Budgeting and Efficiency

Clearly if you're already here you're a bride on a budget. There's a TON of budget-bride websites out there (The Broke-Ass Bride is one of my personal favorites) but nothing so specific to resort-y town weddings that one said bride (*raising hand*) lives in. Sure they offer ideas like "Check out your local Walmart/K-Mart/Target" or "You can pick these up at your local Dollar Store". Well I'm sure many of you can. But living on this island we either have to take a chance (and cross our fingers) when we order something online (I live off of Amazon's Prime shipping), buy it here (which is totally do-able but I always say it's good to shop around). And in certain cases, where you're not getting ripped off, I am ALL for shopping local (like flowers, food, etc). It's nice to have that local accountability.
But in my case, doing it on a budget and on the island is hard.
Here's a few of my tips so far:

1. Utilize your off-island resources. If a FRIEND is going off island with their car and you need something, don't be afraid to ask them if they've got room. Or if you have someone to scope stuff out that's already off island, even better. My future mother in law (who's A-MAZING) has my number and knows to call if she she's anything and everything related to decor, ideas, etc. for the wedding and beyond. Thank goodness for camera phones!
   
   
2. Look up reviews. Ask around. Word of mouth on this island is one of the, if not THE best form of advertising here. Knowing your vendor, whether they're on Nantucket or beyond, is key. Do they have reviews saying goods showed up broken? Or a bride couldn't have done it without them? I would say that the Better Business Bureau is a good place to start, but it's SUCH a small town that many people wouldn't even have that under their belts. (Is it weird that the BBB just called me about getting into their listings as I was finishing up this blog? - AFTER I'd written about them.....)
   
   
3. Get a wedding planning book. I know it sounds cliche but you'll be thankful when you have one price written down in that binder that's oh-so-organized and then get another one and want to compare. Keep people's cards with ideas and pricing (if available) on them.
   
   
4. Try to get to some bridal expos. They're often free, or only a few bucks. Nantucket hasn't ever had one as long as I can remember, but Cape Cod and Boston do. I was lucky enough to meet my day-of coordinator, Connie, at the expo she planned a few months back. I'll post about getting the help you need some other time.
   
   
   
   
5. Negotiating and seeking sources through other means of payment. I am not saying be cheap. Because that never helps. In my case, I have done some things in trade for web design and graphic design. Not everyone has a background for trade though. Maybe your aunt works for a florist and they can just charge for materials. Or maybe your brother or groomsman can cut someone's lawn a few times in trade for your calligraphy (if you even decide to do that.) Be creative - chances are someone out there is willing to haggle their prices if they want to give you the business. I always say I'd rather a great client with a small contract over a bad experience with a bigger check. The people I want to deal with feel the same, I'd like to think. Especially out here, because it's more than a job to a lot of people, whether it's flowers, food, tailoring, etc. - it's something they take pride in. And trust me, you're going to want a happy vendor helping you out.
   
   
6. K.I.S.S. - Something I was taught whilst attending the prestigious Jacksonville University  ;)  All PR people know what this means - keep it simple stupid. Don't go for the elaborate chocolate fountains and ice sculptures of whales. But DO get a splurge here and there depending on your tastes. Keeping it simple for a budget wedding covers ALL aspects. (food, vendors, flowers, etc. etc.) By refining your taste to what you want, but keeping it simple and not over-the-top lavish, you'll get what you want. Promise. Just don't forget to K.I.S.S. :)
   
   
7. Last thing for staying within my budget is to have a Wedding Bank Account. We opened up one with our bank and it's a joint one, so we both contribute to it and pull out of it as we see fit when $ for wedding stuff (and ONLY wedding stuff) is needed. Like deposits, or something that's on sale that you know you've found THE BOMB price on. And then it's all in one place, no questions asked. I mean, what couple about to say their vows doens't want to talk about money? Pfffft.....Lord knows I hate talking about it, but clearly it's inevitable.

I don't want anyone cheaping out. It's just about being smart with your money. This is the most important day of my life so far and I'm going to make sure I didn't hold back because of money (within reason). There are certain things you are going to want to have that you "MUST" have. For instance, I LOVE the Nantucket Photo Booth. I know it's a little expensive for my budget but it's so cool to me to have something like a photo booth at our wedding. I want it. I'll find a way to pay for it. And it will be absolutely awesome because I said so.

And with that, I'll have to sacrifice my whale carved in ice. Oh well.

June's hot anyways.

I hope this is helpful. Would love your ideas if you've got 'em.

Until next time.

Liz

Where Guests Should Rest Their Heads

Where a guest stays is not necessarily the concern of the couple. However, Nantucket's got a pretty unique accommodation situation for anyone who's planning on staying overnight on the island. We may not be buying the hotel rooms or anything, but there is no Hilton or Ramada or Days Inn on this island. It's all B&Bs, inns, and private homes. There are a couple of "hotels", i.e. more than a dozen rooms to accommodate your guests. But the key is to be mindful of budget. We're offering guest suggestions on a low cost, middle of the road, and high end stay. We're also giving them the name of a real estate agent on the island should a couple of families want to go in on a home rental. Many of our guests have never been to Nantucket before, so, with our June wedding, they're planning on making a vacation out of it.
However, we're already running into people who are a bit, um, shocked, at the prices of some of the hotels and inns on the island. Someone who's used to spending $50-75 a night at a hotel off island is most likely going to experience sticker shock when they see a room is upwards of $300-400 per night. Of course, in many of these cases, you DO get what you pay for.
Like a room like this with a view overlooking the harbor:

(That's courtesy of the Wauwinet Hotel, one of the Nantucket Island Resort properties). There's also plenty of private homes and B&B's, owned locally. One of my personal faves is The Brass Lantern Inn. Owner Michelle was a good client of mine when I worked at Plum TV and, if you love your pets like I do, she's pet friendly. The building has a really great location, downtown. Another downtown fave (and former client of mine) is The Anchor Inn, owned by Anne & Charles Balas. Very nice couple, and super cool, historic-Nantucket building. In the case of our wedding, downtown is a pretty far trip from where our venue will be, but nevertheless, a nice idea for someone who hasn't been to the island before and wants to experience the downtown historic district.

Where ever your guests are coming from, though, chance are they are going to have to stay overnight for your wedding. The last boat leaves around 11pm during the summer months. And I don't plan on our wedding ending until at least 1am. I wouldn't want my guests feeling like they couldn't stay either. Best thing I can tell you is to shop around for a variety of prices to offer your guests.
AND make sure to tell your guest to do it in advance. Once places book up on Nantucket, they're booked. You can't hop over the Marriot in the next town. It doesn't work like that here.
(No offense to Marriot).

Until next time.

Liz