With wedding planning under way, you are bound to become stressed over one thing or another at some point during the process. However, I know it’s easier said than done, but do your absolute best to not become stressed during this very exciting time. Your wedding will be beautiful and you and your fiance will have a great time. The best way to relieve some stress is to look to the most talented and creative people you know to help with the process: your family and friends! They will be honored to help you with your special day. Here are 4 ways that your family and friends can help you reduce costs and make the process that much easier:
- Invitations – Invitations don’t have to be extravagant to be beautiful and serve their purpose. When trying to make invitations on a budget, first find something that you know you can make without spending hours on each invitation, as well as something that fits into both your style and budget. Then go to a stationary store in your local town or city, or visit a stationary site online to pick out your supplies. There are many different options with how much of your invitation you wish to do yourself; some places will print on the stationary, but leave the assembly up to you, while others will leave the printing and assembly entirely up to you. That decision is yours. Once you have your invitation idea and everything printed, sit down and make your sample invitation. When you have your sample complete, it’s time to enlist the help of your family and friends. Order some pizza, buy some beer, and throw an “invitation creation party”. It is extremely important to show your sample to everyone helping you to show what the final invitation should look like, and then set up an assembly line with each individual with a separate part of the invitation creation. For example, one person could glue the printed stationary onto a larger piece of stationary, while another person can tie a ribbon around the entire invitation, and so on. Each invitation is unique and will have different processes, but the most import thing you need to do is make sure each step in the creation is explained well with respect to your expectations, and be very grateful for their help!
- Centerpieces – Much like the invitations, you must create your sample centerpiece before enlisting your family and friends for help. If you have a friend that is creative with flowers, ask them to help you come up with creative ideas for your centerpieces. Think about what you want to be seen on your tables and what you can afford with your budget. Remember to BE CREATIVE, as so many different things can be used as centerpieces. A day or two before the wedding, enlist your family and friends to help put together the centerpieces with you. Or, if you have a friend that is willing to take on the responsibility of the centerpieces, show them what you want and then trust that they will do as your sample shows. If you are going to let a friend or family member take this responsibility, I recommend you have a run-through with them to make sure you’re both on the same page about what you would like the final product to look like. Again, be sure to be grateful for their help and enjoy working with them on a fun project.
- Reception Decoration – The day of your wedding is going to be one that you want to enjoy, and you won’t be (or shouldn’t be) worrying about how the reception is being set up. Find family and friends that are not in the wedding that are willing to arrive early to help set things up such as tables, chairs, centerpieces, etc. The key to this being done right is keeping everything simple, yet beautiful, and putting one person in charge of making sure it’s how you want it. It is also important for everything to be done, such as the centerpieces, so that it’s as simple as setting everything out in the layout discussed with the person “in charge”. Be sure to practice with your go-to person before the reception so they know what you expect, and again, be thankful for everyone’s help.
- Reception Bar – An open-bar is becoming more and more common at weddings, but hiring someone to work the bar is expensive. A creative way to have family and friends help with your wedding is to ask them to sign up for 30 minute or hour sessions working the bar during the reception. Buy whatever alcohol you wish to serve at your wedding in bulk, and then have the bar set up during the reception area set-up. Having your guests work the bar for short periods allows for interaction between your guests in a unique manner, as well as keeps control on the bar to make sure it’s not getting out of hand.
For those family and friends that do help you with your wedding, be sure to invite them to the rehearsal dinner. This can be your way of thanking them for all that they’ve done to make your magical day come true, as well as help them feel more included in your special day!
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