Courthouse Wedding

Growing up, you imagined your perfect wedding day with a fantasy carriage, sparkles, tulle, flowers and love. Not debt, family fights, a long term loan to cover the costs and eight months of extensive planning. 

You have seen the costs for the Big Wedding of your Dreams and just do not want to spend the money or really cannot afford it.  So, your fiance and you decided to put your money in the new house with a white picket fence fund. And Courthouse-ing it seems just right. It's easy to write off the details of the day when you ditch the big show, but if there's any reason to have a courthouse wedding, it's to save time and money. So, put more thought and money into the details of what's really important to you two --- the dress you spotted at the Bridal Shop, flowers from a treasured friend's garden, a honeymoon suite at the swankiest hotel in town, or a catered event at your parent's home. Just try not to lose the sentiment of a wedding. These days there are a lot of ways to make a courthouse wedding charming, classy, and totally memorable.

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When you forego a big wedding, you also forego obligatory wedding gifts. However, especially if it's your first marriage, there will be people who want to gift the newlyweds out of the sheer love and excitement in their hearts.

Hire a Photographer

This is probably the single most important piece of advice you will get when it comes to having a courthouse wedding. Whether you hire a photographer to take a few portraits after the ceremony or to follow you around on your newlywed adventures for the rest of the day, this is important in capturing the memory of your day. And while it may be tempting to ask one of your guests to just snap a few photos, it's not the same as having a professional eye to capture those candid moments.

Hire a Musician

Keep in mind that forfeiting a lavish ceremony, venue rentals, and catering opens up other options financially, for the things that will truly make your day of celebration intimate and unforgettable. Consider hiring a violinist (or a very talented friend) to play for an hour in a private room at a swanky restaurant while you dine with your new in-laws post nuptials. Or a DJ to jam at your after party with your closest friends and family.

Bridal Bouquet

Splurge on a bouquet to fit your dress and get something you love.

Gift Your Guests

If you choose to have guests present at your civil ceremony, gift them something small but meaningful to commemorate the day, like a framed verse or quote that epitomizes the love between you and your partner. 

To Party or Not to Party?

Just because you've chosen to tie the knot quietly, doesn't mean you can't enjoy a post-courthouse party! Spend a fraction of the money you've saved by not having a wedding on a once-in-a-lifetime after Party or a super-expensive dinner for your immediate families. Just be sure to have someone take photos.

For Inspiration: See Stylish Lee's wedding Here.

DIY TableSkirt

Saving money on your wedding is important in this economical climate and many Brides are looking for easy DIY ideas. You may have seen those tulle sweetheart & cake tables at a wedding and thought "How expensive is that"? 

Well, you can make one for your wedding even if you have never used a needle & thread.

Just follow this step by step video from HGTV and make one in your colors just they way you like it for less.

How easy was that?

Going Naked

The traditional wedding cake is typically frosted with white icing, but if a new trend takes hold, it's about to get a serious make-under. Naked cakes are the newest trend that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.  'Going Naked'. . without any fondant or frostings these cakes are not the prettiest, but they may be the tastiest.

While the idea behind them is the same (slice, serve and eat!) there's a few important details that are different from a cake that's frosted. Naked cakes tend to have a more natural and organic feel, which means that ornate sugar or gum paste flowers won't exactly mesh. Fillings & toppings are most certainly part of the beauty to the naked cake, adding to the over all aesthetic and elegance of their appearance. Whether things are kept clean and precise in between the layers or muddled throughout, there is no wrong way to go about creating the naked wedding cake.

Got a cake with fresh fruit throughout, create an area around the cake that looks as if you had just whipped it up on the spot and your elements of baking are still left around!  An easy alternative are fresh flowers. Brooklyn-based baker Alana Jones-Mann loves to style her naked cakes with seasonal fruit and preserves. We all know how striking the hues of berries, fresh flowers in the bridal colors, even cool apple skins make for some food photography heaven, take that styling right with you into your wedding day.  For some Inspiration, go Here!

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DIY Tablescape

Another easy peasy DIY arrangement for your reception guest tables.

