What makes the perfect wedding? Is it the location, the dress, the guests, the food, the decorations?
Really, it is the celebration of the joining of two lives in marriage with family and friends. How each couple chooses to celebrate the event will determine what will make a perfect wedding for them.
We have just celebrated our daughter Katherine’s marriage to Chad. For them, a perfect wedding was outdoors in Chad’s parents’ beautiful farmyard. The day was warm, the garden was lush and the bride and groom were beautiful. Family and friends gathered for a relaxed, but traditional wedding ceremony followed with a supper and dance at the local community hall.
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In planning the wedding the parents agreed that it was Kath and Chad’s wedding and they should have it the way they wanted it. Naturally, we offered suggestions, participated in some discussions and did what the kids asked us to organize. They did an excellent job of deciding what was important for them and implementing it. Their main priority was to keep costs reasonable.
Because the wedding was not in our home community, we hauled a lot of decorations, food and clothing. We arrived three days before the wedding to help with the pre-wedding decorating and organizing. As the mother of the bride, I enjoyed these days with the many members of the two families working together, visiting and having fun. In many ways it seemed like a five-day wedding celebration as we shared many meals together and got to know each other better.
Spending an excessive amount of money isn’t necessary to have a beautiful wedding. In comparing notes with family and friends who have planned weddings recently, here are a few cost cutting and environmentally friendly wedding planning tips.
Cards
- Try to minimize the amount of paper that you send, and consider sending a postcard thank you.
- Make your own invitations and thank you cards using rubber stamps and/or the computer.
- Economical invitations can be printed on stock paper at large office supply stores. It is useful for guests if you include maps and accommodation guides with the invitations.
Location
- Outdoor wedding ceremonies are popular. Some couples choose the family farm. Others rent an area in a community park or by a lake. Another option is to rent a lodge, camp or convention facility that caters to outdoor family gatherings. For any outdoor event there needs to be a back-up plan in case of rain.
- Community halls can be more economical than a hotel. Consider halls in communities just outside the city because they often have a lower rent and may provide a catering service.
- Many churches have assembly halls where a wedding reception can be held in the same building as the ceremony.
Food and dishes
- Rural restaurants and catering services are often cheaper than city restaurants or hotel caterers. It is a good idea to try their food before making a commitment.
- Using china is more environmentally friendly, but does the facility have dishes, cutlery, glasses and wine glasses that you can use? If not, do you need to rent these or can the meal provider supply them?
Decorations
- Keep them simple.
- White mini lights can be purchased at the end of Christmas sales or picked up at garage sales. Also, look for event tents, flower vases, candleholders, artificial flowers and other wedding decoration items at garage sales or thrift stores.
- In some communities individuals or businesses collect wedding decorations such as arches, pillars, lattice, lights, tulle or banners to rent or lend to other couples.
- Ask friends if they have items you could borrow or rent.
Flowers
- For centrepieces, bouquets and boutonnieres, consider flowers that are in season in your area. In the fall this may include colourful foliage, grains, cattails or weeds.
- Garden flowers are beautiful but the availability of specific flowers may be unpredictable.
- Flowers can be purchased reasonably from some large city grocery stores. It is difficult to guarantee what will be available but if you are flexible this is an economical option.
- Using artificial flowers means the flowers can be taken care of well in advance of the wedding and you may be able to rent or borrow them.
Clothes
- When shopping for the wedding gown ask lots of questions about extra costs such as hemming, alterations and changes that you may want made to the gown. These costs can add up to more than the original cost of the gown.
- For bridesmaids’ dresses consider something practical that can be worn again.
- Selecting different styles in the same colour may suit different figure types better.
- Consider home sewn or custom made as a more economical option with more flexibility in style and colour.
- Shop at the end of the season for sales.
Wedding favours
- This can quickly become an expensive item because there is a plethora of “cute” wedding items available.
- A more enduring favour may be wildflower seeds, tiny tree seedlings or small plants.
- Individually wrapped, locally made chocolates such as saskatoon berry or blueberry are unique and consumable.
- Small gifts from a developing country such as handmade bookmarks or small wind chimes support these cottage industries. For more information, visit www.tenthousandvillages.ca.
- Ariel Meadow Stallings in her book Offbeat Bride: Taffeta-Free
Alternatives for Independent Brides suggests buying dozens of mismatched mugs from secondhand stores. The guests use their mug for drinks and then either take it home as a favour or return it to be donated to charity.
Wedding punch
This wedding punch uses locally grown rhubarb. It is economical as well as refreshing on a hot day.
Rhubarb juice
Chad’s mom, Agatha Stoll, makes her rhubarb juice by soaking the cut rhubarb because it has more natural flavour when uncooked.
4 cups rhubarb cut up 1 L
1 cup sugar 250 mL
1 peeled lemon, remove all
of the white and slice
Put in a large plastic bucket, stir well and then pour boiling water over it to cover. Makes about eight cups (2 L). Let stand for 24 hours.
Strain and then drink or add 7-Up or Sprite or freeze for punch.
Freeze the juice in four litre ice cream buckets for use in a punch bowl. The rhubarb can be chopped using a food processor. To make chopping easier wash the stalks and put in the freezer for about one hour before slicing.
Rhubarb punch
This recipe makes enough punch for one punch bowl.
1 bucket (4 L) rhubarb juice
(above), partially thawed
1 bottle of 7-Up or Sprite 1L
1 ice ring, whole strawberries
could be frozen in the ring
saskatoon berry/rhubarb
punch
To the above recipe add:
1/4-1/2 cup saskatoon 60-125 mL
berry cider syrup
Freeze saskatoon berries in the ice ring.
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
