Wedding Bells
Anthony Ekanem
He has popped the question. The ring is on your finger. Now comes the stressful part. You want to throw the wedding of your dreams, but you do not have all the money in the world. What do you do?
Statistics shows that an average wedding costs about $20,000. Most young girls dream of the fairy tale wedding: long white gown, 8 bridesmaids, a sit-down dinner, and the band everyone dances to. Many brides have been dreaming about their wedding day since childhood. These dreams come with an expensive price tag and the realization of their fairytale day may be distant. Although weddings are very costly today, your dream day can happen. In this book, you will learn some tips on how to cut corners and save money without making huge sacrifices.
By taking the time to plan and investigate, you will be amazed at the amount of money that you save. Would you arrive at an interview for your dream job without prior preparation? No, you would not and that is why preparation and research will make your wedding a success without remortgaging the house!
It is only natural to want the Cinderella fantasy wedding, complete with ice sculptures, a heavenly cake, and thousands of guests who have flown in from around the world to enjoy the accompanying dinner. It is only human to cry at the bill that this dream can rack up. Costs can add up quickly. Factor in the meal, the liquor, the music, the dress, the flowers, the photographer, the decorations and the dream wedding can seem way out of your league. But it doesn’t have to be.
How can the average person have a beautiful wedding with all the bells and whistles on a working person’s salary? Perhaps the three letters/words that say it best are – DIY (do it yourself!). Spending your life savings on your big day is crazy. You can have an elegant and beautiful wedding without breaking the bank.
Having a cheap wedding doesn’t mean giving up style or sentimentality. It means using your imagination, using your own hands or the help of friends and family. Ask anyone you know to help out. Almost everyone will be happy to oblige. They will be part of your special day which makes them special as well!
This book will give you the best tips and tricks from the experts to cut costs without cutting class and sophistication. No one will know that your budget equals the grocery bill of a family of 4. They’ll be oblivious as they toast the new couple and enjoy a party to put all other party’s to shame!
We’ll explore ways to save on all aspects of your wedding. Don’t think you have to give up anything because it can all be covered. All it takes is the cooperation of your family and friend, coupled with a little positive self-talk and perseverance.
Let us show you how to throw a dream wedding on a shoestring budget!
We assume you want a traditional ceremony as opposed to a “theme” wedding. Assuming you want a traditional wedding, the first decisions to make will include: the date, your attendants, and where the reception will be held. Of course, the date might be your most important decision.
Traditionally, couples tie the knot on a Saturday. If you really want to save some cash, consider having your ceremony on a Thursday or Friday. How about having a Sunday service on a holiday weekend? You’ll find that there are many more open dates on these days and you’ll ultimately realize more savings by booking on these less traditional time frames. Many reception locations will offer a discount for an off day. If they don t offer it, ask for it.
Also, you may want to consider an early marriage and an early reception. An 11:00 a.m. marriage with a reception immediately following can realize great savings as most guests will have already had lunch before your ceremony and the reception will most likely be over by dinner, so all you’ll have to provide is some light finger foods to tide over those rumbling tummies! Additional savings may be realized by having your wedding in the months of November through April. These months are less busy for most wedding related services and locations. Again, ask for a discount for being off-season.
You need to decide how many attendants you will have so you can bestow the honor on them early enough! They can save the date and help you plan! Traditionally, the bridesmaids are responsible for their own wedding attire, but the bride usually has the final say on what they wear. Be mindful of your attendants’ financial situation and don’t choose that $500 satin chiffon number. Remember, you’re trying to throw a wedding on a budget. Let them save some cash as well! We’ll have some suggestions later on in this book for attendant attire, so keep that in the back of your mind!
Where your reception will be held is another huge decision that has to be made early on in the wedding planning stage. If you want to opt for a traditional reception hall, you’ll have to book early to be sure you can get the venue of your choice. If you or someone in your family is the member of a benevolent association (The Elks, The Moose, The American Legion), consider these as viable options. They often give discounts to members and you will probably have access to a huge area for your wedding reception as opposed to Aunt Emily’s backyard! Just remember to book early!
We’ll have much more on the dream reception later in this book, but remember to book early. Having that out of the way will free up more of your time to concentrate on the little details that can mean so much! You can also look to find a free place to hold your reception such as a friend’s home, a church’s reception hall, or even the local fire department’s reception hall! You could look into a local park, art gallery, and even your own home.
You’ll need to start on a guest list as soon as possible and begin thinking about invitations.
Ideally, invitations should be mailed out 6 - 8 weeks before the big day to give guests time to make arrangements to attend and RSVP back to you. The first step is to get organized. Remember when we suggested a folder earlier? This is where it comes in especially handy! Begin by making a list of the people you just can’t stand to get married without them there. This will probably be mostly relatives and close friends. Ask your parents and the groom’s parents to provide you with a list of who they would like to invite. Make sure you have accurate addresses for your guests.
One caution here: don’t think you HAVE to invite everyone you know. If you haven’t talked to your high school lab partner since graduation, he or she probably doesn’t need to be invited. And don’t get all caught up in possibly offending someone by not inviting them to your wedding.
Often, people get sick of attending weddings for people they barely know. Unless you talk to them every day, chances are pretty good that they won’t give it a second thought when your invitation doesn’t arrive. Remember, you’re trying to save some money on your big day. Extra people means extra expense – cut corners here. Once you have your guest list, you’ll have an idea of how many invitations you’ll need. Next, you’ll need to pick a design.
Wedding invitations shouldn’t be a big expense for you. Yes, when it’s delivered all pretty in its customized envelope and small tissue square inside, it can make an impression – for about a minute! Most people read it once, note the date, take out the RSVP card and throw the invite away. So why spend a lot on them? Remember, we’re trying to save money here!
The obvious thing to do with your invites is to create them yourself on your personal computer. You can use Microsoft Word or Publisher to create beautiful invitations that are ALL you!
There also are inexpensive programs out there specifically made for creating invitations and greeting cards. The best part about buying programs like this is being able to use it again after the wedding is over! I’ve had this program save me many times to print out a special occasion card (Birthday, Anniversary) at the last minute if I’ve forgotten!
You can buy heavy card stock at any office supply or discount store. Consider some pre-printed stationery which is also available at most office supply stores.