MONEY TALK

Wedding budgets have a way of expanding like a balloon. Keep yours from popping (and give yourself some wiggle room for those unexpected expenses or must-haves) by reining in spending. Here, six smart saving tips: ➊ BORROW. Did you totally love the tiara your sister wore? Borrow it for your ensemble! You can borrow jewelry (just like the stars do at Oscar time) and other accessories, honeymoon luggage (no reason to splurge on new suitcases if your parents have good stuff), vases for centerpieces (if you’re doing these yourself) and so on. ➋ USE PEOPLE’S DIY SKILLS. If your aunt is a sewing whiz, she can create a veil or even do alterations on your dress. A skilled artist can create personalized invitations. A crafty pal can come up with a fun favor. An avid scrapbooker can put together an album for you. Just let them know this will be their wedding gift to you. ➌ CREATE A SIGNATURE DRINK. If you’re tempted to save by having a cash bar, stop! Instead, cut down on liquor costs by offering one signature drink (like a gourmet martini) along with beer, soda and juices. Another idea: Buy cases of a favorite local wine and serve just that. ➍ LIMIT THE LIMOS. It’s nice to pull up to the ceremony location in a sleek limo or classic car, but consider skipping the rides elsewhere to save money. Instead have your brother or a cousin chauffeur you and your new hubby to the reception. ➎ DON’T GO FLOWER MAD. There are plenty of ways to keep your bill from blooming: Buy flowers wholesale and give them to a florist to work with or create centerpieces that use candles and just a few beautiful blooms. A profusion of petals looks lush and lovely, but keep in mind you can get the same effect with fewer flowers than you think. ➏ AVOID IMPULSE BUYING. Got everything on your list? Then stop shopping. If you’ve already bought your bridesmaids lovely shawls, and you see pretty handbags that would match… and sparkly earrings…put them down.

• ERASE THE EMOTION. If you were the girl who pinned towels in her hair to play bride, you may need extra help with this step. Pulling the emotion out of the event and remaining level-headed as you shop for your dress will help you stay within the bounds of both budget and practicality. If it helps, bring your mom and a down-to-earth pal along with you. • KNOW WHAT KIND OF SHOPPER YOU ARE. Some brides relish the hunt for the ideal dress, and happily book a number of appointments at bridal salons. They like having a salesperson who offers ideas and selects gown styles for them. Others would really love to just slip into a store (a department store, a specialty boutique, a secondhand shop) and find their dress hanging there on the rack. Both ways are possible. Decide which kind of shopper you are, and work accordingly. • DON’T SECOND-GUESS YOURSELF. Think you’ve found The One? Then you probably have. Look no further—and relax.

It’s likely everyone will be going snap-happy with their camera phones. To avoid ending up with 300 nearly identical shots, give guests a few ideas (print up a card to place on each table). Suggest one photo of each couple at the table, some goofy dance pics and a surprise shot of their choice—all to be shared later.

When you pay a caterer by the head, every guest is a ka-ching on the total bill—not just for the food and drink, but also for tips and taxes, which rise accordingly. Here are some ways to keep the list under control:

• DON’T INVITE THE WHOLE OFFICE—either just ask your boss and your closest friends at work or no one at all.

• DON’T DIG INTO YOUR OLD ADDRESS BOOK for blasts from the past; stick to those people you see regularly. • REIN IN PARENTS. They can invite their friends, but they don’t have to ask the garden club and the tennis buddies and the former neighbors.

Your invitations should be sent out six to eight weeks before the big day, so work backward from there to be sure you order in time. The basic invite announces the hosts of the wedding (whether that’s the two of you, your parents or a combination) and the place and time of the ceremony. It may include a card that gives the reception details, a reply card and envelope. Have a sample of the invite in hand before deciding to use it—and proofread! Never include registry information with your invitation.

No matter what your wedding budget may be, here’s a rough idea of how much is typically spent in each category. Keep in mind that the numbers are not hard and fast. Some couples may, for example, choose to spend more on photography and less on fl owers. It’s completely up to you!

• Reception: 40% • Engagement rings and wedding bands: 6% • Photography and videography: 10.5% • Invitations: 2% • Wedding attire: 7% • Flowers: 5% • Music: 5% • Miscellaneous: 10% • Honeymoon: 14.5% MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SAMPLE OF YOUR INVITE IN HAND BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO USE IT— AND REMEMBER TO PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD!

It’s easy to become so caught up in the planning that you forget one simple thing: you! So start now to create and stick to a self-care plan.

Even a 30-minute walk several times a week can be enough to keep you feeling energetic. To prevent fatigue, take a multivitamin everyday, especially if you’re skipping meals. Bring healthy snacks—almonds, a banana—along with you when you go shopping or to work.

Most brides-to-be find themselves having some late nights, but try your best not to skimp on sleep; not getting enough contributes to lowered immunity, and you don’t want to get sick now. Plus, well-rested gals always look their best.

If you want to maintain your current cut and/or color, tell your regular hairstylist, and be sure you’re not due for an appointment the week before your big day (you should ideally have your hair cut and colored a couple of weeks prior). If this stylist will do your hair for the wedding, see her for a practice session or two to try a couple of hairdos. (If you’re wearing a headpiece or tiara, bring it along.)

Most stores will give you free makeovers; tell them you’re getting married and they’ll go all out.

