Top 5 Feature: The Lovely Residence

Welcome to the new feature, the Top 5 Feature where fellow bloggers and budget-watchers share their top five tips on how to save money on a wedding or home remodel.

To debut this new feature, I called on my very good friend Nikki.  She is always working on a fun new project and her blog is full of inspiration.  She has great taste but is always looking for a good deal so everything she does with her new house feels like something that a person on a budget could do too.

Her wedding is one of my all time favorites.  It was so warm and comfortable, lots of friends and family talking and dancing all night, with a little wedding and romance mixed in.  She had some really fun and budget-friendly ideas and I asked if she'd share some of her clever ideas and pics.  You have to check out her blog too, she is so funny and creative.

http://thelovelyresidence.blogspot.com/

Here's Nikki and her Top 5...

Our 5 best money saving ideas

1. Program and Menu- We bagged the printed program. We figured the only thing it was good for was to distract our guests from the Bride and Groom show. Find an old board, slap on some chalkboard paint and put your inner artist to work. One of your friends must have an easel laying around and if not prop up your program on a table or shelf. The local printer wasn't getting a dime out of us, we did the same thing for the menu. Save the table space for the food!

That wheelbarrow you see in the corner
is holding quilts.  Guests grabbed a quilt
and spread it out on the beach to sit on during
the wedding.  Genius!

2. Wishing Tree- A white book with bells on it wasn't for us. We cut up some paper, tied on some ribbon and identified the resident plant as our "wishing tree." We keep all of our wishes in jar at home on the
shelf.

3. Hired Helped- Hire some students in your community to run the operation. We payed them cash and threw in some super cutie t shirts. It was a huge deal for us and them!

4. Pizza- We served pizza! We ordered from a local Gourmet Pizza place. We classied it up with a white table cloth and that's about it. Not one complaint about tough chicken or cold beans. It cost us a
whopping 3.00/person plus people could nibble all night- who doesn't like cold pizza?

5. Center Pieces- I am not a cake girl, doughnut please! We bought 20 terracotta pots for 1.05 each, slapped on some paint and decoupaged some photo copied pics of ourselves on the sides. The topper: charger plates on Christmas Clearance for 1.00/ each and piled on the dessert. 

A very important P.S. 18 Dozen Doughnuts from a local bakery cost us 117.00 or .60/person.
________

Thanks Nikki!  Cute stuff isn't it?  She's the best.  Don't forget to stop by her blog and see the pics of her new house remodel ideas. http://thelovelyresidence.blogspot.com/ 

Want to be featured as the next Top 5 Feature?  Come up with your five best tips for saving money on a wedding or home remodel and email them to me.  Don't forget the pictures!

Have you been featured as a Top 5?  Grab a button and show off!

<a border="0" <a href=" http://500dollarwedding.blogspot.com/ " target="_blank"><img src=" http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa441/hkraabel/IwasaTop5feature.jpg " border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Have an idea? Share it here by posting a comment below. Let's all help each other out.

Read More

Cute program for summer wedding

Click here for details on how to get these programs.

Isn't this cute?  Would be fairly simple to make yourself, or see the caption under the picture for details on buying this exact one from the artist.

Have an idea? Share it here by posting a comment below. Let's all help each other out.

Read More

The easiest and cheapest idea I've seen in awhile!

This is the easiest, cheapest, and cutest idea I've seen in awhile. I mean, talk about free!  I know you have a picture frame somewhere in your house right?  The biggest and nicest one you can find, grab it, take out the picture or poster, replace it with a cute fabric or scrap book paper.  Make sure to use a light colored pattern and color.

Now, decide where the best place to put this at your reception.  Find some dry erase markers or better yet, wet erase markers.  Write out your welcome message or menu and you're done.  If you have an easel, use that to prop up the message for guests to see when they arrive.  If not, set it up against a wall on a table close to the entrance.  Easy, cheap (or probably free), cute, and unique to your wedding.

  

Have an idea? Share it here by posting a comment below. Let's all help each other out.

