Getting married on a low budget? Have you considered a rustic, or vintage style wedding? The first challenge is to find a free, or inexpensive venue that lends itself to a fun casual atmosphere. Beg and borrow items for decoration and seating. Mixing old with new and recycling furniture and props doesn’t mean a cheap-looking wedding. In fact, it is highly likely to be bang on trend. So, if you’re currently planning your big day, and love the idea of a relaxed and low-cost wedding, then read on for inspiration. Choose a free venue The first decision is the venue. If outdoor furniture hire can find a beautiful and unusual venue which needs little, or no extra decoration, then you won’t have to find money for backdrops, staging, drapes, floral, candles and (eye-roll) balloon arches. You may need to think hard to find the right venue, but do some research into parks, public spaces, quiet countryside buildings. Just remember that your guests will need access to toilets and possibly parking. Hire the essentials It’s usually cheaper to hire than buy, so hire vintage crockery and glassware if you’re catering yourself. Hire mismatched rustic wooden chairs and trestle tables if your venue doesn’t have furniture. Use a comparison event hire website to help narrow down choices and get quotes from suppliers in your area. Using one supplier for all, or collecting and delivering back yourself, is usually cheaper than asking the hire company to deliver and collect. Get a pre-loved dress Start searching early, ask friends and family to help with the search. Remember that wedding dresses need not be white and traditional. What style of dress and colour really suits your personality? Alternatively, if you have a friend or relative who is good at dress-making, ask if they’ll do it. For the cost of the fabric, you will have a bespoke dress, made with love. Ask friends to be photographers and videographers Combine lots of photos from friends and upload to an online service which creates books. For only around $30 you can have a personal, hard-back book of your day. Buy or hire a 40cm LED ring later on a stand, used by hair stylists for around $80. It will create a warm, flattering glow for shots of the bride and her maids getting ready, or for photo booths and close ups. Use pre-loved items for lighting and decoration Forget balloons, swags and floral arches. Use wooden pallets for staging, chicken wire stretched on frames for welcome messages and garden gazebos for cover. Mason jars can be found at flea markets and 2nd hand online. Strong, robust and versatile, use them for soft lighting accents, or put seasonal foliage in them. Use them as a table centre-piece or hang high across the venue on rope. Coiled up LED string lights are inexpensive and a great way to decorate the sides of a room in glass jars or large clear vases. Your friends probably all have them, so shout out to borrow them. If using candles, take into account any fire hazards. Keep the numbers down Less can be more when it comes to your big day. It’s obvious, but catering for large numbers can make a budget spiral out of control. Instead buy in large cheeses, a couple of well-chosen meat platters, make huge bowls of pasta salad and add fresh loaves of bread. Buy wine by the case and beer by the barrel, if that’s something you plan on offering guests. Add your favourite music from a playlist to borrowed speakers, somewhere to dance and you have a memorable and fun event. So, go ahead and use pre-loved and rustic touches for your wedding day. With some clever planning and help from friends and family, you can achieve a fantastic, memorable wedding on any budget.
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