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crystal32 · **Posted: 07-08-2011 , 08:01 PM** #**111**

Budget Green Bride here,

Great this link has started - everyone should get together for stuff like this more! Theres so much money to be saved!!

link to article in independant here:
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/...e-2578170.html

..I got married in march - it was the most fun day of my life, and it was mostly handmade by us so it was within our budget. Neither of us are traditional in most senses, so it was easy for us to be original with ideas for our Big Day, and save loads!

We actually got married the day before in the registry office - it only costs €150 & €10 for the cert (which you also have to pay anyway) - but we avoided the marriage course, the flowers / candles / decorations etc for the church, and the "donation" of €500!!!
So, our first wedding was a quiet affair in the Dublin registry office with immediate family only, and we went to the hotel next door and had lunch in the lounge - each paid for their own. The we hit the road for Wicklow where we started dressing the reception room for our Big Day the next day! We invited some guests down that night and had a meal/party in my families house there (the accom was self catering houses so it was cheaper than a hotel), so we saved a few bob, and had a great party to boot! The wedding was in Kippure estate (www.kippure.ie) - its an adventure centre! We all had breakfast together in the dining room to start the day - and then went our separate ways to get ready. My mums friend is a hairdresser, and she did my hair (and the rest of "the girls" – the usual bridal suspects!) - she did an amazing job, and it was her wedding gift to us! My friend is a make up artist, so her gift was to finish my make up and do a few of the girls too. My dress I found in a shop on Aungier St Dublin... its actually a debs dress, but its a ballgown so it was perfect. It was actually purple so I didnt have to go the whole Bridal shop route! (mind you, I did start off there!). My bridesmaid dress was also a debs dress which we got online. My (other) best friend married us in front of our guests which was amazing (another reason why we got wed the day before - we couldnt have legally been wed outside in Ireland!), anyway, she bought her own outfit. My husband bought two suits (one for each day), and he just told the guy in the shop that he was going to a function and wanted to look smart- they did him a great deal and threw in a belt, tie & shirt! The groom and the dads etc all had suits (every fella DOES!) so we let them wear what they wanted. Nobody matched, but when in life (other than weddings) DO people match? As long as everyones comfortable it doesnt really matter if they have the same shade of tie/shirt/suit...does it? We had personalised cufflinks made by an artist I had met - she took a piece from my dress and buttons of mine for them - they were magic! I made all the flowers myself - out of felt and buttons! I spent ages making them, but i loved every bit of it and gave myself enough time. The buttons I got from guests - everyone sent me one, so when I walked down the aisle i had some of everybody with me! I did the flowers for my bridesmaid & two little flower girls hair pieces. My mum covered two (charity shop) baskets with ribbons & the girls threw pot pourri down the aisle in front of us as we walked back down. My friends helped me make the boys button holes & a few brooches - similar to the flowers (buttons & felt) but more personalised for each person wearing them. Our ceremony was unique - we wrote it entirely ourselves. As we werent in a Church, we werent tied to readings or anything we didnt want to say. We each wrote a reading, picked a few poems we loved, and did a celtic hand-fasting (where hands are bound by ribbons to signify the physical bond of marriage). That was it. It was perfect for us. oh yeah - and I sang myself up the aisle!
After that, everyone moved to an area outside where tea & sambos was served and we had our photos. We had dressed the venue ourselves so saved a fortune on the fee there - and it was exactly the homemade tea party feel we wanted. I had made all the centre pieces in advance too. My mum got flowers in lidl the day before and did gorgeous arrangements for around the venue too.
The favours were teacups (that the guests brought themselves and swopped!) filled with sweets and a quote tied to the handle with ribbon. Dinner was a buffet (it was much more relaxed than a formal meal and suited our day better, aside from the obvious that it was the cheapest option!) The meal was gorgeous, and everyone was delighted with the range of choice - and everyone Loves to go back for seconds!!! A number of guests brought desserts, and my sister made our cake so that brought costs down further. It wasnt the "spectacular" kind of cake people usually expect, but we loved it just the same - and so did everyone else because it fitted the relaxed day we had. Afterwards, we went outside and lit some chinese lanterns (that we had got for €2 each in a garage) and let our guests make a wish as they sent up in the sky, it was magical. The band did a brilliant job, and luckily for us, they were good friends so it was a gift too! The usual hilarity followed,and then my husbands dad took over to do DJ with his computer (hooked up to the bands sound system)with all the songs we had uploaded in advance. A great night no doubt about it. Breakfast was a communal affair the next morning - another buffet. It went down a treat. Everyone was relaxed, everyone had had a great time. And we realised our dream.

