Frugal Friday

Since I worked a bit on the budget this week my Penny Pincher of the Week will have to be the couple who inspired me with most of my budget decisions. A lot of the ideas from A Backyard Wedding matched what McG and I had discussed about our own nuptials - Quaker ceremony, A LOT of DIY, good DJ and, oh yeah, the backyard. I was very thankful when she laid out exactly how they budgeted and what they actually spent. I used this as a model when I attempted my own budget earlier this week. If you haven't taken a look at A Backyard Wedding from start to finish I highly recommend it. They pulled off a spectacular day UNDER an already low budget. I just think they are rad.

I saw this really great tutorial for a handmade teabag tag over at Creature Comforts this morning. I thought it would be a really sweet favor or even bridal party gift especially paired with a personalized mug of some sort. If anyone thinks they might do this I would love to see how it turns out.

Next week I'm hoping to make Frugal Fridays bigger and better with real interviews! Have a great weekend!

The Budget

Dun dun dun...

I was over perusing The Knot today (something I don't normally do but I read a comment recommending their budget worksheet) and decided to make a go at a budget. Originally I really believed that we could just throw 100 people in my parents backyard and have them sit on what? picnic blankets??? for $3000. I know that this is do-able for some people (how I don't know) but I don't think it's do-able for us. I don't even want anything remotely over the top or wedding-y. It's really just the must-have things like, um, chairs and tables. Oh and food. Maybe a couple of flowers here and there. I never even thought about the bathrooms. I can't ask my parents to let 100 people use their two bathrooms for 8 hours, can I? It all adds up.

$0 CEREMONY LOCATION FEE (if the 'rents say yes)

$0 OFFICIANT FEE/DONATION (our good friend will conduct the ceremony)

$100 CEREMONY ACCESSORIES (I want mini-tambourines for the guests!)

$2500 $2300 RECEPTION VENUE/RENTALS (TENT, TABLES, TOILETS, ETC.) (I'm taking out those pesky porta-potties!)

$1500 FOOD & SERVICE (a little help from our friends??)

$1000 BEVERAGES & BARTENDER (thank you, New Hampshire)

$100 CAKE(S) & CUTTING FEE

$500 THE DRESS & ALTERATIONS (The Knot budgeted $1800 here and I think that's crazy!)

$40 HEADPIECE/VEIL (all I want is this)

$100 BRIDE'S ACCESSORIES (I'm not really sure about this one. I definitely one some sexy under things)

$100 HAIR & MAKEUP (Make up I can do but hair I'll need to splurge on. My hair is a hot mess)

$0 PRE-WEDDING PAMPERING (there will be no time for this!)

$200 GROOM'S TUX/SUIT

$40 GROOM'S ACCESSORIES (I want to get him this)

$0 BRIDE'S BOUQUET (I'm just going to buy a bunch of flowers for everything and see what I come up with)

$0 BRIDESMAID BOUQUETS

$0 GROOM & GROOMSMEN BOUTONNIERES

$0 FLOWER GIRL'S FLOWERS

$0 ADDITIONAL BOUTONNIERES/CORSAGES

$100 RECEPTION DECORATIONS/CENTERPIECES (hopefully Whole Foods won't fail me)

$50 CEREMONY SITE DECORATIONS (twinkly lights and candles are OK with me)

$0 CEREMONY MUSICIANS

$0 COCKTAIL HOUR MUSICIANS (jeez...how many musicians do you need!?)

$0 RECEPTION BAND/DISC JOCKEY (Let me introduce DJ IPOD)

$1500 $500 PHOTOGRAPHER'S FEE (I have some pretty talented friends so this could be $0 and if not craigslist, baby!)

$0 VIDEOGRAPHER'S FEE (Another uber-talented friend)

$100 ADDITIONAL PRINTS/VIDEOS

$250 INVITATIONS & REPLY CARDS (I will harness all the crafty ability I have to do this myself)

$100 OTHER STATIONERY

$300 $200 HER RING (I actually think we can do this cheaper thanks to Miss Tiffany's comment)

$300 $200 HIS RING (I'm totally guessing on the rings. ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS?)

$0 LIMO(S)/CAR RENTAL

$0 GUEST SHUTTLE/PARKING

$0 BRIDE/GROOM HOTEL ROOM(S)

$100 $400 ATTENDANT GIFTS (We're only having lil' sis and lil' bro in the party but I forgot about all my friends who I will put to work!)

$100 FAVORS (EACH)

$100 PARENT GIFTS

TOTAL = $8180

Any reality checks or ways I could save you want to let me know about would be stellar!

UPDATE: Thank you for all your comments (keep 'em coming!). I just wanted to respond to a few things.

