Top Frugal Wedding Ideas To Use During This Coronavirus Pandemic. Why Not Save A Little?
The year 2020 will be one for the books, thanks to COVID-19. It has changed our outlook on life and given us a new normal. Who would have predicted that we would be wearing masks while going outside, and not for fashion reasons but our health?
This pandemic has especially hit hard the event industry. Wedding venues everywhere are closing! Couples are forced to reschedule while others have to cancel their wedding. Vendors are also going out of business. To be honest, things are tough.
But… there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
People have decided not to let this virus slow down their wedding plans. Instead, they have come up with ways to have the wedding day that they dreamt of while keeping safe. If this is you, and you are confused about it, then worry not! Below is a guide to help you have a frugal wedding, which you will remember for a lifetime. Read on.
14 Frugal Wedding Ideas
Since these are challenging times, no one wants to spend all their life savings on a wedding and spend the other days of their life together broke, while still dealing with a pandemic. This is where a frugal wedding comes in.
It will help you navigate the coronavirus chaos while still having the best time of your life. Also, if you ask most couples what they would change if they were to re-do their wedding, they would say that they would make it as intimate as possible, without spending a fortune on it and going overboard. However, note that this does not mean that you have an extraordinarily cheap wedding that no one will have fun! No. The key is to have a balance, to ensure that you do not break the bank!
Below are some practical frugal wedding ideas that you can incorporate into your big day.
1. Budget First
Getting engaged is exciting and all rosy, but it can be a nightmare when it comes to small and frugal wedding planning. This is significantly worse if you do not have a budget. Therefore, it is vital to sit down with your future spouse and discuss the wedding budget and how much you are willing to spend. This will help you to know how much you want to spend on the wedding, and if you have the money for it. Before running off to a destination wedding, budget first, and ensure that you still have adequate money to live by after the special day. This is because most people end up broke after their wedding day, which can be quite embarrassing.
2. Keep Your Guest List Short
One of the greatest weaknesses that couples have is choosing who they will invite to the wedding and who they will leave out. The majority of the time, people are lost for choice and end up inviting so many people, most of whom are not even close to them. However, this will only increase the wedding costs as you will need to rent more furniture and have more food. Limiting the number of guests will help keep the prices low. Also, due to the coronavirus pandemic, there should be no overcrowding; therefore, the number of people invited to the wedding is limited. Here, you will have to write a list of everyone you would want to come to the wedding and then narrow it down to only the most important people. It makes no sense inviting people that you have not talked to in years to your wedding or your classmates in high school, as they are not in your close circle.
One of the hurdles that most people face is that there will be friends who will be upset if they are not invited. However, it is crucial to remember that this is your wedding, and you have to abide by your own rules. That said, ensure that you only invite people who you would be disappointed if they missed the wedding, to keep the list short.
3. Location
The venue is one of the things that will cost you lots of money during the wedding planning. The highest cost is usually the venue; hence you have to be smart about how you go about it. If you can, get a free location, for example, by using your backyard or that of a family member. You will be surprised at how amazing it will turn out with great décor and your creativity. The good thing with this is that you have an opportunity to be creative and bring your ideas with life, since there are no restrictions, as is the case with other locations. Since the space is also not large compared to other outside venues, you will be able to limit the number of people, hence reducing costs while still ensuring that everyone is in good health.
4. The Wedding Dress
A quick tip to note when choosing your dress is to avoid those labeled ‘wedding.’ It is because they are quite expensive, and this is mostly due to the attached label and nothing else. Therefore, it will save you more money to buy a dress from other sections such as those from pageant gowns, as it will be hard even to tell the difference. You can also reduce costs by buying a wedding dress from shops that mass-produce them. This will save you lots of money, and you might even be in for a discount. Another way to go about it is to buy a budget wedding dress and have it altered. Here, you can adjust it to your preference, and end up spending very little. Therefore, do not be shy about buying a cheap or simple wedding dress, as all you have to do is just dry clean it, and make a few alterations.
Another essential thing to note to save money is to start shopping early for your wedding dress. Doing it late will leave you with very few options, all of which will be quite costly. Since you do not have time to bargain or look for cheaper options, you will be forced to buy something too expensive for you.
5. Have A Morning Wedding
Night weddings are more expensive than their morning counterparts, as they have dinner and drinks, which can be quite costly. To make things easier for you, you can opt for a morning wedding. Dinner is the most expensive meal of the day; hence, having all your guests for dinner can take a toll on you. Also, with curfew ongoing in some areas, you will want your guests to get back home in good time. You can have a morning wedding, and serve brunch instead. The good news is that your guests will love it and will enjoy the uniqueness of the event. You can serve mimosas all day, and have a great brunch menu to keep your guests entertained.
6. Do Your Own Catering
Yes, you heard that, right! Most people do not think that they can do their own catering for the wedding as it is quite rare. However, it is one of the ways of saving money. You can handle your food preparation and come up with a simple menu. This will drastically reduce the food costs, and you will be able to use the remaining amount on other things. The great thing about this is you can have your family help out.
