14 tips for having an economical and modern wedding

So, after a lot of flirting, you decided it was time to call everyone and make the union official as tradition demands. With the right to party, dress, food, drink, lots of photos and everything else, however, with a small detail: the budget. And now, how to make a beautiful ceremony without spending rivers of money? It is estimated that weddings cost approximately R$ 40 thousand!

The trick is to plan ahead, get your hands dirty and be patient to negotiate a good price for services with suppliers. Sandra Rezende, consultant and co-founder of Universo das Noivas, gives good tips for those who want to get married spending less and still having a cool party:

1. Start planning 1 year in advance

The consultant says: advance planning is the best friend of anyone on a tight budget. With more time, you can research more suppliers, prices and negotiate payment in more times until the date.

2. Prefer non-weekend days

You’ll need to check with the place if they do discounts on holidays for example, or else Sunday afternoon, Saturday morning and weekdays like Tuesday and Wednesday. These are the least popular times, so they can help you save a lot of money.

3. Outdoor spaces: must have

Consultant Sandra Rezenda’s best tip is to bet on environments that are open, such as ranches, farms and farms. In addition to looking beautiful in photos, they need less decoration and also lighting if the wedding is during the day.

4. Have the ceremony in the same place as the party

Nowadays this is already quite common, especially for those who have no intention of getting married in the religious. The truth is that it’s also a great way to save money, as it doesn’t include church expenses or decorations – and your guests will love not having to go to two different places!

5. Invest in scenic cakes

A real cake with two or three tiers decorated with fondant, fondant or even a fruit naked cake can cost much more than you might think. For those who insist on having a cake decorating the table, the idea is to bet on the fake ones: they look beautiful in the photos, they are much cheaper and you can even serve other desserts and sweets in its place. Honestly, how many times have you eaten a wedding cake?

6. Choose your guest list carefully

We know it makes you want to invite all your friends, family, work colleagues and neighbors to be part of the party, but the fewer people, the less money. Think fondly of the most important people for you, who really can’t be missing and leave aside that great aunt you saw twice in your life, ok?

7. Go second rent

A wedding dress that is your face is a must on your wedding day, right? The question is how much are you willing to spend on it. For Sandra Rezende, a model for the first rental (that is, never used before) can cost much more than the second rental. It’s only been used once and can be reshaped to fit your body, so there’s nothing to worry about.”Buying is not a good idea! It will become a museum piece, unless you have a tradition of passing it down from generation to generation”, she explains. For those who like to innovate in colors and models, it may be easier to find a perfect dress without spending a lot!

8. Bet on simpler meals

First you need to find a space that doesn’t come with its own food buffet, as there your options are wider. Nowadays, finger foods are practical, simple and quick to be served – so guests don’t get too hungry while the ceremony takes place. For those who like practicality, the food trucks they are also great, funky and look amazing outdoors (matching the decor, of course!). Or, you can ask the family to help with the food and create a whole comfort food menu that is important to the couple. How about making your aunt’s pie that you love and that wonderful pappardelle from your mother-in-law?

9. Bet on the “do it yourself” style

The best way to save is to bet on items that you can produce without spending a lot: party favors, lighting, table arrangements and even your own bouquet. You can create a background for photos with coffee filter paper, use old bottles and cans to place flowers on tables, Christmas lights become the most charming item you’ve ever seen and Japanese lanterns make all the difference in the place . Even the invitation can be made at home! Just research beforehand to see how much it costs to buy the materials for each DIY and also the time needed to make each one. “If you get a place outdoors, the detailed decoration is much less, as the space is already a beautiful landscape in itself. In addition, there is no need to decorate all the spaces: it can only be a few specific places.”

10. For guests: Polaroid book!

For friends to participate in the party as the manual dictates, how about leaving a Polaroid camera at the entrance with extra films and a book like the scrapbook? The moments will be unique and you will even have the affectionate messages from the guests in a different way 🙂

11. DJ: you are in charge of the songs

Renting equipment and creating a playlist can be not only economical, but also much more fun. You can delete the songs you don’t like and put your favorites, leaving them on a computer to make it easier in case guests ask for a special one. And it comes out much cheaper than hiring just the DJ, not counting the lighting kits.

12. How about making a bouquet other than flowers?

We all know that flowers can be incredibly expensive when planning a wedding. So bet on alternative assemblies to traditional flower arrangements, including the bouquet! You can use jewelry, make origami, put together herbs and even fake flowers to give the look imposing.

13. Self-service drinks

Have you ever thought about how amazing photos of a bathtub full of drinks will look? This is a very functional, practical and economical way to serve guests, as it dispenses with the need for a waiter. It doesn’t have to be in a bathtub, necessarily: a boat works fine, a trunk… See if you don’t have a friend who has something left over at home!

14. Honeymoon: avoid high seasons

Fate may be the most classic of all, but it doesn’t have to be the same price as building a castle in Denmark! Whether your destination is national or international, try to go before or after the high season. Values ​​will definitely be much better!