A practical wedding is not something I thought I would be saying when planning my daughter’s wedding. Unfortunately, with a national pandemic here now and for the foreseeable future, a practical wedding is the only way to go. Weddings have always been very traditional but wedding trends during the COVID Pandemic have caused a bit of a shift in what a “traditional” wedding actual is.
We had 6 weeks to plan my daughters wedding! It’s hard enough planning in a short time and when you add Covid in, it’s takes a lot of creativity to make sure it’s still the most magical day ever!
Backyard Weddings
Candles – These are easy to find and very easy on the pocket book. No need to spend the extra money on florals when you have a variety of candles at different heights in the middle of your table. Add this with sand and seashells and you are good to go! We created a photo candle for under $1.50 per candle so it double as a favor.
Chairs- I looked into chair covers which averaged around $2.00 per chair. I called rental centers and found white folding chairs for $1.30 and we wrapped each chair with burlap and added a sprig that was made. The total decorated chair cost about $2.00 and they matched our theme and I didn’t have to try to collect 50 chairs.
Palm Fronds – Being an event planner in South Florida, using palm fronds not only adds volume but provides a material that is readily available. With a little work, and contacting a local gardener, you can easily create centerpieces that are almost free. If you’re in New England an alternative is ferns.
Home Depot – Many of the materials you would find at a higher price craft store can be found also at your local hardware store. Take a trip to your local Home Depot with the mindset of seeing materials as décor – you will be surprised at how many things jump out at you. We created a welcome sign and our table number sign for under $25.
Officiants – When researching officiants, you may be surprised at the cost of having one at your wedding. Take a look at www.themonastary.org site to have a friend be ordained. At a cost of $20 to $40, you not only get your officiant but also honor a true friend or family member with officiating your wedding. We had a family friend officiant the ceremony and it was beautiful because he added personal touches.
Ceremony Arbor- My husband was tasked with the arbor. My two daughter’s, their godmother (my bff), and I decorated it with gorgeous flowers that I ordered from Ling’s. A macrame piece was made for the back and I also got a beautiful bohemian rug from Eyely and added a couple lanterns. Both Ling’s and Eyely had amazing prices.
Thank you to Keith from Keith Willard Events for some of the above tips
DIY Lighting, Canopy, Backdrops, and Photo Booth
RENT MY WEDDING offers unique do-it-yourself decor and lighting for couples on a budget. Rent online, and everything is delivered right to your door. Anyone can set up wedding lighting, backdrops, and photo booths by following simple step-by-step instructions. FREE shipping both ways nationwide.. After the wedding, simply put everything back in the same box and drop it off atFedEx. This is an easy and affordable way to create a beautiful wedding!
Decor
We searched our houses in the attic and basement to find items to use for the decor.
We found most of these crates at a flea market, along with candelabras and old frames.
A friend made masks and we printed out stickers and placed them on spray sanitizer. Printed a piece of paper and put it in a $1 frame
We grabbed pallets and stapled a piece of muslim around it, which my bff found on a wedding group in Facebook, she also had a Hydrangea bush that she cut the flowers off and dried. We used them all over for filler along with moss on this drink station.
The antique table was from my girlfriend’s basement. I added an old lace table cloth over the top and the seating chart was a piece of wood stained with small clothes pins glued to it. I simply printed out the tables and names.
The photos in the back with clipped to a tiny string of lights that I picked up at Michaels. The pashmina’s were rolled and tied and placed in a basket.
The chargers I bought in bulk and the plates and silverware were plastic. We rolled the napkin which was linen and tied it adding the name tag.
The guest book was a vintage poetry book bought at a flea market.
Life, Family, Joy made the book sign and I glued it to the book, adding an old key and tied it with eyelet lace.
The cake was made by our cake lady- no skimping there- the cake topper was also made by Life, Family, Joy
The Wine – We had a few variety bottles of wine but mostly had Tempranillo and Silverhead Brut Cava by Vara
Save The Dates, Invitations and more
JOY
An easy way couples can cut costs in their wedding budget (and save themselves a considerable amount of time and effort!) is by sending digital Save the Dates and wedding invitations rather than printed versions. Couples can save hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars by going the digital route! Joy allows couples to send unlimited digital Save the Dates, Change the Dates, and wedding invitations completely free of charge, which are available in hundreds of beautiful, fully-customizable designs.
Couples can save money, and stay safe amid the COVID pandemic, by inviting guests to attend their wedding virtually rather than in person. Couples can stream virtual wedding events using the platform of their choice such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, or YouTube Live directly through their Joy wedding website. This makes it incredibly easy for guests to join their virtual event, and saves the couple a considerable amount of money versus a larger in-person guest count..
For the babies
KidDazzle™ KidCover™ – They combine the best features of a bib and smock to ensure babies keep the mess off the Bride’s dress.
Precious Pearls for her and Tiny Tux for him, the KidDaddle KidCover combines the best features of a bib and smock to ensure your child’s (and the wedding guests’) clothing is protected.
Features a silicone pocket captures most food and extra-long material to keep laps clean.
The open back makes it easy to take on and off while the size adjustable neck strap ensures a secure fit.
Material is easily wipeable, machine washable, waterproof, stain, and odor resistant.
Made of 100% food-grade silicone; BPA free, PVC free, lead-free and phthalate-free
Ages 6 months – 24 months | MSRP: $39.99
Suits instead of tuxes
Having the groom or groomsmen rent tuxes can be expensive. You can purchase a suit for around the same price as a renting a tux but you would now own a nice suit! You can add JJ Suspenders priced at only $49 and have been a hit with grooms and groomsmen.
