By: Veronika Lazabal
When Anna Cuellar met her Prince Charming, she had more to celebrate than just the fact that she was done dating frogs. Anna was about to do something that most of us dream about doing from the time we’re old enough to teeter around in our mom’s heels- plan her wedding. Being the good girl that she is, Anna was bound and determined to come in under the budget that had been set by her parents. (A feat that many said was impossible in the crazy land of excess that is Los Angeles). And being the good girls that we are, we tagged along-bringing Anna’s bottom line friendly ideas to savvy brides-to-be across the land.
Tip #1: Pick Your Battles
Deciding up front what is really important to you- and what you aren’t quite as passionate about- is the first step to trimming the excess fat from your wedding budget. For example, Anna knew that she wanted to have her wedding ceremony and reception at the Spanish Hills Country Club, in the lush hills of Camarillo California.
The exclusivity of her chosen location made it a bit more expensive than some of the other places she looked at, but Anna was more than willing to make up for that by altering her dinner menu. Spanish Hills has a fully customizable catering selection, making it easy for her to pair down the original menu until she was comfortable with both the food and the price.
Don’t be afraid to ask your caterers what they can do for you. If you’re unhappy with the food selection at your reception hall, look into an outside catering company for better prices. Just make sure you’re flexible where you can be- and stand firm where it matters most to you.
Tip #2: Be a Do It Yourself-er
Flabbergasted at the price of professionally printed invitations, Anna decided that she could come up with something just as creative on her own. Her brother, an amateur photographer, took a set of pictures of the happy couple, which Cuellar then took to a printing company in order to create completely personal (and oh so affordable) save the date cards.
For the actual invitation, our blushing bride nabbed her mom, and the two frugal divas set out in search of their own card stock and velum, which they then took to a local print shop. By providing the materials themselves, the ladies saved over 50% from the price they were originally quoted!
And, as long as Anna was in the do it yourself groove, she decided to take on her wedding favors, as well. Because she was having a winter wedding, Cuellar knew that she wanted to gift her guests with something that would convey warmth and snuggly feelings. A hunt of local shops turned up a company that was willing to give her a whopping discount on yummy soft pashmina wraps. Paying less than three bucks for each wrap meant that Anna had enough money left over to go back to the print shop and have a small message that matched her invites printed for each one.
Tip #3: Floor the Florist
Don’t think that you have to blindly accept the first quote that you’re given by a florist. Remember, my dears, this is your wedding, so don’t be bashful about rolling up your sleeves and getting into the nitty gritty details when it comes to your flower arrangements. By asking about alternative flower selections- still beautiful, and in keeping with her wedding colors-Anna was able to cut her total cost for all of the abundant flowers used in her wedding and reception to a reasonable four figure sum.
Tip #4: Momma was Right- You Better Shop Around
Unhappy with the first few wedding photographers she met with, Anna kept looking. That is, until she finally found a a talented photographer that not only gave her a great deal, but who treated her as though her wedding really mattered. Wedding photography is a service industry- if your photographer doesn’t get that, then it’s time to find someone who will. Make sure you work out the details of your package before the wedding- a photog is much more likely to make deals then than after the pictures have been developed. Anna’s selectiveness really paid off when she found Henry Chen, a local who gave her a great price on a fantastic picture package. Three photographers and 10 hours of memory making snapshots, an engagement session, a picture CD, and a guest book…for a great price.
Tip #5: She used a family Videographer
Not wanting skimp on a videographer but understanding she was close to reaching her budget, Anna tapped her brother (a former camera operator for the movie industry) to do her videography. Anna saved a fortune by having her brother video tape a few key moments at the reception, and then skipping the long, drawn out professional video.
By using a few savvy wedding techniques, Anna Cuellar was able to have the wedding of her dreams- and come in under budget. By taking some of her ideas- and a few of your own creative cost cutting solutions- to heart, you can too.
A special thank you to Henry Chen for his beautiful photography of Anna Cuellar and her husband Lonngrenn.
