How to Stay on Budget When You're invited to Several Weddings

It almost becomes a rite of passage that when you reach a certain age, those wedding invitations don’t seem to stop rolling in. Some years it will feel like a wedding rush, your calendar is quiet for the most part, then all of a sudden there’s six different invitations in the mail. One wedding can be costly enough, but those years where you’re riding a wedding wave can be even tougher to manage. Should you get the special honor of being in any of these weddings, your demand for time and costs just went up even more. Get ahead on planning and try out these tips to help make the next wedding season an enjoyable one!

Jump on Registries

Once you get invited to a wedding be sure to keep tabs on their wedding website. Many couples can now consolidate a lot of information on their website which would include links to their registries. You’ll want to be one of the first people to shop for them so that you have the flexibility of options. If you wait too long you might get stuck sifting through gifts that were out of your price range. While you always have the option of writing a check, you might feel a lot of pressure to give more money than you would’ve spent on a gift. 

Photo by jordi pujadas on Unsplash

Closet Cheat Codes

Depending on your current rotation of clothes you own, you might feel the need to spruce up your wardrobe before wedding season hits. Maybe you want more comfortable shoes that are dressier than what you wear in your day to day. Or, perhaps you feel you are missing more formal styles appropriate for wedding events. Instead of having to splurge on clothes, you could try getting a group of girls together to do a clothing swap: wedding edition. This way you can extend your selection into that of your gal pals. If sizing or style issues arise, consider thrifting on an online consignment store. You could be the breezy, chic girl who shows up dressed to the nines, topped with a radiant smile all because you stocked up on discounted Free People styles before the start of wedding season. 

Photo by Stephen Leonardi on Unsplash

Room Rates

No matter where you are headed for the weddings, room rates rise and fall due to a number of factors that are out of your control. If you find that you’ll be having to book quite a few rooms during wedding season, you might want to think about joining a rewards or loyalty program. If you register with a booking agency, your points can be used toward many different chains whereas, if you sign up for a loyalty program you will be restricted to finding that specific hotel wherever you are traveling to. But, maybe by the end of wedding season, your last room will be free! When possible, utilize the discounted room block rates that couples will set up for their guests. If the wedding is within driving distance, you could ultimately avoid the costs of the room altogether.

Photo by Esther Driehaus on Unsplash

Combining Forces

Hopefully, you can find others to endure the busy season with. If money starts to get especially tight, take advantage of the fact that others may be feeling just like you. Offer to share rides when possible and split the costs of gas. If you and a friend are both traveling to a wedding, ask them if they’d like to share a hotel room and divide the cost in half. Better yet, if you know quite a few people who all would be interested in lowering the costs of an overnight, consider finding a rated rental house near the venue.

How to Create a Unique Winter Wedding

Even though we’re still living in the wonderful time of fall, before we know it, winter will be here. Along with enjoying typical winter activities such as sledding and skiing, winter is also another great time for gorgeous weddings. It’s less popular than some other wedding seasons like Spring and Fall. But it has just as much beauty to offer! If you’re planning on having your wedding during the time of winter wonderland, here are some ways to make your big day as unique as possible.

Have a Hot Chocolate Bar

We all know that wintertime is the best and most enjoyable time to indulge in a delicious cup of hot chocolate. If you really want to make your wedding extra special, set up a hot chocolate bar for your guests. With toppings you can offer such as coconut, chocolate chips, marshmallows and perhaps alcohol for those of age, this will be a great addition to your wedding and will keep your guests both warm and hydrated throughout the night.

Katya Austin courtesy of Unsplash

Add in Unexpected Color

While winter weddings are common for including typical colors such as green, white and silver, if you want to add uniqueness to your wedding, include unexpected colors! This can be done in several ways. One way is through adding in colorful wedding accessories. If you want your jewelry to stand out, dare to include a pair of emerald or purple earrings and pair it with a multi-colored necklace. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, think about including bright colors into your hairstyle. By applying a hair coloring conditioner, you have the option to dye your hair whatever color and however intense a shade you desire! Whether you want to include a colorful shawl into your outfit or add in color throughout your makeup and bridal hairstyle, adding in bright colors will be a great way to add a little something extra to your day.

Kelly Sikkema courtesy of Unsplash

Offer Your Guests Blankets

Whether you plan on having your wedding ceremony inside or outside, with wintertime, it’s extremely easy for your guests to be cold. In order to add a cozy touch and for your guests to not have to rely on their winter coats, offer each and every one of your guests a blanket. Not only will these blankets help to keep your guests warm throughout the night, but they can double as wedding favors as well. You can offer plaid blankets to fit the cozy winter theme or have each blanket monogrammed with you and your partner’s name. Whatever you decide to do, offering your guests blankets will definitely be useful throughout the night.

