Even though your wedding is going to be small, you will almost definitely want a wedding cake. Here are some ideas for saving money on a cake:
Don't mention the cake is for a wedding: you are looking at a small cake anyway. Why not simply get a round cake of your favorite flavor and have it frosted in white? Put your own topper on it an Voila! instant tiny wedding cake. No need to pay $3 a slice for a $1 a slice cake just because someone realizes it's for your wedding.
Make it yourself: it is a lot less daunting task to create a cake for 10 than it is to create one for 100. If you enjoy decorating and would like to try it, go for it. If it doesn't turn out just like you want you can always head to the local store for a plain white cake like in the above example.
Find a friend to make it: my own wedding was for 125 or so people. Not exactly what I call a tiny wedding, but I was young, what did I know. Anyway, if I managed to get a gorgeous cake for just the cost of the ingredients, you should be able to. Today many people who would love to get you a gift are strapped for cash. If you have a friend whose talents extend to cake making, ask. They would probably love to create a custom cake for you rather than get you a gift. And while most gifts will be quickly used up and forgotten, the memories of your wedding cake will last forever.
If you want the tiered look but don't want expense--
Try getting two premade cakes at the bakery and tier them yourself: bakeries usually have plain white cakes ready for custom decoration. Carry two out in graduated sizes. Set the smaller (cardboard included) right on top of the larger and hide the cardboard with silk flowers that match your bridal bouquet. (You can also use real flowers this way, if you make sure your flowers are edible.)
If your wedding is truly tiny:
Go with cupcakes: this is becoming an ever more popular option for even big weddings. Get a teeny tiny white cake for cutting, then buy or make a dozen or so plain white frosted cupcakes for the guests. Actually, this option can be something as basic as the suggestion here, or can become as complex as creating individually boxed tiny replicas of a full scale wedding cake.
Remember, what you do depends only on your budget and your imagination.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
A Tiny Wedding Provides Flexibility
If you are able to keep your wedding small you will find there are a lot of special advantages. For example:
A tiny wedding can be held almost anywhere. If your heart is set on flying over the Grand Canyon, hiking to a summit or scuba diving as you say your vows, it can be done.
"Receptions" can be intimate parties rather than huge affairs. Think of how many places you can have a party for 500. Now 200. 100. 50. 25. 10. Now, can't you think of exponentially more places to have your party as the number goes down? A major benefit to the tiny wedding.
You won't be stuck with "reception food." Catered food tends to be mediocre and overpriced. For a tiny wedding you can simply call in a big carry out order to your favorite restaurant. And if Aunt Nancy wants to cater for you, food for 12 is a way smaller responsibility than food for 100.
The event is more flexible. You have always hated the bouquet and garter toss. If you have 200 people, there will be disappointment if no one gets a chance to snag your bouquet and watch you get embarrassed as the garter is removed. If you have 20, no one will care.
This is just a sampling of the often overlooked advantages of a tiny wedding. What is the most important to you?
Until next time~Many Blessings
A tiny wedding can be held almost anywhere. If your heart is set on flying over the Grand Canyon, hiking to a summit or scuba diving as you say your vows, it can be done.
"Receptions" can be intimate parties rather than huge affairs. Think of how many places you can have a party for 500. Now 200. 100. 50. 25. 10. Now, can't you think of exponentially more places to have your party as the number goes down? A major benefit to the tiny wedding.
You won't be stuck with "reception food." Catered food tends to be mediocre and overpriced. For a tiny wedding you can simply call in a big carry out order to your favorite restaurant. And if Aunt Nancy wants to cater for you, food for 12 is a way smaller responsibility than food for 100.
The event is more flexible. You have always hated the bouquet and garter toss. If you have 200 people, there will be disappointment if no one gets a chance to snag your bouquet and watch you get embarrassed as the garter is removed. If you have 20, no one will care.
This is just a sampling of the often overlooked advantages of a tiny wedding. What is the most important to you?
Until next time~Many Blessings
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Don't Mention the Wedding
When you are purchasing items for your tiny wedding, unless you have no choice (like with the gown), don't mention the items are for a wedding.