Read More

Affordable but unique and beautiful invitations

www.seedtosproutdesign.com

Print your own invitations!  We want to keep that guest list small right?  So the invitations should really be like sending out Christmas cards, nothing too exhausting.  Start with a classic and pretty design but make it unique!

Check out this website, www.seedtosproutdesign.com, you can buy a unique template and change the information and colors to suit your needs. Then, have a copy store print out the copies you need.  You can do it at home too but you may end up spending more this way with the amount of ink your invitations may require.  By going to Office Max or the UPS store, you can have them do it with their crisp high-end printers and the invitations will turn out gorgeous.

Need more ideas?  Check out the book, The $500 Wedding: How to have a beautiful wedding and reception for $500

Have an idea? Share it here! Let's all help each other out.

Read More

Guest book ideas

The guest book.  My favorite part of the guest book is the person assigned to do this job.  They are usually wondering, along with everyone else, what exactly their role is supposed to be.  Smile and hand over the pen.  Actually, if the messages from guests are important to your memories of the day, guest book attendants are important simply because people need to be reminded to sign the darn thing.  Most of us will walk right by it unless someone shoves a pen in our face.  So grab that college roommate and put her to work!

Have you seen the price on formal guest books?  A little too much for me, and you if you're looking to spend around $500 on a wedding.  So let's take a look at some different ideas compared to the traditional guest book.

A friend of mine had people sign a chalk board.  Actually it was a large piece of plywood painted with chalkboard paint.  The "guest book" attendant had everyone sign their name and a message then carefully put the board somewhere safe.  After the party, the bride and groom sprayed the board with an adhesive, then painted over the messages with a clear gloss.  A simple homemade frame and it was a unique piece of art for their home.  Simple and cheap too!

I've seen this same idea with a piece of poster board, which is about 50 cents at any store that sells school or office supplies.  Have everyone sign the poster board, then purchase a frame and hang it in your house when you come back from your honeymoon!  A poster frame will cost somewhere around $15 and you can purchase it at a later date rather than add it to your wedding budget.

Another idea I've seen is Message-In-A-Jar.  Scraps of paper are placed in a basket with pens.  Guests write their message and names on the papers, then place them in a glass jar.  After the party, the jar is sealed and given to the couple.  They can open it later that day at home, or save it for their anniversary.  Cheap and easy?  Definitely, I mean, how much does scratch paper and a glass jar cost? 

Finally, an actual guest book is great too if you can find a deal!  Keep your eye open for blank journals that could work as a guest book for half the price.  Especially look for these deals during back-to-school sales.


Have an idea? Share it here! Let's all help each other out.

Read More

Programs

So this might sound strange to you, but designing a wedding ceremony program was one of my favorite activities when I was planning my wedding.  I absolutely loved it.  The layout, who had what roles, the kind of paper I used, how it would be presented, picking out a quote, etc.  I loved it.  Truthfully, if you had a million dollars and seven wedding planners to help you prepare for your big day I'd still recommend doing this part yourself.  It's just a great way to see exactly what's going on and when and with what members of the bridal party.  Plus, you have to do one.  Guests will feel SO MUCH better if they know exactly what kind of time they'll be spending sitting still and being quiet.  A lot of people bring them home, they read it during the ceremony, they use it as a fan if the church is hot, they use it as a coloring book for bored children, it's perfect for blotting lipstick or discreetly gossiping about your second cousin's elective surgery.  Just do it.

Here's some tips to get you started.  First, pick out some nice paper but paper that can be printed on.  Your best bet to keep down costs is to put your entire design on a regular piece of white printing paper and then take it to the copy shop and have them make the copies on some high-end paper.  Stick to black, white, and gray ink if possible.  You may not need the heavy duty stock paper, decide what design you're doing first.  The content of the program should include the following:

• Order of the wedding (names of songs and readings, declaration of intent, exchange of vows, blessings, recessional)
• Participants (parents, couple, bridal party, minister, etc.)
• Other information (couple's new address, honeymoon plans, thank you message)

Now you've got the guts of the program, how about the design?  My favorite (also probably the cheapest and easiest) is to put the whole thing on one sheet, have it printed on regular paper in one of your wedding colors, roll it up, tie it in a bow with some ribbon or twine and place them in a basket at the front of the church by the guest book.  Cheap, simple, easy, elegant - it's perfect.

