They say that love is free and perhaps it is until it’s time for your wedding. When you and your fiancé decide to get married you quickly discover just how expensive love can be.
A wedding after all is not only a one-day affair, it is a series of events that all add up to your big day and night. There is a bridal shower, bachelor and bachelorette parties, wedding rehearsal dinner, and then of course the wedding and the reception.
Although the bride and groom are not expected to pay for all of these, each adds at least a little expense to what the bride and groom must pay.
The idea of a wedding is not for the couple and their families to go deeply into debt and lose their life savings, the goal is to have an amazing and memorable time with your friends and family and of course use the opportunity to publicly commit to your significant other.
This can be achieved cost effectively, but everyone needs to keep a clear head and not fall into the emotional traps that so often capture the bride and groom when they plan their big day. Here are some tips to keep you focused on a great day not an overly expensive one.
The Wedding
The Wedding Dress
The wedding should be as grand an affair as you can afford and it should make both you and your significant other proud of throwing it. But there are ways that you can cut some corners and still have it look beautiful.
Start with the bride’s wedding dress. It can easily be the most expensive single item in a wedding. Brides can easily spend thousands of dollars on a new dress thinking that this is the only way that they can get something beautiful and unique. However in truth, brides can purchase cheap wedding dresses online that are both beautiful and well made. For any other wedding dress purchases including bridesmaid dresses and flower girl dresses you can also make great online purchase for high quality dresses at wonderful prices. Using this option can free up lots of money for other areas of the wedding.
Where to Hold the Ceremony
Many couples have an idea to have their wedding ceremony at a beautiful resort or grand private location. Although they are very beautiful, these places can cost thousands of dollars to rent for the day. Instead why not use a city on location, a church or a private residence. These are all low-cost locations where you can have just as beautiful a ceremony and save lots of money. Ask your friends who own a great-looking home if you can use the backyard. If they agree then your only costs are decorating.
Have a Smaller Wedding Party
Many couples choose to have a large wedding party because they don’t want anyone to feel left out. What this means is that they will incur expenses for large group of people that you have to move around, feed, clothe, and entertain. This can put a serious dent in a wedding budget. Instead opt for a smaller wedding party make everyone else aware that you had to make some tough decisions. In the end you’ll save money and everyone will understand why you chose this path.
Saving money on your wedding takes a bit of hard work and some focus, but in the end you can have a beautiful wedding at a fraction of the cost you thought.
