Complete Guide On Planning A Cheap Wedding

Although it may seem hard to believe, weddings are becoming more expensive each year; an average wedding can now cost tens of thousands of dollars so are you surprised many couples find it financial challenging? There is no need for you to spend this amount on your wedding when other options exist; remember that just because it 's a cheap wedding does not mean that it cannot be done with style. This article hopes to show some of the areas where money can be saved; meaning your special day is possible but without the high price tag.

A Used Hand Made Dress

Almost never considered are the costs associated with the hand made wedding dress; many brides sell their dress soon after they are married and this is a sensible way to reduce the cost. Many brides spend two to three thousand dollars (often more) on a wedding dress and only wear it once; why not make use of a beautiful dress that someone else has only worn once, for a fraction of the cost?

Reception Costs

The wedding reception is normally the biggest expense and where costs can get out of hand; with close to 200 people attending, the reception is the first place to make your cheap wedding more of a reality. You can reduce the number of people attending by not inviting those who are only at the periphery of your life which can include distant relatives; when it comes to the meal, instead a four course silver service, why not arrange a hot or cold buffet.

The venue of the wedding reception can also be somewhere less expensive than the local golf club or hotel; using a small club for example will mean the drinks bill is less by only catering for wine, beer and soft drinks at the bar.

Wedding Photographs and Photographers

Photographers are expensive but there is generally no need to hire one for the whole day; why not have your friends and relatives take pictures during the reception. Although it may sound like an unusual idea, you always have the option to not use a professional photographer at all; there is no reason why the photos can't be taken by your guests and you will find yourself saving many hundreds if not thousands, of dollars.

Print At Home Personalized Wedding Invites

Cutting down on costs can also mean you make your own wedding invitations and seating cards etc; a personal computer combined with a home printer means it is quite easy to produce very professional looking results. Many people are now competent enough to produce near professional quality work; problems and errors can be corrected quickly without regular visits to the printers.

Cheap Wedding Flowers

Cost cutting measures can also be found in the area of flowers and their arrangement; these can actually be purchased in large quantities from wholesalers or even from your own garden if you have the capacity. If you have one of your friends make the wedding cake you can save some serious money; there probably won't be any need for five or six tiers either just as an alternative to the traditional fruit filling could be tried.

The Wedding Transportation

It is not uncommon for someone close who has a luxury car to offer a couple the use of it for the day; cleaned, polished and decorated with ribbons, it can look really impressive. Savings can be made everywhere if you just know where to look but this doesn't mean it has to look like a cheap wedding; who will care providing everyone enjoys the occasion!

About the Author

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How to Plan a Cheap Wedding

by: Claire Bowes

There’s no doubt about it, weddings can be expensive. The average cost of a wedding today is $20,000 – $25,000, and weddings are estimated to be a $25.3 billion industry. But don’t worry if your budget cannot stretch for the most expensive custom-made gown, elegant invitation cards, or the top photographer, it doesn’t mean that your wedding will be any less unique or special than anyone else’s.

You just need a bit of guidance and a few tips to help you achieve the dream of your big day. Here are a few suggestions with tips on how to save on some of the more expensive aspects of a wedding.

Wedding Gowns

Do you really need a hand-made wedding dress with beads and diamantes? This is where the big cost is and there are several options in cutting the cost. Why not opt for a second-hand wedding dress? It’s probably only been worn once anyway and you can get a once expensive dress for half the price. Consider buying an evening gown/cocktail dress from a department store or look into renting your wedding dress for the day.

The Reception

This is where the cost of a wedding can get out of hand. The wedding reception is normally the biggest expense, but one of the easiest to cut down on costs. Statistics show that an average of 189 guests attend a wedding, this is a lot. Try and keep your guest list to a minimum, do you really need to invite family members who you have never seen for years? Instead of a three-course meal why not opt for a hot and cold buffet (even cater for yourself)? Instead of holding the reception in an expensive hotel suite or wedding reception, why not consider having it at someone’s home or a club, or even book a restaurant. Keep an open bar to a minimal and only serve beer, wine and soft drinks.

Photography

The obvious choice is to shop around for the best rates, but consider hiring a photographer for the ceremony only and ask a family member or friend to take snap photos of the reception. Or you could go one step further and ask them to take the photographs for the whole day and not bother with the expense of a photographer at all.

Invitations / Stationery

If you’re on a budget and looking for cheaper wedding stationery items, then you might like to consider print-at-home http://www.1st-for-greeting-cards.com/invitation-cards.html. There are many online stationer’s that will offer this service free of charge. You pay for the paper and envelopes, then use their software to print directly from your own PC. With sophisticated customization tools you'll be able to enter your own text and preview it before you print so as not to make any costly mistakes. Alternatively, you can buy software and do-it-yourself from your PC.

