Save Money on a Wedding Photographer

The top three wedding expenses are usually the wedding location, the wedding dress, and the photographer. When so much time, effort, money and love have gone into this one special day, it's understandable that one would want it to be preserved beautifully on film. There are ways however
to save significant money on a wedding photographer without sacrificing quality.

College Students- If your local college has an art program, it's highly likely they have photography program within it. By calling the college directory, you can get the names of photography professors or department heads. When you reach them, ask if they have senior level students who are excelling at action and portrait photography. More than likely, they will be able to give you the contact information for a few bright and talented students who have the training to take beautiful pictures, yet not charge you an arm and a leg.

Craig's List- Many fledgling photographers advertise on this site. These photographers often offer great deals if allow them to use your photographs to help build up their professional photographers.

The Knot- This website is an incredible wedding resource, and includes listings for local photographers, both who have a studio and who are freelance. This will give you a great idea of who's out there in your area so that you can compare prices. If you're looking to save money, your best bet is to go with a freelance photographer who doesn't have a studio. This avoids raised rates due to high overhead.

Ask around- More than likely, you have a friend, relative or co-worker who knows a good photographer. This could be someone they've used in the past, or know personally. A personal connection can often help to get you a great price reduction, or give you a lead to a photographer who might not advertise to the general public.

When dealing with an amateur photographer or student, there are a few things you can do to ensure you still get professional grade photos at a reasonable rate.

Source: Associated Content

Biggest Wedding Money Wasters

It's great to find ways of throwing a lavish bash without a lavish budget. But the best way to save money on your wedding is to avoid the things that aren't worth it at any price.

Regardless of budget size, brides of all kinds say that after the wedding, there were several things on which they wished that they hadn't wasted their money. For every person, this list will be different of course. But here is a brutally honest look at what I think are simply not worth it.

Top 5 Biggest Wedding Money Wasters

1. Meaningless and Expensive Wedding Favors Wedding favors can be a thoughtful way of saying thank you to your guests. But far too often they're a meaningless knickknack. Your guests don't need a candy dish, or a little silver bell. Don't think their cute place card holder doubles as a favor; what are they going to do with one place card? And do you really want a plastic Frisbee with your friends' wedding date on it?

You're going to spend a lot of money on things that will just collect dust, or end up in the trash. I think it's far better to not give favors, or to make a donation to a charity. But cute favors include ones that are personal to the bride and groom. You might give food favors from the city you live in, or a box of your very favorite chocolates.

One of my favorite ideas is a breakfast bag. Send guests home with some beautiful muffins, a couple of good quality tea bags, and perhaps a little pot of jam or honey. The next morning they'll be sure to enjoy your treat as they reminisce about everything that happened.

Money Saving Tip: Some of the most thoughtful wedding favors can be handmade. Put together a booklet of family recipes, or create a CD with an insert explaining why you chose each song.

2. Endless Bride and Groom Swag It may be fun to have a pair of track pants that say "Bride" across your butt, but how long are you really going to wear them? You certainly don't need to own multiple pieces of clothing that say "bride" or "groom" because they've got a limited shelf-life. And, you do have an identity beyond that of a bride. You don't own a sweatshirt that trumpets your profession, do you? So why would you want people out in public to see you first and foremost as a bride?

Perhaps the biggest money waster of all is giving your bridal party "bridesmaid" and "groomsman" gear. Do you really think that groomsman is ever going to wear that tacky hat ever again? Do you think he'll even enjoy wearing it the first time?

Money Saving Tip Buy a pair of pajama pants or underwear that says "bride" or "groom." Rather than feeling embarrassed about wearing a bride sweatshirt out in public, clothing meant for the home will remind the two of you of your wedding day. Leave the other bridal swag at the store.

3. Huge Wedding Cakes Some couples only invite 50 guests, but they still order a cake that serves 300. With cakes going for $2-$15 a slice, that extra size adds up quickly. While a large cake looks impressive, a small cake can be charming. If height is a priority, consider asking your baker to use a separator set, and adding fresh flowers between the layers. Or, use a large cake topper, such as this tiered floral centerpiece.

Money Saving Tip If you are having more than 100 guests, ask for a display cake that only feeds 100 people. Use inexpensive sheet cakes in the back to feed the extra guests. No one will know the difference!

