins into the cheese. Cut into bite sized pieces. For a change use
flavored cream cheese.
Mini pizzas. Use refrigerator biscuits. Lightly flour a
board. Roll each biscuit flat doubling the size of the biscuit.
Place biscuits on cookie sheets. Spread with a teaspoon of tomato
sauce, pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce. An alternative is to use a
slice of fresh tomato. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake as package
directs.
A veggie platter and dip can be made special by using baby
vegetables. Carrots, summer squash, patty pan squash, string beans,
both yellow and green should be blanched by immersing in boiling
water for one minute and then in immediately in an ice bath. Add
snap pea pods, grape tomatoes, both red and yellow, and boiled baby
potatoes.
Mini tacos are fun and easy. Use the corn chips that are made for
dipping and have a bowl shape. Fill with a teaspoon of cooked taco
meat, a bit of refried beans and top with shredded cheese. Bake
until the cheese just melts.
Valentines Day is coming up fast but it's not too late to snag a few
party ideas for kids they're not just for children.
Dee Power
Weddings on a Shoestring Budget
http://www.weddingsonashoestringbudget.com
everyone loves macaroni and cheese. You can make it special and
portable by hollowing out a small dinner roll and stuffing it with
mac and cheese. They won't even need a spoon.
Stuff cherry tomatoes with a mixture of one cup of cottage cheese
mixed with one quarter cup of Parmesan cheese.
For a variation stuff the tomatoes with chicken salad or tuna salad.
Chicken wings are fun and easy. Cut a chicken wing in three pieces.
Save the bony wing end for making chicken broth. Bake the wings at
350 degrees until done. Serve at room temperature with dipping
sauces. Mix equal parts honey, lime juice and mustard for a tangy
dip. Or try equal party ketchup and brown sugar for a BBQ like
sauce. Each guest gets their own little cup of dipping sauce.
Miniature hot dogs and buns are always a hit. Buy the little franks
and refrigerator biscuits. Cut the biscuits in half. Place one
little frank in the center and roll up. Bake as package directs.
Grill baby burgers and place in a cut dinner roll, top with a slice
of tomato, a lettuce leaf, and favorite condiments like mayonnaise,
ketchup, and mustard.
Keep portions tiny.
Salad to go. Wash endive leaves. Fill the broad end with a teaspoon
of your favorite prepared salad. Wash butter lettuce leaves,
selecting the smaller more pliable leaves. Spread out the lettuce
leaf and put a tablespoon of salad on the end nearest you. Roll the
leaf forward covering the salad. Tuck the ends of the leave under
as if you were rolling up a burrito.
Lightly fill celery stalk with cream cheese. Press dried cranberries or
raisins into the cheese. Cut into bite sized pieces. For a change use
flavored cream cheese.
Mini pizzas. Use refrigerator biscuits. Lightly flour a
board. Roll each biscuit flat doubling the size of the biscuit.
Place biscuits on cookie sheets. Spread with a teaspoon of tomato
sauce, pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce. An alternative is to use a
slice of fresh tomato. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake as package
directs.
A veggie platter and dip can be made special by using baby
vegetables. Carrots, summer squash, patty pan squash, string beans,
both yellow and green should be blanched by immersing in boiling
water for one minute and then in immediately in an ice bath. Add
snap pea pods, grape tomatoes, both red and yellow, and boiled baby
potatoes.
Mini tacos are fun and easy. Use the corn chips that are made for
dipping and have a bowl shape. Fill with a teaspoon of cooked taco
meat, a bit of refried beans and top with shredded cheese. Bake
until the cheese just melts.
Valentines Day is coming up fast but it's not too late to snag a few
party ideas for kids they're not just for children.
Dee Power
Weddings on a Shoestring Budget
http://www.weddingsonashoestringbudget.com
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Think small to save big
One of the major costs of a wedding is the reception. And food takes a huge chunk of the reception budget. A very clever way to save on costs is to think small. Bite sized is best.
A sit down dinner can run as much as $75 per person without the wine. That means a guest list of 150 is going to run a tab of close to $12,000. Instead of dinner consider a buffet of bite size appetizers, or even better those appetizers passed on trays by servers. People have a tendency to fill up a plate at a buffet wasting a good portion of the food or stuffing themselves. They're much less likely to chow down in front a wait person or clear off their tray.
It takes a good 15 minutes after you start to eat for your brain to tell your tummy that you're getting full. It takes longer to consume food if you have to wait for the server to come back with another portion.
Little appetizers are very fashionable right now. Served creatively and elegantly your guests won't even realize you're cutting back on costs. Here are a few suggestions:
3 tiny shrimp served on mini rye toasts, spread with cream cheese, garnished with a sprig of dill
Cherry tomatoes stuffed with cottage cheese, basil, and Parmesan cheese
A slice of rare roast beef with a dab of honey mustard sauce served in a pastry puff
Chicken drummetes, chicken wings with the meat pushed down to one end
Sushi - california rolls can be bought the day before.
Salad to go - tiny grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, diced cucumber, baby lettuces served in a small clear plastic 4 ounce cup
Mini burritos. Stuff the smallest size flour tortillas with your favorite burrito mixture, then cut in half.
A sit down dinner can run as much as $75 per person without the wine. That means a guest list of 150 is going to run a tab of close to $12,000. Instead of dinner consider a buffet of bite size appetizers, or even better those appetizers passed on trays by servers. People have a tendency to fill up a plate at a buffet wasting a good portion of the food or stuffing themselves. They're much less likely to chow down in front a wait person or clear off their tray.