TIPS:

Go through the list of necessaries and traditionals - and work out what YOU actually want your wedding to say about you two. In doing our budget we realised we didnt LIKE most of the traditional ideas - so we scrapped them!

Budget properly. And stick to it. Work out exactly what you want (and WHY!). Work out what you can really afford. Give yourself a few hundred over budget – just in case!

Don't skimp on a photographer. Its the one thing you cant go back and change - and theyre the ones to give you the memories in print to keep forever. It IS possible to find a very good photographer that doesnt cost the earth. Shop around on it - find a few that you like the style of. See who's offering deals. Haggle. And DO meet them before you book. Ask them their style and how they do it (you dont want a bossy photographer who takes over on the day! Also find out what they are going to give you afterwards (do you HAVE to buy an album to get the photos, how much per photo do they charge, do you get copies of ALL the photos on disc regardless of if you get prints etc.)

Decide at the start that your Big Day is about you and your partner, and love. Its not about stress of fussing or details.... forget this at your peril! As long as you keep it about the real things, everything else will work! I promise!

Give yourself time. Research ideas and give yourself time to change your mind about things. Its worth spending a bit of time on the net just looking up details of other peoples weddings - then make a list of what you do / dont like!

Avoid using the "W" word (wedding!) as much as possible - people who hear it automatically see €€€ signs flashing before them!!! I told people I was going to a fancy dress party, 60th, christening....ANYTHING other than use that word!!! And people still went out of their way to help me - you dont have to tell everyone its for your wedding, you know it is - save yourself some money and keep your mouth shut!

Put your foot down. no matter what the wedding planner / shop assistant /family member (or whoever else!) says... its YOUR day. Its YOUR dream. Its also YOUR money!!!!

Find our what skills and talents family and friends have - people really DO like to get involved, and its ok to ask!!! They can make it your present if you want, and then you've got something useful that you will always remember! Dont underestimate people either - everyone has the ability to be great!

Food - its probably your biggest cost. If youre not happy with the menu, dont use it. Dont be afraid to tailor it more to what you want. Ask for other options, see if they will allow you bring somebody in to cater, or get friends and family to bake and bring! Dont forget YOU'RE paying the bill!

Shop around - but dont drive yourself nuts. you know what you want, work out how much its worth to you, and stick to it. If youre having trouble finding something, delegate the job to a close friend and Move On!

Talk it out - make sure you have a team of 2/3 people you can go to at any time to bitch/moan/rant/cry - & laugh with. Dont overbear any one person, but dont allow any one thing get on top of you. Theres no reason to get upset about anything, it will all work out on the day.

Set time limits and deadlines for each task. If its not done by the time you set, forget about it - leave it behind and move on. If it couldnt be done in the time, its not worth the stress and hassle of pushing twice as hard to get it done - and then the other things suffer for it!!!

Keep some things loose - dont plan everything to a minute detail. If you allow a few things have a bit of room for change on the day it means it cant go wrong because you had no expectation of it! Leave room for surprise and you WILL be surprised! ( I had no idea of hair/makeup/jewellery until I had it together on the day - and I couldnt believe how stress free I was! Believe me, I'm a perfectionist and cant believe I managed to follow this rule myself!)

