Getting Married As Cheaply As Possible
May 16th, 2008
It is incredible just how much money a wedding costs these days; with an average day costing around 25,000 dollars it accounts for why the industry is worth an astonishing 25 billion dollars annually. It may feel as if you must have an expensive wedding or miss out, this is not the case as huge savings can be made without sacrificing that much; carried out properly, the majority of guests will not even realize they have attended a ‘cheap wedding’. Savings can be made in almost every area if you follow just a few of the ideas presented here; which should make for an exciting, memorable day without the financial pain.
Cheap Bridal Gown
That hand-made wedding dress is going to be the most costly individual item; 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?
The Wedding Reception
Controlling costs especially on the reception is probably the hardest part; with close to 200 people attending, the reception is the first place to make your cheap wedding more of a reality. Try and keep your guest list to a minimum: ask yourself if you really need to invite family members you haven’t seen for years; instead, opt for a three course meal or a hot and cold buffet.
To save on a costly wedding reception venue in a hotel, consider the alternatives; some people now arrange to hold them in a club house where they can place a set amount over the bar for certain beverages like beer, wine and soft drinks for the children.
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. Some people save money by dispensing with the professional photographer entirely; using a friend or relation may sound strange at first but you can guarantee one of them is a keen amateur photographer.
Print At Home Contemporary Wedding Invitations
Cutting down on costs can also mean creating 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. With the correct programs, all the work can be checked fully before it is printed out; this means that often costly errors and adjustments that are often required in the early stages of the work are not made.
Flowers at the Wedding
Flowers can be another expensive outlay especially with the alternatives on offer; why not buy wholesale flowers, or pick flowers from your garden and buy plain gold or white gold bands as these are the least costly. Many people have friends who are very capable cooks and love to bake so why not let them bake a two or three tier wedding cake; this can be made from sponge or even a chocolate cake which tends to be favorite amongst people these days.
The Wedding Transportation
Lastly, instead of a limousine why not rent a car or borrow a luxury car from a friend or relative; most will be pleased to help.
Money saved because it was a cheap wedding can be used productively; especially if the couple is planning to buy a house in the near future!