It takes a good 15 minutes after you start to eat for your brain to tell your tummy that you're getting full. It takes longer to consume food if you have to wait for the server to come back with another portion.
Little appetizers are very fashionable right now. Served creatively and elegantly your guests won't even realize you're cutting back on costs. Here are a few suggestions:
3 tiny shrimp served on mini rye toasts, spread with cream cheese, garnished with a sprig of dill
Cherry tomatoes stuffed with cottage cheese, basil, and Parmesan cheese
A slice of rare roast beef with a dab of honey mustard sauce served in a pastry puff
Chicken drummetes, chicken wings with the meat pushed down to one end
Sushi - california rolls can be bought the day before.
Salad to go - tiny grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, diced cucumber, baby lettuces served in a small clear plastic 4 ounce cup
Mini burritos. Stuff the smallest size flour tortillas with your favorite burrito mixture, then cut in half.
Augment the mini appetizers with a lavish display of veggies and dip or a basket of crackers and cheeses.
Check out the freezer case of your grocery store for more appetizer ideas. Choose those that taste good at room temperature. It's easier to keep foods cold because you can serve them on a bed of ice, or place the serving plate on a bed of ice. Keeping hot foods hot is more of a challenge. Small servings of food have a tendency to cool off faster.
Garnish the serving plates with ruffled kale, a bed of butter lettuce, or thinly sliced citrus fruit. Garnishes don't get eaten (usually) and cost much less than the appetizer, yet they take up space on the plate and enhance the attractiveness of the food.
Dee
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Cheap and Easy Ideas for Your Wedding Reception
Weddings on a Shoestring Budget: Cheap and Easy Ideas for Your Wedding Reception
Are you getting married, but find it necessary to stay within a certain budget? Don't worry; you can still have a wonderful wedding reception, without spending a great deal of money. It's probably easier than you think to have a fabulous wedding on a shoestring budget.
Weather permitting one of the least expensive ways to save money on your reception is to have it in your own backyard… or in a backyard you have 'borrowed' from a friend or family member. This option works best for small, intimate, receptions. In any case have an alternative rainy day location chosen. It could be the living room or first floor of your house. You may still need to rent a tarp or covering so your guests aren't wilting in the sun.
If your reception will be on a larger scale, consider having it at a local park. Pavilions can usually be rented at a very reasonable cost. Many parks have additional facilities such as beaches and play areas, as well. (This type of amenity will be appreciated by the younger guests, in attendance.) Send an advanced group to scout the area for papers, trash, and dog droppings. Folding chairs can be rented so your guests will be comfortable while waiting for the ceremony to begin.
If you plan on decorating with flowers, use those that are in season. Many grocery stores now have lovely floral departments. Talk with the floral manager to see what bouquets she or he is ordering that are in your color scheme. Reserve the bouquets by prepaying for them. A good size bouquet is usually around $10 to $12 that's far less expensive than an arrangement from the florist. Shop good will stores for glass vases. Use inexpensive candles as the main focal point and the flowers as more of an accent. Doing so will save you money.
(You can easily 'jazz up' inexpensive glass candle holders with ribbon and other small embellishments that match your color scheme. These candles can even be given away as wedding favors, at the end of the reception.)
Food doesn't have to be a huge expense, if you don't want it to be. Ask your closest friends and family members to bring a dish to pass. You will find that they are usually more than willing to do so.
Another option is to serve several different desserts and beverages, instead of a large meal. The desserts can be purchased from a bakery or your local grocery store. Ask a friend to cut the desserts into serving slices and then store until the wedding. Individual mini tarts, cookies, cupcakes, are other alternatives.
Have the wedding of your dreams on a shoestring budget.
Are you getting married, but find it necessary to stay within a certain budget? Don't worry; you can still have a wonderful wedding reception, without spending a great deal of money. It's probably easier than you think to have a fabulous wedding on a shoestring budget.
Weather permitting one of the least expensive ways to save money on your reception is to have it in your own backyard… or in a backyard you have 'borrowed' from a friend or family member. This option works best for small, intimate, receptions. In any case have an alternative rainy day location chosen. It could be the living room or first floor of your house. You may still need to rent a tarp or covering so your guests aren't wilting in the sun.
If your reception will be on a larger scale, consider having it at a local park. Pavilions can usually be rented at a very reasonable cost. Many parks have additional facilities such as beaches and play areas, as well. (This type of amenity will be appreciated by the younger guests, in attendance.) Send an advanced group to scout the area for papers, trash, and dog droppings. Folding chairs can be rented so your guests will be comfortable while waiting for the ceremony to begin.
If you plan on decorating with flowers, use those that are in season. Many grocery stores now have lovely floral departments. Talk with the floral manager to see what bouquets she or he is ordering that are in your color scheme. Reserve the bouquets by prepaying for them. A good size bouquet is usually around $10 to $12 that's far less expensive than an arrangement from the florist. Shop good will stores for glass vases. Use inexpensive candles as the main focal point and the flowers as more of an accent. Doing so will save you money.
(You can easily 'jazz up' inexpensive glass candle holders with ribbon and other small embellishments that match your color scheme. These candles can even be given away as wedding favors, at the end of the reception.)
Food doesn't have to be a huge expense, if you don't want it to be. Ask your closest friends and family members to bring a dish to pass. You will find that they are usually more than willing to do so.
Another option is to serve several different desserts and beverages, instead of a large meal. The desserts can be purchased from a bakery or your local grocery store. Ask a friend to cut the desserts into serving slices and then store until the wedding. Individual mini tarts, cookies, cupcakes, are other alternatives.
Have the wedding of your dreams on a shoestring budget.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
