Ways to save money and your sanity on your Wedding Day

Choose your battles!

 

First and foremost, this is your wedding. It is not the Bridesmaids, relatives, musicians, florist and especially not the Officiants' wedding.   You and your fiancé(e) are deserving to have  what you want. After all you, or your family, is paying for all of it.  But choose your battles, be flexible enough to give up something in order to get what really means the most to you. Let's assume for a moment that your mother/grandmother/aunts demand that you have a receiving line, you don't want one. But you want one extra hot hors d'œuvre for the Social Hour. Bargain one against the other - you will do the receiving line IF you can have that extra hors d'œuvre. But be reasonable at the same time.

 

Cost Savings

 

Have you ever wondered if their are ways to save money on your Wedding expenses and still have the wedding you have always dreamt of? The following are ways to do just that:

 

  1. A couple can get a Marriage License anywhere in Massachusetts and be married anywhere in Massachusetts. Call the various City/Town Clerk offices, as listed in the Government section of the local Phone Book, and ask what the fee is for a your Intentions of Marriage to be filed in that community.    Almost invariably a larger city will charge more than a smaller town. Springfield (MA) for instance, will charge a $40.00 fee to file your Intentions and an additional $15.00 fee for a Certified Copy of you Marriage License.  Ludlow (MA) just one town removed from Springfield (MA) has a fee of $10.00 to file your Marriage Intentions and $10.00 for a Certified Copy of your license.   Check in your area for similar situations.  
  2. The fees for the services of a Justice of the Peace to solemnize a marriage are set by the State. They are, normally, not negotiable, although I do offer a $25.00 discount to active military personel. The fee is specified as $100.00 to solemnize a wedding within the community in which the Justice of the Peace lives. For locations outside of that community, but still in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the fee is $150.00.
  3. Choose flowers that are season specific. With all the sources for obtaining flowers you will still pay a premium to have Tulips in late summer. And "premium" means expensive.  See the album in the left column for some ideas of seasonal arrangements. And never ignore Wild Flowers.
  4. In order to save money and especially your sanity, you must spend money. Choose wisely! Use reputable services. While their services may cost a bit more in the begining, they will more than recoup their costs in staying within your budget, providing what you want and by being totally up front and honest with you. Many a bride has cried on her wedding day because the flowers just did not stand up to their specifications

    Let's save your sanity    

     

    Murphy's Law states that "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong!" Do not let yourselves become another statistic to Murphy (who is he anyway?) Try these suggestions, they may just save you and your wedding day.

    1. Something insignificant happens during the day. Perhaps the limousine is Pearl instead of Pure White. Do not demand that things be corrected at that time, You will come across as the Bridezilla you swore you would never become. Bridezillas not only make those who are providing you with your sevices tense but also your guests, something you never want to do. Take the time after the wedding day to go back and argue your points with the provider. It may generate a re-imbursement of some, if not all, of your monies. Again, remember to choose your battles.If the situation must be addressed immediately deligate the duties to your Best Man.
    2. Plan your wedding rehearsal well after your bridal party is out of work for the day. If everyone leaves work at 5:00 PM a 5:15 PM rehearsal does not make sense. Plan a reasonable 6:00 PM or later, depending on your venue. Everyone will then be able to arrive relaxed and ready to start the evenings festivities. I do realze that many venues will tell you the time you must have your rehearsal, please do not be late or you may find out that the next couple has arrived on time and they want their scheduled appointment as well.
    3. If you are having your big day on a Holiday, schedule your Officiant at least nine (9) months to a year in advance (I am personally booked up to three (3) years in advance for some of the more popular Holidays) Make sure of your date and time. I schedule my ceremonies at two (2) hour intervals as I need the time to travel from one venue to another, and some breathing time too. Please do not say that you want to get married on some future date but have no idea where or when. Because of the schedule I keep, I may officiate at many weddings on a holiday. Don't be pushed aside because you failed to update the officiant. If you wait too long your time may be booked with another couple by then, something neither you, nor I, want to have happen.
    4. Have a spare car available to get to the wedding site and reception. Livery services can make mistakes or overbook. A parent or spouse of one of your attentandts could easily be available.
    5. Make sure that all the attendants know where and when to meet. Will they arrive already in their gowns and/or tuxedos? Will they change at the hotel or your home? Eliminate confusio!/ Everyone will be happier for it.
    6. Allow yourself plenty of preperation time. Make a Champagne Breakfast out of it and relax. Do not arrive intoxicated or under the influence of any drugs however. I will NOT solemnize the marriage of a couple who is, nor would any other Officiant. Make sure that all the wedding party uses the facilities before the ceremony. They can always use the facilities anytime during the reception, but that is a bit too obvious during the ceremony. This is expecially true for the flower girls and/or ring bearers.
    7. Send your mothers an arrangement of long-stem roses from a Florist who is not responsible for your Wedding flowers. Should something happen to your scheduled flowers you will then have these single roses to fill in for the Bride, attendants, even boutonnières for the men. If you do not need them, then your Moms are so happy that you "thought" of them them. 
    8. Bridezilla's?  Do they exist?  They sure do!  Do not become one yourself. Not only do you make it difficult for everyone else, you deny yourselve and all your guests of the opportunity to enjoy your own wedding day.  It is not really that important that you micro manage every single detail of your wedding.  Something will invariably go wrong and, I promise you, you will laugh about it later.
    9.  Relax, enjoy the time you can now spend with your Husband or Wife during the reception. Hold hands, steal kisses, be romantic, if you hear people clinking their glasses, it means they are happy for you and want to see you kiss. Oblige them and oblige yourself. If Mr Murphy launches his attack and  something goes wrong, it was meant to go wrong. No wedding is perfect. It will be those things that go wrong that will make your wedding day memorable
    10. Finally, make sure that one of you publicly thanks everyone for everything they have done. Single someone out if necesarry but do not make it a long, drawn out speech. After all, people want to dance and have fun and so do you.