Since they were children, women have dreamed of that special day, the wedding day. The day comes when they get engaged and it’s time to plan the wedding.
Sadly, nowadays, it’s pretty much impossible to have that lavish wedding she dreamed of all her life. The majority of the women today, when they finally get engaged, are single and on their own.
Today an average wedding can cost around $20,000 and to be honest, with the economy, it’s not a good idea to spend this much on a wedding.
Some women become depressed because they believe if it’s not lavish, it’s not beautiful. What they seem to forget is that the most important part of that day are the vows the couples make to each other. It’s the beginning of a new life. Here is something that many don’t realize; a simple wedding can be beautiful and memorable. A couple can do this all on their own and save thousands of dollars. Remember, this is a wedding not a gala event. It’s more for you than for the guest. First set a budget and work with that.
One error many couples do is get into unnecessary debts by borrowing money or maxing out every credit card they have. Since you are on a budget and want to save money, set your wedding during off-season. Set the wedding date for six months to a year later. This gives you time to get everything you need for your wedding and pay in cash. Once you set your wedding date, consider where you would like to have the ceremony. Don’t have the ceremony in the lavish locations; choose something small, cozy and inexpensive.
One thing women want the most is the perfect wedding dress. Now let’s be realistic, this is a dress you will wear once so why spend thousands of dollars on a dress. To save money, purchase your dress at an outlet or department store. Also, if it has to be from a bridal store, consider purchasing a dress that is on sale. Some of these bridal shops will have clearance sales and the dresses can be as low as $100.00. You can also buy a vintage dress, rent a dress for that day or borrow your mom’s dress and make adjustments to it. If you are a person that likes to sew, make your own.
The reception can be costly since the caterers and reception halls rates are per person. So keeping the list to a minimum to just family and close friends will save you money. Have the reception in a clubhouse in the area you live in, the backyard of a friend or family member. As for meals, consider a buffet style dinner instead of a sit down meal. You can also plan an afternoon wedding and have appetizers and finger sandwiches and a desert bar. Don’t have an open bar the whole evening, consider a two hour bar with beer and wine only. You can also consider not serving alcohol at all, except for champagne for the toast. If you feel you should have an open bar then check the local laws and reception hall rules, you may be able to purchase the alcohol yourself and hire someone to pour the drinks, saving yourself plenty of money.
For music, instead of hiring a live band, consider a disc jockey. They will sit down with you and plan all the songs for your wedding and they are less expensive. Do your own invitations, nowadays there are a lot of software programs that will help you make the perfect invitation and you can print them yourself. Do the flower s and decorations yourself. This could be something you can do as a group, with your bridesmaids, mom, mom-in-law, friends, etc. The more you do, the more you save plus the advantage of this is that the wedding will be just what you imagined it would be.
The wedding cake is important. You want something both beautiful and delicious. Check the bakeries in your area and even consider friends. There are many that do specialty cakes on the side to earn extra money and do as good as a job as a bakery but at a very low cost. Of course, we can’t forget the pictures; they are a very important of this day. Don’t pay an overpriced photographer for wedding pictures and videos. Check your social circle, you will find that there are many that are photographers and great at it. You can also get a family member to video tape the wedding. Tell them this can be their wedding gift to you. You will be happy that you did this, it will be special and beautiful plus you won’t start your marriage in debt.