Grace Beason | Grace Leisure Events: The creative, budget savvy bride knows that choosing local is a great way to cut costs. And as wedding planner, this is some of the best advice I can give you. Choose Local!
This means many things but above all, try sourcing your flowers locally from local floral producers or even from farmers markets. Put your flowers together yourself or make sure you work wit a local florist who is game to source things locally. This not only decreases the carbon footprint of your wedding (dahlias from down the road versus tulips from the Netherlands), but saves you money because the flowers had to travel a shorter distance to make it from their home to your florist and into your gorgeous wedding centerpieces.
Another great idea is to have your caterer source their food locally. This is now becoming a very hot trend (hopefully one that sticks) with restaurants and caterers. (You may not even need to suggest it, but be sure that you ask). The more “farm to table” you can get with your food items, the better off your budget will be and again, the friendlier it is to our planet.
When looking at the overall scope of your wedding, do the best you can to go local with all of your vendors. Choose a tent company in your home town rather than one a town over, even if they have a style you like better. Get invitations made from recycled paper (Crane’s, for example, uses all recycled paper), and find a band that is in town rather than one you need to fly in from New York City.
Every choice you make for your wedding impacts the environment and your pocketbook. Why not choose local and affect them both positively?
We’ve reached out to leading wedding planners to get their expert advice on how to get a great look at your wedding, without breaking the bank. You can find all of these amazing tips in our The Look For Less category.
Today’s post was written by Grace Beason of Grace Leisure Events. They specialize in sophisticated, innovative and unforgettable weddings and events in North Carolina and beyond. Owner and head planner Grace L.P. Beason combines Manhattan style, savvy and class with Southern charm, wit and beauty creating events that are truly unique, and uniquely you.