However, if this is not your forte, you can ask a family-owned restaurant to do the catering. Since they are cheaper than high-end restaurants, they will be an excellent option for you. However, check to ensure that they abide by the COVID-19 health guidelines, to ensure that all your wedding guests are in great hands and safe.
7. Use Digital Invitations
Another area where people spend so much money is their wedding invitations. The funny thing is that your guests will spend at most ten minutes looking at it, and will be done. Since they will not use it again in the future, there is no need to spend a fortune on them. A solution to this is using digital save-the-dates. Some people will be skeptical about them as they have guests that are not tech-savvy. However, there is a solution to this. You can always call them or send them a note with the invitation date. With digital invitations, the options are endless. You have thousands of templates to choose from, according to your preferences. They are also relatively cheap, and you will save lots of money by going digital.
You can also make personalized invitations instead of buying them. This is particularly fabulous if you are crafty and love art. You can design them whatever way you want to, and print them out. This will save you lots of money since buying them from wedding shops is expensive as they come with a premium.
8. Buy Affordable Wedding Rings
Wedding rings are a symbol of your promise to your partner once you get married. It is a symbol of commitment to one another. However, this does not mean that you should break the bank only for a wedding ring. It is crucial to note that you can always upgrade your ring in the future; therefore, no need to spend a fortune on one. Also, you might note years later into the marriage that your wedding band does not fit anymore. This is quite common and is usually attributed to weight gain over the years.
You might also lose your ring and need to replace it; therefore, no need to spend a fortune on it on your wedding day. However, ensure that the ring you have is comfortable and looks great, as you will be wearing it for a long time, as opposed to the actual wedding that occurs on a single day.
9. Get A Friend To Do Your Hair And Makeup
Do you have that one friend who is always good with hair and makeup? Do they know how to do hair and makeup on other people? If the answer is yes, you do not need to spend a lot of money on a professional makeup artist. With a frugal wedding, and with how tough things are, it would do you good to save money on your wedding day. Therefore, if you have a friend who loves to do makeup, why not give them that job on your special day. You can practice some looks before the wedding to get the perfect one for the day. Also, it will be a cheaper option for you. However, it is crucial to ensure that they are good at it; otherwise, you will regret it.
10. Use Fake Flowers
A big part of your frugal wedding reception planning is flowers, right? There is no need to buy loads of fresh flowers that will die after the reception when you can use fake flowers. You can even use them later on for another event. They are also way cheaper in the long run and will not wither through the day, leaving you disappointed. They will also not be that noticeable, and you will save a lot on them.
You can also reduce the flowers you need; for example, you can use a single flower instead of using a whole bouquet. You also do not need to have flowers everywhere but place them in designated areas at the wedding for decoration.
11. Ask For Wedding Help
Most people are afraid to ask their family and friends for wedding help, but that should not be the case. They are close to you, and they will not hesitate to chip in. If you have a photographer in the family, you can hire them instead of going for someone more expensive. You can also ask them to contribute to the wedding instead of buying gifts. This will be more beneficial for you as many people may buy you the same thing, or something that you already have, which will not do you any good. You can therefore ask for help with financial costs instead of them getting you presents. This will help ensure that your frugal wedding gets to happen as you had anticipated.
13. Keep Food And Beverage Costs Low
When you consider the catering, cake, drinks, and even dinner, you will note that weddings can be quite expensive. However, since food is crucial, and you need to have your guests leaving while satisfied, try to ensure that you have enough at reasonable rates. You can do the catering on your own or hire independent caterers who will charge you cheaper than hiring a big hotel.
When it comes to cake, ensure that you do your research to get the different price ranges in your area. You do not need to spend a tremendous amount of money on a massive cake that you do not need. You can also opt for cupcakes instead of a large 3-tier cake as it will be much cheaper and efficient for you. Consider the number of people that you had invited to determine the size of the cake and food that you will need. This will be a great guide, to ensure that you do not get inadequate food or too much that will be left behind. This will cost you more money, as you will have to give away food or in some instances, order more.
14. Do Not Complicate Your Honeymoon
With the onset of COVID-19, most places are closed down for business; hence you might not travel to your dream destination as you would have loved to. It may seem not very reassuring, but there are other ways to enjoy your time together. Some couples may decide to postpone it until when things are better, but you can also choose to make it fun in your way. Instead of spending lots of money on a big trip, you can have a road trip and enjoy alone time. This is the time to have some alone time, get to know your partner more, and allow the world to stop for some time. Watch the sunset, enjoy the sunrise, and do things that you both love. This will be crucial; before you get back to the hassles of your typical day to day lives.
Having a frugal wedding during the coronavirus pandemic can be quite daunting. However, this does not need to halt your plans, as you have already spent so much time and money planning for it. With the above points, you will be able to navigate this storm and have a fantastic day that you will never forget. However, there are some crucial things that you should note, for example, ensure that your guests practice social distancing at all times. Also, please encourage them to wear masks when they are not eating or drinking. As for the workers, they should wear their masks all through for safety purposes. Remember also to limit the number of people coming to your wedding to keep the virus at bay. It is crucial to note that there is no one-size-fits-all guideline for frugal weddings during these harsh times, but with the above ideas, you will be able to have a fantastic day.
