The lovely and talented Jennifer Kennedy, founder of Bells n Whistles Event Planners and Stylists has agreed to her top tips for planning a wedding on a budget.

Read on and find out what secret tips from the wedding industry on what to scrimp on, what to splurge on and for those who are embracing D.I.Y and are doing their own flowers. Jennifer did all the planning, styling and the flowers for Chris and Karen’s gorgeous wedding. You won’t believe the results this budget-savvy couple were able to achieve with Jennifer’s help.

If couples are on a budget, where are 3 areas that they can scrimp whilst achieving their dream look?
1. Decorations
You can do so much yourself before the big day…make garlands, signage, placecards, bomboniere/favours – anything and everything. BUT, you do have to remember not to try and do it all yourself on the big day!

It’s a good idea to map out all the things you want to do and how they will all work together. You also have to start early if you are making things yourself – making one origami placecard was easy – making 100 of them will take its toll on you!

Starting early also allows you to spread the cost over a longer period of time. You can also buy alot online or go to Ikea – you’ll be amazed at what you can find there. Everything from lanterns, candles, vases and votive holders.

Top planning tip: Use glass tumblers as tea light holders. They’re taller so if wind is an issue – the taller glass can help keep the candles lit.

2. Wedding Cake
You want your wedding cake to taste awesome, but if you want to save, avoid intricate detailing, piping and sugar flowers. These things are all hand work and are charged accordingly.

A beautiful (and budget-conscious) alternative is to choose your favourite flavour of cake (let’s say chocolate mud) and get a simple marzipan icing. Top with fresh flowers. The effect is lovely and can tie in with your other flowers. After all, you’re going to cut it up and eat it anyway right?

3. Flowers
I have a great respect for florists – their skills, talents and knowledge of all things flowers…but if you just don’t have the budget for it – then try doing it yourself. It will require a practice run!

The best trick is to speak to florists to find out what is in, what works well in bouquets etc and the difference in costs. Before you head to the markets, make sure you know:
- What is in season.
- What flowers work with each other
- The approximate cost of flowers and how much you get in a bunch
- The flowers: Do you need to buy them open or closed? How long till they open?

Then head off to the flower markets – go early and talk to the people selling – they are usually happy enough to give some advise about whether you should buy open or closed flower heads….depending on the day and weather.

Then take your beautiful flowers home and play with them. Youtube is filled with videos on how to make your own arrangements/bouquets/corsages – everything!

What are your tips when buying flowers at the markets?

Don’t be intimidated – it’s loud, chaotic and busy. There are people there buying flowers for their own businesses – they know what they need and are quickly buzzing about getting their flowers.
Don’t think that you are not as important or that your sale is not as valued. Speak up, ask questions, get in there and have fun…the flowers are gorgeous and I personally think it’s a great place to go for inspiration.

Top Planning tip: Some things are best left to the experts, and bouquets, corsages and boutonnières require practice and training. Have a florist make your these items and then do all the other flowers yourself.
You still save money but means you don’t have to worry about doing your own bouquet on the day. You would also work in with the flowers the florist is using – creating synergy!

So now we’ve saved some cash, what are 3 things you should always splurge on?
1. Shoes
You need to be comfy! Happy feet are a must-have at your own wedding…and that goes for the guys too. Girls, make sure you wear your shoes in – wear them about the house in the weeks leading up to the wedding – don’t leave it til the last couple of days as you may find they give you blisters…and the last thing you want is blisters on your blisters on your wedding day.
Amour Amour tip: The aptly named ‘Party Feet‘ are an absolute must-have. Pop them in at the reception and you’ll get a whole new lease of life!

2. Food
You and your guests need to have a happy belly. Many guests remember the food from weddings. Personally, I can actually categorise all the weddings I have every been to by the food! Whilst it isn’t the be all and end all (people won’t think you had the worst wedding if your food isn’t up to scratch) but it is a sticking point. Make sure you trial the food options on your menu and make any changes you think are necessary.

Top Planning Tip: Remember the season – for a winter wedding, perhaps some hearty starters to warm you up.

3. Wedding planner or co-ordinator
Ok I am biased but believe me, planning a beautiful wedding and leaving it to chance to go as planned is a recipe for disaster! Not only that, but it leaves you free to enjoy your day rather than worrying about everyone else. It’s inevitable that unexpected things will come up; guests who forgot to mention special dietary requirements, drunk guests, last minute table arrangement changes, and keeping an eye on the time to ensure you fit everything in.

A coordinator isn’t just about making everything look pretty. We make it all work seamlessly and any troubles there are, you’ll only hear about them when you return from your honeymoon (when they will make you laugh, not cry!)

If your budget can’t stretch to having a planner every step of the way (though remember it can help you get great deals from vendors), use a wedding planner for On the Day coordination. Bells n Whistles provide an all day service – unlimited hours. This includes a handover meeting a week or two prior to the wedding so we can make sure everything is in order before the big day (and we have time to sort things out if things are not quite there). We also assist couples in venue documentation, payments to vendors, runsheets, guest table seating etc…we do more than just turn up on the day.

Top Wedding Tip: The biggest thing with choosing your wedding planner is meeting them – seeing if you want this person at your wedding, advocating for you in the lead up to your day…because if you don’t get a good vibe, then find someone else.

And your best tip for couple’s on a budget?
A trend at the moment with small budget weddings is to do the ‘big’ ceremony thing, followed by a champagne service. After that, some of the guests will then go to a restaurant for a nice celebratory dinner with the couple (each pay their own to keep costs down).
Top Wedding Tip: Reuse the ceremony flowers for the restaurant tables to give it a wedding reception feel.

Unbelievably, the budget for Chris and Karen’s wedding was $4,000. Unbelievably, this included celebrant (Robyn Pattinson), decorations, photographer, the Jay, of Photos by Jay, venue (Balmoral Rotunda for the ceremony), hire equipment (chairs, tables, linen), flowers – everything. Jennifer was able to work within their budget to create exactly what they wanted.

Thank you Jennifer for your fabulous tips, and to Photos By Jay for the lovely photos. Congratulations to Chris and Karen! Thank you for sharing your beautiful wedding day!

Many thanks