One of my very favorite things about weddings is the variety – even with all of the traditions that thread through them, no two weddings are ever exactly the same. But one thing IS the same … whatever your style or budget, whether you’re having an intimate backyard wedding or an extravagant nuptial gala, I’m willing to bet that you want your wedding to look and feel like a million bucks! After all, no couple has EVER said to me, “I want my guests to realize that I had to stay within a tight budget!”
There are a lot of helpful posts on the internet about how to make the most of your hors d'oeuvres budget or how to DIY your invitations to save money. This is not one of those posts! Instead, I want to share three crucial tips that will help your wedding look like your budget was twice its size.
1. Stay timeless!
When you’re planning your wedding, it can be easy to get caught up in all of the STUFF that is available for weddings nowadays and all of the cool new trends you see on Pinterest. But while trends can be tempting, classic simplicity is an amazing way to create an elegant (and expensive) look. A timelessly chic style can keep you from spending money on random extras that can wind up looking cheap or gaudy. And every piece of décor you DO include will make a statement!
When you feel yourself being pulled in the direction of a hot new trend, stop and picture your grandchildren looking through your wedding album. Will your wedding still look gorgeous and romantic thirty years from now? A timeless wedding will look like you spent a fortune on it, and it will also hold up for years to come!
There are a lot of helpful posts on the internet about how to make the most of your hors d'oeuvres budget or how to DIY your invitations to save money. This is not one of those posts! Instead, I want to share three crucial tips that will help your wedding look like your budget was twice its size.
1. Stay timeless!
When you’re planning your wedding, it can be easy to get caught up in all of the STUFF that is available for weddings nowadays and all of the cool new trends you see on Pinterest. But while trends can be tempting, classic simplicity is an amazing way to create an elegant (and expensive) look. A timelessly chic style can keep you from spending money on random extras that can wind up looking cheap or gaudy. And every piece of décor you DO include will make a statement!
When you feel yourself being pulled in the direction of a hot new trend, stop and picture your grandchildren looking through your wedding album. Will your wedding still look gorgeous and romantic thirty years from now? A timeless wedding will look like you spent a fortune on it, and it will also hold up for years to come!
2. Personalize thoughtfully!
The details are part of what makes your wedding feel like YOU, and if you choose them carefully, they will also add a high-end, custom-made quality to your wedding. Choose a motif and repeat it thoughtfully throughout your day. (I feel like Tim Gunn giving this advice – haha!) For example, Annie & Keith incorporated a succulent motif into their wedding, using it on the stationery designs, their florals, and their cake. The repetition was subtle enough to stay classy and timeless, but also to brand the wedding as uniquely their own! These personal touches can make your wedding feel haute couture (even if you have an off-the-rack budget).
The details are part of what makes your wedding feel like YOU, and if you choose them carefully, they will also add a high-end, custom-made quality to your wedding. Choose a motif and repeat it thoughtfully throughout your day. (I feel like Tim Gunn giving this advice – haha!) For example, Annie & Keith incorporated a succulent motif into their wedding, using it on the stationery designs, their florals, and their cake. The repetition was subtle enough to stay classy and timeless, but also to brand the wedding as uniquely their own! These personal touches can make your wedding feel haute couture (even if you have an off-the-rack budget).
3. Invest in a good photographer!
A skilled wedding photographer can make your wedding look even better than it did in real life, but sadly, the opposite is also true. A poor wedding photographer can make even a million dollar wedding look like junk! That's why it's so crucial to choose an excellent, experienced photographer! They will capture those meaningful personal touches and details that you planned so carefully, as well as highlighting beautiful aspects of your day that you might not even be aware of! An experienced wedding photographer knows how to compose their shots to emphasize the best and most important details. They know how to work with the light so that your wedding looks its very best. And they know which shots to be sure to capture so that you have a full story of the day, told in your wedding photos. They will also capture the sweet emotional moments that are the TRUE treasure of a wedding.
When the wedding day is over, the cake will be eaten and the flowers will be fading, but the photographs will be with you forever! Choose a great photographer who fits with your style and personality, and who can show your wedding day for what it is ... priceless!
A skilled wedding photographer can make your wedding look even better than it did in real life, but sadly, the opposite is also true. A poor wedding photographer can make even a million dollar wedding look like junk! That's why it's so crucial to choose an excellent, experienced photographer! They will capture those meaningful personal touches and details that you planned so carefully, as well as highlighting beautiful aspects of your day that you might not even be aware of! An experienced wedding photographer knows how to compose their shots to emphasize the best and most important details. They know how to work with the light so that your wedding looks its very best. And they know which shots to be sure to capture so that you have a full story of the day, told in your wedding photos. They will also capture the sweet emotional moments that are the TRUE treasure of a wedding.
When the wedding day is over, the cake will be eaten and the flowers will be fading, but the photographs will be with you forever! Choose a great photographer who fits with your style and personality, and who can show your wedding day for what it is ... priceless!
I know that it can feel like there's a lot of pressure to make your wedding bigger, prettier, BETTER ... but remember what the day is really about. It's a celebration of the love between you and your fiancé. No matter what your budget, your friends and family will feel so blessed to share in that day with you!
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