Budget Friendly, yet Fabulous brides!

Where are all my B.F.F.’s out there? My Budget Friendly, yet Fabulous brides!

The whole wedding planning phase is supposed to be fun however, many couples find it very stressful! Not only do you have to deal with the drama of merging families, couples have to deal with that daunting task of establishing a budget and writing out the guest list. “No matter the budget, the color palette, or the theme, every bride deserves the wedding of their dreams” –Victoria King (Owner and Lead Designer of Royal Events & Services).

Life goes on after you say the “I Do’s.” It absolutely makes no sense to accumulate tons of debt that will carry on into your marriage. Since money is the main source of stress during the wedding planning process, we at Royal Events & Services want to share a few tips!

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5. The Dress Debate: Whether to Buy or to Rent!

Thank goodness for the ever growing e-commerce. The new modern day bride can choose whether to BUY or RENT their wedding dress.

Let’s start thinking outside of the box brides!!! Statistic’s show that the average cost brides spend on a wedding dress is $1,053 (costofwedding.com 2012). The great debate is whether to blow that large amount on your dress that you will only wear once (leaving the ability to splurge in other areas) or to rent for less than a third of that cost! There are a few reputable companies on-line that offer this service, but what better way for a bride to still experience the “say yes to the dress” moment, other than going into a bridal salon and trying on several available options. Local shop “The Couture Closet” located in South Tampa offers this and so much more!

4. Cake, Cake, Cake!

Everyone wants an AMAZING, BREATH-TAKING, “Run home and tell your momma about it” CAKE but, not for the price! Cakes with tons of detail start at a minimum of $1,000 and increase based on the quantity needed for your guests (cost per slice).

A few pointers on this matter.

1- Consider the top and middle tier to be the elaborate design, and make the bottom base tons of cupcakes! This allows you the opportunity to mix in several flavor options.

2- The modern day bride is now opting for just all cupcakes. Huge money saver here.

3- Lastly, the B.F.F. bride knows this rule and lives by it! “Be fabulous, but be smart” Our favorite recommendation is this. Lets take for example you have a guest count of 150. Get the elaborate cake but only to feed 50-75. All servers do the same thing. They take the cake to the kitchen to cut into slices and deliver to all guests. Get a large sheet cake from Publix (or any local grocery store) which is a HUGE savings. No one will even know the difference! All guests will be served and be happy they got to experience your Cake, cake, cake, cake!!!

3. Timing is everything!

May through October is the most popular time for weddings! This means caterers, reception halls, and all other vendors are more than likely to increase their prices and are less like to be negotiable. If you select a date during slower months such as January, November, etc. and you select a Friday or a Sunday (as oppose to traditional Saturday) you are saving a few thousand just on this tip alone!

2. Venue: Location, Location, Location!

Yes, location does matter! A lot of B.F.F.s know this tip for sure! To save tons of money, consider doing everything on site- your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. We love the transition of your ceremony being in one room (or area) then moving your guests to cocktail hour which leaves your reception a huge surprise for the grand reveal. One of the huge cost savers on location is renting a large estate/mansion (in the middle of no where) however this ultimately is a huge cost saver, allows you to keep the party going with no rush to be out by midnight, and just allows the flexibility of creating whatever look you desire!

1- Let’s talk flowers!

Of course this is a hot topic. Some brides just automatically say “No flowers please” in order to save money and the alternative (tons of candles or even D.I.Y- “Do It Yourself” projects) ends up costing more in the long run. Let’s talk flowers, people! A few inexpensive flowers that look FAB in large quantities are the following: Babies Breath, Hydrangeas, Roses, and Carnations. We’ve featured a few projects where we incorporated these flowers along with tons of candles and unique pieces that can take a boring wedding to the next level!

We hope you walk away taking some of our FAB tips to make your special day AMAZING! To check out more of our work or inquiry our services, please visit www.royaleventsservices.com . We work with any brides budget so please do not hesitate to just ASK! Thanks for your time!

Be well and Stay Fabulous our B.F.F.s!

R.E.S Summer Intern