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Bridesmaid
Budgeting - Money Saving Tips
 Being
a
bridesmaid or
maid of
honor for a friend or family member's wedding is a joyous time.
There is so much to be excited for, including the
bridal shower,
bachelorette party in leading up to the big wedding day. What is not
exciting are the expenses that you and the other bridesmaids incur which
can add up to feeling like you need to take out a small loan. Below, we
have listed some of our top bridal tips to stay on a tight budget while
not sacrificing having fun and great memories with you and your
bride-to-be:
1) Plan
Early - There are so many great things that happen when
bridesmaids
plan the wedding events as early as possible. The first positive is that
more bridesmaids will be able to attend the different fun events,
whether the bridal shower or bachelorette party. Early planning will
also help in organizing and budgeting every step of the way. There is
more time to look around and be selective and get the best deals. You
can order
bachelorette supplies and wedding items early and save in shipping
since you can send them UPS ground. You will have more time to ask
around and get the great deals you may have not been able to do if
waiting until the last moment.
2)
Organize Well - Plan out with the other bridesmaids and
bride-to-be on the different events that are coming up. Think of how
much better and how much more you save when you shop at the supermarket
when you have prepared a list and know exactly what you want. Organizing
leads to the ability to let everyone know approximately how much they
will be spending for the bridal shower, bachelorette party and wedding.
Make your own list of what you need and check out our
wedding
checklist in helping organize these numbers. You can then plan on
where you need to focus in your savings quest.
3) Online
Ordering - The world has changed for the better with the
Internet and online shopping. You can save amazing amounts of money by
looking for the best deals online. Many sites offer free shipping, no
sales tax and lower prices than walking into stores. Our favorite is
Bachelorette Party Fun since they offer all of the above and also
throw in a free bachelorette party gift. Recently The Wedding Channel
came out with a study finding the bachelorette party as the most
expensive part of a wedding, with over 21% of the expense for travel and
supplies/gifts. For wedding supplies, type in the item followed by
discount or coupon and you may find a way to get even more savings! You
can also do this with your favorite retail store and show how savvy you
are in bridesmaid savings.
4) Free
Information and Ideas - Sites like our bridesmaid site can
help plan your bridal shower and bachelorette party while saving you
money. Check out our pages which will help plan everything from
expenses, a checklist of what should be brought to the wedding as well
as
bridal shower games.
5)
Bridesmaids Market - With most stores looking for your
business, use this to your advantage. Use your bridal party power and
ask for volume discounts, whether it is for
bridesmaid
dresses, limos, restaurants or bachelorette entertainment savings.
You will be glad you did and be the hero to the other girls who are
chipping in for the bridal events. This also goes back to the first
point of starting early so you can vet each company for the best in
savings.
6) Social
Networking - Ask all the girls for their email addresses and
start the bridal buzz. Use this network to ask for savings in all
different areas of the wedding expense planning. One girl may have an
Uncle that has a limo, another may have a boyfriend who owns a
restaurant or a friend who has a top bar. Get feedback on who has
recommendations for the different venues, gifts, and items you will be
shopping for, during the bridal shower, bachelorette party and wedding.
This is an amazing way to save as well as start the excitement about the
festivities coming your way. Start a
twitter
account and continue the talking back and forth which can help in
finding the great deals!
7) Home
Sweet Home - A great way to save money is by watching the
budget for the pre-wedding parties and have the events at someone's
place. You can bring in great decorations and even go out after the main
event of the bridal shower or bachelorette party to a nearby restaurant,
bar or nightclub. If going away, again look for those great deals which
are out there and work with the other bridesmaids in saving.
8) Bridal
and Wedding Gift Smarts - Many times we are asked on what is
expected for the
bridal
shower gift and wedding gift. The important thing is to make sure
you decide on what budget you will be spending in this are as you don't
have to break the piggy bank to give a thoughtful and excellent wedding
gift. A gift card is an excellent idea so the bride and groom to be can
purchase anything that they want and it has no shipping cost. Another
idea for a bridesmaid on a low budget is to make the gift by collecting
photos and creating a really cool memento album! If using a bridal
registry, look for those items you can afford or go in with a few girls
on a present.
9)
Bridesmaid Dress Expense - One of the most expensive parts of
any wedding is the bridesmaid dress with The Wedding Channel's study
stating that close to 9% of the wedding expense is in
bridesmaid
dresses. Using some of the budget tactics above such as planning
early, looking for a reputable company who offers a deal for the volume
business as well as receiving a few quotes will work. Accessorize the
dresses with reasonable items (i.e., clips, earrings, etc) that are
inexpensive but fashionable and do your own makeup or have one of the
girls trained in cosmetology to help out.
10)
Sharing and Communication - Share the expenses as much as
possible and make sure everyone pays early so you don't have money
floating and paid by few for the masses. Start emails early and come up
with the bridesmaids budgeting. This will help everyone plan to save for
the special events and not get hit up at the end with the expense. You
will collect much more money and have a much happier group of divas. Go
in together for the wedding and bridal shower gifts, bachelorette
supplies, and anything else needed by the wedding group.
Most of all, make sure to have a
great time as a bridesmaid. Hopefully our bridal budgeting tips above
will help in reducing the amount of expense stress and increase your
fun.
If you have any questions or would like to submit
stories, articles or suggestions, feel free to write us at
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