BY ELENA DONOVAN MAUER

“Go online and look at ‘for sale’ items on local boards. I found someone selling used votive holders and got a deal on a box of them. I had to remove the ribbons she had on hers, because they didn’t match my decorations, but that bit of extra work was worth it.” —Lynda, Sterling, VA SHOP IN UNEXPECTED PLACES “I thought I’d fi nd our favors in a craft store or at a wedding website, but I spotted some really pretty scented candles at a discount department store for under $2 each. We asked the store to order them in bulk for us, then added personalized matchbooks and put them in white boxes with a monogrammed sticker. I think they came in at about $3.50 apiece total. It was so much fun to do these things ourselves.”—Melissa, Greenville, NC I always admired a good friend’s handwriting, so I asked her to address my wedding invitations. She was honored to pitch in.

“There are lots of ways to personalize your wedding, and not all of them cost a great deal. I had cocktail napkins printed with our names and wedding date. It cost less than $30 for a huge number, and that “ “Set the Stage “We had our wedding in my small hometown, rather than in New York City, not for sentimental reasons but because we quickly found out it costs about half as much to rent event space there! The added bonus was that my family was very happy.” —Diana, New York City Work Your Contacts “My friend’s sister is starting a business designing invitations, so she made ours for free. All she asked was that she could keep some to show future clients. They looked so beautiful, we had one framed.” —Amie, Moon, PA “My friend, who is a fl orist’s assistant, designed bouquets for my bridesmaids and for me. It not only saved cash, but the fact that she created the bouquets for us also made them feel very special.” —Jeanette “Through an acquaintance from college, I found a photographer whose career was just getting off the ground. She was reasonably priced.” —Lynda one little touch made me really happy.” —Jeanette, Reston, VA✳ —Janet, Hancock, VT

“We rented our centerpieces from the reception venue for a low fee. They were wrought-iron hurricane lamps with pillar candles inside— perfect for our nauticalstyle theme!” —Leah, Dorchester, MA

“Before you assume that renting will be more affordable, do a little research. My fl orist wanted me to spend $5 a pop to rent her vases. Instead, I bought mine from a wholesale supplier for about $2 apiece. —Emily, Pittsburgh, PA

“Shhh! It’s a secret! I bought my dress off the rack. It had been tried on by other people, but it looked just like any other dress— and it only cost me $200!” —Amie “Finding something more upscale in your price range is usually possible— it just takes some extra work. I saved money on my designer dress by purchasing it at a trunk show. Don’t be afraid to shop around!” —Jena, Philadelphia, PA Find a Creative Alternative Be Selective About the Extras✳

We kept costs down by holding our wedding at a public park—the same place where my parents had their wedding reception! —Brandie, La Mirada, CA

““I nixed a wedding video and used a small portion of what I would have spent on it to rent a photo booth—it was between $500 and $600. Guests had so much fun getting their pictures taken with props. We now have a really cute album with photos and messages “ from everyone!” —Emily “We decided to skip the wedding cake. It’s a tradition in my family for relatives to bake homemade sweets to serve at a buffet at the reception. With all those amazing cookies, we didn’t really need a cake.” —Jeanette

“Our site offered a convenient package deal that provided everything we needed for the kind of wedding we envisioned. If you wanted, you could choose to upgrade to matching colored napkins or add decorative chair covers, but we didn’t feel it was necessary. We were happy with what was offered, so that’s what we did. It was awesome!” —Jeanette “There are a lot of things brides are convinced they need to buy. I kept seeing decorated card boxes to display at the reception, but in the end, I decided to make one myself. I bought a plain ivory satin box from a craft store, added pretty silk fl owers in autumn hues that matched my bouquet and then topped it with a rhinestone monogram letter. All in all, I think it probably cost $30, and my mom and I both thought it looked much better than the pre-made ones!” —Emily

“Because we decided to hold our wedding on a Saturday at noon, the site fee was a real bargain. We served the meal buffetstyle and had open seating. I think people enjoyed the relaxed feel of it because everyone really let loose!” —Beverly, Leonia, NJ

“At the end of the night, most wedding favors get left behind or thrown away! So we decided to make a donation to our town’s Salvation Army. It felt great to help a local charity, and it probably cost a bit less than conventional favors since we didn’t have to buy fancy packaging or pay shipping costs.” —Emily

“My brother is really into music, and he used his laptop to DJ at our reception. All we did was rent speakers. We came up with a playlist together, which was fun, and he was happy to handle the rest. We’re into indie music, so it was nice to be able to hear so many of our favorite songs, which are kind of offbeat, along with more popular stuff to keep

“Some photographers don’t give you the copyright to your photos, but I negotiated to get all the high-resolution image fi les to reproduce as we like. I was able to design my album using a photo-sharing website. I think I spent no more than $60 on the album, and it turned out just perfectly.” —Jennifer “We saved a lot by choosing a sparsely decorated site. To spruce it up, I wanted to hang puff balls made of colorful tissue paper. You can buy a craft kit to make these decorations, but instead I found tissue paper in bulk and purchased fl oral wire from a craft store. Then I invited a few close friends over. We made dozens of decorations. Don’t be afraid to ask for help—if you need something assembled, just offer dinner or drinks!” —Lynda “We printed our invitations at home from a kit that I found on clearance at a craft store for under $50. Luckily, I happened to love the ones on sale. If you’re going to go this route, though, I would recommend breaking up the project over a few evenings. Our printer overheated!” —Jeanette