A five-star wedding on a two-star budget

Can I have my five star wedding on my two star budget?

When Mel and Sam got married they wanted their perfect wedding, but they also didn’t want to spend a king’s ransom on it. Here are some of the options they found to make their special day a reflection of who they are.  They wanted the perfect day, but the perfect day for Sam and Mel, not what was expected of them by others.

Where to get married? Is a destination wedding for us?

When we were putting our guest list together, there were a few key questions we asked ourselves:

• Is it uncomfortable to hug your friends & family, or just to chat with them?
• Or say goodbye to them at the end of the day?
• Are they people you would invite over to your house for a BBQ?
• Or are you feeling you have to invite them because others want or expect you to, simply because they are family?

These are questions we asked ourselves when creating our guest list. When we decided on a destination wedding we chose somewhere that has created great memories for us and ones we wanted to share and experience with our closest friends and family. This meant really thinking about who we wanted to create these memories and spend a few nights away with. We wanted a smaller, intimate wedding and considering these things gave us a more realistic guest list.

We chose to have a destination wedding in a place that is special to us – and that means having a smaller wedding, and one where the people we invite are those that are closest to us.

Do we need a videographer? Is it worth the expense or does a photographer tell our story?

Professional videographers are often an expensive accessory to a wedding.  Technology has evolved and a great deal and photographers have at their command a vast array of equipment. Long gone are the days when they would show up in a shiny suit to snap and hope. There are no limitations on how many photos can be taken and they can be reviewed on the spot. You are almost guaranteed to get some good snaps if the person behind the camera knows what they are doing.

The question to ask yourself, does the videographer add to the atmosphere and fun of the day and night? Will you sit down on a regular occasion and watch the dvd? Instead, why not invest in a good video camera that will cost a fraction of the price of a professional, and ask a family member or friend to film some of the fun parts of your day as well as the important bits. You’ve then also invested in a quality camera for further occasions and you have memories that you want to look back on.

Use what you’ve got – your imagination & creativity.

Social media sites are flooded with ideas, website recommendations and apps that give you a million and one creative and money saving tips for your day. Set yourself up with accounts through sites and apps like Etsy, Pinterest and Facebook (which are all free). You can use the tips and ideas you find to DIY your wedding, making is as personal as possible.

We made our own invitations with our mac software at home. They were good fun to make, much more personal and very us. This is something that we wanted to project. They still relay all the information the guests require and reflect what we want.  We were not limited to what was traditionally available to us.

The word wedding can make prices go through the roof. Don’t tell the florist your flowers are for a wedding – simply that you need an arrangement or two.  Perhaps you can recycle Mum’s or Grandma’s wedding dress? Maybe there is someone you know who can do a special cake for you?

Doing some financial planning where you can save you dollars, time and take the stress out of what should be the most memorable day of your life!

You can have your five-star wedding on a two-star budget – we did!