Here you will find great ideas for beautiful wedding table decorations for less money, thanks to Toronto Wedding Photography research and advice to make your wedding day elegant and memorable.

A wonderful idea for centerpieces for the tables at the reception includes clear bowls with water filled ½ in them and candles floating in colors to compliment the wedding colors with an added touch of fresh flowers mixed in for an exquisite decoration scheme. Centerpieces can also be made with flower pots decorated to coordinate with the weddings theme and have votive candles atop sand in the pots then surrounded with fragrant flowers for a nice and charming setting at every table. You can also decorate the tables with linen table clothe and scatter about elegant petals of roses in red, pink nor yellow for ambiance to the reception settings and place lovely candles in the middle for a glow of romance. There is one of the perfect places for the most romantic reception and ceremonies as well as wedding photography in Mississauga a friendly city with the wedding feel all around it. (more…)

Tags: Budget, decoration, wedding table

The reception is traditionally one of the most expensive aspects of a wedding. However, by combining personal creativity and ingenuity with inexpensive, ready-made items available at discount retailers, brides-to-be and cash-strapped parents can host a beautiful wedding reception without blowing through the entire bridal budget.

“Creating a beautiful wedding environment on a budget is simple”. By putting a personal touch on everything from table centerpieces to wedding favors, brides and grooms can save while creating memories for years to come.

While June is still the most popular month for weddings, according to a recent study by Hallmark.com, September and October are quickly gaining in popularity. Here are some great last-minute planning tips this fall for brides and grooms-to-be:

* If renting a reception tent, create a romantic environment by purchasing sheering fabric and 2-inch ribbon from a local discount retailer to drape around the canopy. Create billows of fabric and hang from the ceiling, wrap around poles, and swag in the entryway.

* Whether throwing an indoor or outdoor reception, flowers help set the tone but can quickly add up. A typical flower budget is 15 percent of the overall cost of a wedding. Consider using some of the beautiful and realistic-looking silk flowers available today intermingled with arrangements of fresh flowers to keep the romance high and the costs low. The bride and groom can use the silk flowers in the home for years to come.

* Every bride wants to do something unique at her wedding. Create a dramatic, sweet-smelling entrance for guests by lining a walkway to the reception venue or reception tent with fresh rose petals. Also consider renting a bubble machine, available at retailers such as Wal-Mart, for some added ambiance and fun.

* Renting both table settings and white linen tablecloths can get expensive. Instead, consider purchasing clear glass plates from a discount retailer. Stack the salad plate on top of the dinner plate and place a large leaf between the two for a very pretty place setting. Buying plates is often less expensive than renting and the bride and groom can keep them for the years (and dinner parties) ahead.

* Remember to keep centerpieces either low enough or high enough so guests can see each other from across the table. A simple cake pedestal adorned with sugared fruits and a candle makes a beautiful and an inexpensive centerpiece. Add to the sugary sparkle by placing candles in votive candle holders to illuminate the centerpieces from underneath. Remember to place approximately half an inch of water in each candle holder or glass for easy removal of melted wax.

* For more formal wedding receptions, assigning guests to tables is considered proper etiquette but that doesn’t mean it has to be stuffy. Purchase large sugar cookies and pipe romantic words like “joy,” “hope,” “love,” and “forever” on each cookie. Place one cookie in each centerpiece to replace traditional numbered tables and have your place cards direct your guests to these romantically identified tables.

* Wedding favors that double as place cards can be made by purchasing sugar cookies from a local bakery that are iced in white. Pipe each guest’s names on the cookies in colored icing a day or two before the wedding. Place in cellophane bags, tied with a ribbon, and set at each guest’s place setting so guests know where to sit.

* Handmade keepsakes given out during the wedding reception are an easy and thoughtful way to thank the wedding party. Create beautiful, unique cards for the bridesmaids by purchasing simple white note cards, decorated with the wedding’s theme colors embellished with different fabrics or small trinkets purchased from a craft department. Write a cherished memory or personal note inside the card, which bridesmaids can keep for the years to come.

* And don’t forget the wedding cake, which can be very expensive, depending on the number of guests attending. Consider purchasing a decorated sheet cake from a local bakery in addition to a smaller tiered cake. Then marry them together as one elaborate cake with piping and rose petals. Brides and grooms may find that bakeries like those at a Wal-Mart Supercenter can make unique and cost-conscious tiered wedding cakes that are beautiful as well as delicious. Remember, all cakes are created equal — flour, sugar, and butter — so there’s no need to spend a fortune on one.

Tags: Budget, Wedding Reception, wedding tips

Probably the most money you will spend for a single day will be that for your wedding; the average cost of a wedding today is 20 to 25 hundred thousand dollars with an industry estimated at 25.3 billion dollars per year. It is understandable that many couples feel pressured into spending money they do not have but it really isn’t necessary; carried out properly, the majority of guests will not even realize they have attended a ‘cheap wedding‘. All you need is a few cost saving ideas to point you in the right direction; which should make for an exciting, memorable day without the financial pain.

Hand Me Down Bespoke Wedding Dresses

Fortunately there are several options available to help reduce this cost, including the option of a dress that has been worn before. The huge cost of a new wedding dress cannot always be justified these days; many bridal shops carry a large number of previously owned dresses that can be hired or bought for considerably less than new.

