When it comes to wedding planning, you are usually thinking about taking on a loan, the size of a small third world country. There are so many things you can do and buy now, that may lead you into a spending frenzy. Plus you could be under pressure from friends and family to make this a ‘day to remember’ on the scale of a Hollywood blockbuster that will out do any of the weddings that have gone before.
These are hard times and so it is not a good idea to start married life with a sizable debt, just because you want to arrive at the church in a solid gold carriage drawn by six pink unicorns. When you boil it down, the day is really about the two of you promising to love each other for ever, that’s it. Everything else is secondary, and real friends will come together to celebrate this even if it is a bag of chips and a glass of lemonade.
The most inexpensive way to get married is to get a bus to the registry office, find two people who will act as witnesses and then get one of them to take your picture. If you want to go a bit up-market, ask a couple of friends and then take them out to a nearby fast food outlet. This seems a little basic so we need to jazz it up a bit.
One of the major things that bloats the cost of a wedding is the guest list. The more people, the more expensive the bill. It is only natural to want all your friends and family to share your happy day but more people means a bigger venue, extra catering and so on. You need to be very careful when composing the list and not get caught up in the if I invite him, I have to invite her scenario. With relatives, keep them to those who you are close to and see on a regular basis. There may be an exception for that very rich second cousin, but that is down to you.
With the guest list finalised, everything else can be planned as you will know how big the wedding reception venue needs to be and how it is going to be catered for. Smaller numbers means that you could hold your reception at your house, a small community centre or even a restaurant.
When it comes to the wedding decorations, a large amount of money can be saved if you can do it yourself. Of course you will probably get some friends to give a hand. Try to get your supplies from a warehouse or cash and carry as these are much cheaper than the shops in the high street. Think about using inexpensive material to decorate the room or hall, create bows and other decorative things to create your wedding theme.
As many people already have most household items, instead of wedding gifts, you could ask your friends to bring food which will really save on the cost of a caterer. Don’t forget to put this on the wedding invitation and make a list of who is bringing what as a wedding breakfast of potato salad could be very boring.
When it comes to the wedding outfit, renting will usually be the cheapest option and there are many places that you can find to supply both men’s and women’s outfits. Those getting married in a registry office can get away with a ‘civilian’ outfit, but those who opt for a church one may feel obliged to get the big white brides outfit. If you want to buy, then there are a number of shops that sell very reasonable wedding dresses. Alternatively, depending on the date of your wedding, the wedding dress specialists will have a sale at the end of the season where large discounts are available.
When it comes to transport, most brides would like to arrive in a beautiful limousine. If money is tight, try to find a friend or relative who has either a large newish car or perhaps an interesting classic car that they would lend you. Another, cheaper alternative is to rent a self drive car that you can get a friend to drive.
Every couple wants to have a record of the happy event but professional photographers are a real expense. If you do not know a talented amateur who would do it for cost, you may like to think about finding a local college that runs a photographic course and get one of the better students. If they use film, you may have to wait longer for any prints, but if they use a digital camera, you may be able to view them on a lap top.
If you are ordering a cake or floral displays, it is sometimes better not to mention that it is for a wedding as they often cost more. Alternatively, you can get three fruit cakes and decorate them yourself, this can be done well in advance as the cake will not go off as long as it is kept in an airtight container. Your flowers can be bought from the market a day or even two before the wedding and arranged as you wish. Keep them in a cool dark place to stop them wilting.
The wedding bands are an essential but expensive item that must be included in any wedding budget, yet even here there is scope to save money. You can find some very beautiful wedding bands in pawn brokers or in the second hand section of the jewellers. Some may have objections to having a wedding ring that has already been used by somebody else so that a new ring is the only option. When choosing a style. keep it simple as the more elaborate, the more it will cost.
Your honeymoon may not be an area you wish to cut corners on, yet there can be savings to be made here as well. Unless you want to spend your honeymoon in a tent or caravan, you will either have to book well ahead or, more exciting, find a last minute deal. Wherever you go, don’t forget to play the honeymoon card as you will often get upgrades on flights or rooms and you may get other free things like free bottles of wine, flowers or other things.
If you do have a budget wedding, get yourself an expensive picture frame for your wedding photograph, that way you have a really great souvenir of the day. There are so many ideas you can use for your wedding on a budget.
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