Monday, April 28, 2008

Budget Wedding: Decorating Ideas

Weddings can be very expensive. Trying to decide where to cut costs can be a very traumatic time for any bride. Wedding decorations are one area a bride can save money and they don't have to be expensive to be beautiful. Here are a few thoughts to help you save on your decorations.

Watch for the after holiday sales. Silver or gold Christmas garland can make a beautiful addition to any decorating scheme. White lights are far less expensive after Christmas and look great when entwined with tulle or garland. Hearts galore can be found for great prices at the after Valentine's Day sales. A fall-themed wedding for the following year can be greatly enhanced by buying Thanksgiving decorations in December.

When buying materials for wedding decorations, don't go to the wedding area of the craft shop. The same materials can be found in other sections of the store at a fraction of the cost. For example, strings of pearls in the wedding section will typically cost four times as much as the pearls in the sewing section. But the only difference in the product is one will be called wedding pearls and the other one won't.

Buy fresh flowers at a wholesaler and put floral arrangements together yourself or with the help of your bridesmaids and family. Another flower saving tip is to use flowers that are in season. They will be much less expensive than out-of-season flowers.

If you use silk flowers for your decorations, watch for sales at craft stores and fabric stores. On-line auctions are also a place where you can find silk flowers for a bargain. With silk flowers, you can make your decorations whenever you like since the flowers won't wilt, allowing you to take advantage of sales anytime during the months before your wedding.

Check with other brides in your area who are getting married the weekend before or after you and see about using the same decorations and splitting the cost. For example, pew bows are a great item that can be shared as they very rarely are damaged during a ceremony.

Get married around the Christmas holiday. Typically, churches and reception halls are already decorated during this time, cutting down on what you need for decorations.

Instead of buying wedding bubbles from a store, find a dollar store that carries small bubble containers. Decorate with a little ribbon and fill with bubble solution found in the toy department. You can save as much as $3.50 per 12 bottles this way.

Don't use an elaborate centerpiece at the reception. A single taper candle in your theme color or in white can be very effective. Fake gems can be glued on to candles for additional sparkle. Then all you need to do is dim the lights.

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