Weddings are so wonderful but can be quite expensive, but don't have to be. I planned my daughters wedding for December 1st. It was beautiful. She decided she wanted a simple wedding because she couldn't envision spending $$$ that could go toward a honeymoon or in her case a new car. We sought out venues, but since we live in a small town our options were limited and out of town wedding wasn't in the cards. Our town has a quaint 2 story B&B, we figured we would give them a call, expecting an outrageous price. Not the case, the owner was very nice and to hold a wedding there was $75, food costs was extra but she would prepare anything the bride and groom chose, with labor running only $25. We were so excited!

My daughter decided on a simple one pot menu of chicken and sausage gumbo and iced tea instead of punch,(less than $40 for supplies) in honor of the B&B and our southern roots, my daughter is a wonderful baker so she made her carrot cake wedding cake with cream cheese icing decorated with poinsettas, set on a family crystal platter. The price less than $15( The guests came back for 2nds and 3rds!) The owner supplied a fruit and cheese tray on crystal platter complimentary. It was beautiful and so good, all set in a holiday decorated victorian dining hall.  The cutest moment was when my daughter and her new husband requested milk in their sentimental  champagne glasses( from my wedding and my mom and dads second wedding) instead of tea to toast with, ( they  love milk so it was perfect!) It was an intimate ceremony/reception with a total of 30-40 guests. The B&B would be decorated for the holidays anyway, but the owner asked my daughter her wedding colors and incorporated those onto the mantel and other arrangements including adding color to the already decorated tree for free.  It was just gorgeous. The staircase banister was a sight to behold. The lace covered guest book  table and plume pen ,complete with small christmas money tree sat by the door entrance.

They married in front of the decorated mantle/fireplace which the tree was directly to the left.  The pastor( of the church we belonged to) officiated for no charge but he was given a gift of money. He gave the most heartfelt wording, with scripture, everyone talked how beautiful the vows and wording, and how different  and how it touched everyone. Family and friends took the pictures and  videography(it all looked professional) cause the bride and groom have the most beautiful pictures which all they had to do was develop the film. Since she is a hobby photographer she only wanted few "poses" and the rest in natural, spur of the moment shots.

My daughter and I made her bouquet, ( we love doing crafts and interior decorating)it was simple silk flowers in burgundy and white with berries and grapevine, it was stunning. No boutonnieres or other personal flowers were necessary, since there was no bridal party and my daughter doesn't care for boutonnieres much, (prefers the pocket hankie). The groom already owned suits and dress shoes so he chose simple black pants and long sleeve white shirt, black shoes. The only stress that happened was the last minute bridal attire. The dress my daughter chose was to tight( she bought the dress a few months before and couldnt bring it back) so she made a flying trip to find something to wear, more beautiful than the dress was the burgundy, flowy pantsuit she found (in less than 30 minutes)with black empire waist beading(whcih happened to match some black beaded mules she already owned) under $40, perfect! It was like it was meant to be, looking back i couldn't imagine her using the dress, that pantsuit went with the entire wedding.  Our pastor's wife, a hairstylist, done my daughter's hair as a gift, upswept in curls with a few falling around face and neck and rhinestone pins here and there, borrowed jewelry from her aunt, finished her look. I have been to many weddings and offer tips and ideas to brides (hobby), this wedding is still remembered, it showed the true meaning. Some of the guests who were there still rave about it. And the one thing that made it even more special was the local Christmas parade scheduled for that night( and we didn't even think about it until someone reminded us later , but she didn't want to change the date) the guests took their bowls of gumbo and stood on the huge decorated porch, since it passed right in front of the B&B. Everyone had an "unplanned but exciting activity", all the kids loved it!! young and old alike!! It was like the town scheduled the parade just for my daughter's wedding.

My son in law's mother wanted to  pay for the entire wedding itself including a room for the night for the newlyweds, as their gift. And i found out later that she paid well under $300, but you would have never guessed it, it looked so expensive. My daughter did eliminate alot of the unnecessary items like favors, etc. But noone noticed.

I wanted to share with you how a inexpensive wedding can be done. It is said holidays are not the best time to have a wedding, i disagree. Because it can cut way down on costs, since it is decorated for the season. Other ideas include: simple weddings anywhere with the bride in a simple wear again dress, groom in simple white shirt and slacks, simple flowers(because they cost so much and usually thrown away at end of night) like a single stem rose or other flower ( or a bouquet of 3 roses to stand for i love you or carry 3 or more flowers(as your bouquet) with ribbons and hand all (but 1 rose) to special loved ones or children, save the one rose for your wedding pics). let bridesmaids carry their fave flower also. borrow centerpiece containers or scour flea markets, better yet have cupcake centerpieces and 1 small wedding cake for the couple to cut (diy). Easter is also a wonderful time to marry because you can add a easter egg hunt in place of the parade my daughter had. wal-mart has beautiful easter dresses for flower girls and attire for ringbearers. let her carry a easter basket with a bunny and flowing ribbons (to keep) and have ringbearer carry a jewelry box"egg" for rings. keep the food simple with appetizers and punch, or have simplefare like hamburgers and hotdogs(your guests will love the laid back relaxed feel). other weddings can take cues from simple decor and attire listed.  i saw a wedding once with a "summer fair theme", requested attire? shorts and sundresses, or other casual summer wear. Complete with "carnival" food. It was amazing.

The place to start finding your style would be your closet, your home decor, etc. Once narrowed down, the planning can begin. A wedding doesn't have to be grand and expensive to be "grand". Work within the budget you allow, use items that you can reuse in your home or take items out of your home and use in your wedding. Look at how you and/or your family entertain, chances are that would be a great style reception. One that you know you will enjoy, because it is your traditional entertaining style. I believe in using what is already "proven and works" and Ebay has alot of wonderful items "proven and works"  by other brides to be cost effective and perfect for the budget while still giving the bride what she envisions. I also stress to decorate according to venue, find the "main focal points" to decorate and you will not need as much. Go against the venue and it will cost a fortune. Don't feel you must decorate every little thing, for my christmas decor this year i had the tree in a rustic elegance, well it matched the apartment so well that only the living room and kitchen windows needed a swag of evergreen and poinsettas placed in strategic places, that was it. last year i had a differnet style that didn't match the setting and i had to decorate everything to make it look "right". it was costly and time consuming, plus it took a while to take it down. this year was a breeze. i hope these tips help and i wish you the best of luck in your planning!!