First Person: My Dollar Store Wedding

When you are planning a party and on a budget, things can get a little bit hectic. Trying to find ways to minimize cost has always been something I like to do. My boyfriend and I finally decided to get married, and we had just over two weeks to plan for the reception. After doing some researching and shopping, I was able to purchase most of what we needed at the dollar store. This is what I bought, and how much it cost us.

Paper products

We are going with a black and white theme, so we decided to use black plates and napkins. I was able to buy all the items we would need for eating, including utensils, for just under $20 with tax. I priced out these things at a party store and a discount outlet, and both of those estimates were well over $30. By shopping at the dollar store I was able to save $10, if not more.

Balloons

The wedding is taking place in my in-laws backyard, and we are going to stand in front of a balloon arch. It was simple to find the black and white balloons at the dollar store, and they came in packs of 10. I bought five packs of each, totaling a little under $11. I am sure this is more than enough, but I needed to have extras in case some popped before being strung into an arch.

Thank you cards

I went ahead and bought our thank you cards already. The dollar store had packages of eight cards, and they were black and white with floral print. I had to buy four packages, just to be on the safe side of things. Our guest total is estimated at around 30, but we still won't have a final count for a few more days. Getting these early saves a lot of time, and will ensure we don't forget to make them out. I spent just under $5 for the thank you cards.

After everything was said and done, I spent just under $36 for everything. I went prepared with $60, which is what we had originally budgeted for the items I purchased. No one will be able to tell where the items came from or what I paid. I am proud of myself for sticking under budget, especially with planning an impromptu wedding. We saved $24 and were able to spend that getting other things we needed in order to make our day perfect.

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