I can’t tell you how many times I hear brides talk about feeling “obligated” to have certain people as their bridesmaids. Before you know it, they have 8 or more girls marching down the aisle with them. I know because I was one of them! You’re not obligated to do anything on your day- only what you want to do. If you cut your wedding party to 2 or 3 bridesmaids (including the maid of honor), people will understand that you are only including your absolute closest friends/family and they won’t be offended.
Here’s how you’ll save:
- wedding party gifts (typically, people spend $30-100 on each bridesmaid)
- limo (instead of getting a stretch limo for 20 people, now you can get a smaller one for
- flowers (a bridesmaid bouquet typically costs between $75-150)
- photographer (the more people in the wedding party, the more variety of shots and angles the photographer has to take. I’m not talking about money on this one, but more the amount of time you have to spend away from your event to get all those shots)
- rehearsal dinner (less heads to pay for)
All costs aside, making your wedding party more intimate means more quality time with the people who are most important to you and less running around trying to get everyone doing what they need to be doing. It’s really less of a headache and more of a good time if you don’t have to worry about dealing with a huge wedding party.
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About the Author:
Kerry McCullough is the owner of Maryland Budget Wise Weddings, a website that helps brides on a budget to plan an affordable wedding in the Maryland area. After planning her own wedding a year and a half ago, Kerry realized how challenging it can be to create a memorable event that doesn’t break the bank. Visit: http://www.budgetwiseweddingmd.com.
For more general ideas on planning budget friendly weddings, visit her blog: http://www.budgetwisewedding.blogspot.com
