No matter how big your wedding budget is, chances are you’ll suffer from sticker shock at least once while you’re wedding planning. {A slice of wedding cake costs how much?!*} And if your budget is more modest, you’ll likely be cutting corners at every turn. And still no one wants a wedding that feels cheap. To help you plan a wedding that looks posh but doesn’t send you into massive debt, consider these eight tips from celebrity wedding planner and designer Jamie O’Donnell of Jamie O’ & Co.
*More than $10, sometimes!
Go halfsies with your rental company. If you want something luxe that your vendors don’t offer, like the high-impact four-foot-wide goose-down chandelier by Vita, below, ask if the rental company will buy it—or split the cost with you. Then the company can add it to its stock and rent it to other couples after your wedding.
Trim the size of your entree. Ask your caterer if you can serve a four-ounce piece of steak, chicken, or fish instead of six ounces. Your guests won’t notice the difference, but you should, in your budget, says Jamie.
Curate the bar. Somewhere between full open bar and a strict “just beer and wine” offering, there’s the curated bar: If you know your guests are big vodka drinkers or you want to serve the watermelon margarita you had on your first date, you can add a couple select types of booze (or a signature cocktail) for much less than you’d pay for an open bar.
Up your glam factor with metallics and mercury glass. As the inside of any palace will tell you, metallic or mirrored accents hint at luxury. Jamie suggests shopping home stores for a mix-and-match selection of gilded vases, mercury glass candleholders, or golden table accents.
Book a hotel, country club, or dedicated wedding venue. If the space you’re hosting your wedding in is set up for the occasion, it will likely be a more affordable option, overall, says Jamie. The price-per-head or booking fee (often a few thousand dollars) might seem high at first glance, but when you factor in that you’d need to rent everything from a dance floor to a bathroom trailer for a backyard wedding, the hotel may wind up being way less expensive.
Choose flowers that can multitask. Work with your florist to design arrangements than can do double-duty from the ceremony to the reception. She should have ideas for incorporating aisle decorations into centerpieces or arranging bridesmaid bouquets on your candy buffet or cake table. So this:
Becomes this:
Copycat fancy calligraphy. Custom invitations that are hand-calligraphed one by one are the ultimate luxury. Mimic the look by having a calligrapher handwrite your invitation and then create a digital file, which you can send to the printer. If you’re working with a smaller print operation, ask about letterpress; if you agree to print all your stationery with that printer, the company might agree to letterpress your invitation for less. Either way, opt for the thickest bright-white paper you can afford and black ink for a classic, timeless invite.
Stock up on candles. Votive candles are inexpensive but add high-end impact. Mix a ton of votives and pillar candles around your centerpieces, and they’ll “make your reception space flicker with a romantic, upscale vibe,” says Jamie.
