Tag: Budget

Simple Ways to Save Money on Wedding Flowers

Posted on by Glendalough Manor

Unless you are one of the lucky few, most brides are looking for ways to save money and stay within budget.   Even though you want to save money, you don’t want to sacrifice your vision.  Flowers, to me, are an essential part of a wedding but as long as you are smart with your choices you can get the look you want without having to break the bank to get it!

  1. My first suggestion is to choose flowers in season.  If you are getting married in the fall you may want to think twice before you choose the color pink as your wedding color; red and orange flowers will be easier to find in the fall making them less expensive.  There are some flowers that are in season year round including roses, lilies, and gerber daises and all three flowers are usually very cost effective.  If you are on a limited budget, peonies, tropical’s, and some varieties of orchids are usually more expensive so be careful when choosing these flowers.  Many florists can order these for you at a premium cost but I would suggest only using them in your bridal bouquet to cut down costs.

 2. Use non-floral embellishments in bouquets and centerpieces. This is one of the easiest ways to create large bouquets and centerpieces without using as many costly flowers.  You can use leaves, berries, jewelry (brooches), or seashells as fillers between the flowers.  I love the idea of fruit being incorporated to give color, size and texture to your centerpieces and bouquets.  I have seen artichokes incorporated in a bouquet that was stunning as well as limes and lemons used as table décor in centerpieces.

3. Another thing to keep in mind is the number of bridesmaids in your wedding.   A full size bouquet will cost anywhere from $60-80+ for each bouquet.   If you have a
large bridal party, this can add up very quickly….if this is not in your budget don’t panic.  There are ways to keep your costs down and still keep a large bridal party. One way is to have the bridesmaids carry a posy which is a very small bouquet usually consisting of 5-8 stems of flowers.  This will reduce the cost to approximately $35-40 per posy.  I have also had brides carry a purse with a corsage attached to it…very cute and practical.

 4. Keep it Simple!  Candles are a great way to keep things simple and elegant on your guest tables.  My favorite idea is to use water in assorted vases with floating candles.  It is such a classic look that can be dressed up with rose petals around the base and you have created a beautiful centerpiece for less.  If you don’t have an evening wedding or don’t like candles you can use a cluster of bud vases with one stem of flowers and is a great DIY centerpiece (although I would have someone in charge of doing this for you so you don’t have to worry about that on your wedding day)!

5. Re-Use!  Re-use as much as you can especially with the ceremony arrangements.  They can be reused as table centerpieces or buffet centerpieces.  Another idea is to ask the florist to make the bridesmaids bouquets bigger and re-use them as centerpieces.

If you have any other ideas to save money on flowers I would love to hear about it!!

Sources: www.glendaloughmanor.com, www.hamletphotography.com, www.basketofroses.com, www.rainflowercompany.com, www.weddingwindow.com, www.marryyoume.com, www.w-weddingflowers.com, www.elizabethannedesigns.com,www.floraldesignbyjacquelineahne.wordpress.com,

Questions to Ask Possible Wedding Venues

Posted on by Glendalough Manor

Before you go to any venue it is best to be prepared with a list of questions.  I hope to give you a detailed list of questions to ask to help in your venue search.  Asking the right questions before you decide on a particular venue can prevent any surprise costs during the planning process!

1.       How much is the facility rental fee? Is there a food and beverage minimum or guest minimum I must have for certain days/times?

2.       What if anything is included in the facility rental fee?  If the venue provides tables and chairs make sure to ask how many of each and the sizes of the tables.  If you may use more than the allotted number of tables and chairs make sure to ask if there would there be additional costs of renting chairs and/or tables. (As a side note 60” round tables will seat 10 people and 72” rounds will seat 12 people).

3.       Is there a separate ceremony fee?  What is included? (Chairs, audio visual?)  Is there a back-up plan for the ceremony?  If there is make sure you will not be too disappointed if you have to use it!

4.       How many people can you fit comfortably for seated dinner? What is your maximum capacity without chairs?   Make sure to use the word “comfortably”.  Many venues can fit more people in the reception room than would be comfortable for your guests.

5.       How many hours are included in the room fee?  Does that include setup and breakdown? Who handles the setup and breakdown?  Try to look for a venue that handles all setup and breakdown of the tables and chairs.

6.       Will there be a facility coordinator?  Will someone be there to coordinate vendors and ceremony on the day of and coordinate the rehearsal the day before?  If the venue does not provide one you may want to look at hiring a wedding coordinator to at least run the day of.  This helps lessen the stress on you and your family on the wedding day. (I will have another blog on wedding planners later!)

7.       Do they have a preferred vendors list?  If you use those vendors do you receive any perks for using their preferred vendor?  Are you allowed to bring in outside vendors?

8.       Can you bring in an outside caterer?  If not, will there be a menu tasting?  If the facility has an on-site chef make sure they provide the dinnerware, flatware and all serving utensils.

9.       What type of bars do you offer?  Many times you are not allowed to bring in outside alcohol.  If a venue provides the alcohol they will handle all of the permits and liability.  Make sure they provide the bartenders and ask if there are additional charges for the number of bartenders.  Also make sure there are no hidden fees such as wine corking as well as whether they provide a sparkling cider or champagne toast included in the fees.

10.   Do they have adequate parking?  This can be a very expensive detail that many brides overlook. Make sure to ask this question!  Some venues partner with local hotels so make sure to ask if they provide free shuttles or any discounts.

11.   How many weddings can you have on one day?

12.   Are there any additional fees?  Gratuities, tips, etc I should be aware of?

Lastly make sure to ask each potential venue for a sample contract before leaving.  That way you can review the contract and ask any follow up questions if needed.

I hope this helps in your venue search. Make sure to check out www.glendaloughmanor.com if you are still on the search for a venue.  It is an all-inclusive facility that would be happy to schedule a tour and answer all of these questions for you!  You can click on the pricing tab or the cost calculator to get more detailed information about this beautiful garden venue.

If you know of any questions that helped you in your search please comment and let us know.

Happy Planning!

What type of venue is right for me?

Posted on by Glendalough Manor

Choosing a venue can be a daunting task but if you know the right questions to ask and what type of venue fits you and your wedding budget it can make this difficult decision much easier.

If you are new to searching for a venue the phrase “full service” venue may not make any sense to you. A full service venue can be a great thing for a bride who has limited time to plan a wedding and wants an easier planning process. One of the things I loved about working at Glendalough Manor is that they basically hand you a guideline of steps that need to be completed and in the end you had planned the majority of your wedding. 

Well, I want you to know that many venues are not like that.  While working at other venues and helping brides stay in budget I realized more and more that sometimes a facility rental fee is just that…..you get the rental of the space for a specified number of hours and other than that you were on your own.  Many brides do not realize the work and cost that can be involved with choosing a “do-it yourself” venue that only supplies the space.  When looking at venues make sure to find out what the facility rental includes.  If the facility rental only includes the rental of the space that means you will have additional expenses including the tables, chairs, rental of linens, dinnerware, flatware, dance floor, audio equipment that are usually included with a full service venue.  All of these items add up and in the end can be much money and not to mention all of the extra work involved in coordinating and reserving all of these items. Make sure to be aware if choosing a “do-it yourself” venue that you understand restrictions, permits, parking (which can be very expensive) and any other costs that may be associated with the venue. 

Make sure you weigh both options and add in all costs.  Sometimes a venue that may seem cheaper is actually the same price as a venue that includes everything you need and is less hassle in the end.

Look for my next blog where I will outline questions to ask possible wedding venues!  Happy Planning!