A tropical wedding is a really cool idea; an $800 plane ticket is not. If you actually want your guests of all different incomes to make it, just host that tropical wedding at your nearest summer getaway. For example, if you live in Los Angeles, host it at a resort in Palm Springs rather than Hawaii.
When you register with a specific store, your guests feel obligated to buy you one of the items in that registry — but some guests can’t afford a $200 crystal bar-nut tray. Some couples are getting smart though, and instead of registering with a store, are just creating a list of things they want on their wedding website, and allowing their guests to find those things through the vendors of their choice.
It may not be a big cost, but when you’re already having your guests pay for things associated with the engagement party, bachelor/bachelorette party etc. don’t make them also go find a sailor-themed tuxedo and dress.
Hosting a wedding in a manor house in the countryside a two-hour drive from town seems romantic, but there is nothing romantic about the $100 cab rides your friends have to take out there if they want to be responsible about all the champagne they plan on drinking. Nor is there anything romantic about the possibility of DUIs because some people just won’t fork over the cash for the cab. If you’re going to have your wedding in the middle of nowhere, make sure it’s a giant house where everyone can sleep after.
Even if Labor Day or Christmas is the day you and your partner met and you want to honor it by having your wedding on that day, don’t. Your guests don’t need to deal with flight and hotel prices on major holiday weekends.
The bridal shower and bachelorette party, just like the groomsman party and the bachelor party, can easily be combined, so then your friends don’t need to buy you twice as many gifts. Or foot the bill on twice as many brunches.
All you should really need for your bachelor or bachelorette party is all of your closest friends in one place, and some booze. You don’t need to fly to Miami to do that.
You might think it’s fun to print up an official agenda full of wine tasting and kayaking and city tours. All your friends see when you email them that agenda is giant dollar bill signs. Don’t lock your close friends into several days of expensive activities. Just get everyone to the same place and feel it out from there.
If you’re going to make your guests fly out for a long weekend to your destination wedding, you’d better have at least one meal planned out for them every day, such as a Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and Sunday brunch. That’s at least three less meals they have to pay for at pricey restaurants while traveling.
If your bridesmaid says she can do her own hair, let her do it. Don’t force them all to go to the same hair salon and pay $120 for an up-do.
