Tips & advice on how to plan budget friendly wedding

You don’t have to rub elbows with Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous Robin Leach to have the wedding of your dreams.  You will find inspiration in just about any wedding related Pinterest board… so how do you sift through the madness and crawl out of the rabbit hole? Simple. Stay true to yourself. Overcomplicating the details can lead to wedding planning burnout. The old adage, “the devil is in the details” does not apply here.  Being organized is one thing but getting lost in the minutia will consume you.

Take it from this old maid… my most cherished memories are not lavish installations that made me take out a second mortgage on my home (example only). My heart sings and eyes well reminiscing about the way I felt walking the center aisle towards the person I would spend every waking minute with for all my days…or the song I danced to with my father (I will save myself from embarrassment and skip the part where we played air guitar in an AC/DC tribute).

So what little touches can you incorporate to showcase your personalities as a couple and do so in an affordable way?

1.     What can you borrow from the venue?
There are quite a few items you need on the big day that, frankly, you’ll never use again. So why spend the money? Table numbers. Easels. Flutes. Cake Knife. Candles. Unless you receive a sentimental keepsake from loved ones, borrow it.

2.     Repurpose. Repurpose. Repurpose.
Reuse your ceremony floral arrangements as reception centerpieces. Check. Overzealous woodsman adventure during your last camping trip? Make unique custom cornhole boards for cocktail hour. Done. Collected 100+ wine corks from the various vacays you and your partner visited, use ‘em. They’ll make a fabulous escort card holders.

3.     Find a reputable site to buy (and sell) décor from previous couples.
Take advantage of your killer social media skills and find that bargain baby!

Enjoy the ride. You’ll be counting the memories you make, not the money you didn’t spend. And don’t lose sight of why you started this journey in the first place

-Private Events Director, Running Deer Golf Club
Miranda Duca

Photo Credit: Alimaro Photography