So I posed her some questions to get the skinny on what really matters and what doesn’t, and here’s what she said…

Liz Coopersmith with one of her happy clients

What are the three easiest ways to save when throwing a wedding?

• Find a wedding site that costs less than $3000 to rent, control your food and liquor costs by either bringing it in yourself, or limiting either, Keep your wedding flowers simple and seasonal.

If you’re on a strict budget, do you still need a wedding planner?

• Gasp! Trick question! Personally, I try and make sure that I save my clients the cost of my services. Think of it this way – I know where the best deals are, where to find the vendors that are going to get you what you need and how you need it. Basically, I’m going to save you time,money and energy. If you truly don’t have the money for a full-service coordinator, hiring someone (like me!) to help you find your vendors will help relieve the stress of starting out. And hiring a day-of coordinator will help you enjoy your wedding. HOWEVER, there are also some great books out there that will map out all this stuff for you. So, yes…and no.

How do you get the best deals when talking to vendors?

• Come with a budget, and ASK. 50% of your budget goes to the ceremony and reception (site rental, food and drink, etc.), the rest goes towards everything else. ASK if there is a way to get a better deal.

Any unusual wedding locations you can recommend to save money?

• Public City and State owned parks and sites.  If you are in Los Angeles,  http://www.lamountains.com and http://www.laparks.org are good places to start. Type in “wedding” to get results.

What is an easy DIY project that doesn’t take a lot of time, nor need a lot of skill, but will cut down on cost?

• Using invitation kits. Target has some beautiful ones. Including ink, it will run you way less than $100.

What should you do if your fiance and you can’t agree on a budget?

• Break it down.Try and agree on how much you’re willing to spend on the ceremony and reception. Are you willing to pay $50 a person for food and drink or $90 per person, or less?

What are your favorite wedding websites for great deals?

• So many great resources! I’m on weddingwire.com, and they always have lists of promotions. There’s Brokeassbride.com, 12kwedding,style me pretty, and pretty much all the blogs and sites they have listed.

What is the one thing not to skimp on when planning your wedding?

• I’d have to say photography, since it’s the one thing you’re going to take away at the end of the day. I would encourage couples to NOT pick a photographer based on how much they cost, because if you don’t like their work, you’re not going to like your pictures! Luckily, there are quite a few really good photographers that are decently priced.

Liz’s next Recession Bride’s Workshop will be Sunday, July 19, 2009 from 1:00 – 3:00pm in downtown Los Angeles.  If you’re newly engaged and live in LA, I’d highly recommend it, and you can still take advantage of the $10 “Early Bride” Discount by using the code WEDCHARMEARLY at checkout.

Thanks, Liz, for your expert advice!!

Looks real, right?

The fake cakes are covered in fondant, which is what cake designers use, but underneath it, pure Styrofoam.  And the idea is this… At your party, everyone gets to marvel at your beautiful cake, but then when it’s time to eat it, it gets taken to the kitchen to be “cut” and instead you serve a much less expensive sheet cake in the same colors in it’s place.

You can even make one of the tiers real cake so if it’s a wedding, you can do the cake cutting ceremony and no one will know the difference.  And the cost savings… One of these cakes costs about $250.  A real designer cake costs about $2,500.

Another fakey

Like I said, brilliant.