Trying to cut back on your wedding-day budget? Weddingbells tells you where to splurge and where to save. By Roseanne Dela Rosa
We’re huge supporters of DIY endeavours, but some things are better off left to the experts. You’re probably looking for ways to cut costs, but here are three places you should consider splurging:
Food
Unless you’re a professional chef, this is one area you don’t want to tackle on your own, and it’s definitely not an area to scrimp on. Aside from the actual ceremony itself, your guests will judge the success of the event on how good the food is. The best way to keep a guest happy—especially during a long ceremony and reception—is definitely through his or her stomach.
Photography
A friend or a family member with a digital camera is nice, but a professional photographer is usually your best bet to ensure that your day is captured from beginning to end. You should also go all out (you don’t have to get the whole package) because you don’t want to look back and regret not hiring a photographer for more than just the basic one-hour package.
Hair & Makeup
Chances are you’ll want to look as beautiful as you possibly can on your big day. This is when you don’t want to rely on a friend—unless you really trust them—to do your hair and makeup. The professionals know what they’re doing and can work their magic to ensure you look glowy and pretty throughout the whole day.
And here are three areas you may consider saving or cutting back on:
Invitations
Sometimes it isn’t necessary to get the whole stationery package (i.e. thank-you cards, RSVP cards, etc.). You may want to consider ordering invites and getting your own thank-you cards or using a website for save-the-dates.
Cake
It’s not necessary to have a grand seven-tier wedding cake, even if you are feeding a crowd of 250. You can still get a beautiful cake, but keep the design sweet and simple to lower the cost. Or, opt for slab cakes and have a dummy cake for appearance’s sake.
Favours
Not everyone at your wedding must receive a wedding favour—you can keep the budget down by allotting one favour per family/couple. Also, you can double up and serve mini-cakes as your W-day confection and bonbonnière.