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Everyone has an opinion of what your wedding day should look like - but not everyone is contributing to the budget that makes the event happen. If you need permission to go against the "norm," here it is! Let's talk about some things you can cut from your budget if you're trying to keep costs low. As always - this is just our opinion - you do you, girl!
1. The Champagne Toast
If the bar is open, most of your guests will toast with whatever drink they have in their hand. We can't quite keep up with the number of full champagne flutes we watch staff pour down the drain at the end of an event because guests left them behind. Consider using champagne as a "welcome" drink instead - there are so many super fun ways to display welcome drinks as guests enter cocktail hour, and they're more likely to drink
2. Aisle Runners
Hear us out. Those roll-out aisle runners are outdated, super hard to walk on, hard to secure to the ground (think about a windy mountain top with a giant piece of paper on the ground!), and go straight to the trash after your ceremony. Dress up your aisle with pretty decor placed on the outer edges instead if you're looking for something photo-worthy!
3. Printed Ceremony Programs
Your guests are there to see you and your soon-to-be spouse. They don't really need a printed card letting them know who's in your wedding party or the order of events that they should expect during your ceremony. We promise, they'll go with the flow with or without a program, so if you're looking for a way to cut costs, this is a great place to do so!
4. Menu Cards
Again with the printing costs. While menu cards look pretty on a place setting, they're not necessary if you're on a tight budget. These are quite literally NEVER saved for anything, so the entire order of cards is tossed in the garbage during the event cleanup. An alternative to printed menu cards would be one large menu sign if you're serving dinner from a buffet line.
5. Favors
Even with the most fun, unique, and well-planned favors, these items are often left behind at the end of the night. After guests have spent a few hours enjoying your open bar (or some variation of one), they tend to forget the cute little personalized items that our couples spend so much time and money on. If ordering favors is high on your list of things you're excited about, consider ordering something edible that guests can enjoy during the event, or ordering less than the total number of guests you're planning for. If you ditch the favors all together, you could spend this money towards something to keep guests entertained - we love the Social Booth option from our friends at Sound Extreme Entertainment!