To those of us who have planned or are planning a wedding, it sounds silly to even put the words “Wedding” and “Budget” together, doesn’t it? The average wedding in theUnited Statescosts about $26,000. When I heard this I was shocked, but then as I started planning my own wedding, I realized that planning a $25,000+ wedding is so easy to do! Still, as I began planning our wedding last Spring, I was determined to cut that number in half–at least. I started planning with a $10,000 budget in mind which has been…wobbly…at times. But with some poking, prodding, and a little begging…we should come in right around our target.

Here are my tips for wedding planning on a budget.

1. Research, Research, Research. Plan early and plan often! We got engaged last April and I can honestly say that not a day has passed that I haven’t been planning (whether in my head or in reality). The process has consumed me, but not in a crazy “Bridezilla” way (in fact I think I am the antithesis of a Bridezilla! I only tried on 4 dresses for crying out loud) but it has consumed me in the best way possible.

When I talk about my wedding planning process to date, I always tell people how much fun I have had. I started by browsing wedding blogs, my favorites are Green Wedding Shoes, Snippet and Ink, Style Me Pretty, and 100 Layer Cake. Then I created my Wedding Inspiration board on Pinterest. I pinned all of the things that inspired me until my vision started to take place.

Once I knew what I wanted, I started the real planning phase. All of the pre-work that I had done was a huge help. I was well-informed and I knew exactly what I wanted.

2. Get creative with your venue. There have only been two stressful parts of wedding planning for me. The first was narrowing down our guest list. The second was choosing a venue. This was so hard because I knew what I wanted: a somewhat laid back location, classically beautiful, with a place for the ceremony on the water. If that sounds like a lot to ask, well apparently it is! I spent entire weekends driving around the state ofNew Jersey. Every place was either too “rustic” (see also: dirty), too expensive, too far, too small, too big, etc.

One day, after about a month of this state, I was on the phone with my mother and she said, “Dena, I think you are asking for too much.” That was the best thing she could have said. I realized that I was searching for the perfect venue, when really I should have been searching for the “perfect for us” venue. I made a few compromises and made my choice within a week after that conversation.

One of the things that I love about our venue is that it isn’t all-inclusive. We are simply renting the space and they are providing the bar. Other than that we have been free to choose everything else ourselves which has been so amazing. It’s really given me the opportunity to make it exactly what we want it to be, from the caterer, to the decor, and everything in between.

Plus I will get my ceremony on the lake after all and the bonus is that we’ll have the ceremony and the reception all in once place which was really important to us since we’re having a quick ceremony.

3. Decide on your uncompromisable’s. It’s important to decide early on what things you will not compromise. There are all sorts of concessions to be made when planning a budget wedding. Figure out what matters the most and work from there. For us, I knew right away that our sticking points were a waterside ceremony, AMAZING food, an open bar and a photo booth. I wasn’t going to budge on those pieces because, for me, those are the elements of a great party–and that’s what we want our wedding to be!

Once you know what your uncompromisable’s are–and how much they will cost–you can start to fill in the missing pieces.

4. Seek out the better than best prices and bargain with your vendors. One of the biggest things that has allowed me to plan my dream wedding on a $10K budget has been my ruthless negotiating skill. I’ve not paid full price for more than a handful of our wedding purchases. I bargain with whatever I’ve got on my side. For example, in exchange for services like decorating and photography, I traded advertising space on my website and social media accounts for reduced rates. In exchange for Etsy purchases, I traded high-quality product photographs for more reduced prices. I’ve even seen photographers and caterers willing to trade for handy-work, carpentry, and things like that. If you or your partner is crafty–take advantage. Do not be afraid to offer a trade with whatever you have to offer. The worst the vendor can say is no (and I’ve had a few of those) but it doesn’t hurt to ask!

Sometimes securing the better than best prices means holding out. For example, I thought I’d found a great price on a photobooth, but I decided to hold off.  A couple of weeks later, I got a Groupon for the same package at half the price! So give yourself enough time so that you have the luxury to hold out.

5. Etsy & local shops. I have used Etsy for so much. I am really obsessed with it. A few of the things that I’ve gotten on Etsy so far are: my bridesmaids gifts (custom clutches & custom rose petal earrings), various buntings, my wedding ring, the grooms & groomsmen ties and a few other things that I am probably forgetting!

Also check out local shops & don’t buy at the first place you look. For example, I’ve been scouring antique shops for vintage glass bottles. In the first few places I looked bottles were starting at $10 a piece. But later I found a shop where I got 20 bottles for $15! I was ecstatic. I have purchased lots more stuff from there, as well, like a vintage Pepsi Cola case and vintage cigar cases. Once you find a place with bargains, check back in once in awhile to see what new treasures come in.

6. DIY Projects. “Do what you can with what you’ve got” is one of my favorite phrases and it’s as applicable to wedding planning as it is to life. If you have any skills or family/friends with skills–now is the time to take advantage of that. My father is a gifted artist so I am having him do all of the letters on our place cards, invitations and signs. We had a lot of scrap wood leftover from remodeling our deck last summer, so we are using those boards for our directional signs. I’ve been collecting every empty sauce & jam jar to use for our centerpieces.

There are lots of little ways to be resourceful and save cash. Think outside of the box.

7. Buy your flowers wholesale. If flowers are one of your non-negotiables then it may be wise to invest in a florist; but if you are flexible and have a more laid back vision (like me!) then buying flowers wholesale can be a super smart move. I ordered heaps of pink garden roses, light pink & white carnations and bunches of baby’s breath for an absolute steal! It’s going to take some effort (the flowers will be shipped to my house a couple of days beforehand and I still have to figure out how I’m going to get them to the venue!) and I’ll have some work on the evening before the wedding putting bouquets and boutonnieres together; but doing it this way has saved me a lot(!) of money. And I am still going to have all of the beautiful flowers that I’ve been dreaming of.

