What To Spend Your Wedding Budget On (and What to Pass On)

 

[Originally at Expert Wedding Budget Tips: Skip or Splurge? by JACQUELINE TYNES]

Local pros suggest where to go big and where to go without when it comes to wedding day expenses.

Want to know what wedding details you should splurge or save on so you can start planning your budget? We reached out to some of the top vendors in the area to hear their advice on what wedding services you should put your money towards. From specialty cocktails to beauty products, here’s what some area experts have to say about going big and going without. This article was featured in our latest issue, which you can check out here.

 

➸ Splurge: Great service. It doesn’t matter how good the food is if it is late or cold.

• Skip: Obscure, overly complicated specialty cocktails. They slow things down.

—Danielle Couick, Magnolia Bluebird

➸ Splurge: Fake eyelashes—they make a huge difference in photos.

• Skip: Expensive perfume or a garter—which isn’t in many photos anyway.

—Astrid Woltering, Astrid Photography

➸ Splurge: Two important vendors: First, your videographer. Saving voice memories of your parents’ toasts and friends and family dancing and speaking is invaluable! Second, a great photographer: Your photos are a tangible takeaway from the day and important for years, generations, to come.

• Skip: Wedding favors! My team ends up begging guests to take favors at the end of the night.

—Kaitlin Przezdziecki, Cheers Darling Events

➸ Splurge: A big floral entry installation—something really grand and romantic to greet guests as they arrive to a venue, or a tent, or a garden.

•  Skip: Smaller floral elements such as corsages, boutonnières, pew markers, and flower-girl petals. They are fading in popularity, and you can often save a good chunk of change by skipping these smaller details.

—Lauren Anderson and Rachel Bridgwood, Sweet Root Village

➸  Splurge: Lighting can transform your reception. If you want guests to feel a certain way walking in, you achieve that through creative lighting schemes. Creative lighting can also afford more opportunities for unique photos.

• Skip: Fashion tape! It doesn’t work. Instead, make sure you have your outfit tailored properly. Fashion snafus will make you self-conscious and less able to relax in front of the camera.

See the rest of the tips at https://www.washingtonian.com/2020/07/13/skip-or-splurge-wedding-expenses/ or read other awesome stuff at Bunn DJ Company

When you’re getting ready to get married, it’s important to know where your priorities are. Think about which parts of the day are the most important to you. Then focus on them! And of course, always pay particular attention to your music. A good DJ can make a huge difference is how the reception goes.