Wolf & Raven Guidebook - Budgets
FORAGE | E-INVITES | RECYCLE
WOLF AND RAVENS MONEY SAVING IDEAS, AND CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES
F L O W E R S
Iv got to admit, I am an absolute flower feind, but they can be expensive. Why not do some foraging on the run up to your wedding – this would work particularly well in Autumn/Winter; collect a mixture of different sized twigs to display in small jars around the room, or place larger ones in different shaped vases to fill any empty corners of the venue - add some copper wire fairy lights and automatically you achieve a whimsical Autumnal dream, at minimal effort and expense! Fallen autumnal leaves are perfect, strategically scatter these down either side of the wedding isle, or sprinkled on your tables - don’t forget to add some conkers, acorns and even blackberries for contrast and textures. You could include your bridal party to help, make a morning of it and once you’ve completed your foraging adventure, head out for some lunch afterwardsIf you’re having a Spring or Summer wedding, maybe plant some wild flower seeds in your garden (or your parents/grandparents garden) to forage ahead of your big day, Cornflowers, Bluebells, Daffodils and Lavender (with the added bonus of a delish smell too), this is a great way to include grandparents in the planning and if they’re anything like mine, I know how much how pride and pleasure they would take in being able to do this for you. Pick them and add them to jam jars, glasses and vases - (remember, it is illegal to forage these in the wild!).
I N V I T E S
Invites may be the first physical thing you get for your wedding, but if you know you’re on a budget then don’t get carried away. I think invites might be a good area to pull back on costs. Why not look into E-invites as a great alternative! Either use these for your Save the Dates, or your main wedding invites - they can be extremely handy.
D R E S S E S & A C C E S S O R I E S
In regards to bridesmaids dresses, you really don’t need to go to a bridal shop for these, places like ASOS offer some beautiful bridal dresses at a fraction of the cost. Or check out ‘Recycle My Wedding’ from rockmywedding.co.uk so many gorge pre-loved items, are available here. Also, another money saving idea, which might be quite obvious..is simlply don’t have as many people in your bridal party. There are other ways to have your friends involved, such as having them do a reading during the ceremony or do a speech at the evening do – who cares what tradition says about only the groom, best man and father of the bride doing speeches anyway!
F A V O U R S
As a wedding coordinator the amount of favours that were left behind was crazy! Options such as little bottles of shots are good, as you can incorporate everyone cheersing with it during your speech - although its worth noting that there are some venues that do not allow food or drink favours anymore (hella annoying), but if a shot/biscuits doesn't fit right with your theme, then don’t go mad with something else, because not only do they get left behind quite often, but people wouldn’t really notice if they didn’t have one anyway. However a wonderful little favour would be to make a donation to charity in exchange for a party favour. This way you will get little cards that you can put on your guests place settings, which tells them that you made a donation to a worthy cause - such a thoughtful idea.
C A K E
If you’re blessed with a family member or friend who is an absolute Mary Berry, then why not ask them to make your wedding cake, or wedding cupcakes? My sister made my wedding cake, and it was absolutely fantastic, although I am sure she would say it was a tad stressful..but I know how proud of it we both were once she showed me the final product (it was all black, with blood red flowers and Eucalyptus which she got from my florist). It made it even more special that she was able to do that for me. I have seen a number of people who have had their cake made for them by friends or family recently, and I just love how full of character and love they are. Don’t think you need to have the “perfect” cake, with smooth icing and even layers - because the more rustic looking the cuter, in my opinion.
E N T E R T A I N M E N T
If you’re unsure how to fill that post-ceremony, pre-food gap, and a musician will be pushing your budget slightly, get yourselves to B & M and get a number of lawn games, board games, and little quizzes. This will keep all your guests busy and pre-occupied so that hopefully you can deter their rumbling tummies for a short while! Plus, they make for some great action shot photos, and will also keep all the kids entertained too!
