So your bestie is getting married! This is definitely a cause for celebration. But not everyone has loads of money to throw around, even if it’s for your bestie’s wedding. You can’t overindulge and rack up a lot of debt because it’ll be hellish to deal with later. And maybe you’re not in a great financial position yourself. So how are you going to help make sure it’s a budget wedding?
Bestie’s Wedding On A Budget
The first thing to consider is planning.
- Make a plan for everything, from the pre-bachelorette to the post-wedding plans. It’s likely that as the bride’s best friend, you’ll have a lot of stuff to get done. You need to make sure your bestie’s wedding is the best that it can be, but also make sure that your contributions in terms of finances don’t put you in a difficult position. Make sure you also put in a lot of effort, because that matters.
- Plan your expenses in a proper way. Try to account for as much as you can. Try to break down costs and cut costs wherever possible. Put down dates, times, and locations and people involved, so there’s no confusion.
The second thing you need to make sure of is how a budget wedding can be pulled off. Wherever you have to contribute, you can cut costs whenever possible, including
- When you’re planning the bachelorette, try to stick to your budget. Get the other bridesmaids or friends of the bride to help you with things like decorations and flowers, so you don’t have to just pay outrageous prices for them.
- The location could be someone’s home instead of having to pay a fee for hiring a location. In that case, you could also partially cook some food at home instead of having to order out.
- Come up with games, music, and all the fun stuff. These won’t burn a hole in your pocket.
- The things you can spend on can be bought, such as some necessary party supplies, alcohol, some face masks and pick-me-up kits, etc.
When it comes to gifts and party favors, you can try to opt for handmade stuff as much as possible, or at least try to DIY some items, especially if some of your girlfriends have any special skills. Consider handmade sashes, goodie bags of pampering kits and homemade beauty scrubs, cute plants, and so on.
For the wedding gift itself, it’s entirely up to you how much you can spend. Don’t feel guilty if you can’t buy something too expensive, your bestie will understand. You could consider pooling money with other friends to get something really fancy (particularly for the bridal shower) or add a handmade gift to your main gift if you feel it’s not packing enough of a punch.
It’s also impossible to forget wedding beauty looks. After all, you’re the best friend of the bride, and you need to rock your look! But wedding beauty looks can be difficult to put together if you’re a bit broke, so you need to adjust accordingly.
- Make your wedding wardrobe as cut back as possible, by renting outfits. This will make it a lot easier for you to look amazing and still not be spending too much money. Even if you buy a really good outfit, you won’t be able to wear it everywhere, so renting is a good option.
- Consider doing your own hair and makeup instead of hiring someone. If you’re not too steady with a makeup brush but you’ve got a friend who can do a great makeup look, ask for their help.
- If there are a couple of days of celebration, plan accordingly. Maybe you can rent some outfits, borrow some, buy accessories or an outfit or too where necessary, or, when all else fails, ask your mom for her old outfits! Just make sure you’ve got a versatile wedding wardrobe with a few things to choose from if there’s a lot of events planned.
The most important thing, really, is to have fun and be there for your BFF. This is a huge day for her, and no doubt she’s planning a budget wedding too and is tearing her hair out over flowers, decorations, and the perfect dress. Just make sure you’re there for her when things get out of control. As a best friend, that’s honestly the best gift you can give her!
Also read: Outdoor Hen Party Ideas For Your BFF's Wedding