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My daughter recently opted for cupcakes at her wedding. There were several reasons. First, she loves cupcakes. Loves to bake them. Loves to eat them. And, when compared to wedding cake preparation (not to mention the distribution at the wedding), cupcakes are much easier to work with and, yes . . . less expensive.
Ask around in your area. Cupcakes are becoming extremely popular options. These can be placed on a rack, or placed on the tables before the reception.
Either way, and regardless of the practicality, cupcakes can be a lower-cost option as you plan a debt-free wedding. Less fuss. Less muss.
Take a look at cupcakes, get some quotes, and you may be surprised at what a baker can do for you.
A recent (2010) study showed that the new median age for first-time marriages has now shot up to 27.2 years (for men) and 26.1 years (for women). Pros and cons for this growing trend at wedding later in life, with many now choosing to marry after 40 years of age.
Pros . . . couples who wait to get married can establish careers, save money (if they are frugal and wise!) and otherwise gain an advantage in being able to navigate and balance home, independence, and career.
Cons . . . couples who get married later in life have firmly established habits and ideas that may not translate well to the shared life that marriage requires, or they may also bring greater debt into a marriage.
Regardless, what counts in marriage is maturity (relationally, emotionally, financially) . . . and couples who are able to discuss/converse/and decide on a deeper level will do well in marriage.
Couples who wait to get married, and who save, save, save also stand a better chance of having a debt-free wedding.
What do you think is the optimal age for getting married . . . and why?
My daughter was very creative for her debt-free wedding . . . and one item in particular impressed me. She created fans--using paint stir sticks and construction paper--and then pasted her order of worship onto the fan, along with the names of those in the wedding party.
This was an easy item to create, but one that was both functional (outdoor wedding) and beautiful. And the cost was super low.
Instead of making your programs, or paying big bucks to have them produced by off-set printers or at KINKOS, why not make your own?
Fans are only one idea; I'm sure you could think of others.
But bottom line, you don't have to spend top money to have a top flight ceremony. Use your imagination and use the setting itself.
Welcome to Debt-Free Wedding blog, written by a dad who just paid for his daughter's debt-free wedding and the author of Your Beautiful Wedding on Any Budget, Debt-Free Wedding (Kindle), and Before You Say "I Do". He is also the author of dozens of bridal and wedding articles. Be sure sure to drop by here to plan your debt-free event!
The talk from Kelly Ripa this week was that, sixteen years ago, she spent a whopping $279 TOTAL on her wedding. As she described her wedding costs she noted that she and the groom used free travel miles, stayed in cut-rate hotels, and basically had a destination wedding for very little cost. As Ripa noted, even adjusted for inflation, this would adjust to a very low-cost wedding in 2012.
How true.
Average cost of a wedding/reception event now? A whopping $27,000!
Think you can do a wedding for less? Sure you can! In fact, my daughter's recent wedding cost far less than this. With simple taste, some help from a shrewd wedding planner, and a do-it-yourself attitude, you can create a low cost wedding . . . and certainly a debt-free wedding. Save your money and pay-as-you-go!
I'm not sure what Ripa's attitude and secret was sixteen years ago (or if she would spend only $279 on her wedding if she were getting married in 2012), but clearly she doesn't view a wedding as the largest and most extravagant event in her life. Better save those dollars for important matters like college education, anniversaries, and even fitness.
What do you think? How inexpensive could your wedding be in 2012?
Here's a low-cost decorating idea I learned from a wedding planner. Instead of going in for fancy lighting arrangements, ribbons and bows, or labor-intensive decorations, use white strands of Christmas tree lights to add a splash of light (but not too much) to the dinner reception. Chances are, no one will notice the lights, but the lights will make the room feel warmer and more welcoming.
Best time to buy these lights? The week or two after Christmas, when stores are marking down Christmas inventory drastically.
If you can plan ahead, purchase your lights then a save a bundle on this portion of your wedding decor. Doesn't take much effort to light up the room, and if you have a color scheme, you could also opt for lights with a splash of color, too.
Have you heard about the latest wedding fad: Guerrilla weddings? The idea is this: a wedding party decides to conduct a wedding ceremony in a very public place...a place normally off-limits or un-rentable, such as standing in front of a famous work of art, or in a museum, or in the foyer of a public library, or on the courthouse steps.
The wedding party sends invitations to the crew and everyone agrees to show up at that location at a precise time (and I do mean precise!). Each person in the wedding party (and guests) comes dressed incognito, and then at the precise time, everyone gathers at the location, forms a cluster around the bride and groom, and then the officiant quickly performs the ceremony before anyone can stage an objection or alert the guards or police.
In other words, guerrilla wedding.
I'm not sure what the attraction is for guerrilla weddings, but one aspect, I suppose, is cost-savings. People could literally have a quickie wedding at not cost at all for rental or reception or overnight lodging.
All the party has to do is find an officiant who is willing to perform a guerrilla wedding on the fly.
Got a priest in mind?
After a nearly two-year hiatus from writing the Debt-Free Wedding blog, I am now returning to give more money-saving tidbits and advice to brides, grooms, and families who are eager to save money on wedding expenses. My question is: Will You Be Reading?
I hope so.
But I'd love to hear from some readers.
What kinds of money-saving tips are you looking for?
Are there areas of your wedding or honeymoon that you find particularly problematic when it comes to finding the best deals?
What would be helpful to know?
I am a seasoned hand at this money-saving business, and in fact, am now busily helping to plan my own daughter's wedding (and I've learned a lot from personal experience!). I've also married hundreds of couples (I am a United Methodist pastor). And, I've written both Your Beautiful Wedding on Any Budget and the all new Kindle title: Debt-Free Wedding.
Let me hear from you . . . I'd love to give some tips that would be helpful and usable!
