Coeur d’Alene Weddings: Six Tips to Stay Within Budget
Coeur d’Alene Weddings
Coeur d’Alene is the perfect wedding destination. Full of natural romantic charm, mountain backdrops, and crystal-clear waters, it provides a picturesque setting that can make any wedding feel like a fairy tale. It is a popular wedding destination for couples, and this makes it expensive. This blog post highlights my top 6 tips for high-impact planning to help you stay within budget and create the fairy-tale wedding of your dreams.
You don’t have to sacrifice your Coeur d’Alene dream wedding because you are on a budget
So how do you have your dream fairy tale wedding and stay within your budget? Prioritize. There are so many expenses when it comes to wedding planning. The key to staying in your budget is to prioritize what you want to invest in.
As a photographer, I attend weddings for a living, and there are many lessons learned to share. I have found that there are certain things to avoid investing in and other parts of the day that a little extra investment will go a very long way! My hope is that this list will help you strategize and focus on the parts of your day that will be high-impact and will help you avoid spending money where it doesn't matter.
My top 6 tips for prioritizing your Coeur d’Alene wedding budget
1. Invest in your bridal bouquet over the venue florals
When I'm photographing a wedding, if the bride has a gorgeous bouquet, I can make the entire day look like there were beautiful florals everywhere! I can use the bridal bouquet to spruce up bridal details, reception details AND even bride and groom portraits as well! The bridal bouquet is a focal point for me when it comes to your photography so I highly recommend getting your DREAM bouquet and investing less on the bridesmaids' bouquets since they will not be photographed nearly as much!
2. Go with greenery over blooms
Greenery is beautiful and photographs well, and it can be half the price of ordering blooms. I recommend actual flowers for your bridal bouquet and other bouquets but then decorating other aspects of the day with greenery to save money while still making a huge visual impact!
3. Mix in some DIY Details
Order fresh greenery farm direct and ask a few of your more crafty friends to help create the centerpieces. Pre-planning and having a day of coordinator is key here. But you can do most of the planning weeks before the wedding. Do a trial run on what you would like your DIY greenery decor to look like. Video yourself making the pieces, take pictures of the final arrangements, and write a how-to recipe for your friends to follow. I have seen this work, and it can make a wedding look classy on a tight budget.
4. Go big and bold - Have one well-done installation instead of a lot of small vignettes of decor
Take the savings from doing a few DIY pieces and spend it on one luxurious focal point. This will allow you to have a heavily detailed reception without the cost. For example, invest in a statement light fixture, such as a beautiful, large, hanging chandelier. Or a unique hanging greenery installation with fragrant greens that drip down from the ceiling. Make it even more epic by suspending tea light cancels to create an enchanted garden vibe.
5. Double purposes for decor
Maybe you choose to have an epic, well-styled entryway decor to your reception that also doubles as an amazing photo booth later on throughout the evening once party dancing has started!
6. Avoid spending money on tiny details
Customized favors, personalized M&M's. etc..it all adds up and at the end of the day, your hard work in the tiny details can often be overlooked.
My philosophy is - we are in this together
Things are expensive. It does not matter how much money you make, everyone is feeling it. Having a smaller budget does not mean you have to sacrifice your Coeur d’Alene dream wedding. Prioritizing where you spend your money is smart. Look for local vendors who are willing to give you ideas and help you create an elegant Coeur d’Alene wedding that is within your budget. If a vendor makes you feel like a “have not” walk away.
My philosophy is, we are in this together. I will give you a high-end experience regardless of how many hours you have contracted me for.