Read More: Questions to Ask Your Wedding Cake Designer

4. Too Many Mementos The wedding industry loves to sell you goods by promising they will be keepsakes you can pass down to your children. Having mementos of your special day is a good thing, but you don't need very many. Put together a wedding album, and perhaps preserve your wedding dress. But deeply consider every other item. Do you really need a personalized pen to sign the guest book? Is preserving your bouquet worth the money and the space in your home? You don't need to have a wedding video, unless you will really watch it and enjoy it regularly. And not every toasting glass, picture frame, and photo album needs to be monogrammed with your wedding date.

Rather than filling up your house with tons of wedding mementos, leave room for creating new memories.

Money Saving Tip If an album is not included in your wedding photography package, consider doing it for yourself! That way, you can include the shots that are most important to you, as well as any mementos like your wedding program.

Read More: Capture those memories on film with a Wedding Photography Shot Checklist

5. Too Many Bridesmaids and Groomsmen Have you ever seen a wedding with more than a dozen attendants? It starts to look like a wedding army. Of course, if you are inviting lots of guests, it makes sense to have a large wedding party. But before you start adding your friend who you haven't seen since high school, and all of your cousins, consider what the role of the wedding party should be.

Even if you're not paying for the wedding party's attire, each of those attendants requires a bouquet or boutonniere, a thank you gift, and an invitation to the rehearsal dinner and other parties. Tack on just a few unnecessary bridesmaids or groomsmen and you're potentially talking about hundreds of dollars.

Money Saving Tip Give some of your friends and loved ones different roles in the wedding. Consider asking them to read during the ceremony or give them a special role at the reception. You might even just thank them in the program for helping to support you during the wedding planning process.

Source: About.com: Weddings

Do It Yourself- Save Money on Your Wedding

Many brides, especially those on a budget, want to save money by making things for their weddings themselves. But what is really feasible for the average bride to handle on her own? Here is a list of things you can do yourself, and what you should call in the experts for.
DIY It: Wedding tasks you can do yourself

* Wedding Favors
* Simple Floral and Candle Centerpieces
* Cupcakes (instead of a wedding cake)
* Ring Pillow
* Flower Girl Basket
* Using an Ipod instead of an MP3 player. (Enlist a tech-savvy friend to make sure your first dance song, entrance music, cake cutting music etc. is playing at the right time)
* Bridal Hair and Makeup
* Save the Date Cards, Programs, and Seating Cards
* A decorated guest book, card box, photo album, or other keepsake

For the Pros: Wedding tasks that should be left to the professionals

* Large Flower Arrangements and Centerpieces
* Bridal and Bridesmaid bouquets
* Your Wedding Dress
* A Wedding Cake
* Catering
* Photography

If your aim is to save money on your wedding, start out by making a budget for each DIY project. You'll be surprised to find that some projects are cheaper for the experts to do, and others can be either extremely inexpensive or breaking the bank, depending on the materials you use. (If you want to DIY it because you love crafts and want to show off your handiwork, then stick to your original wedding budget.)

I also recommend that any DIY bride limit the amount of projects she is taking on. Limit yourself to one DIY project per month, and make sure you are done with any projects at least a week before the wedding. DIY stands for Do it Yourself, not Drive Yourself Insane!

Source: About.com: Weddings

Save Money on Your Wedding Flower Arrangements

Question: Can I make my own flower arrangements and boutonnieres?


Answer: If you are someone who has done flower arrangements before (or you have a willing friend or wedding consultant who has) you might consider creating your own wedding flowers. The benefits are of course that you could save a considerable amount of money and that you'll be sure of having creative control to get what you want.

You'll want to find a bulk flower provider - you can find these on the internet, such as at freshroses.com or at freshflowersandmore.com. If you're working with a wedding consultant, he or she probably has a wholesaler id and may be able to purchase the flowers for you at your city's flower market.

Keep in mind that your job will entail more than just arranging the flowers. Bulk flowers arrive with a lot of work needing to be done- you'll need to remove outer petals, work to open the flowers at the right time, and keep them watered and misted. (each kind of flower needs a different kind of care.) You'll typically get the flowers three days before you need to have them, so that you have time to force them open and care for them. You'll need a cool dark place for this time.

