Starting off a brand new life hand in hand with the love of your life is truly a momentous occasion that can change your entire life course for good. You may feel that your wedding day is being tossed around as 'special day' or 'big day', and you have to go big or go home to follow through the entire heap of extra excitement and enthusiasm. Amidst the entire wedding planning scenario here is what you need to remember- you do not need to break the bank for this milestone, and plan your wedding on a budget instead. For many couples who are on a budget, the process of planning their wedding is entailed by a great fear of going over the budget because of many loopholes that are missed by couples while setting their budget for each and every wedding detail.
Budget and practical wedding planning start with setting a realistic wedding budget without burning a hole in the pocket, that can require you two as a couple to do a lot of immaculate research and talk to friends and family who have recently planned their weddings, to lay out a detailed budget covering all the outlines of your wedding day activities. For all the 'just in case' moments, it is always advisable to have a backup plan and a contingency wedding fund. Plan B for weddings are generally required for all the unforeseen circumstances that can pop up unexpectedly and add a sense of flexibility without going over the preset budget. There are so many ways to plan your wedding on a budget especially when it comes to styling up your wedding reception banquet hall or venue that can give you the leeway to spend all the saved money on other things that mean more to you. For instance, when you style your wedding day on a budget, the original wedding budget which was set for the decor can be used on the big honeymoon or even saved in the bank for the upcoming future.
Use Christmas Lights
Reuse your Christmas paper lanterns or the glowing white lights hanging at the back of your porch for simple and elegant reception decoration. Thoughtful lighting can transform the entire space and it is the main ingredient while decorating reception space on a budget. Reusing your Christmas lights can be a great and instant way to spruce up the wedding event space decoration both indoors and outdoors, as the twinkling and cafe lights can add romance and coziness to the entire ambiance. The beautiful and moody lights can be hung from the ceiling and around tables, wrapped around trees, draped like a canopy between branches and around the cake, and used to light up the walkway, or even potted plants. Also, affordable paper lanterns in a reception space can be a great way to give a dreamy and whimsy touch.
Items From Home
Just like your Christmas lights, transporting items like pillows, blankets, cushions, chairs, linens, rugs, and wall hangings from your home can save a lot of your wedding decor budget. You can simply rent a moving truck to haul these items along with couches and tables for use in the wedding venue. For creating a more intimate wedding reception space and save on flower arrangements for the table, add arrangements from your home, that will draw guests' eyes upward, like a simple garland of greenery, large feather wreaths, a few hanging lanterns, or macramé plant hangers, that can also be an inexpensive way of decorating the wedding reception space. Find creative ways to amp up the wedding decor within the budget, by looking around the house and make your wedding feel like 'you'.
Reusing Décor Elements
Along with being a major time and stress saver, reusing most of the wedding decor elements is a great way to plan your wedding decor on a budget. For instance, bridesmaids’ bouquets can easily become your table centerpieces or the wedding ceremony backdrop can be easily used as the background for your cake cutting session or even the dessert table backdrop, that will not only make it picture-perfect but also save you from buying additional decor elements. Another big money saver is turning your ceremony seating options into reception seating options, which can also be translated into a quick way to repurpose the wedding decor and ceremony reception. The wedding ceremony decor, like the lanterns placed to light up the aisle or ceremony backdrop, can also be reused to fill out your reception tables as centerpieces. The best no-brainer is to use rugs as aisle runners that can not only make a statement on your wedding day but it can also be easily repurposed from your ceremony to your reception as part of the décor around your lounge seating area.
Light Lots Of Candles
There is nothing more romantic than a dimly lit room glowed by hundreds of good ol’ fashioned candlelight, filled with people you love the most. If you are not a flower person, you can never underestimate the power of low lighting transforming the mood of the entire ambiance, as candles turn your event space into a magnificent scene of dancing lights. Candles are inexpensive and come in various shapes, sizes, and heights, which can be a great way to add visual interest to the entire decor with basically nothing. Find out many creative ways to add candles in lanterns, in votive holders, and in candlesticks, to the wedding ceremony and reception space without making it look too much. Adding more to the depth and texture of the wedding reception space, candles are perfect for creating a whimsy and romantic atmosphere for your wedding.
