Comments on: Getting off on the right foot. (part 2)

By: Mom @ Wide Open Wallet

Mom @ Wide Open Wallet — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 01:56:00 +0000

@ Slinky: I forget that grocery stores sell flowers. Thats a really good idea. I had no idea they did weddings. I just got my silk flowers at Wal-mart for my bouquet.

By: slinkystar2002

slinkystar2002 — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:46:00 +0000

I’m planning my own wedding now, and I definately agree with setting priorities. Also, the best way to get anything for a wedding cheap, is to know someone that does it. I happen to know quite a few musicians of various sorts, two photographers, a couple of florists, etc.

I do have to say one thing about the flowers though. It’s mostly just to be clear. If you get silk flowers through a florist, they may very well be MORE expensive than fresh. This is because they purchase very high quality silks from wholesalers.

That said, I have two suggestions for cheap flowers. One, if you know someone that has a very nice garden they’d likely be very flattered if you asked to use some of their flowers for bouquets, corsages, etc.

Two, many grocery stores have floral departments. They usually do weddings. They’re usually cheaper than a flower shop. Sometimes the quality isn’t as good, but sometimes it is. Shop around. (Since you got your cake at a grocery store, I’m surprised you didn’t mention this as well.)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:12:00 +0000

I can’t stand these Bridezillas that have to have new expensive designer everything. My wedding was a simple country affair, and we managed 300+ guests at about $10 000 pricetag. As we were just out of college, we had a lot of what I affectionately call cash-strapped but talented friends. They gifted us with talents ranging from hairdressing to photography instead of blenders and such, and that really was more appreciated anyway.Simply put, if we didn’t have the money for it, we didn’t get it. There was no debt, we used our savings and asked for donations toward the ceremony instead of engagement gifts. Also, we were planning a cross-country move after the wedding, so more gifts would have meant more packing.

By: Seb

Seb — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:09:00 +0000

I’m jealous of your wedding. We were one of the people that helped skew the average cost of a wedding as high as it is, but in the end I think it was worth it. We saved our butts of for a year so we could afford it, and when the time came, we paid for everything in cash.

Throwing the biggest party of your life and then just writing a large check at the end of the night is a huge relief. We still have friends that are paying off credit cards from the wedding years later.

By: Lynn - the piggy bank painter

Lynn - the piggy bank painter — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:04:00 +0000

That’s a great list. When we got married 25 years ago (I was 20 when I got married. do the math : ) expensive weddings weren’t the fad yet and parents of the bride still paid for them. Thank goodness. We did have a big reception, because we both come from big families, but even that was catered by my Aunt’s brother. He was the DJ too. I wore my moms dress, we made my veil and the bridesmaid dresses. We used silk flowers and made the bouquets ourselves. By we, I mean me and my mom. Limos weren’t in yet, so someone decorated our car with kleenex carnations. We are looking at our 25th anniversary next month…..you don’t need a big expensive wedding to have a good marriage : )

Hopefully when my daughters decide to get married, they will understand that the wedding is just a ceremony and is NOT the marriage.

By: Ben Dinsmore

Ben Dinsmore — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 06:51:00 +0000

Great Post! We were one of the suckers that bought into the over the top wedding fad. We took out a personal loan AND charged a bunch on the credit card. It took us over 3 years to pay it off!

my wife and I are witnessing 3 other couples now struggling with balancing their wedding costs. Maybe I can somehow send your link their way. Annonymously!