Saving Money on Aspen Weddings, Part 2

As a bargain-seeking Aspen bride, it’s easy to start economizing with the big-ticket items like wedding ceremony venue and reception site. We hope part one of this blog series helped you with those suggestions. Because there are many more opportunities to save money on your wedding, read on!

Several of our wedding planner-consultants urge brides and couples to think creatively and ask a lot of questions of your various wedding related contacts. We all have notions of how weddings are “supposed to” go, but there is plenty of room for new ways to carry out the event.

Certainly you have visualized the size of your wedding. The bigger the invitation list, the bigger the food, supplies, gifts or favors, decor, and transportation bills. Paring down to your absolutely most loved guests will pare down your costs. Consider a small wedding party as well. A few attendants can be just as meaningful as a large number.

Another of those items that is sensitive to the size of your event is invitations. Erin and Amy at Express Yourself in Basalt offer a very nice selection of invitations printed in their shop. Who knew? Your excitement in announcing your wedding celebrations can be conveyed quite well in this way.

If food is an item you would consider crossing off your wedding must-have list, you aren’t alone. Come right out and state the situation on your wedding invitation and guests can plan accordingly. If you’re concerned that the grandpas, great aunts and little brothers are among those who will need sustenance amidst the excitement, ask caterers about light hors d’oeuvres and request lots of drinks options at the cash bar.

Surely it’s been mentioned by some relative or friend that you can do decor by yourself. We hope you will take that suggestion as an offer to volunteer and delegate the job right away! In Aspen, locals know that The Thrift Shop is a serious source for baskets and vases. The current trend of sustainable or zero-waste weddings is an admirable effort, doing away with decor altogether or using local branches, flowers and other natural props.

Finally, what about borrowing and sharing? The taboo topic you might be hearing first from us is borrowing a wedding dress. Indeed, borrowing and sharing many wedding staples works for some brides. To share the dress cost of your same-size friend marrying in the same year or season could help both of your budgets. Along the same lines, when you are interviewing venues, officiants, or even transportation options, ask if another event is scheduled just before your date. A conference that has just capped off their week with a bash Friday night might leave decor and floral centerpieces that could be enjoyed again Saturday night. Did you know that you may also be able to share the cost of firing up the Silver Queen Gondola? Unofficially, events on top of the mountain that are purchasing the gondola service may carry over to your ceremony. It doesn’t hurt to ask!

We know these are just a few ideas amidst a world of imaginative brides. What are your stories? Have you have succeeded in planning a fabulous Aspen wedding on a small budget? Visit our Facebook page, or leave your comment below!

Kelsey Stamps

Hey, I’m Kelsey! I studied Social Psychology at CU Boulder and now split my time between writing about dreamy Aspen wedding spots, clever planning hacks, and real talk on international marriages (yep, American guys and foreign girls). I also run a small psychology practice, helping couples navigate love, culture, and everything in between. Connection and honesty are my non-negotiables.