today i will share more of how we did our wedding on the cheap (we had about 200 guests and paid about 1/10 of what the average wedding costs these days) but still got lots of good feedback from our guests.
the cake
instead of a cake, consider having a dessert bar, with various different desserts made by friends and family (many would love to bless your wedding by getting to contribute in this way!). even if you cant ask people to help you, you could buy various delicious looking pre-made desserts from a store like costco and still save lots of money. just don't forget to have plenty of coffee to go with your delectable desserts!
to save even more money, you could turn the dessert bar into the main spread, and nix appetizers and a meal (just make sure to let your guests know so that they don't come hungry expecting a full meal!)
or take it a step further and forgo cake all together. this was my initial inclination, since i think that wedding cakes can often times be an over-the-top frivolity. however, my cousin graciously offered to make our cake as a gift to us. she is not a professional, but she has lots of experience. she did a wonderful job with our cake, as you can see in the picture above.
hair and make up
consider asking a friend or family member who is good with styling to help you beautify on the day of your wedding. there are many books and magazines that you can refer to for tips and ideas on this (i used this one
).i was blessed to have my good friend shahera do my wedding hair and make up (i lucked out... not only is she one of the best dressed people i know, but she is also in the fashion industry!). you can see her putting the finishing touches on my hair in the picture on the left. she did a great job, if i do say so myself :)
i also know of people who have gotten free make-overs at department store make-up counters the day of their wedding in order to save money.
as a side note on the topic of honoring your future husband with how you look on your wedding day, ask him about his preference for your hair, make-up and even your dress. alex really wanted me to wear my hair down. though this isn't what i would have chosen at all, i wanted to look the best for him (and no one else) on that day. i also know of guys who have had strong preference about the general look of his bride's dress (though obviously this doesn't mean you actually have to show him your dress if you don't want to!)
what about you? do you have any frugal wedding cake or beauty tips to share?
go on to part four here...
Sarah, Thank you so much for this! People are so wasteful these days and focus so much more on the DAY rather than the actual marriage that comes after.
ReplyDeleteFor my sister's wedding my cousins and I did her hair and make-up and all of the brides-maid's nails. Two of our other cousins did all of the flowers and decorations at the hall. As a family we also did all of the setup and breakdown.
We also had buffet style food (raviolis, salad, etc.) It was cheap and fed a lot of people.
All of this really helped to make it a family affair and more special for everyone involved including Carolyn and Nathan since family is a major part of their lives.
i agree that people helping makes it special. i love that i have a personal connection to everyone involved in every aspect of our wedding!
ReplyDeletei was so surprised by how many people sincerely wanted to help with our wedding. it was awesome to stand back and see God provide... a friend put together all of our (fake) flowers, her sister bought them, my cousin made our main cake, my mom and i made the rest, another friend made mints, another took pictures, another was there with her video camera, my little bro played the wedding march...all of these and more were our wedding gifts from close friends and family. i am not kidding, we put everything in God's hands, and people came out of nowhere to help out. we didn't even have to ask! God knew our hearts, and he provided in ways we could never have imagined!
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