How to save some $$$ when organizing your wedding in Brisbane
The average cost for a wedding in Australia is said to be more than AU$ 36,000. There is no need to spend anything like that amount if you cannot afford to or prefer to use your savings in your long term future and not just on your wedding day. Do not leave yourself in debt for the next ten years, here are some ideas for the simplest weddings, and remember the simplest things can often be the most special.
When planning your budget wedding in Brisbane it is important to differentiate between the terms budget wedding and the wedding budget. Decide what your wedding budget is to be and then shop around to find the best deals on offer so that you can then stick to your set budget.
Official Photographer
Every bride wants lots of memories to look back on of her wedding day and the best way is to hire a professional wedding photographer. If you decide to have a photographer follow you around all day, taking hundreds of pictures as you prepare, then during the ceremony followed by the reception you are probably looking at a bill of around $4000 for this service. An alternative is to hire a photographer for the essentials such as the ceremony and the key moments of the reception. You still have those important wedding pictures but at a fraction of the cost. Hire a camera for the day and have some of your guests taking pictures at opportune moments throughout the day.
Reception Venue
Although this picture was taken at a Golf Club, a wedding in the park can have the same feel as this fabulous outdoor wedding. Brisbane has the ideal climate!
When hiring a venue for your wedding reception you will probably have to pay a deposit to reserve that venue for the date you require it with set hours for that reservation. When you book a specific location you are also likely to be tied into that venues catering and drinks packages. Should you go for canapés, then that could easily cost you around $80 per guest, you then have a further charge for the drinks package you decide suits you best.
An alternative to this is to use a private house, yours, your parents or one that is suitable in size and location with plenty of outdoor areas. Hire a caterer, someone to do the music as well as someone to help with the clean-up after the party has ended. An advantage of this is that you can then be creative as you want in planning the décor and have no time constraints in preparation time before the event.
You could hire a bar, buy alcohol in bulk or even encourage guests to bring their own should they have specific requests of what they prefer to drink.
By following some of these ideas for your wedding reception you could easily save $10,000 off the average cost of a wedding in Australia.
Bridal Gowns and Accessories
When it comes to choosing a dress for the bride and her bridal party then you could go the traditional route of having a dress especially made for the occasion although a more economical alternative is to buy a dress that suits your style at a fraction of the cost and is something you will wear on more than just one occasion. Accessories such as shoes, jewelry, hair styling and make-up can all be completed at a fraction of the cost by planning economically with a budget and not buying everything new or visiting a salon for hair and make-up.
Hire of Wedding Cars/carriages
If you are planning your wedding to a tight budget you can make a big saving on not hiring expensive vehicles to take the bride to the wedding ceremony. If your home is close to the location of the ceremony then why pay out for something that is unnecessary?
Have a relative transport you to the ceremony in their car, if it is very close and the weather is favourable, how about the bridal party walking there!
Printing and Writing Invites
This idea is not a big saving in monetary terms but you can take advantage of the internet age and send out your invites online, either through email or social messaging. If there are some older members of your family perhaps not online then you can still send out some invites in the traditional way.
An Alternative to Gifts
Many couple’s getting married have been living together for some time before they are married and so they probably have their home fully set up and do not require the traditional gifts that are bought for newly-weds. An alternative to this is to give cash instead of a gift. It may sound a little different but is normal wedding protocol in some cultures.
Macarthur Park Wedding Chapel
There is a Popup wedding available at Macarthur Park! Everything is arranged for you: A stunning Chapel (click on the link below to see more pictures), room for 60 guests, Gwen Inglis as Your Wedding Celebrant and a Photographer. All that for under 2000 dollars. There are dates available every month. Check out this option here.
Conclusion
You should remember that it is important to have a sensible budget that suits you as a couple for your wedding day and with careful planning this does not mean you are restricted to a budget wedding.
Even if you are thinking about having your wedding in the near future, call Gwen to discuss your plans and see if she is still available! To read more about Gwen click here or if you are interested to know more about the requirements of getting married in Queensland, please click here
