Jerri Woolworth Weddings| San Diego Wedding Planner

Congratulations!

He popped the question on New Year’s Eve at the stroke of midnight! Or maybe he gave a heartwarming proposal in front of friends and family at Thanksgiving dinner. Or he got down on one knee amongst the lights and tinsel by the Christmas tree. Getting back to work after the first of the year is so hard with all the thoughts of dress designers, color palettes, and guest lists filling your mind. That resolution about losing 10 pounds isn’t so much for a regular summer bikini, anymore, but for a bikini on your HONEYMOON!

Now what?

Luckily, I’ve compiled a list of new year’s resolutions specifically for you, the bride-to-be. Maybe you’ve made these resolutions before, but they’ll take on special meaning now as you plan for your big day!

Resolution 3: Trim the Fat

One of the most popular new year’s resolutions is to trim down and lose those extra pounds. After all, beach season is fast approaching. As a new bride-to-be, you obviously want to feel your best on your wedding day and that may include watching what you eat and exercising. I’m no health expert (Frappuccinos are my weakness – don’t judge!), but I can offer some advice for trimming the fat from your wedding budget, something that everyone can agree on, whether you’re footing the bill or not. Especially if you’re footing the bill.

• Avoid the high season. Most weddings happen May-October. One of the easiest ways to trim the fat from your budget is to get married a little earlier or a little later in the season. In Las Vegas (where I live), this works out better, anyway because of the heat. Your groom and groomsmen (who I’m sure don’t love the idea of standing in 114 degree heat in a 3-piece tuxedo) will thank you!
• Save a tree. Wedding invitations can be expensive, especially when you’re sending them to extended family and friends across the country. There are no shortage of online options for invitations, registries, and RSVP cards. Just make sure that you have an accurate system of counting the amount of people who will be in attendance. Putting together a public event on Facebook doesn’t work. You can always send a smaller amount of personal, handwritten invitations to close family and friends.
• Know the times. It’s no secret that the most expensive time to rent a wedding hall or venue is Saturday at 7pm. I know a bride and groom who saved over $1,000 just by doing their wedding as a Sunday brunch. Added bonus: get to your honeymoon quicker!
• Consider what matters. In deciding what to save money on and what to expenses to cut, think beyond the day-of. When you sit down with your spouse 10 years from your wedding, what will you remember? The majority of many bridal budgets is spent on food. Ask your parents if they remember what they had for dinner at their wedding. They won’t remember. Ask to see pictures, though, and they’ll still have them in a closet, I’m sure. I’m not suggesting serving crackers and fake cheese on the most important day of your life, but keep things in perspective.

Here’s some advice you may not hear from your mother: spend money on what’s important. If the most important thing in the world to you is to have out-of-season roses at your wedding, get them. If the venue that you’ve dreamt of getting married at your entire life is a little more expensive than you’d like, do it. There are certain things you should sacrifice for, go over-the-top with, and remember forever. Your wedding is one of them.

Next up: Resolution #4: Give back!