Expensive, lavish weddings may still be in vogue for a minority of the population who has dollars to burn, but for most budget-conscious couples, the cheap wedding trend continues to gain popularity. Not only are budget-friendly weddings practical for money-saving reasons, but homemade weddings are fashionable in a shabby-chic, creative kind of way. Here are the latest budget-friendly wedding trends for 2010.
Backyard Weddings
Getting married in your own home is the perfect way to convey meaning over material. A smaller, more intimate wedding with family and friends obviously saves you money, but it can also provide a more comfortable atmosphere. There are many ways to decorate your home and backyard for a ceremony and reception. All you need for a small crowed in your backyard is a rental tent, tables and chairs, and the rest of the decorating is up to your imagination. Having a backyard wedding is also the perfect motivation for home improvement. Why not use the money you’ll be saving to fix up your yard, build a new deck or gazebo or remodel the kitchen?
Mismatched Bridesmaids (Or No Bridesmaids)
In traditional weddings, bridesmaids have long been forced to buy expensive dresses that they hate or would never wear again. For modern, low-maintenance weddings, the rules are a little more laissez-faire. The trend last year of mismatched bridesmaid dresses continues strong into 2010. You may choose to offer loose guidelines for your bridesmaids such as “Find a pastel-colored cocktail dress above the knee,” “Wear anything pink,” or you may choose to not have bridesmaids at all. After all, most of your guests probably don’t care, and a short, simple, low-fuss ceremony means there is more time to eat and party.
Homemade Wedding Favors & DIY Novelties
One good thing about a low-budget wedding is that it can bring out your creative side. Instead of sending guests home with a retail trinket such as a personalized champagne glass, why not put together 15-20 songs from your wedding soundtrack that you will have playing at the wedding? And, for table centerpieces, the sky is the limit. From candles and flower vases to eclectic pieces such as decorated Mason jars or wine bottles, DIY decorations and novelties are all the rage this year.
Creative Photography
Hosting a wedding on the cheap doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be memorable. Instead of hiring an expensive portrait photographer, many are going for the journalistic approach. Hire one or two professional photographers to snap candid shots of all party guests. Most freelance photographers will be happy to simply give you a digital file of all the photos instead of making you commit to a pricey wedding photography photo album. After the wedding you can go to an online service such as Flickr to create and publish your own photo book by simply uploading your favorite photos and adding captions. This also makes a great gift for family members after the wedding. Renting photo booths for weddings is also popular (though a bit pricier), as it entertains guests and gives you some surprising, often amusing memories.
Locally Catered or Potluck Meals
If you are really looking for a low-fuss, bare-bones wedding reception, make your wedding a potluck wedding. If you go this route, makes sure you are well organized and communicate clearly with your friends and family on what to bring. It is possible to pull this off in a classy way, but it takes careful preparation. You can always do a combination of catering and cooking yourself to save money. If that local Cajun restaurant down the street has the best jambalaya you have ever tasted, ask them to make a big batch for your wedding. By saving money on a full catering service, you can go all out on other things that are more important to you, such as buying the wedding cake of your dreams or offering a full-service bar.
BYOB Bar
Speaking of alcohol, one way to cut back on expenses is advertise a BYOB bar. Instead of wedding gifts, you may send out invitations to guests saying, “Help stock the newlyweds’ bar.” Hopefully you have a wine cellar or basement to store all the libations. If each guest were to bring two bottles of your favorite wine, champagne or liquor, you will probably be stocked up for several years to come.
You do not have to spend a lot of money to have a memorable and enjoyable wedding day. In fact, by cutting back on traditional expenses, you can avoid the stress of wedding planning and actually enjoy your special day.
April Lentini writes for Chicago Apartment Guide. If you are looking for an apartment with a great community hall or poolside for your wedding, check out the many apartments available in Chicago. Image: PrincessAshley (Flickr)
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I do agree that you can get a wedding photographer for cheap; however you always get what you pay. And hiring two photographers to take candid shots on your wedding day is more then likely to end up being more expensive then hiring one good wedding photographer who like http://www.stearmanphoto.com may give you two photographers at one price. And if you find a photographer for your wedding day that knows what her or she is doing then your wedding photos will turn out better; then hiring a couple of photographers that have never done wedding photography before. Or worse hiring a cheap photographer and ending up with unusable photos. I guess my whole too cents to brides are be very careful in choosing your photographer and make sure they have done wedding photography before and are a member of the PPA or at the very least a member of the local state PPA. You only get one chance to get wedding photos; make sure they turn out good.