News, Tips & Offers delivered to your inbox.

Wondering how to keep your wedding costs under control? Here, some recent newlyweds reveal how they splurged, saved-and stayed on budget.

Ballroom Dinner:

The Couple: Patricia & Alexander Klier
Location: Sarasota, Florida
Hometown: Winter Park, Florida
Guests: 75
Total Price Tag: $11,770

The Game Plan

Patricia, 24, a public relations manager, and Alex, 26, an insurance adjustor, wanted a site by the ocean and a "proper" sit-down dinner. "We chose Sarasota, Alex's hometown," the bride says. "We settled on a budget of about $10,000, but then discovered that many reception options were too pricey. Finally, we found the beautiful ballroom at the Hyatt Sarasota, on Sarasota Bay. They offered a complete package, and we didn't have to hire a caterer and rent tables, chairs or linens. It turned out that the Hyatt's sit-down dinner was less expensive than the buffet, which requires extra food and waiters, so we got exactly what we wanted, for the right price."

Saving Strategies

"The cake was important to me, but I didn't want to overspend. Instead of going with an expensive bakery that specializes in wedding cakes, I worked with the bakers at my grocery store. I gave them pictures of exactly what I wanted, and they did a great job. Instead of paying $7 to $10 a slice, our cake was just $200 and served 80 guests. The cost of favors can really add up, so we decided to do a candy buffet featuring everything from M&Ms to Tootsie Roll Pops. We bought the candy in bulk from a warehouse club and picked up more at post-Halloween sales. We used adorable Chinese take-out boxes as containers for guests to fill up with sweets (these cost less than $20 at a restaurant supply store). The candy buffet was not only a huge hit with all our guests, but it also provided a pretty splash of color at the reception."

Biggest Splurges

"The one thing Alex insisted on was an open bar. We even created a special drink menu, with cocktails named after each member of the bridal party. It was fun for our guests to see whose cocktail they liked the most. Plus, we splurged on our invitations and save-the-date cards. We wanted to set the right tone—classic and elegant—so it was worth spending the money to get just the right thing. We ended up with one of the more expensive options for save-the-date cards, but I did save some money by adding ribbon purchased at the crafts store instead of paying the hefty fee to order the cards with ribbon. The invitations—rectangular ivory cards—were especially meaningful because they were similar to both of our parents' wedding invitations."

Words to the Wise

"Think of small ways to save, because it all adds up. For example, I decided to have my local seamstress make me a custom veil with material I bought for just $45. It was perfect. Also, even though the stationery was important to me, I realized I could save by creating my own programs. I laid out something simple but elegant on my computer and had it printed on heavy cardstock at a copy shop. These turned out to be a unique personal touch—and only cost about $60."

Budget Breakdown

Reception Package: $6,375
Cake: $200
Music: $700
Flowers: $650
Photography: $1,000
Hair/Makeup: $175
Bridal Gown/Accessories: $1,670
Tuxedo Rental: $150
Stationery: $750
Favors (candy buffet): $100
TOTAL: $11,770

Page    1  2  3