Planning Your Wedding? Here's 5 Ways To Save Money Without Sacrificing Style

Even if you’re determined to make your wedding day extra special, you might not be prepared to part with vast sums of money for the privilege.

But the fact is, if you’re not careful when planning your big day, costs can quickly spiral out of control.

There are plenty of beautiful second-hand and vintage bridal gowns to be had

From your clothing to your catering, you’ll have a host of expenses to cover.

The good news is, it’s possible to save money on your nuptial celebrations without sacrificing on style in the process.

The following five suggestions could help you keep your spending under control.

1. Select a second-hand dress 

Wedding dresses don’t tend to come cheap, but there is way to bring your costs down. Instead of buying brand new, you can take your pick from the selection of second hand wedding dresses now available.

There are a host of gorgeous garments to choose from online and from specialist stores on the high street.

Whether you want a classic, embellished, lace-trimmed or vintage look, you should be able to find something that suits and that fits within your spending limit.

2. Book off peak 

Another top money-saving tip is to arrange your ceremony outside of the peak wedding season.

Most people want to tie the knot in the warm spring or summer weather.

So, by planning yours between November and March (excluding Valentine’s Day), you can reduce your bill by between 20 and 30 per cent.

Also, you may be able to drive costs down further by walking down the aisle on a Friday or Sunday rather than a Saturday.

3. Have your ceremony and reception in one place 

Consider having your ceremony and reception in one location too.

For example, if you do the whole thing in a hotel, you won’t have to worry about the cost of transporting guests between venues.

Save money by holding the ceremony and reception in the same place

If you’re planning to tie the knot in a church, find out if there are any suitable places to hold your reception in nearby.

As well as saving you cash, this can cut your stress levels on the big day.

4. Get someone you know to do the photography 

Your wedding day will be over before you know it, so you’ll no doubt want plenty of pictures to remind you of it.

The trouble is, professional photographers can cost a fortune.

So, if you know someone who’s skilled behind the lens and who has a good quality camera, why not ask them to take your snaps instead?

Sometimes, the pictures taken by friends and family are the best when it comes to capturing the intimacy and emotion of these romantic events.

5. Have a buffet instead of a sit-down dinner 

Having a sit-down dinner might be a tempting idea, but it won’t come cheap.

An effective way to make your catering more cost-effective is to opt for a buffet instead.

You could bring your food bill down by a significant sum if you select this less formal dining style, so it’s certainly worth thinking about.

Your guests will enjoy the grub just as much, and you won’t be left with as big a hole in your pocket.

Each of these five suggestions could make you major savings, and the best thing is, they don’t require you to sacrifice on style.

Read more

Five Steps To The Most Wonderful Wedding

Every bride wants their wedding to be absolutely incredible - that’s perfectly normal. You’ll only have one wedding day, so making it the most wonderful experience is important. Not just for yourself and your groom to be, but also for your guests. You want everyone in attendance to have an amazing time, right?

Image credit

While most brides know that they want their wedding day to be spectacular, knowing how to go about it can be stressful. I can remember wondering how I would be able to plan every last detail of my wedding - I didn’t think it would be possible. However, by taking the right steps, I was able to plan the most amazing wedding, and you can too.

Here is my guide to five steps to the most wonderful wedding:

Step 1: Choose your venue

Before setting a date or sending out invitations, the first thing that you need to do is choose your venue. If you set a date before picking the venue, you may not be able to get married in the place that you want. That’s why, it’s important that the first step you take is looking at and choosing venues.

Step 2: Set a date

Once you have found the perfect place to say your vows and hold your reception, set a date. It’s important that you set your date at least six months in advance, so that your guests have lots of notice.

As well as being important for your guests, setting the date sooner rather than later is also crucial for your vendors. If you want to ensure that you get the vendors that you want, you need to book them in advance. Obviously, without having a date for your celebrations, this would be impossible.

