Wedding flowers and food: the fun part

Remember, we’re talking inexpensive and no stress, right?

Ok – let’s say that you are getting married in a church and using their big room for the reception. Or maybe you are getting married in a school building and using their gym – why not? You just need a space that has space. You are inviting everyone you know because you are not doing it expensively – rather you are doing it inclusively so that people can all be there.

Here’s a thought: Have the wedding at 2 pm and provide excellent, most excellent desserts and NO meal. You can probably feed 200 people for around $100. (Really?)

On the morning of the wedding, have about four people go to the grocery store and buy up whatever flowers you like. http://www.giantfoodstores.com//shareddev/greatent/index.html?cat_id=300 Seriously! If you decide that you will be happy with whatever flowers are available on that date, you can cut out a lot of stress. The bride can even run in there and point to what she likes, and the others can buy them, take them to the church, stick them in vases, and tie some together with ribbon (note: buy ribbon and vases beforehand!) for the girls and the bride to carry. A dozen red roses would look nice. They only have to last one day. Or you could buy silk ones a couple days before.

So, while you are at the grocery store, buy enough desserts to feed everybody. http://www.giantfoodstores.com//shareddev/greatent/index.html?cat_id=290 Cakes, pies, pastries, whatever. Spread them out on trays at the reception, and don’t forget some fruit  as well. You’ll need about 4 people to deal with the food too. If you can be happy with whatever is available on that day, then it’ll work for you. If you want, you can contact the store ahead of time and have them package it all up for you.

Make sure you hire a few people to handle the serving and the clean up too.

Ok – so these are pretty radical ideas, overall. Maybe one of them will appeal to you if not all.

The point is: it isn’t required or necessary to spend months and months going crazy just to get married. And the money would be better spent on a downpayment on a house than on an expensive wedding. Watch the movie “Amazing Grace” http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/ and see how pretty the bride was, and “Emma” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116191/also. Today things have just gotten crazy. You don’t have to conform!