Mental Health Notes

Goin’ To The Chapel: Staying Within Your Wedding Budget

by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes on April 15th, 2008

Hmm…if you’re just tuning in, you’re probably a bit surprised by this post’s title. Fret not - I assure you Mental Health Notes is still a mental health blog! However, because wedding season is right around the corner, I’m currently hosting this Goin’ to the Chapel series with the fabulous Molly McDonald to help brides plan and enjoy stress-free weddings - or, as stress-free as a wedding can be!

To get us started, Molly has outlined three major ways for a bride to stay within her wedding budget. Pretty good way to get the ball rollin’, in my opinion. After all, isn’t money one of the top things we all stress about?

Read on!

3 Tips to Keep Within or UNDER Your Budget

1. Start planning and shopping as soon as you get engaged. Even before hand, if you’d like, just to get some ideas. Do your research on what you think you want to have as bridesmaid/groomsmen gifts, guest favors, and food. Compare prices! Think of alternate online sources such as Overstock.com for favors.
2. Become a DIY-er! Some of the bulk of budget planning is spent on paper: Invitations, save-the-date cards, envelopes, etc., so why not cut down on the mark-up all the design places are going to charge you? Find a design you like, and then figure out how to do it yourself! For instance, if you like square with two colors, check out papers at Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, or local craft store and see if you can’t print, cut, and assemble yourself. I am doing a 6”x6” honeydew card w/a 4”x4” ivory card in the middle of it that has all the invitation information on it. The beauty of it? Scrapbook paper is 12”x12”, so I get 4 of the larger squares and 9 of the smaller per page! Then an Exacto knife and ruler to cut them out, and we’ll have it done in no time. Save-the-date cards can be postcards, since most people don’t save those anyway. Find a heavy stock, bright color, or design a pattern and have it printed at Office Max or Depot. You’ll also save on postage this way!
3. Decide ahead of time what you’d rather spend the most money on. That is a personal choice for each bride; so don’t let others influence your decision to spend more on their food if that means you don’t get the dress you prefer! It’s your day, right?!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for some pointers on creating your wedding guest list: To invite, or not to invite - that will be the question!

Molly McDonald is a freelance designer helping people get patents on their concepts while also patenting her own. Medical products are her personal favorites because she finds them most rewarding. Molly graduated with a Bachelor’s of Industrial Design with a minor in business and, when she’s not designing and patenting, she’s enjoying photography and studio art! For more, visit Molly McDonald Design.

Image source and credit.

Interested in being involved in another Mental Health Notes series? I’m accepting applications for This Is Why I ROCK!

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POSTED IN: Goin' to the Chapel, Guest Spots, Have Some Fun, No Prescription Needed, Sites of Interest, Tips, Women