A Wedding Fit For Scrooge

The day after our wedding Mrs. Scrooge and I looked at each other and said, "What was that all about?" What we meant was what was all that fuss and expense all about when we could have made it simpler and cheaper and still have had just as much fun. After all we had just spent almost every spare moment in the previous six months planning and paying for this wedding.
In the ensuing years we have noticed a number of things that could be done differently to save a considerable amount of money but still have a nice wedding for everyone.
The Invitations
Printed invitations cost a lot of money. Consider hand-written invitations on decorative stationary. It really doesn’t take long and to the recipient it is much more personal. You could add a photograph of the couple-to-be to make it even more colorful. Or if you have a computer and a color printer you can print your own invitations. Make sure you use color refill kits (the one Costco sells works very well) to recharge your ink jet cartridges.
Total Time
Don’t expect your guests to stay too long. Guests will give you an hour at the wedding ceremony and a few more hours for the meal and reception. Any more than that and they will be getting antsy. You can use this to your advantage by giving a scaled down meal and reception. If you expect them to sit for any length of time make sure you keep them entertained.A noon or afternoon reception will usually cost less than an evening one.
The Place
If you are getting married in a church or synagogue, you can often also get a reception hall for free. So why rent?Another option is an outdoor wedding and reception – just make sure you plan this in the dry season and make sure you have alternate plans for bad weather. My sister got married in my parents back garden and had the reception on the front lawn. They had two acres of land so this was possible.
The Reception
One of our friends had a potluck reception in the church hall after their wedding. The guests brought all the food and drinks. I really liked this reception because first it didn’t take forever to finish, and second I had the choice from dozens of the best home cooked meals I had ever eaten (church ladies are the best cooks!). All of these dishes were donated as a gift by the guests and no doubt saved the bride and groom thousands of dollars on catering.Another idea is to have a theme reception such as a traditional English high tea. Again ask some guests to bring the sandwiches, scones and cookies, jams, tea and Devonshire cream. Add a few traditional decorations and something like this can become an outstanding and memorable event.
The Cake
Somebody in your realm of friends and relatives is no doubt a good baker. They can make a cake for you as a wedding gift. Just ask them. Baking supply stores have wedding cake decorations at reasonable costs. For convenience you should ask for a smaller display cake and a larger sheet cake to feed the hungry masses.
Music
Do you have musical friends? Ask them if they will give their talents as a gift. Music is often used at both the wedding ceremony and the reception.
Photography
Someone else in your circle of friends must be a good amateur photographer. Ask them to take lots of rolls of film (or fill up that memory card on their digital camera) so you have lots to choose from. Ask someone else to make a digital video for you and burn it to a DVD. A professional will rarely get better pictures for you, and it’s often not worth the price unless you get a really good one and go to their studio for the pictures. But then again, how often do you think you will refer back to those pictures? Be realistic.
Flowers
If you get married during the local blooming season and you know someone with extensive gardens then you can save a bundle on flowers. Otherwise ask a budding amateur florist to donate it as a wedding gift. (Hey, you don’t ask, you don’t get.)
Attire
May I make a shocking suggestion? Rent, don’t buy. Even better, borrow it. Ladies you will never wear that dress again. Yes, you could pass it on to your daughter. But even this is fraught with problems: you may not have a daughter, she may not get married, she may not fit in it (despite extensive alterations), she may not like it. However if your mother or grandmother has a dress that you like…go for it.Men, rent a suit or buy a good new one that you can use over and over again.
Attendants
Bridesmaids and a Best man and ushers should be kept to a minimum. The more you have the more you have to coordinate and pay for.But whatever you do have a good time. The objective of the wedding and reception is a very special (and sacred) ceremony. But if you can keep the day within a reasonable budget then you will have all the more money for your other living expenses.

Scrooge