Wedding on the Cheap

When I was in college at BYU, I was naturally surrounded with engaged people (although, oddly enough, I only had ONE engaged roommate my entire six years). Wedding planning was a common topic of conversation.

Mormon weddings (at least those in Nevada and Utah) are generally less expensive than traditional East Coast weddings (don't have to rent a wedding hall, pay a minister, usually there is no sitdown dinner at the reception, etc), but people were always looking for ways to make it a little cheaper.

One night my sister and I, and our friends, brainstormed ways to have a "traditional" Mormon wedding and reception on the WAY cheap. Here were some of our ideas:

(1) Instead of buying or making bridesmaid dresses, go to Deseret Industries (a thrift store) and buy donated dresses. Let's be honest, you're only going to wear it once, so why pay $200+ when you can pay only $5.00? And you could get something beautiful like this:


(2) Flowers are so expensive, and they die, too. How is that appropriate for a wedding celebrating life together? Much better to simply get one of those floral magazines, cut out pretty pictures of blossoms, tape or glue them onto pipe cleaners, and (if you must have scent) spray them with floral bathroom spray or something. I'll bet it would cost $20 max.

(3) We never came up with an acceptable alternative for the cake. Punch, on the other hand, is unnecessary. Just serve ice water with a few lemon slices floating in it. Still too expensive? Hang a lemon slice above the hallway water fountain. Very very classy:

(Yes, this is at my wedding. Very elegant.)

(4) Announcements and postage can be a big chunk of the budget, too. Instead of paying for your own announcements, think about all those pre-addressed announcements you've been getting through the years. (It helps if you marry later than your friends.) Carefully steam open the envelopes. After your friends' wedding, save the envelope and announcement. When it is your turn, simply take all those announcements, and with a black fine-tipped Sharpie, cross out all the personal information and insert yours. Example:

Mr. and Mrs. John Brown Ryan Smith
are pleased to announce the wedding of their daughter
Lisa Brown Megan Smith
to
Richard Hart George Johnson
son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hart Phillip Johnson

Now, (and this part is very important) you reseal the envelope with the fixed announcement inside. Write on the front of the envelope, across the address, "Return to Sender". Pop that baby in the mailbox and there you go. How thrifty!

I'm sure there were more, but those are the ones I remember. And why am I remembering this today?

Because my old roommate and good friend Emily is getting married next month (she is the one who put the lemon up over the water fountain at my wedding), and this is what I got in the mail this afternoon: