Bridal Shower on a Budget

Hey again Wedding Watchers!

So I set out to find what people want to know, so I can use it as the next topic for my blog. To be honest I loved all of them! So I decided to start with bridal showers on a budget.  Bridal showers can be so expensive. To be honest, it really doesn’t have to be. Whoever is planning your shower, shouldn’t be stressed out about the cost. Yes, we all want our showers to be “Pinterest worthy”, but you can definitely do it on a smaller budget. Here are some thing to consider before you plan a bridal shower:

1. The Venue: The venue is the most important part of the process.  It’s also the most expensive.  Ask yourself, ” Do we really need a lavish venue or nice restaurant”?  The answer is NO.  People fail to realize that home showers are still a thing.  If your space isn’t big enough, or you really don’t want to necessarily have it in your home, borrow a friend or family members home.  Home showers are so much more personalized and ALL the guest can interact with each other vs. interacting with the people at their table.
2. The Food: Keep the food selection simple (there’s a beauty in simplicity).  Make it yourself or recruit someone who can cook to help.  A spread of appetizers is a fantastic idea. You could also ask guests to bring a dish.   Make it fun and ask each guest to bring a recipe card so you can create a cook book with the cards. Depending on the time of the year, you could make it a bbq.  Who doesn’t love a good hamburger and hotdog? Skip the catered food to cut your costs.
3. Decorations: Again, keep it simple.  You could do a few things.  The dollar store is a great place to get supplies. You could create “dollar store centerpieces” with vases, rocks, floating candle and flowers or petals. Non-floral centerpieces are another great idea; simple, yet beautiful.  Balloons (from the dollar store), are another cost effective centerpiece idea.  If you want to do fresh florals, you can.  Check to see if there are produce stores in the area that provide fresh flowers in bulk, for less.  You could add the fresh flowers with any dollar store centerpiece ideas you have!
   

   Sweetheart Table on a Budget

    

   

   Bridal Shower Set Up on a Budget

4. Evites:  This is a genius idea.  A bridal shower is not a wedding.  Spending hundreds of dollars  on an invitation that someone will throw out, isn’t the best idea. There are plenty of websites where you can create electronic invitations, for FREE.   This also saves on postage. Don’t get me wrong, I love invitations and details, but if you are trying to cut the costs, this is something you should highly consider.  Save a fancy invite for the wedding.
5. Desserts and Candy Tables:  Skip the fancy bakery.  Is there a family member or friend who is the bakes like Betty? Ask for his or her help.  Choose 3-4 different desserts and make in small bulk.  You don’t have the time? That’s ok too.  Go to your local membership retail store.  You can buy cupcakes and goodies in bulk, and put them out.  While you’re there, grab a bag of a basic candy like small chocolate candy and put them out too.  These stores are also an awesome place to get candy in bulk.  Fun-not-so-fun fact:  For my 2nd baby shower, I wanted cupcakes from a local bakery.  My sisters paid over $100 for them, and they weren’t as good as the ones that we usually get from Sam’s for $15.  No one was really a fan. Lesson learned.
6. Favors: Eliminate.  That’s the point in the dessert and/or candy bar.  People love edibles.
7. Chair rentals:  The bride always gets a special chair. Always.  The new thing, (which I love), are the throne chairs.  Love them.  Nice to have? Yes. Is it a necessity? No. Take one of the chairs that are provided, whether you are having a shower at home or in a venue, and decorate it.  Tulle is a wonderful material.

All-in-all, budget carefully.  If you can effectively fit catered food or a throne chair into your budget, do it. However, there are ways around certain aspects of a bridal shower that may take a large chunk out of your budget.  The misconception that if you budget, or as some clients say, “go cheaper”, doesn’t necessarily mean, that it will look “cheaper” than someone who may have splurged on a venue or hired a florist to do centerpieces.  So, budget wisely, recruit help and utilize the dollar store!  Until next time Wedding Watcher!