Choosing the Rings
When setting your overall wedding budget, be sure to include wedding rings. Seeing as you’ ll be wearing your wedding rings forever, it would be nice to spend a little bit more than you would compared to your regular jewellery.
Shop as a Couple During your wedding planning some decisions may not be done as a couple, but choosing your wedding rings should be. Dedicate a weekend or two to shopping for your wedding rings and try and visit more than one jeweller so that you see different styles and variety before making a final decision.
You may not choose to wear a matching pair of wedding rings, which is absolutely fine. It is traditional for the bride to buy her groom’ s wedding ring and vice versa, so make your wedding ring shopping trip as fun as possible.
Choose from Home Some companies prefer to bring their selection of wedding rings to your own home. If you prefer this option of shopping then choose a date and a time that suits you both as a couple. This is a great option if you don’ t like shopping on the high street, and you’ ll be given the un- divided and un-interrupted attention of the person showing you the different designs.
Consider Shape and Size Wedding rings come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. For the groom, different metals and styles may be a factor, and for the bride, careful consideration needs to be take, especially if you have an uncommonly shaped engagement ring. If the groom is not used to wearing a ring or has never worn a ring in the past then it might be an idea to have a wax mould created to wear for a few weeks. This will give the groom an idea of what shaped ring he likes and how comfortable the ring feels.
Bespoke jewellers will be able to help, guide and advise on what metals and styles are the best when it comes to your wedding rings. You could also consider visiting a bespoke wedding ring jeweller if you plan on melting a vintage wedding ring or turning a family heirloom into something special for your own wedding.
Saving on your Cake
Nothing can replace having cake at your wedding, but we know every budget has its limits. If the price per slice is giving you sticker shock, don’ t ditch the frosting and flour. Instead, get creative and use these tips and tricks to save on your cake without sacrificing this sweet detail.
1. Order a small display cake. Ask your baker to make a one- or two-tier cake for display and cutting, and supplement with sheet cake in the back for serving your guests. " The cost difference is usually around 20 percent per slice," And have fun with your table. Having a one-tier wedding cake and loads of cupcakes. 2. Keep it simple. Sugar flowers, tall tiers and lots of piping can really increase the price of a wedding cake. So when it comes to choosing your cake style, try to look for designs you love that don ' t have a lot of add- ons. " We ' re pricing cakes based on ' touch time,' the amount of labor and hours spent designing the cake," says Amy Noelle of Sugar Flower Cake Shop. If you still want flowers, there are designs that cost less. Bakers charge less for decorations that are flat, like painted flower motifs, and more for sugar flowers. 3. Pare down your flowers( or choose real ones!). Speaking of flowers, sugar flowers are a lot of work( and we mean A LOT). It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours to mold and dust just one pretty sugar replica. Choose a simple cake with one large stem or a spray of flowers on a single tier of the cake. Another trick is to choose sugar flower types that don ' t require as much detail( read: labor). " Instead of a cascade of roses or peonies, choose hydrangeas or calla lilies," Fresh flowers are a pretty and cost- friendly alternative too— just let your florist in on your plans, so they can source buds that are free of pesticides and food safe.