Have an idea? Share it here! Let's all help each other out.

Read More

Free centerpiece

My sister-in-law was married a few years ago and she had this beautiful and very inexpensive decoration, free if you pull together a few easy resources.  She had some branches, big thin long branches and placed them in a tall vase (a tall skinny ice bucket would do, try and borrow this item if you don't have something that will work).


The vase was in her wedding color green and a pink ribbon tied around the top.  There were family wedding picture ornaments hanging from each of the branches.  The ornaments were simple, small black and white photocopies of the relative's wedding pictures glued to pretty stock paper and fastened to matching ribbons.  She placed it by the guest book and a couple of big bowls of candy.  People would see it right away and then look at it more closely throughout the night.  Great idea! 

Martha Stewart's Thoughtful Tree has a design similar to this but she uses it for a guest book/wish book.  I think now with all of the different papers you can buy in a craft store, this is a pretty do-able idea that wouldn't cost a fortune.  The picture below can be inspiration for either a centerpiece, like my sister-in-law's, or for a well wishing tree.

Have an idea?  Share it here and help out another bride on a budget.  If you do have a cheap idea for a bride or newlywed, please contribute it to our Wednesday Blog Party.  We'd love to see your ideas.

Read More

The Guest List is HUGE!

How to keep your Guest List small

“We didn’t know where to start! Would we actually cut out aunts and uncles? My coworkers? His old roommates? I was so tense about the guest list that it made the rest of the wedding planning impossible to be excited about.”

This might be scary, but we are working on inviting 50 people total to your wedding.  Give or take a few people, this is how you can do it.

How many people are on your guest list?

Leave out the coworkers and neighbors

Neighbors can become friends, that’s true, but you are not obligated to invite them because your families happened to find homes they liked on the same block years ago or because they always gave you great candy on Halloween when you were a kid. I realize that neighbors can become good friends but you don’t want to fall into that “invitation by association” routine; like if you invite the Hanson’s then you have to invite the Murphy’s. Skip all neighbors and apply the same rule to coworkers. Some coworkers might be close friends so of course, their name may be on the list. Just remember to limit your wedding talk at work to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings. Just remember the rule: Family and close friends only. 

Don’t feel guilty about not inviting everyone you like

This is a wedding celebration not an episode of “This is your Life.” We know your good friend from high school who you haven’t seen in years would have a blast at your wedding and reception but if you want to stick with your budget, you have to put these people in the optional list.  Keep in mind, if people hear you’re having a small wedding, most people will know that means just family and a few friends. If you haven’t talked to someone in a year, they are in Group Two (or maybe just cut).  They can still be your best friend from grade school, they can still be your old college roommate, but if you haven’t talked to them for awhile then chances are they are not classified as a close friend and shall therefore be placed in the optional list. Plus, if you haven’t talked to them in a year, they may not know many people at the wedding which will make it harder for them to relax and have a good time. This could make it harder for you to relax and have a good time.

Think twice about brand new friends

This whole guest list formation can seem cruel at times but it’s not about whom you like, it’s about what size of a wedding you really want or need. People who you’ve met and become friends just recently might seem like people you should invite (especially if you’ve been talking with them a lot about your wedding) but let’s think about it carefully. They are probably not going to know very many people there, it might make older friends wonder why they were cut before the new friends, and you aren’t going to have tons of time on your big day to make sure that the new friends in your circle are comfortable and having a good time.  Also, this is a dangerous area because you start adding on the “association” invites. For example, you may feel pressure to invite people just because of who they are associated with. I had a good friend who was a bridesmaid in my wedding and occasionally I would hang out with her roommates. When it came time to put together my guest list, I stressed out about whether I should invite them or not. I decided against it and one of them showed up anyway. Then I felt awkward when I saw her knowing that she wasn’t really on the guest list to begin with but since she was associated with one of my close friends, she had assumed she was invited. It was uncomfortable and could have been avoided if I had made it clear early on that we were having a small wedding.

