Ways to Save on Your Wedding Gown
The first featured dress, Margarite by Mariana Hardwick is $5995
More expensive because:
• Hand appliqué detail in bodice and watermark in the skirt
• Layers silk chiffon featured throughout the gown
• Complex internal skirt structure
• Hand caught intricate draping through bodice
• Multi-panelled bodice for structured tailored fit around waist and bust.
• Due to complex nature is only offered as a made to fit gown - $5995
The second dress, Athena by Mariana Hardwick is $3195
Less expensive because:
• More economical fabrication in the tulle skirt
• Beading placement as opposed to hand beaded lace detail
• Simple design lines
• Can be purchased off the rack for - $3195 – half the price of Margarite!
Other tips to save on your wedding gown:
• Be honest with your designer about your budget, as they can often design your dress to suit your individual budget
• It’s usually less expensive to opt for a less embellished dress – any hand beading or intricate hand work will increase the price
• Choose a fine cotton lining instead of silk – no one can see the inner lining of the gown, and you can save a few hundred dollars
• Buying off the rack is always cheaper than a made-to-measure gown
Ways to Save on Your Wedding Cake
• The featured 3-tier wedding cakes from Alison Louise Designer Cakes are identical apart from the fact that one cake has fresh flowers, and the other has sugar icing flowers.
• By requesting fresh flowers instead of icing flowers, you can save money.
• This particular example: wedding cake with icing flowers: $750, wedding cake with fresh flowers: $600. That’s a saving of $150!
Other tips to save money on your wedding cake:
• Try to use a supplier close to your venue to avoid a large delivery fee.
• The more detailed work the cake decorator has to do on the cake, the higher the price. To save money, keep the design simple and add more budget-friendly decorations such as fresh flowers, ribbon that matches your colour scheme or even a cake-topper that you have ordered especially.
• Choose square or round cakes. The more difficult the shape, the higher the price and the harder for the venue to cut up into nice pieces.
Ways to Save on your Floral Centrepiece
• The featured floral centre pieces by Brett Currell look very similar to each other – but have a big cost difference between them by selecting cheaper flowers.
• The more expensive centerpiece is $150, and includes more expensive flowers like orchids and roses
• Less expensive centerpiece is $85, and includes less expensive flowers like lilies and snap dragons
That’s a saving of $65 per centerpiece!
Other Tips to Save Money on your Floral Centrepiece:
• The cheapest flowers are those that are naturally blooming during your wedding. This allows florists to obtain blooms locally rather than paying expensive shipping fees and the flowers will be fresher and more vibrant.
• Flowers that are difficult to cultivate are more expensive, such as calla lilies, gardenias, and orchids.
• White flowers are also more expensive because they bruise easily, requiring a florist to order extra blooms to construct bouquets and decorations without brown shading or wilted petals.
• Cornflowers, camellias, daisies, and carnations are generally inexpensive, easily attainable flowers.
• Roses, tulips, freesia, and lilacs vary in price depending on the season and climate.
• Avoid getting married around peak flower seasons like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, as flowers are in high demand, creating higher prices and fewer options.
Ways to Save on your Bomboniere
1. The featured pre-packed chocolate box from Sisko Chocolates is $6.60 per unit, and the pack-it-yourself box is $4.60 - that’s a saving of $2 per bomboniere. If you invite 100 guests, you can save $200 by packing the chocolates yourself!
2. ‘Sphere’ chocolate bombonieri. One is pre-packed with an individualised personal message for each guest inside the chocolate sphere for $8.50 per unit, and the other is a chocolate sphere for which the bride prints and rolls her own message for $6 per unit. That’s a saving of $2.50 per unit – if you invite 100 guests, you can save $250 by printing your own message and completing with your own decorating!
The Knot Shop also sells affordable bomboniere boxes that you can pack yourself to save money- they can be under $1 per box.
3. From Sisko Chocolates: Bomboniere Buffet. By including a mixture of cheaper and more expensive bomboniere options, brides can afford to have a few of the more extravagant options on display (like chocolate flowers) but can bring the average cost down by also including more simple bomboniere options.
Details:
• Cost of chocolate flower - $10 or $12 per item
• Cost of cheaper options - $4 or $5 per item
• Average cost when you include half cheaper and half more expensive options, can save around $400 if you invite 100 guests.
• The buffet allows the bride to select the bombonieri to suit their own budget
Other Tips and Tricks to Save on your Wedding Day:
• Use a budgeting tool, such as The Knot Budgeter on www.theknot.com.au – let it help you allocate your budget and then track what you’re spending.
• Reduce your guest list numbers – one way is to have an ‘adults-only’ wedding.
• Email your ‘Save the Dates’ instead of posting (to save on printing and postage).
• Use your own/borrow a friend’s nice car instead of hiring a car for transport.
• Have a buffet meal instead of a served three course dinner.
• Ask the videographer to record the only the ceremony - not both the ceremony and reception
• Book your wedding on off-peak days to save money. You can often save money on the reception venue by booking a Friday or Sunday (rather than Saturday), or by choosing a date in winter (rather than summer).
About The Knot:
Alicia Richardson is the editor of The Knot.
The Knot is the world’s number 1 wedding website, and has quickly become the go-to destination for bridal and wedding information. TheKnot.com.au is the most comprehensive wedding website in the country, and due to its popularity, is now set to launch The Knot magazine in October 2010.
Need a wedding dress? Choose from thousands of dresses, searchable by price range, designer, silhouette or neckline.
Need etiquette advice? Check out the dos and don’ts when saying ‘I do”
Want to check out real life wedding examples? The Knot has loads of Real Weddings and galleries of everything from gowns to flowers to jewellery.
About Mariana Hardwick:
Melbourne-based award-winning designer Mariana Hardwick launched the first contemporary bridal wear label in Australia in 1982, and continues to innovate, bringing a fashion approach to bridal wear. www.marianahardwick.com.au
About Brett Currell:
Over the past 30 years Brett has worked throughout Australia and established himself as a key florist within the Melbourne Bridal and Events industries. www.brettcurrell.com.au
About Alison Louise Designer Cakes:
Alison Louise Designer Cakes is a premium supplier of wedding and special occasion cakes based in Melbourne's Yarra Valley. www.alisonlouise.com.au
About Sisko Chocolate:
Based in Melbourne, specialises in creating custom designed Sisko Chocolate Sculptures for special events, by combining both the artistic and culinary worlds, whilst never compromising on quality ingredients and detailed service. www.siskochocolate.com.au
