Our top tips are below, so if you’re still in wedding planning mode, enjoy! And we wanted to share some pictures of the celebrations for please check them out here!
Robyn and Salim
Sandra and Jason
1. Timing is everything
Avoid booking on Friday or Saturday. We held our wedding on a Thursday evening, a perfect night for a summer party. We saved over 50% on all of our vendors.
Sandra’s venue: The Stunning Mile High Station in Denver
2. Get Crafty With a Rustic Theme
Visit Mywedding.com for inspiration!
**NOTE *** Robyn and I are NOT crafty people, and we made almost all of decorations.
Use burlap as table runners.
Mason jars can be bought by the box load for next to nothing from Craigslist.
Use candlelight, it’s romantic and inexpensive. Hobby Lobby in Denver had the best deals on candles.
Make your own chalkboards for menus, table seating charts etc. Plywood and chalkboard paint can purchased inexpensively from Home Depot.
Ask your caterer, venue or wedding planner if they have left over decorations from previous weddings, we were able to use jars and candles for free that were left over from previous weddings.
3. Flowers
Go through a flower wholesaler. They are often not open to the public, but your caterer, venue contact or wedding planner can get you in. You’ll have thousands of flowers to chose from and price is at cost (what the florists pay).
We bought all the flowers and supplies to make our own bouquets. Note again – we are NOT crafty, and they turned out beautifully!
Don’t be afraid of artificial flowers. Robyn made her bouquets of gorgeous silk flowers from Chintz in Vancouver so that her blooms could travel with her for her ceremony in Mexico.
4. Food – Opt for Food Stations and Skip the Cake!
Food is not an area not to skimp out on! We found a top notch caterer ( who also doubled as our wedding planners!) We didn’t want to pay for a full sit down dinner, but we did not want a traditional buffet. So we compromised by doing a plated salad, and then two dinner stations. Our caterer did an unreal job, www.biscuitsandberries.com.
We did a fresh taco and fajita station and beef tenderloin station. Yum!
Instead of paying for a traditional wedding cake, we wanted something different. So we had a dessert table filled with several bite sized mouth watering treats like, cookies, mini cakes and squares. Our baker: www.citybakerydenver.com
We also added a little personality and at midnight had mini Philly cheese steaks and Doritos brought out. Together, the desserts and the Philly cheese steaks were less than a traditional wedding cake.
5. Find Up and Comers in the Wedding Industry
When it comes to services like Videographer, DJ and Bakers, there are many talented people trying to break into the wedding industry and they may be willing to do your wedding for free, to use in their portfolio. The only thing they will ask from you is spread the word! Ask your photographer and caterer if they know of anyone trying to break into the industry. Our videographer was a referral from our photographer, who wanted a wedding to build portfolio with.
6. Transportation
If out of town guests are staying at a hotel , or you’re using a hotel to get ready, they may have a car service you and your guests can use in lieu of paying for a limo or transportation.
Our guests stayed at the Loews and were able to use complimentary transportation that accommodated up to 14 people.
7. Wedding Favors
Give a gift that has meaning. Jason and I didn’t want to buy wedding favors that no one would care about or appreciate.
We opted to give a more expensive gift, but decided to give one per every couple or family at our wedding.
We gave the book The Five People You Meet in Heaven and found an amazing deal through Barnes and Noble direct, for less than $4.99 a book!
8. Where to spend the money
Your photographer. The one place we were happy to pay for a premium service was our photographers, and looking back it was the best decision we made. We used Jenna Walker photography and the memories and the story she captured was worth every penny!
And Robyn found the fabulous Mango Studios
Thank you to all to helped and shared in out celebrations, July was certainly a month to remember. And for even more tips check out Ang’s Smart Cookie wedding article in the Globe and Mail.
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