Cheap weddings: It sounds like an oxy-moron in so many ways doesn’t it? Well, get over it because that is the future of wedding planning. Spending your life savings on your big day is not just crazy it is insanely idiotic. You can have elegant, beautiful weddings and receptions without having to go broke in the process.

Today’s couple knows that weddings on a budget just make more sense than spending like crazy. That and the days when the bride’s parents pay for everything is just about over. Nowadays couples are often spending their own money on the wedding as many of them live together long before the wedding day. Cheap weddings don’t have to mean that you have to give up on style or sentimentality.

It means using your imagination, and using your own hands or the help of friends and family rather than paying through the roof for professionals. You can save some money without skimping on any of the good stuff.

Planning a cheap wedding is planning dream weddings but with much more cash left over. Wouldn’t you rather have money to put down on a house or to pay for your honeymoon? You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing to make your special. There are so many ideas that can make your wedding a great deal cheaper in the long run. Some of these ideas include:

• Buying your dress secondhand
• Having friends and family make your food and cake for you in lieu of a wedding gift
• Using an MP3 player instead of hiring a DJ
• Having your reception at home with only close friends and family
• Not inviting the entire universe to your wedding

There are just so many things that you can do to make your wedding days a bit cheaper that this article alone cannot cover them all. Brainstorm and use your imagination to find more ways to stay within your budget. When you need to throw a wedding on a budget, you can always make sure that you and your fiancé opt for a wedding that does not cost as much as the average wedding.

You can have your wedding outdoors, in your yard or that of a family member, have theme based wedding that can be easy to create etc. Theme weddings always take a lot of the cost out of throwing a big and expensive wedding and they are always a lot of fun for everyone that is involved.

Hints and tips for the perfect wedding

There are many things that you can do to have a perfect wedding without spending a fortune doing it. One of the first things that you need to do is develop a wedding plan, decide who is helping you plan your special day, and stick with it! Work a budget into the mix that is written in stone and stick within your means no matter what.

Consider working with a professional wedding planner or consultant who has the know how to help you find ways to save money. There are lots of traditional wedding expense breakdowns and financial responsibility assignments, following general outlines or etiquette rules and suggested practices. Traditionally, the bride’s parents would foot most of the bill, parents of the groom might want to contribute in some meaningful financial way, shape or form or just pay for specific things, or even share costs equally.

Some couples choose to save, pay for their own weddings, others use the kindness of benefactors, and other family members who want to contribute and lessen the burden on everyone. Couples and parents find innovative ways to deal with the expenses they face. They set up a wedding account, where everyone’s contributions are deposited.

All bills are paid from that account, or they split costs in three equal parts. Parents on both sides and the couple each take a third of the expenses and cover their portion of the cost. Setting up a master ‘wedding account’ is always a great idea to control spending, manage budgets, and avoid conflicts.

You can ease the financial burden this major life event is placing on everyone by offering a unique service and channel for one-and-all who feel they want to contribute. It also provides the family with the unique opportunity to have others provide cash. It is accepted practice that attendants pay for their own clothing, but in some cases, especially where the option to share expenses has been mobilized, the wardrobe will be “funded” so to speak.

Rentals that will have to be returned and/or purchased, traditional, themed or even home-made outfits are always other options as well, depending on your wedding’s unique style, set-up and context. Traditionally the bride and/or her family would pay for the bride’s dress, veil and accessories; her mother’s dress and father’s formal wear as well as the bride’s trousseau, honeymoon clothes and lingerie.

Reception – the bulk of the cost for any wedding would be the food and drink, party rentals, music and entertainment of your guests on the big day. Cost cutting suggestions and innovative cost sharing, will all go a long way to assist you plan the reception. Making it fit your budget is both a challenge and a joyful endeavor!

Getting professional help from a seasoned, well-versed wedding expert will be dollars saved in the end and a smart investment strategy to help you curb costs AND create the perfect ambience and backdrop for your wedding celebrations. Do not go the journey alone – consult often and frequently shop around and be creative, making your reception the one to remember without having to break the bank!

Using themes to cut wedding costs

There’s nothing like a well thought out theme to make your wedding celebration unique and memorable for a fraction of the cost. A wedding theme should tell your guests something about the two of you as a couple and as individuals because that’s what makes it unique. If you share a love for sports, maybe a sports themed wedding would be right for you.

Or maybe you met on the beach, where you would likely want to choose a beach themed wedding. Once you’ve decided on your wedding theme, you are going to want to make sure all elements of your wedding celebration reflect that singular theme, and that is including the wedding favors and gifts. If you can’t think of a theme wedding favor idea, one good way for you to start is to think about things that are included in or that reflect the theme.

For instance, if you are having an Asian theme wedding, there are great Asian wedding favors available all over the place including the internet that all have Asian designs. Some of these samples include fortune cookies, chopsticks and take-out boxes and there are a lot of beautifully designed favors with these designs at even dollar stores these days.

Some of my favorites are a fortune cookie place-card holder, a silver take-out box that has the names of the couple engraved on it. The good news is that no matter what your theme is, you can find wedding favors to match it as long as you think of things that make you think of that theme. If you are having a beach theme wedding, you may want to consider favors with items like shells, fish, sand, and water.

Look out for designs with motifs like beach umbrellas, flip-flops etc. For a really elegant and yet useful beach theme favor, nothing really beats a beautiful silver dolphin-shaped bottle-opener or a shell shaped candle accent. But if that’s beyond your budget, there are some cool and cheap wedding favors like a shell card holder, a mini beach pail filled with candies etc.

Excerpted from the book Wedding Budget Made Easy! by Wings Of Success.

This excerpt has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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https://boostlane.com/p/boostlane/678/wedding-budget-made-easy/