I am going to say the one thing that vendors maybe aren’t supposed to say:
Weddings are expensive.
I know that photography is an investment, as is videography and hiring a planner and booking a venue. I know that, for this reason, wedding budgets can be pretty tight.
But if you had some wiggle room, I have some ideas for you. In the dozens of weddings I have shot, I have come across five areas where blowing your budget may be worth it for your vision.
1. A custom, unique ring dish or box. While you may not know these by name, but if you have spent any amount of time looking at #weddinginspo on Instagram you have definitely seen A Mrs. Box; These lovely little velvet ring boxes come in dang near every color of the rainbow (44 and counting, according to their website). They can even be personalized to include your monogram, which will take it from being a classy ring box to heirloom as quick as you can say your new last name. Etsy will also provide you several options for cute little ceramic dishes, such as this one or this one.
1. A custom, unique ring dish or box. While you may not know these by name, but if you have spent any amount of time looking at #weddinginspo on Instagram you have definitely seen A Mrs. Box; These lovely little velvet ring boxes come in dang near every color of the rainbow (44 and counting, according to their website). They can even be personalized to include your monogram, which will take it from being a classy ring box to heirloom as quick as you can say your new last name. Etsy will also provide you several options for cute little ceramic dishes, such as this one or this one.
1. A custom, unique ring dish or box. While you may not know these by name, but if you have spent any amount of time looking at #weddinginspo on Instagram you have definitely seen A Mrs. Box; These lovely little velvet ring boxes come in dang near every color of the rainbow (44 and counting, according to their website). They can even be personalized to include your monogram, which will take it from being a classy ring box to heirloom as quick as you can say your new last name. Etsy will also provide you several options for cute little ceramic dishes, such as this one or this one.
2. Sweet shoes. This might be a pair of sparkly Badgley Mischka heels or a pair of perfectly matched Tieks. I had a bride who had the coolest blue Sperrys for her walk down the aisle. This is your wedding day–and your wedding shoes stand to be one of the items to you wear again and again after the big day happens. Every single time you wear those shoes, you will be back in your getting ready room, slipping them just like that time (and all those feels will come flooding back).
2. Sweet shoes. This might be a pair of sparkly Badgley Mischka heels or a pair of perfectly matched Tieks. I had a bride who had the coolest blue Sperrys for her walk down the aisle. This is your wedding day–and your wedding shoes stand to be one of the items to you wear again and again after the big day happens. Every single time you wear those shoes, you will be back in your getting ready room, slipping them just like that time (and all those feels will come flooding back).
2. Sweet shoes. This might be a pair of sparkly Badgley Mischka heels or a pair of perfectly matched Tieks. I had a bride who had the coolest blue Sperrys for her walk down the aisle. This is your wedding day–and your wedding shoes stand to be one of the items to you wear again and again after the big day happens. Every single time you wear those shoes, you will be back in your getting ready room, slipping them just like that time (and all those feels will come flooding back).
3. A new fragrance. The sense of smell is tied so closely to memory–probably more than any other of the senses. If you pick a wedding day perfume or cologne, the memories you make on that day will be tied to that fragrance, and anytime your spritz it, you will relive you “I do.”
4. Matching bridesmaid garb. I know, I know–the silk robes, matching t-shirts, Bride Tribe vibe is nothing new. I get that. But I want to stress how much fun that simple investment can bring to the day. It really is like a uniform: It brings everyone together, makes everyone feel equal to one another, and it allows for individuality to come out! One wedding, all the ladies were wearing tanks with quotes from “Bridesmaids” that applied to their personality, and it was a HOOT! There is going to be so much going on in that getting ready room, the more camaraderie the better!
5. Gifts for one another. It’s easy to think that exchanging gifts with your lovie is not a big deal, but it is. Your wedding isn’t just a formality; it is the beginning of your marriage. Even if you have been dating for twenty years and have been living together for ten. This is still a major milestone milestone in your relationship and marks the start of your next chapter. Celebrate it! Buy him a nice watch or her a nice necklace or put together a boudoir album…something to say “Thank you, I love you, and I always will.”
At the end of the wedding day, no matter where you budget goes, all that truly matters is your direction as you move onto the next part of your lives. Keep that in mind as you manage your dollars (and thanks for listening to my two cents).
