(free next day in-store delivery.) "I can't tell you have many times guests leave

2013-12-24 16:47

5 Things Your Wedding Probably Doesn't Need Spring and summer are prime wedding seasons, and if you're planning to walk down the aisle, you're probably waistdeep in fabric swatches and sample menusnot to mention bills.Costs vary widely depending on geography;The average manhattan wedding rang up almost three times the national average, while the average alaska wedding was just over half the national average.News talked to wedding planners, married couples and bridestobe to find out what expenses can be axed from your budget without shortchanging your big day. 1.The band.When hilary levey friedman and her husband john planned their 2010 cambridge, mass., wedding, they opted for a DJ.The couple likely banked big savings, as the real weddings study reports that the average reception band cost $3, 084 in 2012, while the average dj cost $988. "I really like old michael jackson songs, madonna and britney, and a band can never be as a good as the originals,"Hilary explains. "We weren't limited by any genre.Our first dance was more of a fiftiesstyle song, and from there we went into lady gaga. " [Read 6 Ways to Save Big on Your Wedding] https://www.formalaudresses.com/evening-dresses.html Hiring a multipiece band also would have increased the catering bill.Even if it's only five more mouths to feed, wedding meals can cost upwards of $50 to $75 per personsometimes more for lavish celebrations. 2.Favors. Sugared almonds, matchbooks, picture frames and champagne flutes are popular weddingFavors, but they often get left behind. (free next day in-store delivery.) "I can't tell you have many times guests leave these items on the tables or take them home and toss them,"Says gail johnson, a decatur, ga.Based wedding and event consultant. "Entertaining your guests with a great meal and entertainment is plenty, so there is no need to spend money on weddingFavors. " Just ask ursula reynolds, who learned this the hard way after she and her bridesmaids assembled 80 boxes of specialty chocolate the night before her wedding. "I was told by everyone that i had to have a favor, and it is highlighted in all the wedding magazines,"She says. "At the end of my reception, once guests departed, around 70 percent of the favors were left on the table. "Other brides throughout the country last year also felt the pinch, as the average wedding budget included $289 for favors.Skipping such expenses also means reducing the labor costs that accompany assembling and distributing favors. 3.Paper programs and menus.Unless your guests need to fan themselves because it's 100 degrees, you probably don't need printed programs.Stefanie shuman and her groom decided to forego the unneeded paper and ink for their wedding, which is scheduled for later this month in new jersey.They're also nixing favors and printed menus, giving guests a"Duet"Of two smaller entrees rather than offering a choice of entrees.With the money they're saving on programs, menus and favors, they plan to host a brunch for their immediate families and wedding party the day after the ceremony. [Read:How to be a bridesmaid without going broke.] Susan norcross of two rings one circus, a philadelphiabased wedding and events company, offers a budgetfriendly alternative to printed menus and place cards: "Use big chalkboards or have the seating assignments printed and framed like a large piece of art,"Norcross says.Then, the menu and seating assignments can become part of your dcor, she says. 4.Chair covers.Chair covers are another item some couples are doing without. "Really, who is going to care, and why would you spend [a likely minimum of] Evening Dresses UK:https://www.formalaudresses.com/ $1, 500 on it? "Says lisa larranaga, a chicago bride planning a may wedding. While some places try to upsell chair covers, johnson says they're going out of style. "A lot of brides are choosing to bring in chairs, as the price for chiavari chairs and folding chairs is becoming cheaper than chair covers,"She says. "As a way to save money, brides can choose to use the standard banquet chairs at their venuetypically included in their venue rentaland not cover them.The only time that i would recommend covering the chairs would be if they are in bad shape or the color clashes with the wedding palette. " 5.Floral centerpieces.Flowers and dcor made up almost $2, 000 of the average wedding budget in 2012. Consider reusing arrangements from the ceremony, such as putting bridesmaids' bouquets in vases, or skip theFloral centerpieces altogether to cut costs.Some brides, like katherine reynolds lewis, get creative with centerpieces.For her 2001 nuptials, lewis used two goldfish in a bowl as centerpieces for her reception.Not only were goldfish less expensive than flowers, they are a chinese symbol for abundance. [See 50 Smart Money Moves to Make Now] Meanwhile, norcross had a client who used candles and family photos as her centerpieces. "It was simple, pretty and a great conversationstarter as people passed around the photos on the table,"She says.Norcross says another bride planning a holiday wedding filled glass vases from ikea with christmas balls of various sizes and led lights to create a festive centerpiece. The bottom line:With a little creativity, you can still have your dream wedding at a budgetfriendly cost.Shooting former nsa, cia head:Terrorists go for gmail can using twitter while watching 'breaking bad' make the show even better?Teens goof on mcdonald's with classy prank family sells home, goes on epic yearlong trip to all 50 states frontline:The inside story of egypt's revolution gone wrong how to spot counterfeit tech products