Wedding Style For the Frugalista

A Big Splash For Less Cash

by Stephanie Benedetto Padovani, January 27, 2010

Weddings are the substance of dreams: the handsome Prince Charming, an immaculate stretch limousine, the flowing Cinderella ball gown. When he finally pops the question and slips a ring onto that naked finger, the dreams becomes real—until you glance down at the price tag attached to them.

Downsize. Scrimp. Budget. These are not the words a girl wants to hear when she is planning a wedding.

Enter the frugalista, the new wedding diva, a woman graced with both fashion and thrift. With a little creativity, she achieves the unforgettable, unique wedding of her dreams without breaking the bank.

It’s all about getting the biggest bang for your buck, making a big splash with less cash. And it can be done if you follow these six frugalista secrets to a dream wedding for less.


Location, Location, Location…With Benefits.

For Hudson Valley couples, there are ample opportunities to have the wedding of your dreams without getting buried under a mountain of debt. The region is overflowing with beautiful venues that don’t take much gussying up.

Choose a location that has Mother Nature as the head decorator lets you skip expensive accessorizing.

Take Round Hill House in Washingtonville, for example. There you can exchange those sacred vows before a cascading fountain surrounded by trumpet vines, lamb’s ear, and petunias with dragonflies lighting on the blossoms, while you are serenaded by sparrows.

Or host your reception beneath the tent of the Grandview in Poughkeepsie. Just beyond your sweetheart table is the majestic Hudson River, and the romantic lights of the bridge by night. A few miles up the road in Staatsburg, the acclaimed Terrapin restaurant brings its fine dining chops to the Dinsmore Golf Course Banquet Hall in Staatsburg, with panoramic views of a Catskill Mountain sunset accompany world class cuisine. To the east, the historic 1782 Stissing House in Pine Plains is just the place for an elegant country affair, complete with 19th-century grand ballroom.

Located in the picture-perfect New England village made famous in hundreds of Normal Rockwell scenes, The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge anchors your celebration in the heart of the Berkshires.

You can’t special order that type of décor and it’s all included free. A location with benefits lets you trim your budget without sacrificing an ounce of experience.


Jingle Bell Time Is a Swell Time To Get Hitched

Spring, summer, and autumn weddings may boast an advantage when it comes to warm weather, but winter’s crystalline beauty makes for a stunning celebration, perfect for a bride with big dreams a small budget.

Winter is the wedding off-season, when prices drop along with the temperature. Hello, discounts!

As a bonus, catering halls come pre-decorated for the holidays, decked to the rafters with trees, ornaments, wreaths, lights, and tinsel. When you book your winter wedding, you get all of that included free.