The good and cheap wedding series was a hit based on feedback I’ve gotten (though I hope more people will eventually leave it on the blog and not just tell me but hey, I’ll get feedback wherever I can get it!). I learned a few new ideas from every couple, even people I thought I knew really well already.
Here were a few of the common themes:
1. Churches and town halls will hook you up.
They aren’t looking to make a quick buck; they just want their folding tables back. I had no idea that for $0-$100, one could reserve a room as long as it gets cleaned up afterwards. Nice!
2. Enlist the help of others.
Honestly, as someone who has never planned a wedding, I have no idea what’s involved. If you are in this process, help your unknowing friends like me and give us a specific task. We want to help, we just don’t know how! “Can you help me address invitation envelopes Saturday afternoon?” or “I’d love help decorating the night before.” is appreciated by the clueless. Trust me. Also, the more people that are involved, the more memorable your wedding will be, to both you and them.
3. Flexibility pays off.
Whether it’s booking airline tickets or arranging for someone to bake your wedding cake, being flexible gets you everywhere. So if your caterer doesn’t deliver or the band you want to book already has a gig, ask yourself if the item in question is enough of a priority to move other things around.
4. Splurge where you want to, not where other people think you should.
Whether everyone drinks on you or dances to your favorite band, it’s your call. Put your money behind things that are important to you and don’t put money where things don’t matter. This is what living a financially balanced life is all about!
5. A coordinator and a photographer seem like key people to have around.
Besides the people getting married and the person officiating, couples expressed either a desire to have had or thankfulness that they did have 1) a point person on the day to help things run smoothly and 2) someone who has a good camera and takes great photos (hired or not).
As someone may plan a wedding someday, I was happy with what I was able to learn from these fantastic couples.
In case you missed any of the posts, here they are:
Sean and Stacy
Paul and Tobyn
Michael and Cherie