Aloha Weddings on a Budget

Planning a unique and memorable wedding can be exhausting, time-consuming and expensive. But there are ways to have your dream wedding within your budget. Best of all, here are some ways you can involve the whole wedding party, save money and keep your sanity by the time the big day arrives. By the time most brides are slipping on their garter, tempers are short, credit cards are maxed and someone has surely forgotten to call the photographer. It doesn't have to be this way, IF you use a little ingenuity at the beginning.

One of the first tasks in planning a wedding is to figure out what theme is pleasing to both bride and groom. Themed weddings are rapidly becoming the norm. This can come with a high price tag if you're not careful. Popular wedding themes may include anything from a renaissance gathering in Great Britain to vows in the vineyards of Napa Valley. Open any bridal magazine and you are sure to find a destination wedding. Especially beach weddings. Think it's expensive to fly your whole wedding party to Fiji or Bermuda? How about getting married in Maui? Ahem. Wasn't this article about "saving" money? You bet! But how can you have a beach theme and not break the bank? Read on.

So you've decided to have a beach or tropical theme but you don't want to have to fly there. That's an easy one. You can either find a botanical garden (within 150 mile radius) or you can bring the festivities right into your own backyard. Luau or Aloha weddings are really a great choice for a spring or summer wedding. Depending on what part of the country your wedding is held, may determine that. I doubt an outdoor garden wedding will go over well if you live in Vermont and the date is in December. For that theme, you may want to stick with a Christmas or Kwanza theme. But back to our luau!

What says Aloha better than a flower lei greeting? Have your ushers or guestbook attendant greet your guests with silk flower leis. This serves as the guest's wedding favor, and can be quite affordable when bought in bulk amounts. One can find them for as little as 3/$1 at many discount stores, as well as a multitude of online stores. Check out the Oriental Trading Company at www.orientaltrading.com or ABC Stores at www.abcstores.com for inspiration. There are fancy leis for your attendants, from silk flowers to real Orchids and Plumeria. Genuine seashell leis are also inexpensive, from $5-$10 per dozen. Hobby Lobby is also a great place for party supplies. They carry luau party supplies, from leis, grass skirts, mints, napkins and more. Check out www.hobbylobby.com to see their weekly sale sheets. This can save you tons of cash. Especially when the items you want are 50% off.

Of course, we know the bride and groom, and even the preacher will be wearing leis. But what else will give us a Hawaiian feel to this wedding theme? Tiki torches just seem to create a tropical atmosphere whether your wedding is in the morning or evening. But let's not stop there. They don't cost much and create such a warm ambience to both the wedding and reception areas. You'll find them as low as $2-$3 each. Go online to find decorating ideas. Take a trip to your local hobby store, or wherever you find silk flowers or garlands. This is where you'll want to start planning several months (from two to six) in advance. Go for tropical silks such as Plumeria, Orchids, Hibiscus, Kukui nuts, Tuberose and White Ginger. While you are at it, your list should also include hot glue, ribbon, tulle, seashells and citronella torch fuel. While you are at it, why not add some color to the fire? Check out Color Flame torch fuels at http://colorflametorch.com. GnG is another manufacturer of colored fuels, called Color FireFly, found at www.colorfirefly.com. Place your decorated tikis along wedding isle, around the seating areas, as well as reception areas. Please keep in mind safety first and place them where they won't be knocked over, etc.

Sand and seashells make a true tropical statement. If your reception area can accommodate it, sand can be spread for that very beachy experience. Even in your backyard. For this effect, you may need to make a long-term commitment. But it's cheap when bought by the truckload. On the average, your local lumberyard, or contractor, will even deliver sugary sand for about $40 per ton. First spread at least 6 mil plastic before dumping your sand. Plan to have your sand an average of about 6+ inches deep. Go as deep as you can afford. It still is cheaper than renting a dance floor (average rental costs from $1,000 up)! How fun would it be to have your wedding guests dancing barefoot in the sand to the sound of Don Ho? Don't forget seashells. Spread them around the tables, your new beach, and even use them to hold place cards on the tables.

The wedding cake is the perfect item to say Aloha to your guests. You can use real flowers such as Orchids or Bird of Paradise. But silks and gum paste flowers are more affordable and longer lasting, especially if it is outside in any heat. Go bright and bold with Hibiscus or Red Plumeria, or delicate and more refined with Tuberose or Stargazer Lilies. There are no longer rules when it comes to wedding cakes. Try a pineapple or strawberry and kiwi filling. Decorate your cake table with tropical fruits like mango, star fruit and guava. Add sliced fruits to your punch or serve tropical fruit salad.

The groom's cake is where you'll have even more room for creativity. A groom's cake decorated like an Aloha shirt or how about a sand castle? Does the groom like to surf or play beach volleyball? Don't limit yourself to square when it comes to his cake. It's supposed to be fun!

Speaking of food. If it is within your budget, an authentic Imu pit, or a whole dug in the ground for cooking, typically for roast pig, would really impress. Kuala pig just falls off the bone and is truly the best way to eat pork. But don't forget, the Hawaiians love their Spam too! But that's another story.

The bride's bouquet as well as the bridesmaids' bouquets, can easily be DIY. Hobby stores carry everything you need to make a silk bouquet. Does $10 sound better than $75? And that's just for the bride's bouquet. Bridesmaid bouquets are smaller and cheaper still. Tie a few artificial tropicals together with a big bow and your done! Remember, you don't want to clash or have your bouquet compete with your leis. The groom's lei should be a leafy, open ended lei, called a Maile leaf lei, easily found online and in silks or real. These are traditional for important occasions such as weddings.

A sand exchange ceremony is often used in lieu of the candle lighting ceremony. The bride and groom each have their own flask of sand, often different colors. Sitting on the middle of the table will be an empty vessel. The couple are then prompted to each spill their sand into the empty vessel, symbolizing their inseparable union, just as the sand is inseparable. There are many Internet sites about this. Read more about it at www.unitysandceremony.net or www.idotaketwo.com/sand-ceremony.html.

Music can really set the mood for both the wedding and the reception. Hawaiian music is sure to add the spirit of Aloha to the event. Whether it's the "Hawaiian Wedding Song" by Don Ho, or "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwoole - aka IZ, your guests will be wisked away to the islands with the sounds of ukuleles and slack key guitars, at least in their minds.

Your flower girl will feel extra comfy wearing a Hawaiian print sundress and flip-flops. She'll be wearing a lei, a flower in her hair, and matching ankle lei of course. Try having her drop tropical petals along a pathway of banana leaves from a large seashell.

The ring bearer will be "hanging loose" while wearing a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt, flip flops, lei and khaki shorts. Try stringing the rings atop a large sugar starfish. Hard to find Aloha wear on the mainland? ABC Stores has what you need at www.abcstores.com. So many stores to list, but large selections can also be found at www.hilohattie.com, www.mauishirts.com and www.alohashirtshop.com, just to name a few. Your search engine will keep you shopping for hours.

Finally, you can spend as much or as little as you want on a themed wedding. Keep in mind that this is a special time for everyone involved. Put your bridesmaids to work, but don't leave out the groom and his buddies. You and the girls may have decorated the tikis, but they should be the ones who plant them in the ground. So if you are getting married soon, whether it's in Hawaii or in your own backyard, congratulations...or Ho'omaika'i 'Ana - Aloha!