Lessons Learned

A place for couples to share lessons from their big day so others can learn from their mistakes and benefit from their genius.

Think about non-material gifts

Joelle and Ethan set up an alternative gift registry for their wedding.  Here they share how they told their guests:

 

The registry gave us a place to talk about how much we'd welcome nonmaterial gifts. We wrote:

"Please find below a registry for some of the gifts we'd most welcome. You'll see that some of these gifts won't come in boxes. It would be a gift to us if you:

* gave a donation to one of the organizations below or

You Can Save Money and Be Green Too!

From Shawn in San Diego:

With a little bit of effort and research the wedding of your dreams is possible on a budget. The key is to not give up and continue to look if you do not find something that fits within your pocket book. Be creative, check out the bridal magazines, see what they are doing and visit your local craft store to find ways to hand make the details. Most importantly, add eco-friendly touches where you can... being eco-friendly will never go out of bridal style!

Kate's Response: 

Shawn is absolutely right!  in fact, you can save up to 40% off the cost of your wedding by making simple green choices.  I recently wrote a short piece "Save $11,000+ by Going Green on Your Wedding Day."

I am also testing something new a just recorded a Yodio introducing myself and offering a few easy tips to save money and the environment.  Take a look!

 

Hire a Good Wedding Planner

Tara and Michael wrote:

Skeptical Guests

Tara Wrote:

Don't Be Afraid to Scale Down!

From Ashley in Illinois:

Coordinate With Other Couples

Lisa Yuen and Kevin Rhoads contacted the couple who was using their wedding venue the next day and coordinated their chair rental. This is a great way to save money and to decrease your environmental footprint (because the equipment only needs to be delivered, set-up and broken-down once). Don't be shy about asking your venue about other couples. Good "share items" include tents, tables, dance floors, lighting, and chairs. Some couples share flowers, candles, and other decor items as well.

A Non-Wedding Dress Option

Instead of buying a bridal gown, Alissa Harvey chose this lovely white bridesmaid's dress. "My dress was actually a bridesmaid dress that cost less than $250--a great tip for budget-savvy brides. Many of those bridesmaid dresses come in lots of colors including traditional ivory or white. Mine had a gorgeous sapphire sash around the waist to coordinate with my sapphire wedding and engagement rings."