I’m not engaged (YET!) but I’m constantly watching for creative wedding ideas and fun things to do for a wedding – I was recently in Dallas, TX, doing the tourist thing, and while my boyfriend was taking a picture of a monument, a loud group of people came up to us and asked us for help. It was an entire wedding party and they were on a photo scavenger hunt – they had split the wedding party into 2 groups, one with the bride (who was wearing her “Kiss the Bride” t-shirt) and the other with the groom. They had a list and a Polaroid camera, and they had to search for items in the Historic District of Dallas, but the catch was that they all had to be in the picture of whatever the item was. In our case, they had to be in a picture with a tourist taking a picture of something, so I got the camera and took a picture as they surrounded my boyfriend who was pointing his camera toward the monument. They said thanks and hurried along, because the first group who got to the hotel with all the items photographed won the game. I thought it was one if the best pre-wedding ideas I had ever heard of – what a fun way to spend time with your best friends the night before your wedding. While they were walking away, my boyfriend came up to me and said, “Now you want to do that, don’t you?” He knows me so well, which is why we’ll be planning a wedding of our own one of these days!!

~ Jennifer Merritt
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

I found a nifty idea for making place cards for the wedding reception tables by using store-bought card stock and a computer program that prints business cards. Instead of business information, I am putting a cute picture and the type of info that commonly goes on the place cards.

Also, we have enlisted family members to heat up pre-made food that we are going to buy at BJ’s Wholesale club and serve at the wedding reception. This idea will save us about $1000 in catering expenses.

Plus, I have been scouring clearance shelves at stores and looking for stuff in my colors and thinking up ideas for what I can do with it at my wedding. I got vases that are ivory for 99 cents a piece and originally they were $12.99 each. What a bargain! If you have a Christmas shop near you they have great stuff that can be used for weddings. Bargain hunt and you’ll save hundreds. Also, I registered on an online auction site. There I am selling items we have around the house that we no longer want, but that I know other people might use. All of that money is going into a savings account and then we are going to use it for the things we need for the wedding as we have the money for it.

Wedding Ideas …

My fiancée and I are not having a traditional wedding. We are marrying at my parents home, in their huge yard. We do not have a huge budget and were stuck on favors. My sister, the maid of honor, came up with the idea of flower pens at the guest book. Just take regular pens, wrap them in ribbon (in your wedding colors) then take a silk flower (to match the flowers in your bouquet) and hot glue it to the top. We then prettied it up with some more ribbon and bows. We are going to have them sitting in a flower pot beside the guest book for each guest to take and sign with. This is a very inexpensive (about $40.00 total) and cute way to incorporate favors into something useful.

~Sherry & Paul
Edmonton, AB

One of my wedding favor ideas is to use inexpensive wine glasses that we will etch our initials on (etching kits are available at craft stores), along with our wedding date, then fill with jellybeans, cover with lace, and tie with a ribbon.

For my August wedding, I really want lots and lots of wildflowers for the bouquets and centerpieces. I am asking my mother, grandmothers and aunts to plant wedding gardens for me so that we may grow them ourselves, cut them fresh and save a ton of cash. PLUS…I will know that they have all been grown with love and without pesticides.

~Earthbride, Indianapolis

I am a very athletic person, tom-boyish you could say. Most of my life my wardrobe has consisted of jeans, T-Shirts, and sport uniforms. When I told everyone I was getting married everyone asked if I was wearing jeans and T-shirt to the wedding. No one could believe that I was going to actually wear a traditional white wedding dress. But no one asked me about my shoes. I went out and bought a pair of my favorite white Adidas sneakers with silver on them (to match my bridesmaid’s shoes!) and I am wearing them to the wedding and reception. No one can really see your shoes anyway and no one really pays attention to them if they do see them. I’d rather be comfortable and have fun than be in pain all day long. I figure why pay $50.00 for a pair of dress shoes I will wear once? I’d rather spend the money of a pair of shoes I can wear again!

~Channa, Levittown, PA