Have a Carriage Ride

What could be better to include in a winter wedding than a romantic, seasonal carriage ride? This won’t only give your guests a chance to enjoy the beautiful outdoor scenery, but it will be the unexpected and unique experience your guests will never forget. You can choose to have it during the wedding reception, at the end of the night or even possibly use it as a mode of transportation for your guests from the ceremony to the reception!

Unique Wedding Centerpiece Ideas

A lot goes into planning a wedding, from booking the perfect venue to designing your reception space, and so much more. Once you check the big items off your to-do list, there are a thousand more smaller decisions that need to be made. 

Choosing a wedding theme helps bring your vision to life so you can focus on how to decorate your wedding and reception space. A boho chic wedding theme for example often features vintage furniture rentals such as peacock chairs. This theme also brings in worldly inspiration, such as hanging lanterns reminiscent of Morocco. 

While reception table decor may not be your biggest priority as you plan your big day, these small details can have a big impact on your reception vibe. Your reception decorations also have a way of sneaking into a lot of wedding photographs, so remember that you’ll be looking at these centerpieces for years to come! 

Centerpieces are also a great way to show off your couple personality to all of your guests, as every guest that attends your reception will get a chance to admire the table decor up close. While florals have been the classic choice for table centerpieces for years, many couples are now optioning for more unique and affordable options. 

Featuring unique centerpieces and elements that are not flowers into your table decor lets you give guests a “wow” wedding moment. There are endless options for your wedding centerpieces, so get creative and ditch the traditional (and overdone) floral! Check out our bohemian and trendy centerpiece inspiration below or head over to Zola to check out more wedding centerpiece inspiration. 

5 Wedding Place Setting Ideas for Every Style

by Kacey Bradley of the Drifter Collective

Planning the actual wedding ceremony generally pales beside the magnitude of preparing a memorable reception. After all, the ceremonial part remains set in stone depending on the religious faith or lack thereof of the intended. The reception is really where the happy couple can let their creativity take wing.

The place settings selected for the reception dinner enhance the overall theme of your wedding. They create quite the impression on your guests and bring the rest of your decor together. Here are five ideas to get your creative juices flowing and design a table layout like a pro.

1. For Lovers of Whimsy

If colorful butterflies or clever combinations of patterns matches you and your spouse-to-be's quirky sense of style, create a whimsical place setting. The sky's the limit for this type of setting, so let your imagination soar.

Consider writing handwritten place cards for a more down-to-earth appeal. Choose a color scheme that matches the bridesmaids' gowns and combine different shades and patterns of that color in your choice of plates, napkins and more. You can easily create personalized take-home party favors on the cheap using items found in many dollar stores. 

2. For Lovers of Tradition

Those opting for the classic elegance of a traditional wedding place setting do well to embrace classic black and white tones with subtle accent colors. Formal styles demand quality dinner plates, artfully folded napkins, sparkling silverware and real rose centerpieces.

Design these settings around clean lines. Many reception venues are happy to do much of the place-setting planning for you if you select this option, though they certainly welcome your input. Consider classical accents such as ice sculptures to pull together the formal theme.

3. For the Outdoorsy Type

Are you planning an outdoor wedding and reception? You'll want to create your place settings with durability in mind. Fortunately, outdoor receptions may cost you far less than other venues due to the ease of decorating.

Lace picnic tables with chains of your favorite flowers and add garlands to decorate each pavilion. Consider creating mason jar chandeliers to subtly illuminate evening receptions. Wooden plates and simple burlap-looking napkins complete the rugged outdoor theme.

4. For the Theme Wedding Set

Dreaming of a wedding straight out of the pages of your favorite novels? Make your place settings match your theme with a bit of creativity.

Those considering Star Wars-inspired weddings can incorporate futuristic elements like light-saber shaped name cards, metal or jet-black dining plates, and droid salt-and-pepper shakers. Those planning fantasy-themed nuptials, such as those set in the Seven Kingdoms of George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, can create place settings that mimic those used at the Red Wedding — only without "The Rains of Castemere" and the ensuing nastiness.

5. For the Destination Wedding

Those planning destination weddings can craft place settings in tune with the location of the event. Some destinations will suggest schemes to use, but most still allow for creativity and adding your own personal touches.

Beachside weddings match perfectly with tropical decor, from coconut-shaped tumbler glasses to palm-tree-shaped swizzle sticks. Couples choosing to get married upon a cruise ship can create place settings based upon a nautical theme. Those saying "I do" in the mountains can go with a skiing-inspired look with Sherpa-esque elements.

Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Ruffled, and more!

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