Telling people it’s a small wedding seems to be the code word that lets everyone know (without being rude) that you have decided to only have a few family and friends there.  People seem to get it when you use those words. If you say things like, “we’re trying to keep our numbers down” or “we’re trying not to let our guest list get out of control” it often doesn’t get the point across.

Again, repeat this in your head: Close friends and family only. Close friends and family only.

Unless your parents are paying for it, don’t invite their friends to the celebration

You are going to have a hard enough time making room for your own close friends so unless you have no other choice, your parent’s friends do not have to be there. These are classic examples of people who are wonderful people but nevertheless belong on the optional list. I know this can be tough because sometimes these people are like an extension to your own family but unless they are very close friends of yours, they need to be on the optional list.

Make the whole thing “adults only”

This might make sense anyways if you’re going to have an evening wedding or a court house ceremony. The easiest way to do this is to specifically list the names of the adults and not the children. To make sure the message gets through, have a polite relative help you spread the word.  If having a no-kids celebration seems rude, there are still plenty of ways to include the kids without and save money. Think about setting aside a special meal for them instead of what you’re serving the adults. Chances are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with chips and lemonade will be more popular for them anyway but also it’s cheaper for you. You can also save money by letting the kids use paper plates and of course, you don’t have to worry about them drinking alcohol so that will help your budget and party planning too. Kids can also help you clean up or entertain your guests before dinner. Maybe they can take some pictures or older kids can even help serve food or fill the water glasses. Kids like to feel important and know that

they are doing something to help.

Use an early RSVP date on your invitations

That way, if anyone from your “must-have” list can’t be there, you can grab someone from the optional list and have enough time to send them an invite without it being awkward. All around, an early RSVP date helps you because it just lets you know what kind of party and what size of party you’ll have which is key when you’re working with a tight budget.

Do you need to invite your second or third cousins or your great aunts and uncles?

No. People will probably expect to see your aunts and uncles there, they probably won’t expect your parent’s aunts and uncles to be there. Neither will your parent’s aunts and uncles. Again, close family and friends only! Besides, how dumb will you feel if you can’t remember their name and you haven’t sent them a Christmas card ever and they haven’t seen you since you were four years old. You’ve got good friends that were left off the list who will likely be friends with you for life. Let’s not let a family tree take down this wedding budget.

Don’t put “and guest” on the invites when inviting a single person

It’s okay for them to come to the wedding alone, and sometimes it’s easier for them anyway. Besides, if they are a close friend or relative (as everyone on your guest list should be), they will know everyone there and will not feel uncomfortable about being at your wedding alone. Think about it like this too: You had to cut some people from your list that you really cared about but just didn’t have the money to invite. Is it fair that ten strangers come to your wedding now because they are friends with your friends?

Don’t worry so much about being rude or keeping up with appearances. Having a small wedding isn’t rude, it’s elegant. Besides, trying to keep up with whatever everyone else is doing will break your budget very quickly.

Don’t forget yourself

If you’re trying to limit your budget and you’re thinking about the cost per person when determining a food budget: Do not forget yourself or the groom when figuring the final cost. A lot of people do that so a good rule of thumb is to always put you and your partner on the top of every list, then your parents, then everyone else. Remember, it’s all about letting everyone know from the start what your plan is. If everyone knows right away that you’re planning a small wedding they are less likely to expect an invite. You’ll deal with less hurt feelings and less expectations. Call relatives personally if you think it will make things smoother. Plan that after wedding dinner to let everyone know that they’re still very important to you.

Some people have big weddings, some people have small weddings, some people elope, some people get married at the court house, some people get married on a cruise ship; everyone’s different.

Share your idea below by posting a comment.

Read More