Where to Save and Where to Splurge

One of our favorite Utah wedding blogs is the Utah Bride Blog (amazing pictures and inspiration right here in Utah!). On 11.20.09 they posted this article that dissects the difference between what flowers cost and what you, the bride, is charged. I found it very insightful! With the current economy situation, many brides are asking "what does a wedding really cost?" And the brides planning here at The Canterbury Place are no different. More than ever we have brides asking for price quotes and breakdowns. We love giving brides more details and finding the perfect fit for their budget (seriously, we are more than happy to figure out something for you)! Lately, we have seen bride's trying to save money everywhere possible. After planning over 150 weddings and events here are my top tips on where to cut and where to spend:

Venue: Spend. Of course I am biased on this front, but by going with a beautiful venue you don't have to spend money on the basics like renting tables, chairs, linens, centerpieces, plates, silverware- believe me those add up quickly! Now more than ever reception centers will price match (us included!) so that you can get the value of not having to set-up or clean up after your event. The Canterbury Place is priced comparatively or below other venues. Do your homework with finding the site, find out what is included and what is extra so that you can compare places and find the perfect setting for you. More pictures of our beautiful facility here

Flowers: Spend within reason. Besides your wedding gown and groom your number one accessory will be your flowers. At The Canterbury Place our on-site florist will design the perfect arrangements that capture your colors and taste (as any good florist will). Our florist is always there to pin on flowers and will have everything set-up when you arrive. A few times we have seen bride's try to really save on their flowers by cutting out the pin-on service or delivery (don't do it!) with their own florists and we have seen mother's of the bride frantically pinning on corsages moments before the ceremony is to begin. There is definite value in not having to worry about those little details and spending a little bit more money to have beautiful arrangements.

Invitations: Save! Invitations are a guest's first peek into the flavor of your wedding, however you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get a beautiful invitation. Go simple! Choose something that has standard postage and attach your own photo. See some great invitation examples here.

Photography: Spend. The number one thing that you will always have from your wedding is your photographs. These will become priceless to you and it is worth it to find a photographer who's style you love. See our preferred photographers here and here.

Guest Count: Cut, cut, cut! Be brutal with your guest count! The less guests you have the less food, flower centerpieces, and linens you have to rent/purchase. Invite the most important people and enjoy their company with a more intimate atmosphere.

Catering: This portion is centered around what menu you want your guests to eat (i.e. desserts- least expensive, finger foods- mid range, a full meal- most expensive). The menu option will dictate how much your spend. Lately, I have been seeing lots of brides have a full dinner for their close ceremony guests and then having desserts for their reception guests. Get creative! Work with your caterer to find an option that will fit your pocket book and the atmosphere you want your event to have.

Decor: Please save some of the budget for decor! This is how you really personalize your venue- linens and decorative elements is what will set your event apart and make your pictures extra special and unique.
Cake: I suggest going mid-range with this. The cake is one of the iconic elements of the wedding and it really is amazing what can be done decoratively with the cake. There are many less expensive options (note: round cakes are less expensive than square cakes. The more detail and the bigger the cake, the more expensive it gets). I would suggest hiring a professional to tackle this task- for stress and sanitary reasons. Work with your cake artist to design a signature cake for your event while staying on budget. Before meeting with a cake artist you can ask them what a simple three-tier round cake serving 100 guests would cost so that you can compare prices. For our cake artist's online portofolio's click here and here.

Of course, these are my opinions. Set your own priorities and spend on what will make the biggest difference to you! We know that many bride and grooms would love to spend their money many places but because of the economy can't. Hopefully these tips can help you know where to spend. Also, check out our post from a few months ago for more tips on staying in your budget!

All pictures in this post are from NaKeisha and Nathan's wedding on 09.25.08

Post by Ashley

The Well-Spent Wedding

While reading the latest Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, I came across an article that had some tips for putting the wedding day on a budget. A lot of their tips are the same things that we tell our brides on how to cut costs in style. Here are our favorite tips:

1. Rank your priorities: If you love the look of lush flowers, but don't really care about your invitations then focus your budget on the florals and skimp other places. Think about what your really care about and it will be easier when it comes to decision time to spend your money in one place and not another.

2. Be ruthless with the head count: Cutting your guest count means cutting your budget. If you go from 200 to 150 guests that is less food, centerpieces, and table linens that you need to purchase/rent. Since catering is usually your biggest expense, this is a quick way to bring those dollar signs down!

3. Say yes to all-inclusive: At The Canterbury Place, we are able to provide our brides with one-stop-shopping where you can get your food, cake, invitations, flowers and much more. By going all-inclusive you get significant discounts (up to 18% on each item) and you save time by not having to find your own vendors.

4. Hook up your iPod: Even if you want a live band or a DJ,you can cut costs by having your iPod playing during part of your night- like during your dinner. Programming your iPod is easy and a fun way to bring in your personality.

5. Buy your own alcohol: At many venues when you want a bar you have to purchase all of the alcohol through them. Here, you bring in your own alcohol which is great for two reasons: first, you are not up-charged on each bottle used at your event, and secondly, you can return any unopened bottles to the store meaning great savings for you!

At The Canterbury Place, we love working with every bride and our number one goal is to make her happy. If that is working with her budget, we have many ways to get you the most bang for your buck. Come in and let us show you the many ways of how your budget can work with our building.

For even more budget saving tips, please read the Martha Stewart article here.