Unnecessary wedding extras to ditch
Wedding favours
It’s a lovely idea to want to treat your guests to a special little gift – something they can take home as a token of your big day. But isn’t sharing the most special day of your life with them enough? Save an arm and a leg and all the faff by refraining from buying wedding favours for your guests. Often they get left behind or binned anyway – what a waste!
Bridesmaid gifts
You might want to thank them for arranging a top hen party or for their help and support during the wedding planning, but your bridesmaids don’t need a new pair of earrings or a bouquet of flowers to know that you appreciate them. A heartfelt, handwritten card will say ‘thank you’ better than a necklace would, and for a fraction of the cost.
Lavish hen or stag party
You can still celebrate with your friends before your big day without forking out a hefty portion of the wedding budget or going to all that trouble planning a big event. Ditch the overrated, overly expensive hen or stag party and save your (and your friends’) cash. Do you really need to jet off for the weekend on a city break or to a classy health spa? What matters is who you spend the occasion with, not where or how excessive it is.
Save the date cards
Wedding stationery may not seem like a large outgoing from your wedding budget, but you’d be surprised how quickly it can tot up – especially if you choose made-to-order stationery. Save the date cards are an added extra that really aren’t essential – the soon to follow wedding invitations are suffice. Even then you don’t have to spend money and time writing them out. You could send e-invitations to your guests instead!
Place cards
Likewise, place cards are an added expense that you could do without. As long as there are enough seats for the amount of guests then don’t worry too much about assigning specific seats to individuals. You could let guests choose where they sit, or at least assign a table for them to choose a seat within. Wedding guests tend to prefer this freedom anyway, so they don’t end up next to someone they dislike!
Expensive wedding cake
At the end of the day, it’s going to be photographed a few times, then sliced and devoured within hours. To get a beautiful and tasty wedding cake should not cost the earth, but it’s not uncommon for them to soar way into three figures and beyond. A simple iced sponge cake or a tier of cupcakes will do just nicely.
Little ones
Small children are so sweet at weddings – wide-eyed at the beautiful bride and excited by the buzz of wedding guests and music. But is it necessary to make them part of the wedding party? This equals extra costs for their clothes, shoes and accessories such as flower baskets and hats, and extra stress for you as they become your responsibility. Let the little ones stay with their parents and wear what they want, instead of being a flower girl or page boy.
Excessive guest numbers
Culling the guest numbers could be the easiest way to cut costs and simplify your big day. Some couples fall into the trap of inviting more people than they really need to – sometimes out of fear of causing offence and sometimes out of the desire to have a larger than life wedding day. As long as your nearest and dearest are there then it’s an unnecessary add-on to invite every Tom, Dick and Harry there is.
Canapés
If you are offering your guests a slap up wedding breakfast and snacks late on at the wedding reception, then there’s no need for canapés during the welcome reception drinks as well. A glass of something fizzy is more than enough, and besides, you want your guests to have an appetite for the meal you have arranged.
Guest transport
Don’t be so generous! You have so much to pay for and organise already without having to worry about transporting your entire wedding party and guests to the reception from the ceremony. As long as you give your guests the directions and details of the location, then let them make their own way to the party. Read more on getwed.com...
Follow getwed.com on Facebook
10 must-haves for brides
Wedding checklist
