Fan Up

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.

The Kelly Ripa Wedding

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?

Light It Up

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.

Guerrilla Weddings

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?

Debt-Free Resurrection

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!

Coffee Cups

Welcome to Debt-free Wedding . . . your home for cost-cutting and money-savings ideas for you wedding and beyond.

Wedding receptions are not always the easiest places to save money . . . but beverages might be one area where cost-cutting and shaving can take place. And when it comes to lowering expenses, consider coffee as an option.

Coffee is big right now, and some coffee brands can be pricey. But there are alternatives. In a recent taste test, it was surprising that some brands like Folgers and Eight-O Clock topped big-name brands like Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts. Likewise, an old coffee that many people have forgotten about is Chock Full O' Nuts. It's out there, and it's a fraction of the cost of some brands, and it's a great medium blend coffee, too.

If you have have a choice for blends and brands, try some of the others if you have coffee as a money-saving option.

Radio

Welcome to Debt-Free Wedding, written by Todd Outcalt . . . a place where you can find hundreds of low cost or no cost ideas for your wedding.

There are many ways to announce your engagement . . . and not all of them have to do with print (newspapers). Some communities have free "community pages" or announcements that you could use to tell everyone about your engagement. In other words . . . free.

You might also discover that many radio stations also have dj services or music services that might undercut the traditional dj in price. Go online and check out some of your favorite stations and the services they offer.