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| Image credit: Pixabay |
If you are planning a wedding on a budget, it is not always an easy task, but the good news is there are many ways you can scale back on costs when planning - and still have the wedding of your dreams.
Excellence in planning does not necessarily mean you have to be extravagant in spending, as a beautiful wedding can still be had without going bankrupt.
Here are 5 easy ways you to save on your wedding and still experience a beautiful day:
1. Create a budget and stick to It
Knowing what you can afford up front is a valuable first step to take when planning a wedding. The general idea of a wedding budget is to ensure the couple doesn't overspend so as to avoid starting a marriage off with heavy debt. Beginning a life together with this kind of financial burden can quickly put a marriage under duress as a couple becomes adjusted to married life.
Having an established budget makes it much easier to decide on how much is affordable to spend when arranging all the different details of the wedding. For instance, if you have an overall designated amount of money spend, but the reception location is going to cost your entire budget on its own, you know you'll have to look for other options or else you won't be able to afford anything else.
Some people plan their wedding on credit, and this may be a viable option if you and your new spouse can afford the credit card payments as you start your new life. The most important aspect of creating a wedding budget is to communicate with your intended and be sure you both agree.
2. Get married off-season
People who get married in the off-season find that many vendors and services offer much cheaper prices. Some of the more popular months are May, June, and September, so if you call around and ask different places what their seasonal prices are you might be very surprised what you find.
It is common to save thousands of dollars just by choosing a less popular wedding date. In addition, banquet halls, restaurants, florists, limousines, wedding dress shops and tuxedo rentals will often offer discounted prices or special deals in order to entice soon to be newlyweds to buy their products and services; this benefits them because it helps keep the stores in business during the off-season periods.
3. Do-it-yourself
Instead of hiring out or purchasing wedding items from professionals, there are many wedding items you can make yourself for far less money. Details such as wedding invitations, favors and even some of the wedding dress accessories, such as a veil, can be made at home. Craft stores offer not only the supplies and idea but also magazines and other publications that outline how to do it yourself.
Imagine the possibilities. Think of all the wedding details you can make yourself. Other do-it-yourself ideas are table centerpieces for the reception, flower arrangements for the ceremony, ribbons or bows for the pews if your wedding is to be held in a church. There are a number of things you can do yourself to help save money on your wedding and still have the beautiful niceties you've always dreamed about.
You can even ask family and friends if they are able to help, which brings you to the #4 way to save money.
4. Ask people you know
Another potential way to save money on your wedding is to ask around and see if you don’t already know someone who specializes in one or more of the wedding details, or perhaps you can get a referral from a family member, good friend, or even a client. For instance, do you know any photographers or someone who has a nifty way with video cameras? If so, you might just find someone who can help you out with this aspect of the wedding. Maybe a grandparent, aunt, cousin or good friend is an excellent baker and would be willing to help you design and create your dream wedding cake.
Bands are often expensive, but if you hire someone you know, or go with a DJ which typically costs less than a band, you can save money on reception music. Same thing with a florist. If you have a family member or friend who is either a great gardener or a professional florist, chances are they might love the chance to help you create your floral arrangements.
If you have any family or friends with talents, this would be a wonderful wedding gift to you and most people are often very eager to help out if they can.
5. Wedding dress
The wedding gown is one of the most extravagant costs associated with a wedding. While the dress is a considerable expense there are many ways to bring down the costs. If you are open to the idea of purchasing a used dress, you can check online websites such as eBay, Craigslist or other classified ads. Sometimes you can even find new dresses on these sites. You can start a family tradition and wear a family member's gown to not only bring down costs but add sentimental value to your special day. Clearance racks and consignment shops are another excellent way to save on wedding dresses.
Memorable times are what truly creates a great wedding. It is not about how much you spend, but the attention to detail and love that goes into planning. It is perfectly possible to create the wedding of your dreams without starting your marriage off in significant debt. These are only a few of the many ways you can save on your wedding, but they are some ideas that can get you off to a good financial start.
