Are you a bride on a budget? If you answered yes, you are not alone. Many brides these days are having to plan a wedding on a much smaller budget than they would like.
But it's okay, the worst mistake a bride and groom can make is to go into debt for their wedding. If you go into debt for your wedding, you'll end up having to likely use all your wedding gift cash and possibly a lot of hard earned money your first year of marriage to pay off that one day. It's not worth it!
However, just because you're on a budget doesn't mean you can't still have a beautiful wedding. I have had a lot of experience with planning weddings for brides that have had both extremely large and very small decoration budgets. If your someone who wants to have a beautiful day, but can't afford much here are a few tips I have learned along my way.
First, if you can afford nothing but linens, go with the linens! Beautiful linens can make or break a wedding! Even weddings with beautiful backdrops, gazebo's, arches and fountains, if they don't have beautiful linens it can scale down the event. So here are a few tips.
1. Only rent base linens that drop to the floor. If you are renting linens that only hang a foot or so below the table and you can see everything underneath, it's not going to look so nice. So find a wedding or linen rental company that offer linens to fit the size of tables you are using and that will drop all the way to the floor!
2. Say yes to chair covers and sashes! This is a big one, because chair covers can hide a crappy chair and make it look beautiful! So many people rent tables and chairs from rental companies and when they get them they gasp at the condition. They could be rusted, or scratched up, dented.... Those tables and chairs get used a lot, and banged around a lot. Chair covers will cover them beautifully, and a sash will help add a beautiful tone. There are more than one ways to tie a sash to give you the look and feel you are going after.
3. If you can afford them, a nice touch to linens is to add a table overlay or table runner. But if you can't afford them, this is one part of the linens that you can do without when needed. TIP: Generally table runners will cost a little less than a full overlay.
4. Make sure all your linens are pressed or steamed. Most rental companies will do this for you when you are renting linens from them. But believe it or not, there are a few out there that don't. So ask them first before you rent if they do. If they say no, that the items are wrinkle resistant and it's not needed. Skip them and call around. For instance, I carry wrinkle resistant linens. But that doesn't mean I don't still have to steam them nice before an event. In my opinion all wrinkle resistant means is they clean up better and wrinkles press out of them much faster than other linens.
5. Do add centerpieces. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have beautiful centerpieces. Most rental companies have them for rent much cheaper than you can buy them and make your own. But whichever way you decide to go, your going to want to get them. TIP: Not all table centerpieces have to be exactly identical. It all depends on what you like.
That's it, it doesn't sound like much. But trust me, if you have beautiful linens on all your tables that drop to the floor. Chair covers, sashes and centerpieces. If this is all you can afford, you'll be pleased with the look and feel of your wedding/reception room!
We are Simply Enchanting, LLC a Utah based wedding decoration company. We offer all of the items/descriptions listed above and all the pictures shown are from actual events we decorated for. If you are having a wedding or event in Utah, check out our website and contact us to see if we are available for your date!