Thanks for taking the time to read this - I hadnt realised I had so much to say! Now for the reward - SEE our wedding!!!
http://www.giveusagoo.com/blog/?p=1176

The best of luck to any brides to be - your day will be unique & amazing because its exactly what YOU made it!
Crys
x

	Posted: 07-08-2011 , 08:01 PM #111
crystal32 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Dublin Posts: 76	Budget Green Bride here, Great this link has started - everyone should get together for stuff like this more! Theres so much money to be saved!! link to article in independant here: http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/...e-2578170.html ..I got married in march - it was the most fun day of my life, and it was mostly handmade by us so it was within our budget. Neither of us are traditional in most senses, so it was easy for us to be original with ideas for our Big Day, and save loads! We actually got married the day before in the registry office - it only costs €150 & €10 for the cert (which you also have to pay anyway) - but we avoided the marriage course, the flowers / candles / decorations etc for the church, and the "donation" of €500!!! So, our first wedding was a quiet affair in the Dublin registry office with immediate family only, and we went to the hotel next door and had lunch in the lounge - each paid for their own. The we hit the road for Wicklow where we started dressing the reception room for our Big Day the next day! We invited some guests down that night and had a meal/party in my families house there (the accom was self catering houses so it was cheaper than a hotel), so we saved a few bob, and had a great party to boot! The wedding was in Kippure estate (www.kippure.ie) - its an adventure centre! We all had breakfast together in the dining room to start the day - and then went our separate ways to get ready. My mums friend is a hairdresser, and she did my hair (and the rest of "the girls" – the usual bridal suspects!) - she did an amazing job, and it was her wedding gift to us! My friend is a make up artist, so her gift was to finish my make up and do a few of the girls too. My dress I found in a shop on Aungier St Dublin... its actually a debs dress, but its a ballgown so it was perfect. It was actually purple so I didnt have to go the whole Bridal shop route! (mind you, I did start off there!). My bridesmaid dress was also a debs dress which we got online. My (other) best friend married us in front of our guests which was amazing (another reason why we got wed the day before - we couldnt have legally been wed outside in Ireland!), anyway, she bought her own outfit. My husband bought two suits (one for each day), and he just told the guy in the shop that he was going to a function and wanted to look smart- they did him a great deal and threw in a belt, tie & shirt! The groom and the dads etc all had suits (every fella DOES!) so we let them wear what they wanted. Nobody matched, but when in life (other than weddings) DO people match? As long as everyones comfortable it doesnt really matter if they have the same shade of tie/shirt/suit...does it? We had personalised cufflinks made by an artist I had met - she took a piece from my dress and buttons of mine for them - they were magic! I made all the flowers myself - out of felt and buttons! I spent ages making them, but i loved every bit of it and gave myself enough time. The buttons I got from guests - everyone sent me one, so when I walked down the aisle i had some of everybody with me! I did the flowers for my bridesmaid & two little flower girls hair pieces. My mum covered two (charity shop) baskets with ribbons & the girls threw pot pourri down the aisle in front of us as we walked back down. My friends helped me make the boys button holes & a few brooches - similar to the flowers (buttons & felt) but more personalised for each person wearing them. Our ceremony was unique - we wrote it entirely ourselves. As we werent in a Church, we werent tied to readings or anything we didnt want to say. We each wrote a reading, picked a few poems we loved, and did a celtic hand-fasting (where hands are bound by ribbons to signify the physical bond of marriage). That was it. It was perfect for us. oh yeah - and I sang myself up the aisle! After that, everyone moved to an area outside where tea & sambos was served and we had our photos. We had dressed the venue ourselves so saved a fortune on the fee there - and it was exactly the homemade tea party feel we wanted. I had made all the centre pieces in advance too. My mum got flowers in lidl the day before and did gorgeous arrangements for around the venue too. The favours were teacups (that the guests brought themselves and swopped!) filled with sweets and a quote tied to the handle with ribbon. Dinner was a buffet (it was much more relaxed than a formal meal and suited our day better, aside from the obvious that it was the cheapest option!) The meal was gorgeous, and everyone was delighted with the range of choice - and everyone Loves to go back for seconds!!! A number of guests brought desserts, and