Transportation

Many hotels offer free shuttles so do your guests a favor and check to see if they offer shuttle service to the wedding location and if so what time the shuttle runs.  This may be a great option for guests staying at the hotel to get safely to and from the hotel.  Another option (my husband and I did) although not cheap was rent a transportation bus that made trips between the hotel and venue.  If you chose this option make sure guests know the approximate departure times so they can plan accordingly.  Many of our guests took advantage of the "safe" transportation.  So instead of taking a limo at the end of the night we just jumped on the bus (more like a coach bus) with our guests and reduced the cost of having a limo all night and spent the money saved and a little extra to offer this option to our guests so they could all have a designated driver :)

Bridal Shower Wishing Well

Lets face it most of us don't use any of the recipes given to us at showers.  So instead ask everyone to bring one their most used favorite small must have kitchen gizmo or gadget for a basket to give the bride.  And ask everyone to explain or give a little story about why it is a must have.  For example....chip clips....you can never have too many.  Zip lock bags...I zip lock everything.   Kitchen towel save the world one less paper towel at a time.  A food substitute that saved you dinner one night.  You get the idea.

Rustic Wedding

Looking to have a different wedding.   Maybe something rustic.  But can't afford the HUGE price tag usually associated with it.  Check out local summer camps.  Many of them have large "mess" halls that provide a great space for tables and dance floor.  Alot of the camps also have a picturesque area that you could host the ceremony too.  The only downside is the camps usually aren't available during summer months.  Many of the camps you would also have to do alot of things yourself,  but you could always hire a wedding planner to handle details.   Hope you find your perfect place to say I Do and celebrate the start of your happily ever after.

Favor or Welcome Bags

I recently threw my sister a bridal shower and had spent money on food, drinks, game prizes, decorations and favors.  I didn't want to spend a fortune on the gift bags for the favors.  After all the just get thrown away.  I was shopping at Target one day and came across colored lunch bags.  Perfect!!!!  I put the favors inside brought inexpensive ribbon and punched two holes at the top of the bag and tied a pretty bow....the colored lunch bags may be new favorite party favor bag.

Make your own Wedding Organizer

This is so easy.  My sisters and I each had one and it was such a huge help.  It was the first gift we made each other.  We purchased a one inch white binder with the clear inserts for the front and back.  We the scrapbooks the cover and back using wedding colors and customized it to the location or feel each was going for.

For instance I didn't know what colors I was going to go with right away but I knew it was going to be a beach wedding so mine had beach wedding design.  My sisters knew there colors right away so those were incorporated in their designs.
We put phrases like soon to be Mrs. Smith or Bride to be or Coming Soon Mrs. White May 1, 2018, etc.

We put some loose leaf paper inside and clear protectors to keep contracts or photos from magazines or bills or receipts.

Have fun!

Something Old

"See a penny pick it up.  All day long you'll have good luck."

I was in a wedding once where the bride had sort of put off figuring out her "old, new, borrowed, blue."  So we decided as her bridal party to take care of it fir her.  Her maid of honor let her borrow jewelry (a bracelet, I think).  I had purchased her blue panties.   Her dress was new.  So the only thing missing was old.

So we decided to find a penny with the year the bride and groom were born and tape it to the bottom of her shoes.  You could also do the year the couple met or just the oldest penny you can find.  Or just a penny you find on the street, after all who couldn't use the extra luck on their big day and forever :)

This idea is cost effective,  great for those who don't have anything old they can incorporate  into their special day and easy to include.

Bridesmaids & Groomsmen Gifts or even wedding favors

Think back to the days when you would go to a dance or Sweet 16 or Prom...your feet were always killing you from dancing the night away.  My friends and I always packed a pair of socks to slip on once our feet started to hurt so the dancing wouldn't end until the last song played.  Consider giving the gift of flip flops or even grip socks that look like shoes so your wedding party has the option to change into them once the ceremony and photos are over and dancing has begun.  Or include everyone and give all your wedding guests that same option by making that your wedding favor.  No excuses for not dancing the night away :)

(Photo provided by PesonalizationMall.com)