Planning a Wedding on a Low Budget

Planning a wedding can be a very fun and exciting process. Chances are you have been dreaming of this day your entire life. However, once you start looking at how expensive everything is for a wedding, you may start to worry that you will not have enough to cover the costs.
If you are planning an upcoming wedding for yourself, or one of your children, and you have limited fund, do not worry there are plenty of tips that can help reduce the overall cost of the wedding dramatically. Below are some great tips to keep in mind if you are planning a wedding on a low budget.

Set a Clear Budget
The first thing you want to do is to look over your finances and determine exactly how much money you have available to spend on your wedding. The earlier you start planning, the more money you are likely to have available because you can spread the expenses out over a longer period of time. Once you have a budget in place, make a commitment to stick to the budget and avoid going into debt.

Plan an Out-of-Season Wedding
You can greatly reduce the costs of having a wedding by choosing to have yours during the off-season. For example, most wedding are held during the warmer months of spring and summer. This is puts a higher demand on various wedding services, such as reception halls, caterers, and photographers and increases the costs for those services. Instead, plan a wedding during the winter and take advantage of these services lower rates.

 
Purchase a Dress on Sale
When shopping for the perfect wedding dress, forget the new fashions that just came out. Instead, look at last year’s dresses that have been discontinued. This could provide you with a 50 per cent discount or more off the original price, while still purchasing a new dress. You can also find some amazing wedding dresses at second hand stores and thrift shops. Keep in mind that these dresses were only worn one time before and they still look great. You will also find great wedding decoration at the thrift store, so be sure to shop around. Either option will still allow you to find the perfect dress, if you take your time to shop around.

Only Use One Location
Many couples choose to get married in a church, synagogue, or mosque, and then hold their reception at a separate location. This forces them to pay rental costs for two separate locations. Instead, consider having your wedding ceremony and reception at the same location. You will be able to cut your rental fees in half.

Smaller Bridal Party and Guest List
You may have always wanted a big wedding with a large bridal party, but perhaps your budget will not support a large event. This may be one area where you can cut back and reduce the size of your bridal part and your guest list. Take your time to choose your guest list, and only invite those people who are truly special to you. This will greatly reduce the overall expenses of your wedding.

Catering the Reception Yourself
Catering costs for your reception is likely to be one of your biggest expenses. You might want to consider catering the reception yourself. This will require a lot of extra work on your behalf, so you want to be sure that you can enlist a lot of extra people to help you with the catering. However, if you can break the food list down and find the time to do your own catering, you can cut your reception cost by 50 per cent or more.

Together these tips will help you plan the perfect wedding, while still staying within your budget. Remember to start planning early, so you have plenty of time to shop around for the best deals. With a little luck and a lot of patience, you will be able to find everything you need for your wedding at a price you can afford.

What tips can you share on money saving tactics for a wedding?

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