5 Wedding Upgrades that Won’t Break the Bank

Your wedding is supposed to be your big day. It is also a big deal to all those you have invited to this life changing event. It is tempting to blow your budget apart to make this a memorable event for everyone involved. You don’t necessarily have to blow up the bank to jazz up your wedding, however. In this article, we will take a closer look at some of these unique and interesting ways to add something special to the day without costing so much that you have to go into debt.

Points to Keep in Mind

Although a wedding is very traditional, you can twist that around any way you wish as long as you keep a few points in mind while doing that. Try to make it fun without going over the top. Certainly, be mindful of the age demographic in attendance. Some of your non-traditional plans may be considered offensive by some of your guests.  Even though this is Your Day, aiming for happy memories for your guests is important.  Don’t forget to pay attention to COVID-19 protocols which may regulate the size of your event. Finally, avoid risky elements unless you are a seasoned pro at such things. Extreme examples are bungee jumping or skydiving for the actual “I do” part of your wedding. Better to reserve that type of activity for your honeymoon or on your first anniversary if you want to do something wild.

1 – Guest Wedding Favors They Will Use

The typical wedding favor isn’t exactly useless, but how many weddings have you attended where you instantly made use of the bag of peanuts or personalized wedding hat that awaited you at your table? You might want to change things up a bit by providing something practical and very useful instead. A great idea is drinkware. Why do we suggest this? Because something classy like a nifty looking stemless wine glass or an insulated water bottle is something that will be used over and over again and not buried in the back of a cupboard to collect dust.

2 – Have Your Wedding In A Unique Venue

Sure, churches and backyard gardens are common choices for weddings, and who hasn’t attended a reception dinner at the local Legion Hall? While all of these places are fine ideas, why not stir it up a little by holding your wedding somewhere out of the ordinary? Outdoorsy couples can book space at a campground and combine a fun day next to the Coleman stove with a wedding ceremony. Why not rent a local art gallery or museum? Depending on the time of year for your wedding, a ski lodge could do nicely and give everyone something fun to do before and after the I do’s.

3 – Let Everyone Mingle Pre-Ceremony

Tradition and protocol may frown at this idea, but if you are truly in control of the plans for your big day, then you have the power to make some extreme makeovers to the way your wedding starts and ends. Why not skip the formalities in the beginning and encourage everyone to mingle and get to know each other before the ceremony starts? You can do this with a cocktail hour before the big event, or by booking a bus for a local winery tour.  If everyone is in the bus, it is less likely anyone will miss the wedding. Giving everyone  a chance to socialize (with social distancing)  will help tension and anxiety disappear and help everyone better enjoy the post-wedding reception.

4 – Get Matching Custom Groomsman Socks

According to No Cold Feet, the right pair of custom socks can take wedding day groomsmen outfits to the next level.  Who said the groomsmen had to wear black or white socks to a non-traditional wedding? This is a great opportunity to add a bit of humor and creativity to what is normally a boring, dull clothing item. Find socks with bold and vibrant colors or patterns to allow your groomsmen to show their personalities. There is no doubt wearing those socks will bring memories of your wedding day.

5 – Give Your Guests A Surprise Gift

After you tie the knot, why not do something fun for your guests at the reception? You can offer them salsa or swing dancing lessons in a tent off to the side with a professional dance teacher doing the honors. That tent could also be the site of a mixologist serving up special cocktails created just for your wedding. Along with that could be lessons on how to make those same drinks at home as a pleasant way your wedding can be remembered long after the honeymoon and your first child is born. Anything fun you share just makes the event more memorable.

Bonus Tip – Jazz Up The Guest Book

The traditional guest book is a great idea but why not give it a fresh new look? Have a scrapbooking friend sit with the book at the reception to assist guests in creating a unique message that will reflect more about the wedding than just a signature and words of encouragement. Have a polaroid camera on hand so guests can snap and insert instant photos into the guest book.  The idea here is to make the guest book more of a memory book than just a registry of names. By having fun with the idea of doing something different, your guests will be inspired to follow suit.

In Conclusion

Wedding ceremonies and receptions do not have to be dull or follow the same pattern they have for centuries. This is your big day and as such, you have the right to customize it to become something contemporary. The list of ideas above is meant to inspire you to look at ways to add something new or interesting to your event without putting a huge dent into your budget. Remember to have fun and do something different that will keep your wedding in the memories of those who attended.