How To - Weddings on a Budget

"Now join hands, and with your hands your hearts."- William Shakespeare

It’s your wedding day. Many women dream about this day their whole lives and have a thousand ideas about how things will look, feel, smell, and taste. First you need the guy, then the ring and then reality sets in. "Things cost how much?!" Most brides don’t day dream about their budget and limitations.

According to CNN.com, the average wedding costs upwards of $30,000. Brides develop sticker-shock as they start to plan and the little things start to add up; invitations, stamps, rings, favors, food, fees, taxes, dress, etc. However, if you don’t want to be paying off your wedding for the next 10 years there is a way to have the wedding you want within a budget you set for yourself.

The real fun comes after the budget is set. Rule number one, splurge on the thing most important to you. Do you want professional pictures? Do you want the princess dress or a fantastic locale? Decide what you just can’t live without and find a way to fit your budget around it.

There is such a thing as an "off season" for weddings. This is usually September thru March/April. Many places run off season prices that are considerably lower than "wedding season" prices. There are also times of day that are less expensive as well. These times are usually in the morning or afternoon. If you really want to get married in the middle of the summer and early evening, maybe that is your splurge item!

Look around at family and friends and find untapped talent. In other words, put them to work! Find a cousin who dabbles in photography or an aunt who can bake or cook well. Find a friend who is creative who can help make favors and decorate.

Invitations are something else that can cost a pretty penny. However, companies make invitation packs that include everything you’ll need to make your own invites. All you need is a computer, a printer and a little imagination. It comes with exact instructions on how to format the printer and also includes a sheet with invitation wordings, quotes and fancy fonts.

And then there’s the cake. Or maybe not. Many brides are choosing to have alternatives like wedding pie, wedding cupcakes or wedding cookies. These can all be bought in bulk at places like Costco or Sam’s Club. Or if you really would like a wedding cake have a small replica made of the one you like and make a sheet cake with the same flavors to serve to guests. Someone can cut it in the back and no one will ever be the wiser! For example, if your small cake is white with chocolate icing, make the sheet cake white with chocolate icing.

Planning may go awry here and there but this is your wedding day and the most important thing is you and your spouse. Everything else is secondary. Use your imagination and think outside the wedding box!