We have made it to the home stretch of wedding planning on a budget. It is more of a mad dash at this point and feels like going down a slip and slide with very little water. We are just hoping that it all comes together; I’m sure I’ll be gray by the date.
We took care of the rentals today and spent more than was budgeted. The color of the tablecloth my daughter wanted wasn’t offered for the size of the tables we need. Instead, I chose simple ivory with a burlap overlay and this will work just as well; however, because we had not planned on overlays, this was more expensive. I had also hoped to borrow tables and just rent chairs, but that didn’t work so we were certainly over budget in the rental category.
I am under budget for decorations because we purchased many of the items, specifically lights and ribbon, after Christmas and saved more than 75%. Even with building a wedding arch, we are still within that budget, thankfully. (Bonus: the arch will go in my garden after.) As for the overall budget, the savings are slowly being eaten by COVID-19 precautions such as extra space for the tables, fewer chairs at each table, and how the luncheon and refreshments will be served. Since a buffet for the luncheon is not a great idea right now, we will have everything premade the day before and served in a single person “box.” We have the boxes and I’m very excited about these! We are also going simple on the beverage and just doing water in bottles, not the dispenser jars.
The tabletop decor is pretty simple and we have added hand sanitizer at every table and each display table; how stylish is that! I will have a few masks for the grands, just in case.
I’m feeling the pressure now – my brain cannot handle anything creative which is currently what I need most. I have been dying wood flowers as part of the decor; hopefully, the blue is gone from my hands by the wedding. I’m questioning all the decor and if it will come together like we want. Basically, I’m questioning everything right now. The only good part about being so busy (and yes, stressed) is that there is no time to think about our one and only getting married, and turning into a blubbering puddle.
This is the point where the budget can be thrown out the window because you just want things done. While I definitely feel that way, I do not want the extra cost and honestly, there is no need. This becomes a matter of discipline in sticking to the budget. It is hard, but the goals for the wedding remain: keep to a budget and do not incur any debt.
We will be busy getting the decor setup since the menu and reception refreshments are finalized. Everything is coming together; the only thing missing is my sanity. If you find it, please let me know. I completely understand why my Dad offered me money to elope a month before my wedding!
This is my fourth wedding on a budget post. Read the first post about selecting a venue here. My second post is about the dress and cupcakes; read that here. My third post on flowers and invitations can be found here. Thanks for joining me on this fun (and stressful) wedding planning journey!
