I аm a wedding videographer, аחԁ I’m pretty sure tһаt video wουƖԁ bе one οf tһе first things tο ɡο οח a tight wedding budget. Wһаt аrе ѕοmе οtһеr things tһаt уου аrе going tο ɡο without? I’d Ɩіkе tο hear frοm those ON a budget still wanting video. Thanks!
Tags: love, wedding budget, wedding videographer
Cuts in this order :
1. custom invitations for ones done at home. You can buy some incredible DIY kits
2. Make-up & expensive shoes
3. Elaborate Centerpieces & scale back favors
5. Sit down dinner for buffet
6. Scale back Open Bar in some way.
7. And I’d cut the videographer for the entire reception, but I would absolutely want the ceremony, first dance, and toasts recorded and not pay to have random shots of dinner and dancing next. I might having the cake cut being videoed, but that would be the sacrifice I’d make.
8. I’d hire a pre-professional/hobbiest photographer. (But not videographer - there is more that can go incorrect with sound, etc.)
My brother does part time wedding video and he’s finding people are still having the core videoed, but not the preparation, etc. nor are they hiring the company to do the photo-videos anymore.
Answers will depend on each person’s expectations. Some people may want the video more than nice flowers. Some may want a chocolate fountain more than a video.
There are basic needs (courthouse wedding) and then everything else is extra according to budget.
How we’re saving–> No wedding planner. Dress was only $400. Have very simple, classic invitations. DIY programs. Picked a pretty place for the ceremony, so no need for ceremony decorations. Fiance wants a tungsten band (which is inexpensive). Very casual rehearsal dinner. I am doing my own makeup, bc I’m really excellent at it. Buying a pretty cake, but also having sheet cakes in the back for serving our 200 guests. Simple and edible favors.
We’re still doing a plated dinner w/a full open bar and champagne toast. We splurged $3,000 on a photographer and $300 on dance lessons for our opening number (a slow-paced waltz that switches over to a quick-paced salsa).
Sorry to say, but we cut video. Not that it wouldn’t be nice to have, but we don’t really see ourselves watching it much. But if we’re under budget, then we’ll doubtless do video for the ceremony.
I despise to say it but video was one of the first things we cut.
We did cut things like floral centrepieces (making our own instead), printed invites (printing our own), instead of a DJ we’re using our own computer.
But the first thing we cut completely out was the videographer. I wanted to keep it so terrible but just couldn’t. We tried so hard but we had to cut an $8000 budget down to $4000.
Well, if the economy gets any worse, the first to go likely will be the wedding planners themselves. As for me personally, I reckon that I would just perish if my wedding had no flowers.
Nothing really, I still got everything I wanted. I didn’t get a videographer, I have never wanted one. My sister had one, she paid thousands, and she has watched her video once in the past 12 years.
1. Chair covers
2. Hired transportation (using our own)
3. Videographer ( instead I’m having three (borrowed) video recorders on tripods filming at different angles and chopping the footage myself. I don’t favor this but it’s this or nothing at all.)
4. plants (silk instead)
5. Invitations (DIY pocketfolds instead of the engraved heavy paperweights)
6. Honeymoon (hopefully we’ll be in a better fiscal place on our 1st anniversary)
honestly, the videographer is the only thing we cut, and it was due to the budget. Where we are in NY, the excellent videographers are $3,000 - $5,000, and the ones that are less expensive don’t produce work that we thought was worth spending any money on. We were lucky, even if, because we received a high-end video camera for Xmas this past year, and one of our friends worked at, and made shows for, warner brother. He is going to shoot the main aspects like the ceremony, first dance, and cake cutting for free - we wanted to have a touch on tape, but with our $10,000 in photography, I reckon we will have a lovely enough album to not care if the video has a montage.
Oh, and we cut our invites from the initial top that was $4000 to a nice, but much cheaper, set for $1700. That’s all we cut back (we are paying for the wedding ourselves).
I intend to have a very budget conscious wedding and I know I’ll want a video of it! It’s just my personality! There are other money saving things we intend to do that will make our wedding much more personal and so much more unique and gorgeous!
Here’s my wedding plot:
$ - My Catholic church - predecorated because that’s how it always is
$ - I plot to pick my own flowers for bouquets etc.
$ - Family will take pictures and maybe a video (I like amateur videos better anyway!)
$ - Using the church musicians for the ceremony
$ - Home printed invites (20 people) and programs
0 - No favors
$$ - My dress is under $200
$$ - My fiance has his culinary arts degree, so food is taken care of
That’s about it. So, really the only thing that would make much of a difference in price is my dress, and it is pretty cheap already.
Cars, bombonierre’s (thank you cards are just as excellent as sugared almonds!) a fancy cake. I would still splash out on a photographer & maybe a videographer because in 20 or 30 years I want to share that day with people who weren’t there like my family.
1) Videographer- sorry… but it’s just not reasonable during these times…. and I will have a family member do an amature video.
2) Photographer… having a friend who is semi-professional take them at a discounted rate.
3) Wedding planners- an expense that is not needed in these times.
I had a budget even before the economy went into the toilet and I had no plans for a video or limos from the start.
As I had to tighten my budget I cut back on the flowers (I’m having non-floral centerpieces), I did very reasonable favors, I am doing alot of things myself - save the date cards & invites.