Costs can easily get out of hand when planning a wedding. The factors that come together to create a beautiful wedding add up fast. However, there are several ways to rein in costs to keep within budget:
The Dress — Some brides will say that if nothing else, the dress must be a work of perfection. Going to wedding boutiques is a great way to try dresses on to see which styles look best. However, they are not always the best places to buy a dress. Find the dress you want in a boutique or in a magazine, and search for it online.
Online wedding dress sites often have the exact design you want for far less than the boutique price. Some online outlets can sell dresses for 50 – 80 percent less, because they do not maintain showrooms.
The Food — Three effective solutions exist for feeding the guests. The first is to use a multi-event caterer instead of one that only does weddings. They tend to cost less while providing food that is just as delicious and presentable. The second solution is to make the food yourself, which significantly reduces the cost.
Hire a serving crew to plate the food during the reception so family and friends can enjoy the wedding. The third option is to reduce the guest list to better fit catering into the budget.
The Groomsmen and Bridesmaids — Traditionally, whoever pays for the wedding also pays to clothe the entire wedding party. The modern tradition usually has groomsmen and bridesmaids paying for their own. Groomsmen have it easy since they have the option to rent, which costs less.
Bridesmaids do not have that options. To alleviate their costs or your own if you are outfitting the bridesmaids, look for cheap bridesmaid dresses online. As with wedding dresses, deep discounts are available at many Internet boutiques.
The Photographer — Commemorating the day is one of the most important parts of the wedding plans. Consider having a professional photographer take pictures at the ceremony and staged pictures afterwards of the wedding party.
Rather than hiring the photographer for the reception, provide the guests with disposable cameras to take pictures you develop later on. Alternately, ask guests to take digital pictures using memory cards you provide. That way, you can have only those images that turn out well printed later on.
Wedding Favors — Whether there are 50 guests or 500, wedding favors present a large expense. Instead of buying premade favors, put them together at home. Whether going traditional with a rum-soaked fruitcake topped with marzipan or modern with chocolate truffles or organic handmade soaps, portioning and packaging is easy.
Foil, cellophane, ribbon and commemorative tags do not cost a lot, and you can put them together while watching television in the evenings over the course of several weeks or months.
Cutting costs smartly will help alleviate the overall expense of a wedding while allowing you to have everything you want. Following these tips will let you have a wedding that looks like a million dollars without breaking the bank.