Step 3: Choose your wedding party

Image credit

Before sending out the guest invitations for your big day, you need to select the wedding party. This means that you need to pick your bridesmaids and maid of honour, and your husband-to-be needs to pick his best man and groomsmen.

Choosing these can be difficult, especially if you have a large group of close friends and family. Pick who you want to help you plan your wedding - choose people who you think would be useful when it comes to planning your big day.

Step 4: Send out save the dates, followed by invitations

Once you have set a date and chosen your wedding party, the first thing that you need to do is send out save the dates. These simply tell your guests the date of your wedding, so that they can put it in their diaries. Ideally, these should coordinate in terms of design, with your invitations. So make sure to think the design and style of your save the dates through.

Around a month after sending out your save the dates, you then need to send out your wedding invitations. These should include all of the information about your wedding, including the date, time, location, and dress code. There are various designs of wedding invitations to choose from, what style you opt for is up to you. To get some inspiration, take a look at these classic wedding invitations by Paper Themes and have a browse.

Step 5: Get planning the details

Once you have done all of the above, all that’s left to plan is the ‘small details’ of your big day. This includes picking your colour scheme, wedding dress, flowers, and also, your wedding photography.

Leave yourself at least four months to get all these seemingly small details sorted out. As often, these things can take a while to get sorted. Write a list of everything that you need to do, from choosing a wedding dress to hiring the wedding cars, and tick each thing off as you do it. That way, you can ensure that you won’t forget to do anything.

Wedding planning can be incredibly stressful. However, if you are organised about it, you can make planning a fantastic wedding, much easier for yourself.

Thanks for reading Mother Distracted.  I really appreciate your support and I'd love it if you could share this post across social media. If you’re new to Mother Distracted, why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram. 

Read more

Ideas For Making Your Big Day As Memorable As Possible

Each couple wants to make their wedding memorable, not just for themselves, but also for their guests. You will only get married once, which means that making your big day as special as it could be, is crucial.

I know that when I got married, my main concern was that my big day wouldn’t be memorable enough. There was no need to worry, however, as mine and my husband’s wedding is still reminisced about often, by us, and our friends.

The key to making your wedding unique and special, as well as memorable, is planning. If you want a day that is talked about for all the right reasons, here’s what you need to do:

Source for picture

Serve delicious food

Have you ever been to a wedding where the food wasn’t great? The chances are that the fact the food wasn’t very nice was the thing that you remembered most about that wedding. Believe it or not, one of the best ways to make your wedding a success is with the most delicious food.

Choose a venue for the reception that comes highly recommended for its yummy food. Look for somewhere that not only serves tasty food, but that also presents dishes well and has a high hygiene rating. We’ve all heard that story about the wedding where every guest came down with food poisoning - don’t let your wedding go the same way.

Hire a band

Yes, hiring a DJ might be cheaper than booking a band, but every couple has a DJ. If you want your big day to stand out, hiring a live band could be the way to go. No one is going to remember another party with a DJ, but one with a fantastic live band will be easily remembered.

Not only will hiring a live band make your wedding more memorable, but it will also give a better atmosphere. People will be more inclined to get up and dance if you have a band playing, instead of a DJ.

Pick somewhere unique for your wedding

While a church or hotel is a great location for a wedding, picking somewhere a little more unique could be a good idea. Art galleries, museums, beaches, and all sorts of other places, can make great wedding venues.

If you want to wow your guests, you need to choose a location that’s different to the norm. Weddings abroad can be a good option, as they are not only unique but also incredibly memorable. No one forgets attending a wedding on a tropical beach, do they?

Be creative with traditions

While following traditions can be nice, if you want a celebration that’s memorable, get creative. For example, instead of giving each guest a glass of bubbly for the toasts, give them a cocktail instead. Or, instead of having traditional music or entertainment, opt for something a little bit different.

When it comes to making your wedding day as enjoyable and memorable as possible, thinking outside the box is key. If you take the time to come up with some unique ideas, you can ensure that your wedding is as memorable as possible.

*PR collaboration

Read more