How to Keep Your Wedding Budget Afloat
In these difficult economic times with so much emphasis on the rising cost of everything from food to fuel, it is important to ensure that your wedding budget stretches as far as possible. For as long as you can remember, you have probably been dreaming of your fairy-tale wedding day. The reality is that you can cut down in some areas making substantial savings thus ensuring that your wedding day will still be as special as you have dreamt of.
The first place to look is at your Guest List. Is it really important for you to invite that cousin four times removed that you only have met once? Trying to keep it to close family and friends will not only cut your costs down considerably, but will ensure that you actually know everyone at your wedding really well. If you can shave guest list from 200 to 150 or from 150 to 100 guests you will be saving plenty of money, and you will probably enjoy your intimate wedding so much more surrounded by people that you both know well.
Another area of saving is by having your ceremony and wedding reception or banquet at the same venue. You have paid for venue hire in one place. So why hire another venue at more expense for your ceremony? This obviously does not apply if your religious beliefs do not allow it.
Instead of having a full open bar at your reception, it would save money if you restrict it to wine and beer with sparkling wine or champagne for the toasts and maybe a cocktail for the guests when they arrive. Have a cut off time or put a limit on the bar after which guests have to pay for themselves.
A further area of saving is in the decor department. Sometimes you can use the setting of your venue to tie in with your theme so you do not have to go overboard with extra decorations. Think of a beach theme if your wedding venue is near the sea. You can collect shells, pebbles, driftwood and other "beachy" items and use these with loads of candles as table decoration. Fairy lights and white draping create a very romantic effect. You won't need as many flower arrangements to create the mood on your big day.
If there are any areas where people can help you save, take them up on their offers. If you are lucky enough to have a relative or friend who is an excellent seamstress and who offers to make your dress for you take her up on her offer. This can save you thousands, and you get to choose your style and fabric yourself. The only area a saving is not always a good idea is your photographer. These are pictures you are going to want to show to your grandchildren one day, so you don't want a weekend snapper taking them. Pay for a professional photographer and rather save in other areas. An idea may be for the professional photographer to spend 3 hours with you at the ceremony and for the formal photographs after the ceremony of family and wedding party. Then the "amateur" could be responsible for the photographs at the reception when the formalities are over. In this way you would get the best of both in saving on the hours you hire the professional photographer for.