Miscellaneous

Flowers can be another great expense, but also an unnecessary one. Why not buy wholesale flowers, or pick flowers from your garden (or a friends or relatives). Buy plain gold or white gold wedding bands as these are the cheapest. Get a friend to make your wedding cake for you and opt for a smaller tier cake and it doesn’t have to be a fruit cake – try a sponge, chocolate or carrot cake! Make your favors and center-peices yourself. Accessories for these can be found at little outlet stores or online. Lastly, instead of a limousine why not rent a car or borrow a luxury car from a friend or relative?

Summary

Weddings are expensive if you want them to be. But if you want to keep money aside for a deposit on a house or a honeymoon to remember, then there are many cost cutting ideas. All you need is a little imagination, and some help from friends and family and you too can have a luxury wedding with all the trimmings.

About The Author

Claire Bowes is a freelance write and owner of http://www.1st-for-greeting-cards.com where you will find further tips and advice on invitation cards ( http://www.1st-for-greeting-cards.com/invitation-cards.html ) and personalized stationery ( http://www.1st-for-greeting-cards.com/personalized-stationery.html ).

Some Ideas for a Cheap Wedding

by: Terje Brooks Ellingsen

Want to save money for your wedding? Here are some ideas for a cheap wedding.

If you hire an event coordinator for your wedding planning and execution, you will save time and thus money by selecting from his/her recommendations of experienced vendors and ways to save. Most specialize in cutting costs.

Learn how to do your make-up well in advance of the event date and complete your own prior to putting on your gown.

If you select “in-season” flowers for your bouquets and décor, you can save a third of the costs.

Let the bridesmaids carry one long-stemmed flower keyed into your wedding bouquet.

If you use mirror rounds under the flowers, you’ll expand their appearance on tables. Expand the flowers for your table décor with 2/3 greenery to 1/3 flowers.

Purchase a cheap or less expensive plain white dress and buy the applicas at a yardage shop by the yard to enhance the dress with simple stitches. This can change a $400. dress into a $4,000. dress quickly.

If you want to save on event location fees, you can hold your event mid-week or on a Friday or Sunday instead of Saturday.

You can save money by taking advantage of wine sales the months prior to the wedding day.

There are some tux formalwear companies that give the tux free for the groom when they bring four or more men in to be fitted for a wedding. Try to find such a company.

Go to discount houses and see if you can find decent wedding and attendant dresses. You can save much money this way.

If you let the photographer shoot only the formal shots and have a qualified friend take the rest of the day with a high resolution camera, you can save money.

A Band or a DJ is often countered with “a D.J. is only one or two meals extra, but a band can be 5 or 10 meals.” Negotiate to not feed the band a full meal, but a nice boxed lunch. Maybe they’ll agree so that you can save money.

If possible, shop for a specific price per slice on your cake. This can range from $3. to $9. per slice.

Don’t pay money for everything. When evaluating the funds available for the wedding and reception, take into consideration the people in your circle of family and friends who can do the vendor work as part of their gift to you.

About The Author

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is an internet publisher. Check out his website http://www.the-wedding-site.net/wedding_products.htm which offers free information for all who are interested in wedding products and other wedding issues.

Make Your Wedding Favors for Cheap!

by Ashley Back

The question most brides-to-be or couples getting married have is “How do I make wedding favors for cheap?” Before I begin to answer this question, I want to establish one thing. When using the word cheap, it doesn’t mean that you’re not giving it all you have. You’ve already spent a lot of money to make this day perfect. Therefore, here are some cheap or inexpensive ways to make wedding favors. Save yourself a little money, you could even use it on the honeymoon!!

Here are some really cool ideas to save money and get two things done at once:

• Flower Arrangements

Make a small flower arrangement for each table setting. This can serve as both a favor for your guest and decorations for the table. You can normally find little glass containers at Wal-Mart or the Dollar Store for pretty cheap. Add some of your favorite flower(s) or a flower of your favorite color. You can even make it seasonal depending on when your wedding is. Have fun! Be creative!

• Candles

I know, everybody suggests candles for wedding favors. But find your favorite shape or scent and give each of your guests a small candle. This will make it personal for your guest. It will tell your guest you wanted them there and make them feel special. Use tulle and/or ribbon to make it more festive!

• Small Frames – One of my favorites!

You can find small frames and make them place card holders. Each of your guest will have a frame to take home with them. If you don’t want to assign seating, put a special message or quote in each frame. Your guest will have a special way of remembering you!

• Wine Glass Markers

Make wine glass markers with some wire and beads. Then find a small box and wrap ribbon around it. You need one for each guest. It will also be helpful to keep each other’s wine glasses separate!

• Personalized CD of you and your fiancée’s favorite songs!

You can buy CD’s at Office Depot, Staples, Wal-Mart, etc… for cheap. Then decide on 10 or so songs to put on there. Burn them to the CD; attach a label or write on each one. You can buy “print-on” labels wherever you buy the CD’s. Then give each guest one! It’s a cool personal gift.

You can pull off your big day and save some money. Don’t make it look cheap either. Make and create your wedding favors for cheap!! You can do it!! Remember to have fun and be creative!!!