I had always planned on having us cook all the food. We love to cook and we are actually pretty good. But then I realized that if everything else is pretty much DIY when are we going to have time to cook. Plus, someone would need to be around to make sure everything is hot and placed out when it needs to be. I really want everyone who is at the wedding to be AT the wedding and not miss a thing. So this is something that I have battled with and, as of right now, home-cooked meal has lost. And, yes, we are beer snobs and a wedding is always fun when there's at least one drunk person (this time it won't be me) so booze stays in. There's always TJs for that and no sales tax in NH.

As for the photographs, this is REALLY important to me. This is pretty much the only lasting thing from the day besides the memories and I want them to be really nice. Granted I went to art school so I can probably beg a colleague to come do it for travel expenses only so we'll see.

Again, thank you for your comments. MWAH!

Frugal Fridays

My Penny Pincher of the Week shouldn't be new to anyone. She's the sassy and smart gal behind A $10,000 Wedding. I would recommend reading her blog start to finish for all her budget savvy tips or just take a look at this post: Back to Basics.

And my Money Saver of the Week are the awesome free downloads over at Vintage Glam Weddings. I had a hard time settling on just one Friday Freebie but the candy wrapper is the template I will probably most likely end up using.

Frugal Fridays

I decided that instead of just crying about not having any money I would research tips on saving money and still having a day that reflects the two lovebirds that are being celebrated. SO new weekly column - Frugal Fridays. I'm going to share other people's how-tos on pinching pennies and my favorite money saver of the week.

Penny Pincher of the Week: Mrs. Tulip over at the Wedding Bee has some great notes regarding her own budget wedding:

"Tip: Charity-owned venues can be relatively inexpensive. And your fees support a charity, so it’s win-win!

Tip: If you know a licensed officiant, or if your state grants temporary licenses or allows the Internet-ordained, consider having someone you know officiate. You won’t have to pay a stranger, and the ceremony can be even more touching when the officiant knows you personally.

Tip: eBay, secondhand stores, sample sales…work every discount source you can think of! Borrowed items are good too- they save you the purchase money and bring a special bit of luck and good cheer from the lender.

Tip: Consider a beauty school for hair and/or makeup, or a retail cosmetics counter for your makeup. They don’t charge the exorbitant fees of official “wedding” beauticians.

Tip: Friends and family are happy to pitch in. Really! Also, if you want someone to handle the day-of details but can’t afford to pay, consider trading services with another bride-to-be.

Tip: Don’t forget the bridal party in your money-saving plans! Consider inexpensive bridesmaids’ gowns from eBay, Internet sales, or mall stores. And do your groomsmen really need to rent a tux, or would same-color suits do just as well?

Tip: DIY does not always mean less expensive. DIY if you enjoy it; but if you’re most interested in saving money, the cost comparisons may surprise you. Also, consider “non-wedding” items for objects like your guestbook and thank-you cards. Anything made specifically for weddings can come with a substantial markup.

Tip: Consider a restaurant venue. You won’t have to pay a site fee or rent seating, linens, glassware, etc. Rather than a pricey multi-tier wedding cake, try a number of smaller cakes or a dessert buffet. Don’t feel you need to serve an unlimited bar — beer, wine, and a signature drink or two (plus yummy nonalcoholic options, of course!) leave guests just as happy.

Tip: Look for someone who is talented but just starting out. (Punam Bean is well-known now, but we were the second or third wedding she’d ever booked.) If your locale is unusually expensive, consider flying someone in from elsewhere; we actually imported an NYC photographer for less than the cost of established DC locals. The WPJA website is one excellent resource for finding photographers all over the country

Tip: This is an area where it’s easy to put things together yourself. It’s hard to go wrong with flowers — they look pretty no matter what you do to them! Silk flowers are sometimes less expensive than real (depending on flower type), can be put together far ahead of time, and can be re-used or re-sold after the event.

Tip: Make full use of decor elements that are already at your venue. Avoid “wedding markup” by re-purposing everyday materials (for example, we used sari fabric as an aisle runner). Resist the urge to make impulse purchases. Buy second-hand decorations from other brides. And if all else fails, look for double-duty items that you can re-sell, donate to charity, or use in your home after the wedding.

Tip: If you’re on a budget, there’s never any reason to pay full price for a hotel. Commit to finding a certain class of hotel (say, four-star) rather than a specific property, and then check out Travelzoo, Expedia Special Deals, Priceline, and Hotwire to see what’s on offer."

Read the rest of the post here to see her breakdown of what she spent for this less than 10K and GORGEOUS wedding!

Money Saver Idea of the Week: How amazing are these leaf favors??? I'm sure they are painstaking to make but so worth it!

"Apparently, in France, it is a custom to give guests almond dragees as wedding favors, but you don’t have to be French to love this fabulous favor idea. It’s simple, it’s green and it’s extremely budget friendly! 30 minutes picking leaves at the park, a sharp knife, some chocolate covered almonds and a paint pen - VOILA.(see Parisian Party for more detailed instructions)."