Examples:
Flowers--most florists upcharge the exact same flowers for a wedding.
Reception Halls--if you are renting the hall on a pick up and drop off the keys basis, don't mention the wedding and you might just get the hall at a savings. Of course if the hall is also catering, you don't have much choice.
Catering--this one can be tricky, but if you call and order cold cut platters you pick up or food they simply drop off, you may see savings on the exact same items if they don't realize they are catering a wedding.
There are tons more examples. I am not suggesting you not get the best you can get. I am not suggesting you lie or "rip off" your vendors or service providers. But if they are going to turn a reasonable profit at the non-wedding price for the exact same item or service (they are not going to quote a price that loses money no matter what), I see no reason to be charged extra for anything just because it is a wedding you are buying for.
Until Next Time~Many Blessings
wedding
tiny wedding
Examples:
Flowers--most florists upcharge the exact same flowers for a wedding.
Reception Halls--if you are renting the hall on a pick up and drop off the keys basis, don't mention the wedding and you might just get the hall at a savings. Of course if the hall is also catering, you don't have much choice.
Catering--this one can be tricky, but if you call and order cold cut platters you pick up or food they simply drop off, you may see savings on the exact same items if they don't realize they are catering a wedding.
There are tons more examples. I am not suggesting you not get the best you can get. I am not suggesting you lie or "rip off" your vendors or service providers. But if they are going to turn a reasonable profit at the non-wedding price for the exact same item or service (they are not going to quote a price that loses money no matter what), I see no reason to be charged extra for anything just because it is a wedding you are buying for.
Until Next Time~Many Blessings
weddingtiny wedding
Monday, September 10, 2007
Cost Cutting Measures for a Tiny Wedding: The Photos
I think that one great way to save money on your wedding today (I would NOT have recommended this 10 years ago) is to have a couple of friends use their digital cameras to capture your images. In all likelihood, one or two of your friends already have good digital cameras and memory cards and would love to help you out with this part of the wedding. You can have them upload the photos to a photo service like Wal Mart's, and you can then pick up a CD of your pics for under $5, giving you time to use your home computer to decide which ones you want to print (or have printed). You can also do all the editing you need at home.
One thing you will probably want done professionally is a portrait. My sister Claudia used the above technique to get her ceremony and reception shots, then went to Sears portrait studio after she came back from her honeymoon. The resulting pics were gorgeous.
Lowest professional quote for Claudia's tiny wedding was $1200, for time and a select number of prints. Additional prints would be extra, and at a premium because they are copyrighted by the photographer.
Claudia got her pictures using the above combination for under $400, including a huge, framed 24 x 36 portrait from Sears (bonus!). And she can reprint all her ceremony and reception pics whenever she wants, cropped or edited the way she likes, without paying an upfee to the photographer.
My favorite little known incentive for handling your photos this way is the fact that most (not all) professional photographers purge their backstock after 2-10 years. So if your favorite wedding photo gets ruined in a flood seven years after your wedding you may be out of luck when it comes to replacing it if you used a professional. If that photo is on a CD locked away in your safe deposit box, replacing it is going to cost you the price of the photo, and no heartache necessary.
wedding
"tiny wedding"
One thing you will probably want done professionally is a portrait. My sister Claudia used the above technique to get her ceremony and reception shots, then went to Sears portrait studio after she came back from her honeymoon. The resulting pics were gorgeous.
Lowest professional quote for Claudia's tiny wedding was $1200, for time and a select number of prints. Additional prints would be extra, and at a premium because they are copyrighted by the photographer.
Claudia got her pictures using the above combination for under $400, including a huge, framed 24 x 36 portrait from Sears (bonus!). And she can reprint all her ceremony and reception pics whenever she wants, cropped or edited the way she likes, without paying an upfee to the photographer.
My favorite little known incentive for handling your photos this way is the fact that most (not all) professional photographers purge their backstock after 2-10 years. So if your favorite wedding photo gets ruined in a flood seven years after your wedding you may be out of luck when it comes to replacing it if you used a professional. If that photo is on a CD locked away in your safe deposit box, replacing it is going to cost you the price of the photo, and no heartache necessary.
wedding"tiny wedding"
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