:: You Need ::

Mirror toppers (square or round)

Flowers in your color scheme (silk or fresh)

Water Goblets (3 different sizes)

Tea Lights or Candle Holders

Candles (white, silver or gold)

Turn the water goblets upside down and use the base to hold your candle. If you are having a holiday wedding you can also use glass ornaments instead of flowers. Make a sample at least 5 months before, so you can tweak the arrangement to suit your taste. Then, spend the money you save on your Honeymoon.

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Candelabra Decor

Candelabras make for romantic centerpieces at fall and winter weddings. The reason is it's going to start getting darker earlier, so lighting will become even more crucial. Incorporate crystals and one big mass of flowers for a classic look, or ask your florist to wrap blooms around the base for a bolder approach that would work perfectly for an escort table arrangement. 

This is difficult for a DIY because it is very hard to get inexpensive candelabras at flea markets or online, therefore you may have to use a florist to rent the candelabra and most florists will only offer them in a package deal. Flowers add more bulk to the equipment making the tablescape appear more lush and very favorable for large weddings.  This arrangement can be as elaborate as you want or as simple as you want by using multiple candles instead of flowers which can get quite expensive. But it is beautiful on any table depending on the flowers in season, so get the details before you hire a florist.

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Brooch Bouquet

Your wedding is full of choices, and there are many opportunities to trim your budget by doing things yourself.  You can make your own centerpieces… table arrangements… party favors…wedding cake... food and Brooch Bouquet.  Lately many brides are choosing a Bouquet made entirely of Brooches. 

Making a Brooch Bouquet can be a good DIY because you can make it months in advance and storage is easy, but they can be costly. Some brides pay as much as $8 per brooch and if you want an elaborate bouquet you could end up spending too much money and kill your budget. 

Taking into consideration the size and colors of the brooch you find, you must be careful to

Terrariums

We all know that floral arrangements can get expensive & a florist can take a big bite out of the DIY Bride's budget, so Brides need to think outside the box to achieve a great look for less.

Terrariums are an economical way to decorate reception tables for a wedding. You will have to make them in advance, so good storage away from the elements is necessary. Before you tackle this project you must make a sample before you go out and spend money on supplies. Sprout Home has some good instructions HERE. Look for other samples on the internet and make yourself a colorful terrarium in your wedding colors. This is a good project for a group of friends to do one weekend. Get creative & save $$$.
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Bridal Headwear

Headwear can include a range of different options, including veils, tiaras, hair pins and hair slides. If your wedding day is going to be a glitzy and glamorous affair then you will want an ultra-glam wedding look to complement this. As well as thinking about the perfect wedding dress and statement wedding shoes, think about how you are going to complete your look – will you be choosing to wear a stylish veil? Or a sparkling headband? Take a look at some glam bridal headwear ideas and get inspired.

 

Source

DIY Pomander

Pomanders have become a popular a tradition in modern weddings. Essentially, they are balls of flowers attached to a decorative ribbon.

Wedding pomanders can be carried by the Bride instead of a floral bouquet;  hung on the side of pews or chairs & used to create a tablescape for the reception.  If you can't

DIY Table Decor

With an average wedding cost of $28,000 many couples are perplexed on how to pay for it all. A wedding should not put you or your family in debt. There are many ways to have the perfect day on any budget.  How?  Good Planning and good DIY skills. The reception usually is the most expensive part of your wedding with the costs of Venue, Catering, Alcohol, Music, Flowers, Bridal accessories and the list goes on and on.  One of the easiest ways to cut the expense of your wedding is to cut out any unnecessary extras and stick to a strict budget for all the items needed for your special day.  Unless you got a package deal that includes everything at the right price, you do not need them all.  Your first decision should be the DATE and VENUE.  Next, trim the guest list to guide you on occupancy/budget to feed them all.  If you choose round tables that seat 10, you will have less tables to decorate and you can do this yourself with a few friends & family.  Here's an Example:

One of my favorite Easy Tablescapes

Make your own with several tall cylinders (about 3) in graduated sizes and fresh flowers you

DIY Bouquet

Last month,  I made the bridal bouquet and six bridesmaid's bouquets for a relative's wedding that we had been planning for 7 months. We purchased all the fresh flowers at our local Flea market for less than $80.00 and it took me 2.5 hours to make them all the night before the wedding. 

Wedding - 2/25/14

To make this Brides Bouquet I used: