According to a recent survey, the average cost of an American wedding is over $30,000. This can be a significant burden on those who need to foot the bill, but it doesn’t have to be so painful. There are many steps you can take to make sure that

you’re getting the most bang for your buck when planning that

special day.

Communicate Priorities with Your Partner – Everyone has a different idea of the perfect wedding, so before you even begin to get into the details, you need to sit down with your partner and determine what is important to both of you. As you begin to find out what aspects of the wedding are most important, you’ll then have a list of priorities that will be used to determine how much money to spend.

Some things you’ll want to talk about: 

• Size of the wedding

• Location (indoors or outdoors)

• Time of year

• Photos and video

• Music

Thinking About Guests – When it comes down to it, the number of people that attend your wedding will have the greatest impact on the total cost. More guests mean more food and drink, a larger church or reception hall, a larger wedding cake, and even more invitations. Since most places charge on a per-person basis, the difference between 100 and 200 guests can be substantial. Make sure that you invite the people that are important to you, but don’t go overboard. Remember,  you must spend time visiting with all your guests at the reception. This can take hours of your time, and it doesn’t even include all the other events taking place during the evening.

Invitations and Decorations – If you are a do-it-yourselfer, this is an area where you can really save money. If you have the skills to design on a computer, developing your own invitations can be a great way to save money. This doesn’t mean you should just print off a template you find on the computer and call it an invitation, but you can create all or at least part of your invitations at home with a little creativity and time. The same goes for decorating the church and/or reception hall. If you or someone you know enjoys doing crafts, you can find most of the raw decoration materials at hobby or craft stores. If you take care of the decorations yourself, not only will you save money, but you will have full control over how it looks. Finally, think about what kind of flowers you want to use. Real flowers are beautiful and smell great, but do you really need to spend all that money to have fresh flowers decorating the whole banquet hall? You can save a great deal of money by simply using fresh flowers for the table centerpieces and use silk flowers for accent decorations elsewhere. If you insist on using fresh flowers, you may also consider buying the flowers in bulk and creating the arrangements yourself.

Food and Drink – Without a doubt, the food and drink you select will be one of the largest expenses for your wedding. Think about whether you want a formal sit-down meal, or if it will be a buffet-style meal. Obviously, having a formal dinner will be considerably more expensive because of the additional staff required to plate and serve the meals. In addition, you’ll want to consider any before or after dinner food you may provide. Will you have bacon-wrapped scallops as appetizers, or a plentiful cheese and cracker spread? Will you have a special dessert reception or something like a chocolate fountain after dinner? These can be a nice touch but be prepared to spend an additional five to twenty dollars per person for specialty items such as those. Another significant cost comes in the form of the bar service. If you choose to have alcoholic beverages, keep in mind that alcohol is not cheap. Most places have the option to choose a house or premium alcohol package. Consider whether you really need top-shelf options, as the cheaper house option may be considerably cheaper. You’ll also want to think about the length of the bar service. Remember, not only are you paying for the drinks, but you must pay for the servers and bartenders as well. Instead of leaving the bar open all night, you might be able to save money by closing the bar for an hour or two during dinner service.

Photography – The photos that are taken at your wedding are some of the best reminders you’ll have of that wonderful day. The range in prices for photographers can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $10,000 or more. Better photographers are booked a year in advance. Begin planning to interview photographers well before the wedding. You’ll have an opportunity to sit down with photographers and view samples of their work, discuss package options, photo albums, and so on.

Music – Music is obviously an important part of the wedding. You have the songs being played during the ceremony, but you also have all the entertainment at the reception. You have many options when it comes to music. You can choose live entertainment, which comes at a premium, or you can hire a DJ. There are a lot of options when it comes to music, so be sure to check references so you get exactly what you want.

Things to Remember – As with most things in life, it is usually a good idea to practice moderation, and a wedding is no different. For most people, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event that they have been anticipating for years, so it is incredibly easy to go overboard. While you want to make your wedding an event that you and your guests will remember forever, you want to keep the future in mind. By saving a few hundred or thousand dollars here and there, you can use that savings to prepare for your future together.

This article is in the Planning & Ideas Magazine.

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The post HAVE AN AFFORDABLE WEDDING! appeared first on Wedding Extravaganza Magazine.

Compromise is the name of the game!

Couples want a Beautiful Wedding for Less Money!

On Friday, September 17, 2010, Elizabeth Collins married Kevin Jones. After the ceremony, the sixty guests retired to a location where they had a full sit-down evening meal complemented with wine and beer. All this cost $1,500 less than it would on a Saturday. They had a cash bar. (Liquor was paid for by the guests). They had looked around and been successful in finding ways to save on their wedding.

Rather than a full-length wedding dress, Elizabeth decided on a lovely $200 ivory dress with spaghetti straps. For a splendid effect, she put orchids in her hair.

She had made centerpieces using a piece of round wood that she drilled holes into for candles. She painted the wood green with greenery on top of it. (Painting it the color of the tablecloth can also work well). The candles for each table were ivory and all different heights. The greenery was inexpensive with single flowers placed on top.

“We thought about what was really important to us,” said Collins. “What wasn’t, we did for cheaper – or we didn’t do it” The final bill was $7,000. Elizabeth & Kevin had their two best friends stand up with them. They saved the hidden cost of gifts for bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Don’t be afraid to serve a less expensive meal or have none. Hors D’ oeuvres with a champagne toast and wedding cake are very acceptable for an afternoon wedding. It will be much more affordable than an evening reception. You can save thousands of dollars by choosing Saturday afternoon over Saturday evening. A Sunday wedding may save you as much as 30%!

Food and Drinks usually account for the largest chunk of costs. Wedding professionals say their clients are buying less expensive meals than in the past. “As silly as it sounds, go with the chicken,” says Daniel Briones, NACE president and Director of Catering at the Four Seasons Philadelphia. The price will be $26 per person compared with $40 for steak.

The wedding dress is a special thing for most gals. They have waited a long time for the perfect guy and now it is time to shop for a dress. Yes, you can buy a wedding dress on E-bay but expect that the alterations maybe $200 or more. There is always a risk when something is bought without seeing it first.

It’s nice when you have a salesgirl who can tell you the exact cost of alterations on your gown of choice off the rack. You will know exactly what you are getting and the total cost. There are no surprises, and you have the added advantage of trying it on.

To save money, you might consider renting a dress. There are lovely dresses for a third of the cost of purchasing. Ask at the bridal store if they would consider renting. They may be willing to do it with your credit card. The concept may be new to them, and they are taking a risk.

Be sure to use our Budgeting Worksheets. A pencil will allow you to adjust your expenses.

If you follow the (Worksheet) Budgeting Guide, on the Home Page,

it will be very helpful,

and ease the stress of Planning for Your Special Wedding Day!

The post SAVE MONEY ON YOUR WEDDING! appeared first on Wedding Extravaganza Magazine.