Do It Yourself

Keep costs down by taking matters into your own hand. There are 5 categories in which you can really stay in your budget by just finishing off some tasks without the help of a huge company. How much you can do will vary based on the size of the event, guests, venue, and more, but if you know where you can cut corners, you’ll save your bank account from a hefty withdrawal.

• Cook: Who knew that you could actually turn on that large, white, box shaped item in your kitchen?! It’s called a stove, and it could save you tons if you make your own food for a party. Especially if it’s something simple like a cocktail party or a small family event. Whether its baking a few cookies and desserts or getting a bunch of different appetizers that you can pop in the oven, you can definitely save money by throwing on your apron and heading to the kitchen.

• Light: As we’ve stated before, lighting is probably the easiest thing to do to change the mood of a party. Choose different-toned light bulbs in your living room, dining room, kitchen, den, and outdoor areas to make each one stand out in a funky, festive way. Or for a more romantic look, you can string votives above a space or line the hallways with dimly lit lanterns to give it a really mellow mood.

• Sew: If you’re crafty, you can sew things like your own linens, place mats, furniture covers, pillows, or floor cushions. You can even sew cool drapes that are specific to your party color scheme and change them out for different events. Or use them as dividers for different sections of the room. This job will take a little more time, but your wallet will thank you later!

If you can't sew, get some ribbon and create a ribbon wall to create room dividers!

• Print: You can buy printable labels, postcards, invitations, and even escort cards. Instead of spending tons at the stationery you can order these items at a super cheap price. You can design them yourself (check out a few Photoshop tutorials first!) or just choose an awesome template that they have. It’s as simple as that - design, order, and save time and money.

• Clean: Okay so it’s not the most fun part of the party, but it can definitely be an expensive one if you outsource. Unless you’re holding a huge gala, there shouldn’t be a cleaning service at your house for eight hours after a small cocktail party. Just turn up the music, throw on an old shirt, and get down and dirty. 

Through these five different areas, you could save a fortune by just taking things into your control. We’ve utilized all of these tips for our events at one time or another and we could probably open up our own cleaning service by now. Ha! So just remember, if there’s something you can do yourself, whether it’s to save money or just give your own personal touch to the party, you can do it!