Do not worry if you cannot have your dream wedding due to a low wedding budget. Many brides with low wedding budgets still have great weddings without all the frills and without breaking the bank. The number one reason for divorce is money problems, start avoiding money troubles now. The good thing is that you already stopped thinking spend and started thinking save. A lot of brides and grooms go into debt even before they are married. They put thousands of dollars on credit cards, or take out loans, which take years to pay back. With interest on top of the basic payments plus all the new cost of living together (if not already) you can put your future plans on hold for awhile. Some of the new cost that you take in once you’re married is often over looked. Some of the bigger budget items are: financing a home, insurance, furniture, and utilizes. If you plan to have kids soon that is another huge cost to factor in to your life budget. But do not haste if you really want to spend a lot of money on your wedding, without the proper wedding budget now, then wait till you save up all the money for your high budget wedding. (My aunts did, their wedding had over 500 people and it had all that a wedding can have with a high wedding budget, however they saved for 6 years to pay for it. Most of the money, I think, when to her 3-carat diamond ring!)
Now if you are ready to start your wedding budget list right, and plan your wedding now you will find a lot of wedding budget help in this article. Below is a huge list of wedding budget ideas and budget tips for all aspects of wedding planning. All these wedding budget ideas came either from other low budget brides (No, you are not the only one.), or wedding vendors. The wedding budget list will cover wedding photography budget, budget wedding invitations, budget wedding dress, just to name a few.
Fact is: you cannot have everything in life. But think on the bright side, everyone said that you couldn’t buy happiness anyway. You have your groom and that is all that really matters, right?
Know your Wedding Budget!
How can you save money when you do not know how much you can afford?
You need to know what services cost out there and what you can afford. Be budget wise: print out and read "Average Wedding Cost" by Amena Harris, then come back. That article will give you a common list of vendor services and their prices.
All set? Then lets start!
Prioritize: Time to adjust that budget
Before you begin planning your wedding and reception take the time to sit down with your fiancée and categorize the top five items, or services that is a must for your wedding day. Doing so will help you both see each others view on a perfect wedding and help determine what items, services, or other ideas that are less important to you both. This can be from wanting your wedding in Hawaii to not wanting a full band, or wanting a designer wedding dress instead of opting for a budget gown.
Guest List: Guests do not come cheap
The fewer guests you have the less money you will spend. The more guests the more favors, invitations, cake, food, drinks, and larger reception hall is needed. Receptions being the most costly due to catering services, and the hall size most of both these services charge per-person prices. The best advise is to limit the guests you have per how long your reception will be. For example, if you had 150 guest and you want to greet everyone individually for a minute each you would need 2hrs and 30mins. Remember this does not include other activities, like dancing, eating, tossing the garter, cutting the cake, etc.
Another way to determining how many guests is to just invite close family and friends that you enjoy being with.
Invitations: Getting the word out
Anyone can make invitations. Do-it-yourself can save money and show everyone how skilled you are. You can even add a personalized touch to each. You can make them on the computer with software and pastel colored printing paper, or even handwrite with a gold pen and stationary; the possibilities are endless, be creative. If you lack creativity or don’t have time, call around to get price quotes, everyone prices differently. The higher priced one may be nicer but if this is not a top priority buy the cheaper ones. Your guests should not care if you send them a plain white invitation instead of the custom one shaped like a bride. Your guests will more than likely just write the date on the calendar and throw away the invitation anyways.
To save money on purchased invitations:
Purchase thermographed print instead of getting the invitations engraved. Thermography is raised print were as engraved is indented, however they look and feel the same.
Other ways to save:
If everyone has email or most have email then you could email invitations. The ones without email send an invitation by mail.
Save on return postage, envelopes, and printing by having your guest call to RSVP.
