Happy Friday: Frugal & Fun Wedding
Sent from reader, Laura
My husband and I will celebrate our one year wedding anniversary tomorrow. Being the savvy shoppers we coupon for everything. I began couponing with my dad who was a banker as a child. We couponed so my mom could stay home and we could go on great vacations every year. We always had a stockpile and my sister and I would “unrotate” his stock just to get a rise out of him.
So when it came to planning our wedding last summer was no exception. We rented a lake house for the occasion so we had complete control over the menu and drink options. Renting it for the week also gave us a nice lakeside honeymoon destination!
We had a laid back affair with about fifty guests. We bought all of our appetizers with coupons (cheese and crackers, stuffed mushrooms and veggie trays). We used soda coupons and sales to offer soda to all of our guests free of charge. We were also able to have a limited open bar thanks to rebates offered on liquor last summer. I made all of the flower arrangements myself using free milk bottles from a local dairy and flowers from Trader Joes (only $3.99 per bouquet!) I bought my dress off the sale rack at David’s bridal. I even encouraged my bridesmaids to just wear a black cocktail dress and flip flops they already owned. My husband and my father bought suits at a buy one get one sale at Men’s Warehouse. Buying two suits was cheaper then renting one- go figure!
Since we began couponing two years ago our life has changed so much and for the better! We have paid off all of our credit card debt, opened and maintained a savings account and just purchased our first home last month. With the help from friends and family we collected enough free paint from the recent Ace promotion to paint every room in our eight room house for free! Living frugally and responsibly has made our lives better and will continue to for years to come! Thank you for everything you do Hip2Save.
HAPPY FRIDAY! 
Do you have a funny, “Hip”, or unique photo to share?! Email us at happyfriday@hip2save(dot)com. Every Friday, I will post one photo, submitted by you and/or another Hip2Save reader, that gives us a glimpse into your frugal lifestyle or simply makes us smile. If your photo is published on Hip2Save, we’ll email you a $10 Amazon e-card!
** Check out all of the previous Happy Friday pictures here.
thanks for sharing…our of curiosity (if its not too rude to ask!) how much did you spend on the total event, lake house included? congrats to you and your hubby!
Love it and it sounds like it was so much more fun then being stressed out with a 20,000 dollar wedding! Plus no bills and a new house!
Love it! This is a wonderful story!
Loved this! Thanks for sharing! Great looking couple!!!
Loved this story. My own daughter will marry one day (shes 19 now) but we have already started looking for ways to cut those costs and still have a wonderful day. I love the lake house and I cant believe I never thought of that. We live about 45 minuted from Outerbanks. Next time we go there my daughter and I will start checking out beachfront rentals. We already have to rent a reception place anyway so this is great! Then when the Wedding reception is over… presto… honeymoon suite!!! This is a wonderful idea. Now we are thinking beachfront wedding!!! We dont have a groom yet but its never to early to save money right? LOL
Great tips on how to save money, even on a wedding! Just wondering how her father became a banker as a child?
Laura, you and your hubby look so cute and happy together! I loved your story! I’m in my early twenties and have been couponing for a little over a year and you inspire me for the future!
THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS. I JUST got engaged and am stressing about the wedding. I DO NOT want a big expensive ordeal. I actually was looking at eloping. But he has ALOT of family and mine is crazy excited so I was torn. I love the LAKE house idea. I was planning on doing a small inn wedding but this is so much more intimate & I love that I can have my honeymoon too.
Ohhh…I would love to get more details on what else you did to plan your wedding.