Planning a Commitment Ceremony

How about a rose garden with an english tea and brunch for the reception. Call a caterer and ask about renting the appropriate dishes and check their prices on an english style brunch, line your walkway with roses. The china could probably be rented in the colors of your ceremony and this would look very rich.

Target has a beautiful garden arbor for $89. From the looks of it it doesn't need any thing added to it. Purchase from ebay silk petals. Make a isle or simply make a round circle were you will stand. Have friends and loved bring a flower (ask them to remove thorns from rose) to give to each of you as you walk down the isle to make you bouquet. You know, from each side with giving hugs and kisses. This involves your loved ones. Check with your local rental store and friends to rent benches not chairs. Purchase the tulle in the color of your wedding to place either on the end side with borrowed brooches and pins for the center piece instead of bows or flowers. also, you could drape the tulle behind the benches. Tulle makes everything look elegant. If it is in the hot part of the day, make fans by having your picture pasted to heavy white card board and cut square and glue a stick on it.

A cute idea would make a collage of different pictures (this might not be very nice but the sticks you get free when you purchase paint would be good for the sticks. try getting them for free. If not just get friends to go in and say the didn't get their paint sticks. Then paint them your colors. After the ceremony turn the benches after for seating and mingling, more convenient.

As for cake, ask friends that bake to help or go to the local bakery and get a full sheet cake covered all over in beautiful flowers leaving room for a classic center piece for in the middle. they be able to place a heart shape cake in the create a staging location.3 tier cakes are over $100 but a full size is only about $60. At least in TN. Place this in the center of a table covered by a color plastic table cloth and the measure to purchase tulle to cover the table in a swirly way. Get some tea light candles and holders from dollar tree and place around the cake and then scatter through out the table. You can even put some petals on it.

Try the Do a raspberry tea, coffee and water. For any diabetics have a fruit tray, a cheese ball and crackers tray, different cube cheese and a veggie tray. Try Ipod for music or check out a small starter band. You can find them in High School. Be sure to interview them though. Some came be really good. Maybe musical friends could help out. You may think tacky but there are clear decorative plastic plates, silver forks and just use hard clear cups all for on Ebay. You could even go with color square plates, white silverware and colored napkins.

Again Ebay. Walmart is a good place to purchase the invitations and print them on your computer. For any bugs problems you can you torch lamps or cheaper just fill the whole yard of the party with citronella candled inside those candle bags.

Take advantage of those that say "can I do anything for you". Have a get together one night to help make invitations, address them, put postage (you pay for that). To put together fans and programs. If they ask about food, ask them to bring may one or two items that you think will go quickly. For instance, "Do you mind maybe a bag of baby carrots and/or strawberry's" If people ask, they like to feel they contributed to you special day. Or just say "make my day and bring your special dessert". Can't help you with the clothes. Oh, if unity candle in the ceremony and no attendances place a small round table with the 3 candles on it and then place the rings on each tapered candle. It's a little backwards because the rings come first but its your ceremony, do it the way you want to.

Okay, this is really going to sound bad and cheesy but keep the box for the arbor and receipt take it back afterward. Don't open all the plates, napkins ect. you may not need them all and you can return extra. Soapy hot water will help to remove candle wax from the glass votive holders to return. Make a guest list before buying invitations. I you come up and need 60 and they come in fifty, just make 10 with small blank note cards. Make your own programs from poster board, do this either way, take colored paper or cardboard print you program twice on the same sheet of paper. Use a paper cutter to cut everything straight, glue on to cardboard, punch two holes and tie a small bow at the top or 2 at the top and bottom along one side. oh maybe cut sandwiches. It's a little more expensive because you only get one sandwich instead of 4 but buy your bread from the bread store. Find out when the fresh bread comes in, make different sandwiches and take a heart shaped cookie cutter and cut sandwiches. A little wasteful but very cute. My husband left me at 2 am cutting them because he needed to get some rest. I made it to bed by 5 am.

I made everything for my wedding and have decorated and made flowers for others. I am as fugal as it comes. Hope you like some of my ideas. Best wishes! Oh venue, don't there but try to find a park with a lake, or stream. Family back yard is good. That makes for a handy bathroom. If you will be going off to your dream honeymoon, ask someone to make a basket of love, which means with reception food. You may get caught up in fun and mingling and forget to eat and then when you get to your destination you will be starved. Try to get pictures before if you are not superstitious.

I could do it for a lot less than that, however, a lot depends on what all you want included. I wouldn't have a dance for one thing. For food I would serve cake, ice cream, punch, coffee and tea. I would ask friends and relatives to serve the lunch, and ask one that you know can take decent pictures to take the photos. People just don't need to have things real fancy. Have the whole thing at somebody's home and then you won't have to pay for a hall to hold it in.