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Big-Bucks Vibe, Bare-Bones Budget How do create a chic atmosphere on the cheap 
Thanks to a plethora of tabloids and television programs featuring million dollar-plus celebrity weddings, not to mention supermarket shelves stocked with a battery of bridal magazines bursting with fabulous and costly ideas, it’s no wonder many brides dream big – and well beyond their budget. After all, your wedding is supposed to be one of the most memorable events in your life. However, despite the draw of sushi bars, 12-piece bands and sky-high centerpieces, current economic earthquakes are forcing couples to cut back on unnecessary expenses. Worry not. If you still want a seriously upscale event, there’s no need to let down-sized finances put a damper on your big day. It just takes a little number crunching and some creativity. Here are some tips from the top for how to make your wedding look high end without having to spend a ton. Keep the Guest List Small “The best way to keep costs down is to limit your guest-list,” says Minoo Hersini, Creative Director for New York City-based Au Ciel Design Studio. Downsize the number of people and you downsize everything else, from the scope of your venue, to the catering and bar bill, to the number of centerpieces, and so on. Not only does limiting the attendees to your close family and friends allow you to have a fancier wedding for less money, it provides ample time to talk to each guest and focus on what’s most important. And if sophistication is what you strive for, the intimate nature of a 50 person wedding lends an automatic elegance, says Cori Ready, co-founder of The Adventure School, named the 2008 “Best Event Planners in Seattle” by “Seattle Metropolitan Magazine.” The recent weddings of Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen is a good example. Go Local Picking a venue in the town you live in means you won’t have to pay travel fees for quality wedding planners, caterers, cake bakers, photographers and bands. These vendors are also likely to charge less if they are in a city that provides competition, or isn’t your typical wedding hotspot. “Make your moment special with your emotions, not the view off of an obscure cliff that cost all your loved ones upwards of $500 to reach,” says Ready. Get Back to Basics According to Ready, the key to a wedding that looks like a million bucks is simplicity. “Trying to do something that you can’t, will always look cheap,” she says. “Luckily, Mother Nature has created the easiest and most beautiful décor in the world.” In fact, “Rustic Homespun Details” came in at Number One on TheKnot.com’s list of “Nine New Wedding Trends for 2009,” including vintage vases filled with fresh-from-the-garden flowers and homemade wooden signs to direct guests. Hersini suggests using striking alternatives to flowers, such as colorful leaves, grasses or even picturesque vegetables like purple cabbage. Ready recommends using baskets of just-picked lavender as centerpieces or collecting unusual materials like rocks, sticks and dirt and building terrariums out of old jars. Nothing is more eye-catching than every-day elements used in new ways. Get Personal Personalization is the “it” word in today’s high-end weddings. But you don’t have to spring for a seven-flavor cake or hand out rhinestone-studded invitations at the end of the wedding like Fergie and Josh Duhamel to make it work for you. Dance down the aisle with your dad, carry a bouquet of fabric flowers made from your grandmother’s wedding dress, or serve a simple selection of wines from the year when you met. “Having an elegant wedding isn’t a matter of money or magic,” says Hersini. “It’s the thoughtfulness and attention to detail that will truly make it memorable.” |
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