Having been in the wedding industry for quite a few years now, over and over, I see things that end up being a complete waste of a couple’s money and resources. For some reason, couples get it into their heads that they MUST have these things at their weddings. Well, I’m hear to tell you that these MUST have items are usually a complete waste of money.
Number one item on my list……disposable cameras on the tables. COMPLETE waste of money. Nine times out of ten, you end up with a bunch of half-used cameras. You’ll find yourself finishing up those rolls of film on pictures of your pets instead :). Then when you get the pictures back from the developer, you be lucky if you have more than ten “nice” ones (probably the ones you took of your pets, not the ones from the wedding) in the bunch. Oh, and as guests have more and more to drink, the pictures get weirder and weirder. By the time you add up the cost of the cameras plus the cost to develop the film, you’ve wasted hundreds of dollars. My advice, use that money towards upgrading your professional photography.
Favors that aren’t food. As I’m clearing and cleaning up tables after a wedding reception, if the favor isn’t food, it’s often left behind by the guest. Trust me, your guests don’t care about your favorite songs on a CD or a personalize picture frame of you. These items will either get left behind or simply thrown away when the guest gets home. Now, items that are the exception to this seem to be candles and flower seeds. Those do tend to be taken by the guest. When designing your favor, do try to put yourself in your guest’s shoes. Think about what you would want to take home as a favor if your were the guest.
Personlized cocktail napkins. They are cute to have at the bar but most guests won’t even notice them. The drink is usually served with the glass on top of the napkin. Save yourself some money and just let the venue provide the cocktail napkins instead.
Programs. Another item that is usually left behind in the ceremony seat. Programs can be very useful if the majority of your guests are not familiar with your religious or cultural customs. However, the majority of the weddings I’ve attended do not have this issue. So, unless your ceremony is a particularly long, complicated one or requires a lot of “crowd participation”, like responding to prayers or songs, then don’t bother with this extra expense. Use the extra money towards upgrading your invitations instead.
These are just a few ways that deleting some less important items from your wedding can add up to a big windfall in your overall budget.
Happy Planning!
Karen
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