An unforgettable wedding — at a discount - Army Spouse and Family Resources - Army Times

An unforgettable wedding — at a discount

Army Sgt. Dane Scharff and his fiancee Danie Verlaque-Oldfield are doing their best to plan a memorable wedding.

But while the average couple will spend a little less than $27,000 to celebrate their nuptials, the Scharffs-to-be hope unforgettable can cost significantly less. Child support from a previous marriage has Dane’s paycheck about tapped out.

“We’re hoping to keep everything under $300,” says Verlaque-Oldfield, who’s planning the July 17 wedding. The date hinges on Dane being home, as scheduled, from field training at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., where he’s stationed.

“I don’t see that a wedding needs to be really expensive or the big stress fest that everyone makes it out to be,” she says. “We don’t need some really expensive or extravagant thing to celebrate our love. Meaningful gestures can mean so much more than all that anyway.”

Whatever your reasons, wedding experts say you can get your matrimonial bliss on without the broke-the-bank post-honeymoon hangover. Some ideas:

Score a free gown

Look for local wedding gown giveaways. Verlaque-Oldfield got a big boost when she won a $1,000 wedding dress from a local bridal salon. Brides Across America, a nationwide nonprofit, has worked with local salons to donate more than 6,000 complimentary new dresses to military brides since 2007.

Brides Across America helps make weddings more affordable for military couples, with more than 25 bridal salons participating. Through July, these salons will be holding special military-only events for brides to pick out their dresses.

“These are free gowns with no strings attached,” founder Heidi Janson says. “We’re giving a gift. It’s a thank-you gift.”

To qualify, couples must be engaged, or married in a civil ceremony, and planning a wedding in the next 18 months. The bride or groom must also have been deployed to a war zone — or Japan — within the past five years, or be on orders to deploy.

Time your shopping

Most bridal shops discount their sample dresses at the beginning of the year and the end of summer to make room for new lines. “Some of these gowns haven’t even been tried on,” says Jenny Baker, who owns a California boutique. “You can usually save at least 40 percent.”

Consider consignment

You’ll be smiling all the way down the aisle knowing you saved 50 percent or more on a used dress. Brides are finding vintage dresses and getting them altered for their own contemporary flair, says boutique owner Mary Wiese.

Cut your numbers

Even a slightly smaller guest list can mean big savings. “Just nine less guests makes a difference,” says TheKnot.com editor Kristin Koch. That’s one less table to decorate and a table’s worth of food you don’t have to pay for.

Go somewhere

Destination weddings can be a savings two-fer with wedding and honeymoon costs rolled into one. Plus, you can still invite the world knowing that far fewer will actually attend a distant event. Meanwhile, resorts often offer great package deals for those who do make it.

DIY decorations

Get your bridal party together to make table centerpieces, flower arrangements and other décor.

Bake your cake and eat it, too

Wedding cakes can cost into the thousands, so baking your own can save big bucks. Verlaque-Oldfield is making “cakepops” for her guests. “It’s like a lollipop, but with a little cake on top of it.”

Enlist Craig

Place ads in the “gigs” section of Craigslist for deals on photography and other services. Verlaque-Oldfield was able to collect a slew of free supplies for decorations.

Base chapel

This can be one of your biggest military wedding discounts, Koch says. Off-base venues for the wedding and reception cost an average of $12,000. On-base facilities are typically free or deeply discounted.