We all know that celebrities are often seen shopping in vintage shops, at market stalls and department stores. Then they show up and look stunning, mixing and matching cheap pieces with super exclusive (and expensive) ones. Think about Carrie in Sex and the City and how stylish she can be! She made of the mix-and-matching game a status symbol.
Although they usually wear the coolest and the best adding only few accents from down-to-earth shops, we can do the same both for us and our events, reversing it, and getting a perfect look.
Your entire wedding can be a mix-n’-match wonder.
The style is priceless, because no money could buy it. This is an old saying and it’s real. I’ve seen brides with the most expensive dresses looking “nice” and others with much more affordable ones looking “stunning”. So how do you make it? Where’s the trick?
Let’s start from the beginning: mixing n’ matching is working better for certain kind of wedding themes: vintage, countryside and contemporary. So try to stick to one of these, and avoid putting yourself into a no winning game, for example trying to get an opulent ballroom wedding if you are on a budget. That kind of event is a “show off” due to its own nature and it will require items that are not only expensive, but sometimes are not even available in stores because exclusively rented by vendors.
Invitations: this is actually where saving money is more complicated, because high quality paper costs. But if you go for a plain invitation, then you can customize it. Adding herbs, a shell or another creative accent could be the way to have your unique stationery. Another option could be…thinking outside the box. Once, for a wedding, we found several tiny books, vintage, at a thrift store; we purchased them for a cheap bulk price and sent them as invitations with little customization. I’m sure most of the guests are still having them as keepsakes!
You dress: it’s pretty easy; there are so many options out there! The first secret of being stunning even with a “regular” dress is to choose a style that works with your body shape. Look at you in the mirror and, I know it’s hard, but try to be a good judge of yourself. Which are you defects and which are the best parts of you? Once you’ll have this clear in mind, it will be easier to find the perfect dress. And it’s not the most expensive one…not a single guest will probably touch the fabric or look carefully at the embellishments, so the good dress will be the one that will fit you like a glove. Then be creative. White shoes are expected… and if you don’t have budget for Manolos, dare, go to vintage stores, try something colored, blue, red, yellow…the choice is yours. The originality of the shoes will blow you away when you’ll see yourself in the pictures. For your hair…the new trend is to have less complicated hairdos, and this is saving money on the hairdresser. Adorn yourself with a handmade, original piece from Etsy store. Thousand of affordable choices are there ready be picked. And you will have a unique piece, precious because it was made with patience and love.
Flowers are another way to be creative saving money. Again, I’ve seen expensive flowers arranged in “so-and-so” compositions and fillers such as baby breath becoming eye-catching focal points. Work carefully with your florist. Try to make something that looks good, full include cheap but creative touches such as fruit, herbs, and shells. Don’t spend too much choosing what you think would be nice because it’s an expensive flower, if you can’t afford it. You’ll have smaller numbers, it will be more complicated and, trust me, your guests will never imagine the price. They are usually amazed by the results only. Vases…try something different: teapots, mason jars, tea cups, and tiny clear glasses. They mustbe mixed and matched to get the vintage look, you can use them to create different arrangements with a cohesive look, and with simple garden flowers you could obtain a professional result.
Linens: stick on classic white, cream or ivory. Any catering can provide those linens to you, sometimes even included in the cost. They are classic and elegant, only choose cotton or natural fabrics for a mat effect, otherwise it would really look cheap.
Catering: don’t compromise on the quality of food, but choose a different service. Seated dinners are more expensive, try buffet with live stations for instance. Offer several varieties and different kind of wines. In case, serve less free alcohol after dinner. The cake is important, but if you don’t want to spend too much, instead of the classic tiered cake with a miserable appearance due to budget constraints, thinks outside the box. A sheet cake covered with fresh fruit could be nice and it’s less expensive because less work is involved. Cupcakes are another good option.
Photography is like your famous-brand bag. No compromises. The wedding day will fly away and you will have only your memories and tangible pictures. If you can’t afford videography, it’s not that important. But images will tell your story again and again, to you children, and to your grandchildren too. Your photographer must be a good professional and you should expect to pay him an adequate fee.
Play your game, become a wise and stylish bride. Save where you can, dare if you want on certain items; celebrate your love and make your wedding a statement of your style.