When you're thinking about how much this will save you, consider that you'll need to purchase not only the flowers, but also containers for both caring for them and for arranging them, floral tape, wire, and oasis, and other incidentals. Also remember that florists build in overage costs, assuming that they won't be able to use every flower they buy. In the end, it may be easier and not much more expensive to find an inexpensive florist who is willing to work within your budget.

Source: About.com: Weddings

Save Money on Wedding Flowers

While the average price of weddings in the United States has risen to more than $20,000 (and $40,000 in large cities such as New York), brides are finding creative ways to spend that money more wisely, and discovering cheap wedding ideas that help them save money. Here are some cheap wedding ideas for the flowers -- ways to have a beautiful visual impact without spending a fortune.


* Use only in season and readily available flowers. Be honest with your florist about your budget, and have them recommend the most inexpensive flowers.

* Give your florist a general style and color scheme, and any “banned” flowers that you hate, but generally allow them flexibility so they can use what is in season and cheapest. There are some times when peonies cost a fortune, and other times when they are so cheap you can fill your hall with them. Make sure this flexibility will be reflected in your final price tag.

* Hold your wedding during the Christmas season or immediately after Easter when a church will already be decorated.

* Avoid holding your wedding in February when flower prices are at an annual high due to Valentine's Day.

* Large arrangements on an altar will only be seen from far away. Use inexpensive flowers such as carnations, or large filling flowers such as snowball mums.

* Some people think they can save money by moving the ceremony flowers to the reception. However, keep in mind that many churches and houses of worship require you to leave any flowers. Florists also hate to do this because large arrangements are hard to transport, and can become easily bruised or damaged in transit. (It's probably also least partially because it does cut down their bill.) You also will need to coordinate it so that the reception will not be held up by waiting for the ceremony flowers to arrive.

* Find a venue such as a park or garden that is already lush and beautiful.

* Talk to your venues and see if any other brides have booked for the same day. If the two of you can coordinate flowers and split the cost, you’ll save a lot of money.

* Carnations are one of the cheapest flowers out there. A lot of people, myself included, really dislike them. But when they are used in abundance so that the blooms are packed together, they can be quite striking. Consider a low square table centerpiece of 20 carnation blooms with all of their stems and greenery removed.

* Talk to party rental suppliers about renting large potted plants such as tropical palms or ficus. They visually fill a lot of space, and will help frame your ceremony site or warm up your reception. Best of all, renting a potted plant is far cheaper than buying large flower arrangements. Also, you may consider purchasing these large plants and using them in your home afterwards to get more use out of them.

* More and more brides these days are arranging their own flowers such as bouquets of simple roses tied with a ribbon. Four or five pillar candles on top of rose petals makes an easy and cheap centerpiece. You can also easily create a centerpiece using wide shallow bowls filled with water and several floating gerber daisy blooms. If making boutonnieres and corsages intimidates you, these are generally inexpensive to order from a florist.

* Consider ordering flowers from an online wholesaler where you can get some of the best prices. Unlike at a florist, you will be responsible for all of the prep work of cleaning and trimming them, and keeping them alive until the wedding.

Source: About.com: Weddings

Save Money on Wedding Location

If you're a bride or groom on a small budget, you might have gotten sticker shock at the location rental charges and catering prices of most popular wedding locations. A friend of mine is newly engaged in New York City, and we've been scouting inexpensive wedding locations that won't eat her whole budget. She's determined to save enough for that fabulous wedding dress! Here are some places to look for that might save you money:

* Restaurants~ Talk to your favorite restaurant to see how much it would cost to rent a private room or even the whole place. Look for a restaurant with a pretty back garden that you can set up for the ceremony, and can be used for dancing later. This is an option that works best during non-peak hours, as the restaurant might not want to lose their busy Saturday night crowd.

* Parks~ Many city parks allow you to have a wedding there for a nominal fee. Look for ones that have a covered pation, special details like fountains, or grassy picnic areas.

* Theaters and Performance Venues~ Here in Brooklyn, the majestic Brooklyn Academy of Music is available for rental. You can have your wedding ceremony in a number of locations, and your reception in the grand second-floor lobby. The bonus is that there are steep discounts for Brooklyn residents. Look for similar venues in your town, especially old-fashioned theaters. Getting married on a stage can make you feel like a star!