8. Invest in a Day of Coordinator. Investing in a Day of Coordinator has been one of my best decisions. Although I had not originally budgeted for her, she has actually helped me to save money overall and there is no telling how much time/stress she has saved (and will save) me.

I really, truly love wedding planning. Don’t let me fool you though–as much as I LOVE it–it’s a lot of work, a real labor of love. I am officially exhausted just making this list!

xo ~ Dena

Read more about Dena & Matthew’s Engagement

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About the Author – Dena {June 2012 Bride} Follow Dena’s Blog Evolution You ~ Become a fan on Facebook

Photos by Ellie Van Photography

Ever since I was younger, I was always intrigued by anything antique or anything that seemed to have a history.  Where that object had another life, one in which it was being used for something grand…or maybe for something not grand at all.  I’d like to imagine what it could have been used for, who owned it and how the owner felt about it.  As the years progressed, I began to feel like maybe I was meant to live in a different era.  One that was more romantic, more beautiful…and more magical. I then so happened to meet someone who felt the same way, my amazing fiance.  Somehow, we found each other and we both love the style of the early 1900′s (and before).  We love the way the people dressed, the way they spoke, what they read and what music they listened too.  We then thought it would make so much sense to incorporate this vintage theme into our wedding.  We’re so excited to bring it to life with romance, beauty and magic.

Something Old…Something New…Something Borrowed…Something BLUE…

Blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty and fidelity. In fact, before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns {can you image?}. Lately I feel that brides run around at the last minute asking for ideas for something blue.  Being I am forever on Etsy {but who isn’t} I came across these super cute “something blue” ideas.

Be sure to check out these amazing shops:

Top Left {Bracelet} WhimSeaDesigns

Top Right {Blue Sole Wedding Shoes} Veronyca82

Bottom Left {Hairclip} Element4You

Bottom Right {Wedding Dress Label} MondeDesign

What is or was your something blue? Mine was a garter belt {looking back I wish I did something different, lol}. I would love to rock the blue soled shoes but not sure I could pull it off. I’d probably lean towards the bracelet or hairclip. We’d love to hear what your Something Blue is and why you chose it. Did you just scramble around last minute or was it something meaningful?

The date is set… May 18, 2013.

I cannot believe it.

When I met my fiance three years ago, I never thought that this was the path that our lives would take. I was living in a two family home and my cousin, and his girlfriend had just moved in upstairs. I was thrilled – my cousin and I were very close, and he was expecting his first child. My daughter was almost 2 at the time, so I was really looking forward to having family so close.

I spent a lot of time upstairs hanging out and getting to know my cousin’s girlfriend, Kayla. One night while my daughter and I were leaving their apartment, a few friends stopped by. One of these friends was Kayla’s cousin – Jay. We said hi when we were introduced, but that was about it.

In the weeks that followed, I noticed that Kayla’s cousin was hanging around their apartment a lot. And even odder, he always seems to be outside on the deck when I was leaving for work. Still, we didn’t talk much – just a friendly “hi” in passing.

Things went on like this for a few months. Then, Kayla asked me if I would come up to a New Years Eve party they were having. I agreed to stop up before I headed out, and I ended up staying much longer then I had originally planned.

Jay and I started talking – actually talking – and we totally hit it off.

In the days and weeks that followed, we spent a lot of time getting to know each other. We would sit and talk for hours about everything under the sun – it amazed me how well we got along and how much we had in common. Plus, I loved how good he was with my daughter… they became fast friends, and she often told me how much she liked him.

Jay and I quickly realized that we were meant to be together and made plans to look for a new apartment together. Shortly thereafter we found out that we were going to have a baby. Things progressed quickly – new baby, new apartment, a few more pets… We were happily living our lives together.

There was only one thing that we ever really disagreed on and that was getting married. Jay has always been the one that wanted to get married – I was always the one dragging my feet.

I was raised in a family where people were together for many, many years but not married. I never even thought about what I would like at my wedding or what my “dream wedding” would be. I was happy with what we had, and I didn’t think that getting engaged or married was really that important.

I was very surprised when Jay and my daughter brought me a cupcake from my favorite bakery on Christmas Eve. I was even more surprised to see the glittering ring sticking out of the top. But most of all – I couldn’t believe how excited I felt about it.

The excitement has held and I have been looking at anything and everything wedding related since then; making notes of what I like and what I’m not so crazy about. I never knew that there were so many options!! Jay has told me the wedding can be anything that I want it to be, and I have had no problem decided on the theme for it.

I want a vintage wedding.

While I don’t have all the details worked out yet, I know that is the direction that I want to take. I am searching for a vintage wedding dress, and will soon be visiting antique shops looking for the perfect ring as well as items to use on my table settings. We are thinking of getting old cars to transport the wedding party, and we have our venue and DJ all picked out. The only request that Jay had was that the actual ceremony takes place in a church – which is fine with me!

There is still so much for me to do – and I am happy that I have over a year to get it done!

I hope that you will follow along with me on my journey as I plan my completely unexpected wedding! I will be keeping you updated throughout the process and hope that you will share your ideas with me as well.

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About the Author:

Jessie is a recently engaged mom of two that has a passion for photography and a love of animals. She is blogging her way through parenthood and life in general on MomVantage.

I am so excited to announce that we recently had a wedding featured on one of my favorite blogs {Merci NY}. We’ll be posting some more photos {courtesy of Alison Conklin} from this glamorous wedding soon but just wanted to share our excitement!!