Planning Your Wedding as a Budget Bride

Planning a Wedding on a shoestring budget is not easy, especially for the Bride who has probably been imagining and planning tiny details of the special day most of her life. In the all excitement and anticipation it’s easy to forget what it’s really about. It’s more than just a Party and Celebration. As clichéd as it may sound, it’s about the Feelings. It’s about the emotions you go through as you prepare to share your life with another…It’s about the Journey.

"I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife."
~Author Unknown

Keeping Track of your spending especially for your wedding is not always fun, but it’s also not fun starting your life as a newlywed broke or with a debt. With this in mind I’m not suggesting you don’t have your dream wedding at all, merely keep in mind that if you can’t have Dom Perignon, or lobster entrées at your wedding you'll be no less married to your loved one (and after all, isn't that what it is all about?).

Here are some ways to keep your Big Day special but also in financial perspective by cutting costs on the little things that actually sum up to Big Savings.

Plan well in advance:
Set a date that allows you enough time to keep aside some extra money just for the wedding and also helps you plan in a relaxed and organized manner. When you’re in a hurry you miss out on opportunities and things that you could have got at a better price.

"To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the wedding cup,
Whenever you're wrong, admit it;
Whenever you're right, shut up."
- Ogden Nash

Be Organized:
Set out a list of things you’d like along with cheaper alternatives for everything. Then allow yourself to pick 3-5 of your top choices depending on your budget and for the rest go for your alternatives. For example: You’d like a sit down dinner with a glass of wine but you wouldn’t mind having a buffet style meal with a bar serving wine and beer or just have a cocktail hour in stead of a full bar. Do I need centerpieces and party favors or can I make or get centerpieces that are my party favors? Do I really need to buy an extravagant couture wedding dress or can I just buy an off the rack dress and get a seamstress to personalize it with some detailing features. You can even save hundreds of dollars by considering the fabric of your dress- poly satin is a lot cheaper than silk satin and looks just the same.

Venue:
A lot of people will tell that having the reception at home will cut costs drastically. But before you make up your mind consider the advantages and disadvantages like arranging tents, chairs, catering and port-o-potties may cost more overall than fully equipped reception center. But at the same time having your wedding at home you can choose your own caterer and provide your own liquor which most reception centers don’t allow. Maybe the reception center has an all-inclusive package offer for a price within your budget. So research this aspect of your wedding well…it’s where you can save a huge chunk which is why it’s very important to plan well ahead.

"All weddings are similar, but every marriage is different."
- John Berger

Guest Lists & Invitations:
You don’t need an expert to tell you that the more guests, the more expensive the wedding costs will be.Consider having a small intimate gathering of just close family, relatives and friends cutting out people you having spoken to in years and mere acquaintances. Don’t feel obligated to have a +1 option for your single friends; it helps cut down the guest list. You can make your own invitations by buying pre packaged cards or consider using a photo of the couple as on nice stock paper as the invitation. If you must have your invitations printed, choose one fabulous element and keep the rest simple in terms of quality of paper, fancy typography, colored ink and decorative envelopes. Eliminate RSVP cards and instead ask for guest to RSVP by e-mail.

Wedding Clothes:
Bridal Dress- Like I’ve mentioned above for the wedding dress you have a number of options from renting, buying off the rack or customizing a simple dress. The price options vary dramatically and it’s your choice at the end of the day. My thoughts are why spend a whole lot on something you’d wear just once, instead splurge on the honeymoon!
Bridesmaids- Limit the no. of bridesmaids to just 2- One maid of honor and a bridesmaid. Buy the bridesmaid dresses from regular stores and not a wedding store. The dresses don’t even have to be identical just the same color and choose a color for which your bridesmaids can use their own shoes and accessories.
Groom & Groomsmen- Have the groomsmen rent from the same store and this usually means the groom’s tux will be free.

"What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility."
- George Levinger

Flowers & Decorations:
Have small flower arrangements tastefully done so that they can do double duty at the ceremony and reception. Purchase other decorations from regular party suppliers. For decorating the space mix fresh flowers with artificial foliage along with less expensive decorating items like balloons, ribbons, Christmas tree lights and even candles.

Food & Cake:
If you’ve chosen a sit down formal dinner don’t have a lot of courses. It’s usually cheaper to have 3 fabulous courses rather than 5 simple ones. It’s often a much cheaper option to have a buffet. There’s no need to for a multi tiered cake instead just buy a small wedding cake and have them serve sheet cakes of the same flavor for your guest. You can even have them decorate each plate with a flavored sauce or buttercream frosting. If you are going for the elaborate tired cake you can cut out the dessert table or have it plated and served for dessert.

Photography:
Hire a photographer for the main ceremony and only a portion of the reception to get formal shots with family. For the rest of the party keep instant cameras around to capture candid moments and guest. If you have a handy cam, get a friend to film certain parts of the ceremony and reception so you can give the videographer a miss.

"The real act of marriage takes place in the heart, not in the ballroom or church or synagogue. It's a choice you make not just on your wedding day, but over and over again and that choice is reflected in the way you treat your husband or wife."
- Barbara De Angelis

The wedding industry is worth over 25 billion dollars a year in the USA and you don’t have to add to it. Go step-by-step through the wedding expenses and find ways to cut costs once you’ve drawn out your plan and you’ll be glad to have saved on the insignificant things that don’t really matter. At the end of the day you will have a good time, have moments and memories that will last you a lifetime and that is something you can’t put a price on. The other things small details of that day will pale in comparison so don’t fret if you don’t have the grandest wedding, because you’ll still have those wedding stories to tell, things to laugh about and memories to share on your anniversaries!