Unique Centerpieces Ideas
If you do not want to let your entire reception décor budget into the centerpieces, you can search for various unique and creative centerpiece ideas for your wedding reception. There is no rule book that says that it is only floral arrangements that can be your table centerpieces, and hence, there are many decor elements like lamps, ribbons, feathers, lanterns, glassware, and books that can be used as reception table centerpieces. If you want to throw the idea of centerpieces out of the window altogether, bring in colored glassware, dinnerware, and serve ware and patterned table linens to make your tables pop in an instant without taking away from the entire wedding theme. Also, the possibilities are endless if you can look around the house and find things on your own tables that can be used as your reception centerpieces with a little bit of creativity and artistic sense.
Shop Second-hand
The best way to save big on decor is to buy pre-owned. Period. Take the old-fashioned route to the local thrift stores and get your hands on some unique items that you cannot find anywhere else. But also thanks to the internet, there are so many online wedding marketplaces where you can get affordable and budget wedding items, where you can score some of the best deals on used wedding decors. It is also a very eco-friendly decision to recycle and buy second-hand wedding decor items as we know that most of these items go to waste. Some of the greatest and trustworthy online marketplaces for wedding decor items are Facebook Marketplace, eBay, BravoBride, Tradesy, and Ruffled. If you are a budget-savvy couple, buying used wedding decor starting from the reception centerpieces to the wedding favors, both online and offline can be really easy and cost-saving.
Big Statement Pieces
The little decor elements and items tend to add very quickly which can go a little over budget without you realizing, and that is why incorporating big decor items can not only replace the dozens of different design elements but also have a large impact on the entire look and feel of the reception space. To make a statement with your wedding decor within a budget, shift your focus and invest in one or two big decor items that can be not only eye-catching but also wow your guests with your sheer creativity. For instance, a gorgeous DIY floral wall used as a ceremony backdrop, or a large floral wall, or a photo wall filled with your engagement portraits that can also be used as photo booths are great ways to accentuate the entire decor without paying an arm and a leg.
Light On Florals, Heavy On Greens
Greenery has become a major wedding trend for brides around the world. And having said that, one of the most unsung heroes of wedding decor is 'greenery'. You can be pretty surprised to find how giant tropical leaves, garlands of eucalyptus, olive branch wreaths, and potted ferns can quickly transform your entire event space into a green arcadia. The natural and bountiful splendor that green foliage decorations have in them to add life and a sense of natural elegance to wedding décor is truly understated. The hefty price tags of floral decorations can take a huge chunk out of your wedding budget and adding a bit of greenery to about anywhere and everywhere throughout your reception space will not only look great but also is a very harmonious way to celebrate nature and show your connection to earthly energy. Leafy garland layers and arrangements are one of the best wedding trends that are here to stay, not only because of its affordability quotient but also due to the deep texture and color that it adds to the entire wedding day. It is a safe choice to go big on greenery as simple wines and flowers that are used to decorate rows of seats, tables, cocktail reception areas, and even the aisle can add character and beauty more than any other theme.
Ribbons And Drapes
It is so amazing to find what a little amount of fabric can do to your entire wedding space! Draping the ceilings with twinkling string lights or large chandeliers can set the mood for the entire wedding celebrations. Draping the entire ceiling of the reception space can also enable you to go light on the table decor and bring out a decked-out reception look. The formal and elegant vibe created by dreamy drapes can be completed by using beautiful and colorful ribbons to tie seat covers for adding some elegance and deck things up.
Rent Instead Of Buying
Wedding rentals are one of the most favorite choices of budget-conscious couples across the world. Using rentals is the perfect way to plan an event that suits your needs, as you get to choose from the wide array of design choices without actually buying them. Another eco-friendly wedding decision, you can get some of the best wedding items at a fraction of the original retail cost while saving money and time along the way. With online wedding renting options, you do not even have to step out of your home or worry about transportation and save a lot of the wedding budget by cutting short on wasting hundreds of dollars on items that you will use only once.
A happy marriage is symbolized by eternal happiness, and having a budget wedding may be the start of a great fairytale that can also portray you and your partner's great financial management skills. Having a dream wedding does not necessarily mean having an over-budgeted and fancy destination wedding, and having a wedding day on a budget is a great indicator of the to-be couple going into a marriage as a great team. One of the main highlights of your budget wedding reception styling can be the perfect chance for you to show your creative side and artistic flair as a couple, that you do not get to show more often. The previously unexplored and unique options that you will find on the way of your entire wedding planning journey, styling your entire wedding day on a budget, from brainstorming to execution can bring you some pretty good results than you actually imagined it to be. What can be a better result of teamwork than finding the hidden creativity and aesthetics in one another?
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