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Sometimes, all you have to do is ask—to borrow, for extra perks from vendors, to be given parts of the wedding as gifts from family and friends, or for additional help with the wedding.
There are several facets of your wedding where the old adage “ask and you shall receive” comes into play. While taking it to the extreme is crass and will make enemies (charging your guests for their meals or putting up a website and begging strangers to help pay for your honeymoon, for example), there are several situations in which requesting something that is sensible to the person you are asking can remove some of the strain from your wedding budget.
• Ask vendors for extras or discounts. If you have been easy to work with and your request is reasonable, you may get them.
• Request goods, services, or money for the wedding in lieu of a gift. Nearly every family member and friend will be thinking about a gift to buy for the wedding. If there is a particular line item for the wedding that one or more could contribute to, either monetarily or by doing it themselves, ask.
• Look for volunteers. Certain activities go much quicker and better when multiple people work together to complete them. If, for example, you feel you need help finishing favors or decorating the reception hall, find others willing to pitch in to get the job done.
• Borrow. Extend “something borrowed” beyond the bridal ensemble. There are many items in your wedding—tables and chairs, the cake server, serving dishes, some elements of decor—you will never use again but will still be perfectly reusable when you are finished with them. Look into borrowing the more numerous items like tables and chairs from your church or other organization to which you belong (you may have to rent them instead, but it doesn’t hurt to ask) and smaller items from friends and family. As beginning your married life with an untrustworthy reputation is unlikely one of your goals, it’s also important to designate someone to return items after the festivities.
Throughout the Dream Wedding on a Dime; 7 Secrets for the Budget-Savvy Bride ebook I have marked select tips with “(Secret: Asking).” These are explicit ideas about how you can request assistance for your wedding. Go to MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com/ebook for more information about the ebook.