Cutting the cake
The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is now around $20,000 — the price of a new car. It seems wrong to handicap a young couple’s family just when they are starting out with such huge expenses. We were able to cut our wedding costs signficantly with a few simple steps:
1. Buy the dress from a discounter that specializes in second hand dresses or closeouts. We were able to find a Vera Wang lookalike for a fraction of the designer price by going to a shop that specialized in closeouts.
2. Use a civic center for the setting. We were able to rent out a beautifully furnished 150 year old mansion belonging to our city for well under the cost of more commercial locations.
3. Good bands run by the musicians themselves, especially classical and jazz musicians, can be had for half off. These people live for their music and are willing to bargain. We were able to get world class jazz musicians for a fraction of some overwrought DJ outfits.
4. Don’t worry about the wedding favors, overly fancy place settings, flowers, or cakes. If the party is good, people will have their attention elsewhere. After all, are they looking at the cake or the bride when the cake is cut? This isn’t true for the food though — there is no reason to skimp. However, the more exotic and interesting the food sounds, the less of a spread you may have to have catered. We opted for asian fusion at our reception.
5. Don’t skimp on the invitations. They set the tone for your party and, to be realistic, you’ll get nicer gifts.
