In today’s society, there is so much pressure on the day of your wedding. It’s expected to be a perfect day, with perfect weather, perfect clothing, perfect food, and perfect music. What was meant to be a celebration of the lifetime union of two people has turned into a commercialized marketing event meant to have you and your families spend a year’s worth of salary on a single day.
However, if you look throughout history, while a wedding was indeed intended to be a celebration, it wasn’t meant to become a huge financial burden on the family. As a matter of fact, traditional weddings used to take place on weekdays quite often. As late as the 1960s, wedding receptions were considered optional, and for those who did host a reception, typically the food was limited to cake and punch. There were no appetizers, entrees, no unlimited bar, and many of the other accoutraments that we consider standard today.
For many couples, the wedding took place at home, with family and a few close friends invited. Family members pitched in to make the reception look beautiful, and would even help with serving the guests food.
Couples were able to save any gifts they received (which were frequently in cash) for the honeymoon and their first home. In this way, couples had a head start on buying a home after a wedding, instead of being saddled with debt from an expensive ring and reception.
It makes a lot of sense to opt for an inexpensive ring and a wedding that focuses on loved ones getting together to celebrate their love for the married couple.
Aside from asking some loved ones to help decorate the wedding area, another area that makes sense to save money on is the food and drinks. Purchasing alcohol, including beer and wine, by the case and online saves a lot of money. More importantly, using catering companies that are not usually considered for catering weddings can also be a smart move.
For example, Walmart’s catering platters can include shrimp cocktail trays, gourmet cheese trays and other delicacies that will surprise and delight most of your guests. Costco catering is another excellent option. Costco dessert platters are outstanding, and can be customized to celebrate your wedding day.
It’s also possible to spend less than $100 on a full facial, nails, and hair and look absolutely fabulous on your wedding day. Walmart hair and beauty salon prices are very inexpensive, and the quality of their service is underrated. Walmart salons host some of the most well-trained and professional staff out there. They offer hair styling, manicures, pedicures, and a sophisticated array of false nails (if that’s your preference).
Setting up a wedding playlist and speakers around your home or the wedding area is another great option. If you insist on having live music, you can find a local, inexpensive band (or ask some talented friends or loved ones if that’s an option). Arranging a wedding playlist and renting some speakers is much less expensive that live music and will still get the party going.
The most important thing to remember when planning a wedding is that it’s meant to be a party full of loved ones celebrating a lifelong commitment of two people. It doesn’t need to be expensive or showy, and frequently the most enjoyable weddings are not the most expensive ones. An inexpensive wedding and a plan to use the wedding gift money for a future home makes a lot more sense, and it was something done for hundreds of years before the recent wave of bank account-busting wedding parties.