* Your College~ Remember that charming chapel and alumni house at your college? It's usually very cheap for alumni to have their weddings on campus. If your school is picturesque, why not see how much it would be?

* Creative and Unusual Places~ Whether it's the top of a rollercoaster, an old mill, or the unique place you met, a creative wedding location will instantly give your wedding lots of personality. Because these places aren't used to having weddings, you might be able to snag them for a steal, though you'll often have to bring in extra rentals. (200 people and one bathroom isn't pretty.) I know one couple who got married in a rustic and charming beer brewery, and another who got hitched in the landromat where they met!

Source: About.com: Weddings

Top 10 Ways to Save Money on a Wedding

Do you have champagne taste and caviar dreams, on a white bread and soda pop budget? Don't worry, you can still have a beautiful but cheap wedding. Check out these great ways to cut costs and save money.

1. Trim Your Wedding Guest List
Each time you add a name to your invitation list, you're increasing your budget significantly. It's not just the catering costs, but also the extra centerpieces, favors, rentals, etc. Don't invite anyone you haven't talked to in five years. Don't feel obligated to let single people bring a date. Avoid feeling pressured to invite all your work colleagues. And don't let your friends bring their children. You can also decide to eliminate categories like "relatives more distant than first cousins" or "friends from volunteer work." By not inviting anyone from that group, you'll help avoid hurt feelings.

2. Save Postage on Your Wedding Invitations
Forgo the inner envelope and blotter paper, which are leftover relics from times when ink needed time to dry, and people wanted a pristine envelope. Rather than having a reply card, ask guests to reply online or by the telephone. Not only will you save money from the printer bill, it should also reduce your postage expense.

3. Shop Sample Sales and the Internet for Cheap Wedding Dresses
If you wear a 6, 8, or 10, check out sample sales, which generally happen once a year. It's a great opportunity to get a designer dress at rock-bottom prices. You can also look on eBay, Craigslist and other websites for deals on used wedding dresses. Remember that cleaning the delicate fabric of a wedding dress may cost up to $250, so avoid the cheap dress with the filthy hem. And many towns have a shop where you can rent a wedding dress, saving you hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

4. Change the Day of the Week
Have your wedding on a weeknight or a Sunday. There is less demand for these dates, so vendors will often be willing to give you a better rate.

5. Save Money on Church Decorations
For religious weddings, consider having your wedding near a major holiday. The church will already be decorated, saving you lots of money on flowers. On other days, look for simplicity. A candlelit ceremony can be romantic, gorgeous, and inexpensive.

Not having your wedding in a church?

6. Learn to Ask for Help to Save Money
If you want to have a cheap wedding, pool your friends' and family's resources. Think of musicians you know, well-spoken friends who could be your officiant, and crafty people who can help you assemble things. They will generally be honored to be a special part of your big day. Also look for money-saving tips everywhere. Check websites such as wedfrugal.com and frugalbride.com, and ask friends and family members for what they did to save money on their big day.

7. Get Crafty - Do It Yourself
Throw a "pitch-in party," where you ask your friends to be a special part of your wedding by helping you assemble favors and make invitations, centerpieces, and other homemade inexpensive touches. Be sure to put out delicious snacks and have inspiring tunes on the stereo, so that your friends feel like they're at a party, not just part of an assembly line. Click the link below for DIY wedding projects.

8. Look for Cheap Wedding Food and Drink
Be honest with your caterer about your need to save money. Ask them which are the least expensive entrees and whether a buffet is cheaper than a seated dinner. See if they'll let you provide your own liquor, or if serving only wine and beer will be cheaper than a full bar. Also consider only having the bar open during your cocktail hour, then serving an inexpensive wine with dinner. Especially if you and your fiance don't drink, consider having a dry wedding.

9. Make the Most of eBay
eBay, eBay, eBay. It's a great source for everything from second-hand dresses to wedding favors, cake toppers, ring pillows and more. Be sure to allow ample time for the auction to end, and for shipping. Look for trusted sellers whose feedback indicates they have accurately represented what they have sold.

10. Consider Cheap Wedding Invitations
Don't go for engraving - regular printed invites work just as well. There are a variety of cheap wedding invitations available on the internet. For a casual wedding, consider printing your own invites from your home computer. Stationery stores now sell printed paper meant to use in a home printer as cheap wedding invitations.

Source: About.com: Weddings