It happens to the best of us.

After being inundated by stunning photos of weddings on Pinterest and Instagram, you may lose sight of reality when it comes to actual dollars and sense. I mean cents.

Many of the photos that you see on Pinterest…you know the ones…arches FILLED with flowers, massive, full, centerpieces, floral backdrops, ceiling treatments…you’ve seen them right?

Well, here’s a secret… those photos may not be from a REAL wedding.

Oftentimes, photographers, wedding planners, magazines, and other vendors from the wedding industry, set up photo shoots to advertise services or products.

Of course, some of the photos you see on social media are from real weddings, but that type of decor (especially floral decor) comes with a HEFTY price tag.

So if your floral/decor budget isn’t large enough to create that look, don’t worry.

There are ways to create beautiful decor at your wedding ceremony and reception without completely obliterating your budget.

1. Create your own table numbers.

Table numbers are a must-have at your wedding, but believe it or not, some of the options out there can get pretty pricey. There are ways to lessen the cost of table numbers by doing some DIY and getting creative.

Here are some options:

1. Your local library is probably way more than just books.

Some libraries have Cricut machines open for free use. With a Cricut, you can cut your table numbers out of various materials depending on the type of Cricut - cardstock, thin wood, and over 300 other materials.

While it may be time consuming, doing this type of work yourself can save you big money in the long run, and you’ll be able to create a custom look without the custom price.

2. Framing table numbers is a nice, inexpensive option as well. You can rent frames, borrow them, or even buy them at a thrift store for an eclectic look.

3. For a creative table number design, save and collect wine bottles with corks from friends and family. You can place the cork back in the bottle and use it as a number holder.

You can also place a large sticker number on the wine bottle after removing the original label, or tie a large number to the bottle like a tag (that you can make on a cricut!)

2. Utilize Facebook marketplace and Facebook groups.

Social media can be an amazing asset for finding decor from past brides and grooms. Couples often purchase decor for their wedding and then resell it using Facebook Marketplace or various Facebook Groups.

Here are some of the groups available in or around the Cleveland area:

NE Ohio Bride 2 Bride Wedding Resale
Ohio Brides on a Budget
Northeast Ohio Wedding Resale
Northeastern Ohio Wedding Resale and Resources
NE Ohio wedding and party items buy, sell, or trade
Northeast Ohio Wedding and Event eMarket

These groups consistently post various wedding items for sale that have been used ONE TIME and may be in perfect condition. It’s worth shopping around to see if another couple is selling something that you need.

3. Turn to your wedding planner.

Your wedding planner knows a lot of tricks of the trade. She knows how to get better prices from vendors, where to cut costs, and how. And (if she’s me) she can probably create many custom items FOR YOU!

Ask your wedding planner if she can create any of the decor pieces or if she can rent certain table decor items at a lesser cost.

Your planner may be able to assemble beautiful tablescapes and decor to help with overall cost.

Some of the items that can be rented include:

Candles
Lanterns
Candle sticks
Vases
Votives
Fairy lights

4. Use what you can from the venue for free.

Did you know that many venues have various table decor items available at your request for FREE?

It’s always worth asking to see what they have because if it compliments your design style (and it’s free) then why not use it!

In my experience, I’ve seen venues carry various items including:

White linens (as long as they go to the floor for a wedding)
Chargers
Candles
Table numbers
Vases
And more!

If your venue has a free option that is similar to your vision, you can save a ton of money on table decor rentals or purchases.

5. Opt for a different decor feature and use less flowers on tables.

Floral decor is expensive. That’s no secret, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have ANY flowers.

Opt for one over the top floral feature piece and smaller centerpieces to save money.

Instead of expensive, floral centerpieces on each table, the feature piece is a floral ceiling treatment, or a floral wall (which can be a backdrop behind the head table, a photo op, or a backdrop for the bar area).

Maybe your big statement piece isn’t floral at all.

You can create a backdrop using paper flowers or fake flowers, boxwood greenery, candles, fabric or even wood. Many backdrops can also be rented.

Decor doesn’t necessarily even have to be a visual decoration at all. Create lounge seating areas with sofas, side tables, coffee tables, and rugs. Various seating areas add tons of visual interest to a space and everything can be rented to create comfortable spaces for your guests to sit and chat.

6. Plan dual purpose for your ceremony decor and flowers.

There are a few ways to save money when it comes to your ceremony flowers. First, if your ceremony is beautiful without extra flowers, then don’t even worry about decorating that space.

However, if you do have florals at your ceremony, be sure to reuse/repurpose them inside the reception space as well.

Your wedding planner (and his/her team) can coordinate moving decor from one space to another to repurpose them so you don’t waste money.

One of the easiest ways to save money on the head table decor at the reception is to provide empty vases for each bridesmaids’ bouquet. That eliminates the need for centerpieces on the head table because the bridesmaids’ flowers will create the centerpiece.

There are lots of ways to get creative with tablescapes and decor at your wedding to create a beautiful space with tons of visual interest WITHOUT killing your budget.

But when in doubt, your wedding planner is the expert, so allow me (I mean her) to guide you through the process and take the stress off of your plate.

6 ways to save BIG on your Wedding table scape and decor