5 Wedding Ideas to Add ‘Wow’ Factor Without Blowing the Budget

Supplying AV equipment to weddings for 20 years, we know a thing or two about how to create an impact!

We’ve put together some top tips on how to add ‘Wow’ factor to your wedding – without blowing the budget.

1. Lighting Effects

Don’t underestimate the power of good lighting! Lighting can create a huge impact on any wedding and doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Some of the best wedding lighting options include LED uplighting to create a beautiful wash effect against a wall or drape, or to accentuate a unique feature, such as a flower wall. Uplighting is a great and beautifully simple way to transform any wedding space. You can even have outdoor uplighting (e.g. lights shining up through the trees). A good lighting hire company should be able to recommend several options depending on the look and colour theme you want.

2. Engage All the Senses

You can save money by doing away with some of the ‘extras’ at the wedding (such as bonbonnieres) and instead give your guests a more memorable sensory experience. Consider the five senses when planning your wedding. Visual impact will create a strong first impression so make sure you consider lighting, draping and other elements such as special effects. For example, a dry ice machine creates low lying fog for a ‘walking on clouds’ effect, perfect for the first dance.

And don’t forget smell – this can hugely influence a guest’s impression of an event space. If you are going for a rustic theme, consider introducing bunches of scented native plants and flowers. And scented candles are perfect for creating a beautiful ambience and delightful aroma without blowing the budget.

3. Consider Your Music Choices

Bands and DJs can be very expensive, so if you don’t have the budget, there are other options available. You can be your own DJ – create your own playlists and hire a sound system to play them! This means you can play the music you want, when you want and save hundreds of dollars. Make sure you get a good quality sound system though – for weddings of 50+ people you need to have professional-grade speakers. Look at professional audio-visual hire companies instead of general party hire places as the difference in quality will be dramatic. A good quality professional sound system should cost you between $125 and $150 for a 24 hour hire.

For bigger budgets, you might want to hire a soft jazz band or a string quartet to add some sophisticated pizazz to the pre-dinner drinks part of your day and then hire a band or DJ to get the dance floor pumping later on in the evening.

4. Show-Stopping Entertainment

Make your wedding the one that your guests really remember! Add some show-stopping wedding entertainment, such as the Sparkular Minis. These are incredible indoor sparklers that create a fountain effect and can be used both outdoors and indoors – they can even be used inside hotels and other venues without having to isolate fire alarms. They feature a new cold spark technology which means that they generate no heat and no smoke and will create the ultimate ‘wow’ factor for your wedding. Why not have them firing when you arrive at the reception and introduced as the new ‘Mr and Mrs’? Or you could use them for your first dance. Either way, they provide a  great way to add some sparkle to your wedding without blowing the budget!

5. Don’t Be Tied to Your Venue’s Providers

Lastly, don’t limit yourself to any given provider. If you are having your wedding in a hotel or function centre, they will likely have preferred suppliers that they want you to use. However, it pays to look further afield – very often you will be able to get the same, if not better, equipment from other providers at a much cheaper price.

This also applies to using the venue’s built-in audio-visual equipment (e.g. their sound system, projectors or microphones). Venues can sometimes charge more for their equipment than if you hired the same equipment elsewhere and brought it into the venue.

If you’re looking for audio-visual equipment for your big day, contact the experts at Mega Vision. With over 20 years’ experience in wedding hire, our friendly team are well-placed to advise on a range of options to suit your budget.