The Reception

It is easy for couples to get swept up in the excitement and spend a small fortune on the reception; statistics show that an average of 189 guests attend so when you are planning your cheap wedding, this is where most savings take place. Don’t invite everyone you know, in particular relatives you haven’t seen since you were a child; as far as the meal is concerned why not have a buffet instead of a full, waited on, three course meal.

Although it is nice to hold the wedding reception in a beautiful hotel, this can be another huge expense but alternatives exist; there are many clubs that would be perfectly suitable or even the home of a good friend or relative that is large enough.

Images of the Wedding

Photographers are expensive but there is generally no need to hire one for the whole day; why not have your friends and relatives take pictures during the reception. Although it may sound like an unusual idea, you always have the option to not use a professional photographer at all; there is no reason why the photos can’t be taken by your guests and you will find yourself saving many hundreds if not thousands, of dollars.

PC Produced Personalized Wedding Invites

Other areas where you can be assured of saving money is wedding invitations and other stationery; today’s home computers and printers are able to provide near professional results. Many people are now competent enough to produce near professional quality work; problems and errors can be corrected quickly without regular visits to the printers.

The Wedding Flowers

Cost cutting measures can also be found in the area of flowers and their arrangement; these can actually be purchased in large quantities from wholesalers or even from your own garden if you have the capacity. Many people have friends who are very capable cooks and love to bake so why not let them bake a two or three tier wedding cake; this can be made from sponge or even a chocolate cake which tends to be favorite amongst people these days.

The Transportation

Most people, when asked, feel proud if their car can be used as wedding transportation; it is surprising how impressive this can look when done properly.

Cheap weddings are possible without the wedding seeming it has been cost driven; the point is that guests enjoy the day!

Tags: Budget, cheap wedding

In this day and age, weddings are becoming more and more expensive and wedding cakes are no exception. However, it is possible to serve a beautiful cake while maintaining a budget.

One of the best ways to save money on wedding cakes is to consider a kitchen cake. This is a flat slab cake iced on top to match the wedding cake, but generally without piping, flowers etc. When the cake is cut and served, guests are unable to tell the difference between slices of the actual wedding cake and the kitchen cake.

You may also consider having a “dummy” cake as a centrepiece on the cake table. Rent or buy a Styrofoam show-cake from your local baker, and have the caterer serve your guests from sheet cakes or kitchen cakes that are plated in the back kitchen. Or have a single, small cake for show and several sheet cakes to cut for the guests.

When choosing your wedding cake design, opt for simple cakes with minimal decoration as the more labour that is required to decorate the cake, the more expensive. Try to also skip having multiple tiers with fancy pillars. Instead, have the cake layers stacked or borrow pillars if your baker provides this service, or have the baker use disposable pillars instead of the costly crystal ones. Also, check with your local rental company to see if it has any available.

Another option to minimise costs is to try having the cake decorator make and ice the cake, whilst you put your own fresh flowers as decoration for the cake. You can ask your florist to supply extra flowers for the cake to match your bouquets or just pick the flowers on the day of your wedding. If that’s not possible, store the flowers on a plate with some water in your fridge. Sprinkling petals, cascading down tiers or placing flowers around the base of the cake are simple yet elegant designs.

Alternatively, bake your own cake or enlist the help of a friend or family member to do this for you as their wedding gift to you. Fruit, candy, ribbon and marzipan sculpted into flowers and figurines make for beautiful wedding cake designs.

Check also if your reception venue offers a wedding cake as part of the catering deal. Some venues will provide the entire wedding cake whilst others will just provide the first tier.

Another option for couples on a budget is to have cupcakes rather than traditional wedding cakes. This is not only a great way to save money, but it is also a very popular option and can be done beautifully. It is both unique and different and can enhance the beauty of the wedding. The cupcakes are generally arranged in tiers similar to wedding cakes. Each guest will receive an individual cupcake. This saves on having to pay the fee for cake cutting as well as paying for a large, expensive cake. The fee when a reception venue or caterer charges for cutting and serving a cake is called “cakeage”. Fees can be up to $4 or $5 a head.

Finally, decide when and how the cake will be served.

As dessert: you will need a large slice of cake and need to cater for every person attending the function as the cake is a part of the formal meal and a generous slice has to be put in front of the guest whether they are going to eat it or not . When the cake is served as dessert you normally need 3 times as much cake as when the serving is as a coffee slice.

As coffee: as “finger” slice which is normally served on a platter towards the end of the evening. A general rule is that you need only cater for 70% of the guests

There are many considerations when it comes to wedding cakes: size, flavor, design, and of course choosing the right bakery. The bride and groom on a budget should remember to look at lots of different ideas before deciding what they want. Visiting several bakeries and getting quotes are a great way to taste yummy wedding cakes as well as perusing bridal magazines to find inspiration.

However, if a wedding cake is really out of the budget, than consider skipping the cake altogether and serve a non-traditional dessert, such as tartlets, cheesecake, or a dessert buffet. Mmm… yum

Tags: Budget, Wedding Cake