my sister made our cake so that brought costs down further. It wasnt the "spectacular" kind of cake people usually expect, but we loved it just the same - and so did everyone else because it fitted the relaxed day we had. Afterwards, we went outside and lit some chinese lanterns (that we had got for €2 each in a garage) and let our guests make a wish as they sent up in the sky, it was magical. The band did a brilliant job, and luckily for us, they were good friends so it was a gift too! The usual hilarity followed,and then my husbands dad took over to do DJ with his computer (hooked up to the bands sound system)with all the songs we had uploaded in advance. A great night no doubt about it. Breakfast was a communal affair the next morning - another buffet. It went down a treat. Everyone was relaxed, everyone had had a great time. And we realised our dream. TIPS: Go through the list of necessaries and traditionals - and work out what YOU actually want your wedding to say about you two. In doing our budget we realised we didnt LIKE most of the traditional ideas - so we scrapped them! Budget properly. And stick to it. Work out exactly what you want (and WHY!). Work out what you can really afford. Give yourself a few hundred over budget – just in case! Don't skimp on a photographer. Its the one thing you cant go back and change - and theyre the ones to give you the memories in print to keep forever. It IS possible to find a very good photographer that doesnt cost the earth. Shop around on it - find a few that you like the style of. See who's offering deals. Haggle. And DO meet them before you book. Ask them their style and how they do it (you dont want a bossy photographer who takes over on the day! Also find out what they are going to give you afterwards (do you HAVE to buy an album to get the photos, how much per photo do they charge, do you get copies of ALL the photos on disc regardless of if you get prints etc.) Decide at the start that your Big Day is about you and your partner, and love. Its not about stress of fussing or details.... forget this at your peril! As long as you keep it about the real things, everything else will work! I promise! Give yourself time. Research ideas and give yourself time to change your mind about things. Its worth spending a bit of time on the net just looking up details of other peoples weddings - then make a list of what you do / dont like! Avoid using the "W" word (wedding!) as much as possible - people who hear it automatically see €€€ signs flashing before them!!! I told people I was going to a fancy dress party, 60th, christening....ANYTHING other than use that word!!! And people still went out of their way to help me - you dont have to tell everyone its for your wedding, you know it is - save yourself some money and keep your mouth shut! Put your foot down. no matter what the wedding planner / shop assistant /family member (or whoever else!) says... its YOUR day. Its YOUR dream. Its also YOUR money!!!! Find our what skills and talents family and friends have - people really DO like to get involved, and its ok to ask!!! They can make it your present if you want, and then you've got something useful that you will always remember! Dont underestimate people either - everyone has the ability to be great! Food - its probably your biggest cost. If youre not happy with the menu, dont use it. Dont be afraid to tailor it more to what you want. Ask for other options, see if they will allow you bring somebody in to cater, or get friends and family to bake and bring! Dont forget YOU'RE paying the bill! Shop around - but dont drive yourself nuts. you know what you want, work out how much its worth to you, and stick to it. If youre having trouble finding something, delegate the job to a close friend and Move On! Talk it out - make sure you have a team of 2/3 people you can go to at any time to bitch/moan/rant/cry - & laugh with. Dont overbear any one person, but dont allow any one thing get on top of you. Theres no reason to get upset about anything, it will all work out on the day. Set time limits and deadlines for each task. If its not done by the time you set, forget about it - leave it behind and move on. If it couldnt be done in the time, its not worth the stress and hassle of pushing twice as hard to get it done - and then the other things suffer for it!!! Keep some things loose - dont plan everything to a minute detail. If you allow a few things have a bit of room for change on the day it means it cant go wrong because you had no expectation of it! Leave room for surprise and you WILL be surprised! ( I had no idea of hair/makeup/jewellery until I had it together on the day - and I couldnt believe how stress free I was! Believe me, I'm a perfectionist and cant believe I managed to follow this rule myself!) Thanks for taking the time to read this - I hadnt realised I had so much to say! Now for the reward - SEE our wedding!!! http://www.giveusagoo.com/blog/?p=1176 The best of luck to any brides to be - your day will be unique & amazing because its exactly what YOU made it! Crys x