Collateral Benefits
Whether you’re having a chic country wedding, or you’re just renewing your vows, you’re going to want to make the event memorable, and you’re going to want to avoid overspending if possible. Of course, at special events, it’s generally not a bad idea to go “over-the-top”. But it is possible to have your cake and eat it, too!
All you’ve got to do is apply a little strategy to the event. How many guests will there be, what kind of accommodations will or won’t be involved, where and when will the event take place, and what kind of vendors will you involve? Will you have a bar, catering, dessert buffets, dancing, photographers, DJs, bands, or comedians? Will the event be recorded?
Even if you’re just renewing vows, it’s a wise idea to book such vendors as far out in advance as you can. And this doesn’t just include event vendors, either. Consider other vendors, like those who’ll be providing makeup services, or dresses.
For bridesmaid dresses and bridesmaid gowns, Azazie provides comprehensive solutions; as the site puts it: “No matter what your style is, there is a bridesmaid dress on Azazie that is perfect for your wedding party.” Sites of this kind are apt to feature discounts on certain items, and if you’re savvy, you can put them to good use.
Idiosyncratic Accoutrements
Another strategy you might consider involves providing amenities and hiring vendors you wouldn’t otherwise. This kind of thing is apt to occur at a themed wedding. For example, the young couple married in Cancun may renew their vows among friends in a gymnasium set up to look like some exotic locale.
Perhaps that’s a little bit cheesy, but the point is there are many different things you can do if you’re just a little bit creative. You don’t have to retain the same conventions perpetually.
One fun twist on your wedding reception could be a vending machine with unconventional candies available inside, but free! If you were in the gymnasium scenario earlier, they might even be out in the hallway to begin with. You can buy bulk loose candy for vending machines at SweetServices.com, a site that offers: “…bulk candy for individual dispensers and industrial-sized bags that help bring your cost down.”
The Bigger Picture
One of the nice things about renewing vows is that the wedding has already been accomplished, and this is more of a sentimental get-together for the couple hosting and the community they’re a part of. The stress is substantially reduced, and at the end of the day there’s a fine opportunity for a memorable party.
So look at the event from a perspective which takes in the bigger picture. Granted, you could go all out and make the event one for the ages; something your community talks about for decades, and which is as much impressive as it is daunting. But going such a route is also apt to get you tied up in knots emotionally, and you’ll stumble into such situations naturally all on your own; there’s no need to fuel that fire!
A much better approach involves casualness that is gently defined by the trappings of success. Renewing your vows is about you and your partner, certainly. But such an event is also about contrasting where you are now against where you’ve come from.
Marriage develops people into sharper, healthier, wiser, individuals—ideally, of course.
If you’ve come through the ups and the downs over the years, and have stayed together, that’s something to celebrate, and worthy of sharing with the community you’re a part of.
